Today was our vacation, unfortunately, have to end. At noon we were back swimming. At that time we had packed our bags almost. At 14.30 we were to be picked up at the hotel. The bus had but half an hour late, and it shows the other passengers on the bus. The couple, who sat behind us was constantly bleating on. Especially when it did not succeed in the long time bus driver, his vehicle maneuver from the very narrow access to back out.
Ca. 2 ½ hours before scheduled departure, we were at the airport in Cancun.
There was before the check-in counter, the longest queue I've ever seen at an airport. Unfortunately we had to do back and wait a long time. Therefore, we also got a window seat on the return flight no more.
The aircraft had very little delay. The return flight only lasted about 9 hours, but by the time shift from Sunday, 18.40 clock to Monday 12 clock.
The conversion time was not easy to see through. Germany and Mexico were introduced at different days of the summer, and there were even the 7 hour time difference .. believe ( I ..)
Losflug When we saw under the sun to go next. On the night lightning flashed in the clouds, very quickly (I had 2 hours sleep, previously seen a movie and eaten) right the sun rose again.
After landing, we were surprisingly quick and our luggage was left totally without control of the airfield.
The return trip from Dusseldorf to Hall was a bit funny: Whether it was because we were tired anyway I saw the man who gave us looked very sharp at the airport and then quickly loslief while his case was unattended, as a threat. (But surely no dynamite was .. in his case). When, on the train behind us sat a man, all the passengers of sermons that he was a supernova and that all are pursuing him, but he is the salvation bugged, ..., we were pretty confused ...
In Magdeburg I said goodbye to my girlfriend.
We both had a great time spent, a dream vacation.
Overall, the holiday was so expensive - at any of us has such issued around 2000 € for those two weeks, but the time has paid off. We have learned a new culture, a new continent, have seen interesting things we collected on the beach and looked back a minute.
Xcaret (pronounced : Ischkare ) is a place where freshwater meets the sea. There are cenotes, a beach and also ancient Mayan buildings (we have seen on the trip very much Maya ruins: 4 cities the initial tour, Tulum ruins in Xcaret and Playa and "building" in Tulum on the way to the airport).
Here was a kind of "theme park" built in the jungle, where for example every night takes place on a big show with the historic "ball game". Here you can for example also by a 300 m long underground river (but is usually artificially) swim. Then we did not, because that could certainly be just a poor imitation to yesterday Cenotenschnorcheln ..
breakfasted Clock Around 8 we went and for 12 $ with tax the park (the bus would have cost each $ 8).
landed in the park we first souvenir in a huge house where there were also tanks and 2 incubators, where small birds could (kind of terns), hatching observed.
Then we went to the Orchid House, where hundreds of species of orchids and other plants were arboreal. We saw great bromeliads and many of the plants that we saw in the last days on the forest trees had.
Then it went to a greenhouse where edible white (and in pink) mushrooms were grown.
Then we ran many 100 meters through the jungle, was created artificially safe. Many of the plants were labeled. Unfortunately only in English and English.
We landed at a "paradise-river trip." With it went a jungle river on a raft along, through caverns, past hundreds of fish in enclosures with native animals ....
Then we looked round fish tank. There was a large enclosure with lots of flamingos and reached the huge salt water aquarium. could in large pools observe all the fish that we had "erschnorchelt" the day before. There was beautiful coral, starfish, sea urchins .... you could already be jealous.
After some searching we came to the sea turtles. In 3 or 4 large pool a total of well over a hundred babies were 4 months old turtles See who paddled through the water. Next door is a large natural pool that is sure to have connection to the sea. Here live about 40 adult turtles of different species. Many were above 1.50 m long. We were told that they are 14 years old.
this sight alone was the visit.
We went past one (or two, we saw only one) = manatee manatee. We landed on the sea, where are held in isolated areas of about 15 dolphins. With 6 of these animals, the visitors could bathe (for very much money, I think $ 120) and swim together. The remaining dolphins were blocked in 5 others, fairly small pool. One of them, who beat his bored, often with its tail fin on the water, made backstroke .. He made his own show.
After the Dolphins some time in the blazing sun had observed was a pause is necessary. Because the park but were very expensive drinks and food, we only had some water there. Sure was the one reason that Sabine had some circulatory problems. But they held out well.
We also visited a cave where we saw after 100 meters on the wall many bats. Pumas looked to the "Island of the Jaguars" and went through a several hundred meter long natural tunnel. We landed in a mock Mayan village (usually stalls) and right after the butterfly plant. This could be seen through windows, like butterflies from egg to caterpillar, pupa incurred up to the final insect. At the end of the row of windows were seen freshly hatched large blue butterflies.
There was also a huge, flapping around with nets covered hall where hundreds of colorful butterflies, trees and flowers. Butterflies flew past us in shoals, fluttered around us in many colors ....
We also visited a replica of "playing field" where you could see models of the most important Mayan cities, the theater where the performances take place in the evening .... wanted
Finally we visit the large rotating lift-out tower. We were lucky. The operation was waiting for us to put the part in motion. We then had a good view of the jungle, the sea and the park
the way back to the entrance we found a breeding center for parrots. There were over 150 parrots in 2 ways (what you want with so many parrots in the park?), But also many other colorful species of parrots. It has been a breeding station, where freshly hatched behind panes see naked babies, and young animals of all sizes and stages of development.
The park has a total of well over 250 parrots, some of the images are carried through the park. Apparently the wings of all birds are circumcised, as all sat unangekettet.
After 15 clock we left the park we were totally overheated and dehydrated. So we were happy to come for $ 15 (Why is the return trip more expensive?) By taxi back to the hotel where we drank a lot, ate and bathed.
We had booked a Jeep Safari, with Cenotenschnorcheln, visit a Mayan village, snorkel in the sea.
That sounds harmless but it was only once, after Jeep Safari "visit" and "something in the water rumplatschen" and we were prepared.
The first surprise was that we were in our hotel is not like all the tourists who were planning a tour, were picked up by air conditioned bus, but that an old four-wheel-Unimog (certainly 20 years old, with 12 Wooden seats in the back) waiting for us.
We climbed into the bed and went off the ride towards Tulum.
First, we had to sign but that we are healthy and that we are not accidents at the tour guide will sue, because everything happens at your own risk. We drove almost an hour on the open cargo area almost on the highway watch, slightly skeptical about the driver's compartment, where some may work no speed, the steering wheel rather "placed provisionally" looked like.
But the trip was very safe, not too fast and relatively comfortable.
turned off after a while the light trucks in the jungle. We drove along a path. Next to us saw only dense jungle, a lot of undergrowth.
After several miles we drove along a side and it began a drive across an "old Mayaweg. We were shaken in all directions simultaneously. There were deep holes, rocks that had to be overcome ... It went ahead at a snail's pace, the way is really safe to create only four-wheel drive .. We were happy then as the "Mayan village came into sight, by a family around the cenote Nohoch has been built. We got the briefing that the water is used as drinking water and we are therefore neither sun nor should rub with insecticides.
The cenote has a connection to the second-longest cave system in the world under water. Here is an entry for cave divers who can orient themselves in the cenote with tethers. We thought we were here to swim a few meters into the dark and look at the cave floor and the little guppies and Mollys.
Here is a film about a trip with the same operator (Alltournative).
Something we have also experienced:
But the tour leader showed us his flashlight and told us we should follow him. We swam behind him over 100 m into the flooded caves. About us everywhere were Stalagtiden, some of which reached almost to the water surface down. You could almost get Platzangs t. Sabine was once briefly between stalactites hang with her snorkel and got scared. But the tour guide could calm her down immediately. If you could see into the water, you could see under the rocks, stalactites, other "courses" in caves. The water was some 10 m deep. You could almost get vertigo . Whenever we were in a large cave, was halted and the tour guide showed us very beautiful stalactites, bats that hung on the walls and ceilings, and told of bones found by U.S. Urelefanten etc.
When he asked for the return swim, I was quite happy.
nice it was when we met again in the distance the sunlight.
(Later, I told the tour guide, he would of course watching us 11 tourists very carefully and assessed that we all can snorkel well. Especially often it does not float with holidaymakers as deep into the caves.
drove After a short break we to a second cenote, the "heaven." Here there is only a narrow opening into which one may enter it by means of conductor. After 5 or 6 meters, one on a wooden bridge, the above water surface is installed. Here we see a 30 m long and wide expanse of water, where we snorkeled now. By the cave ceiling had grown roots of forest trees, which stopped just above the water surface. Our boss told us that we could reach from here with diving within 15 minutes Nohoch.
went after the re-emergence into our Maya village, where there was an "Indian" lunch.
After a break of an hour when we were asked to buy the Indios souvenirs (which we did but not more), the trip went with the Unimog on the beach.
waited there plastic paddle boats us, where we boarded. Nevertheless, we had not paddled for a long time or never, and I came Sabine quite good progress, even if Sabine time to time from the clock came (She is still of the opinion that I have come from the clock)
First we paddled along the shore. The guide wanted us to look for crocodiles. But we found no ...
Then we drove some 100 meters on the sea, where our boats were anchored and then we go snorkeled in the sea. Well, we have not thought of crocodiles .. We had not seen any.
About partly it was the sea water, a thin layer of fresh water, because near the cenotes that flow into it. This leads snorkeling sometimes even so the mixing of the water the view is sometimes blurred much (an effect which I know from my sea water pool, when I top off distilled water)
but was otherwise the view very well . The lake was removed was usually only 2 or 3 feet, so you see between the stones many corals, small fish, colorful schools of fish (eg 50 small bright blue fish, a hundred yellow doctor fish ..). I also discovered a young sea turtle and called the others, who were pleased a "turtle" to see.
Sabine snorkeled often far away from me. Anyway, I lost sight of them often.
We were sure about 1 ½ hours in the sea. Our boats were long out of sight. But that was the snorkelling, which I have dreamed a lot to see, float in the water, watching animals, see all news ...
After returning to the beach (somehow we have recovered the boats), there were delicious fruit and chairs and hammocks on the beach to rest.
Soon after we returned home, where we got beat 19 clock dinner.
addition to the 4-day tour that was probably our most beautiful, exciting day. After late in the evening I was in high spirits because we have seen such a great adventure.
Because we were doing so now today, but nothing we did a beach day. (In total we have spent six of the 14 vacation days on the beach. Fine. But many more beach days would certainly have been boring.)
breakfast at 7.30 clock I put on 2-beds a shirt from me. That was absolutely necessary. By this time were all lying at the pool and 80% of beach chairs "occupied". When will be on the other travelers?
This book is a silly bad habit. In addition to hotel, if that was forbidden in appearance, were seen throughout the day half free chairs.
clock we were up to 16 (with lunch break) on the beach, we went back briefly to the city. We have only bought small things for dinner and were back home ...
Today we had to get up early, because we had a VIP - discussion at the Viva Maya had an appointment. Sure, I had expected that they wanted us to be persuaded that we look at the VIVA-chain Bind to time and again here (cheap) to take a holiday. But we had to pay over 7,200 euros (in installments), then save over 15 years per leave about 500 to 1,000 euros, for us was of course completely unacceptable. But if you plan on twice a year each 14 days in Asia, America ... to go on vacation, it can certainly be worthwhile. In any case, you had the choice among 4200 hotels ..
Our holiday would have cost about 500 € per person less.
The "Sales Service", which of course was unsuccessful for the seller took 2 hours.
(Info on the edge: The VIVA hotel in the Dominican Republic has - like many hotels in the northern region of the Dominican Republic since the fall of absolutely no beach more Everything is washed away much worse than in... Playa. The hotel occupancy there is currently around 5%)
until after lunch we went to the beach and because clouds came back, we returned after 16 clock back to our room.
There we expected, "fooling"
No hot water (cold shower off is also at 30 degrees is not really nice)
Our "Safari" for the 2nd April was postponed by one day.
My girlfriend was pissed (including me something)
But we calmed down with a couple of beautiful, well-chilled drinks.
