It was a long straight road to get here, punctuated by a few towns, several topes and the odd pothole. Just over five hours later we reached El Placer, miles from anywhere, just a small collection of beach houses, one of which is Mayan Beach Garden. This whole area was affected by Hurricane Dean in August 2007, the most powerful Atlantic storm to hit land since 1988 with winds in excess of 165 miles per hour. There was a huge amount of damage, but you wouldn't know it now. We have another lovely room, with coconut palms outside our windows and a sea view. There are some lovely mosaics done by Marcia all over the property which give it real character...



Even one made from flip flops washed up by the tide ...



Most mornings I've been waking early, and I was on the beach to watch the sun rise, then went for a walk along the shore where I found a brown bean the size of a skimming pebble. It is a sea bean, the seed of a woody climbing vine that twines through the rainforest which produces flowers then long seed pods with several seeds, just like a bean, and grows all round the Caribbean. The seeds end up in the sea and get washed up all around by the tide, and I ended up with a handful of them.



Well we've had a busy day, starting with breakfast, a bit of sun on the beach, a dip in the seriously warm sea and lunch.



Then a siesta listening to the thunder rolling round and a few drops of rain. Talking siestas, most people in Yucatan still sleep in a hammock. Mayan houses are sparsely furnished and all is pushed back to the walls at night for the hammocks to be strung up. Several of the rooms we have stayed in have had a hammock option, and even in the fancy Casa Morelli we visited in Merida, the original owners slept in hammocks, so class doesn't affect this choice. What we hadn't realised, is that you are meant to sleep diagonally across a hammock, not lengthways, otherwise you get a crick in your neck and fall out, but it's still tricky!


 
Later a walk, sundowner margaritas, sunset, dinner, and the sound of the waves to lull us to sleep ... oh and another day like this tomorrow!



 


 
Starting to wonder if we have too much time on our hands ....



Time to move on ... Tulum tomorrow