Bring it Back

We’ve been in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for six months now. A month ago we moved into a great little apartment that had opened up. Funny thing, it’s the same apartment we lived in when our daughter, Denya, was born. I remember the first night we were back here it seemed so strange. Like a time warp, a déjà vu, a step into the past. I had some doubts about moving into the apartment, some feelings that returning to the same space would be like moving backwards. I had always felt that the road should lead forward - to new experiences and places, but the location, the price and the size are perfect so I just couldn’t justify saying no to the perfect little house.

Apart from the house, I haven’t totally settled here in Playa. It’s beautiful, and my husband and I can both work and live well, but something keeps tugging at my spirit. It’s the travel bug. I can’t escape it and I know it will eventually reel me in, or cast me out. I dream of Northern Africa, of the Middle East, of South East Asia and South America. But there is a delicate balance that all travelers are aware of – knowing when to stay and when to go. Sometimes there are strong signs that lay out a path for you and other times the signs are much more subtle or even hardly noticeable. I think the most difficult moment for a traveler is when there are no signs; when destiny becomes foggy and each step is a guessing game. We always have the free will to decide where to go, but there are certainly little clues and hints that guide us and open up paths for us to follow and when those hints aren’t there our steps are more cautious as they take us into the unknown.

I can say that I have had signs and hints that I should stay for the moment, but there is always that tug that pulls a traveler out of the ground and makes sure that too many roots don’t form.

What happens is that travelers become addicted to discovery. Finding the next adventure is as necessary as the next meal. When that feeling of newness fades a traveler will get itchy and begin to try and calm the itch.

In order to soothe that itch here, Pancho and I have been taking day trips and overnight adventures. The weekend of July 12^th we headed to the Mayan ruin sight of Ek Balam up near Tizimin, Yucatan. The ruins were amazing and Denya, our daughter, was happy to check out each little room built into the main pyramid (I think there are 12 rooms). We climbed all the way to the top of the pyramid just in time to see the storm clouds closing in on us. We tucked back into one of those little rooms to wait out the downpour and when the sun broke through we toured the rest of the ruin sight, everything around us fresh and wet. We headed north to Holbox, a little island where boats head out to take people to see the whale shark. We didn’t see the giant fish, but we loved the island for its relaxed attitude and its white beaches. On our last night in Holbox we watched the clouds roll in across the water and waited for the cleansing rain to drench us. We came back to Playa refreshed, having seen something new, having explored and broadened our knowledge of the area.

And so we went looking for more. Discovery is an addiction and we decided to load up the truck with friends and head south to another Mayan ruin site called Muyil, south of Tulum. Muyil became an off track adventure when we found a path out of the back of the ruin site. What started as a little walk became more and more intense as the path led us back into the jungle. There were several pleas to turn back but it seemed that the trail would lead us somewhere and so we trudged on. There were some tense encounters with a yellow backed tarantula, some scalp-seeking wasps and of course the ever present enormous mutant sized mosquitoes. Still we plodded on, seeking our refuge at the end of the trail. Needless to say, we were disappointed when the trail fed us out on to the highway. Pancho and I hitched a ride back to the truck and came back to get the rest of the gang. They looked exhausted sitting by the side of the highway. We had made a long hike winding through the jungle and it had taken 3 hours.

I guess sometimes adventures don’t work out exactly as hoped, but that’s what makes it an adventure – not knowing. We stopped on the way back to Playa del Carmen at El Cenote Escondido (the Hidden Cenote) for a refreshing swim and when we got back into the truck a downpour led us all the way back to Playa del Carmen.

So these little day trips and weekend trips help to ease the urge to fly far. This entire region is full of destinations and discoveries and for the moment we’re happy here.

It seems that over the course or writing this blog I’ve become a bit more settled. It’s given me a different perspective and helped me appreciate. Take care, have fun, live the moment. Thank you.