Cancún and the beaches

Sunday morning was spent on the terrace of my hostel, which has a lot to offer. I started by clearing my head in the pool and stretching out in the sun, then went to the sauna and steam room and came out boiling, straight into a cold shower. After drying off a bit more in the sun, I went to challenge a Norwegian who was playing pool, we ended up tied at 1 and then went for a beer. In the meantime I went back to my sun lounger and met a Frenchwoman who had spent a month travelling around southern Mexico and who gave me several tips on places to see.

In the afternoon I went to Caracol beach, a smaller beach next to the hotels, and I grabbed a sun lounger by the water to settle in and set up camp. But the luck didn't last all afternoon, because from 4 pm the sun moved round and ended up on the opposite side, behind the big hotels, which cast shade over the sand. I picked up my stuff and quickly switched beaches to Forum beach, where it looked like the Saturday night party hadn't finished yet or they were already enjoying the Sunday matinée. The beach packed with people, music blaring, packs of beer everywhere with everyone stocking up at a 7-Eleven supermarket right next door. I'd got the move right as far as the sun was concerned, but the peace and quiet was over.

To wrap up my 4-day stay in Cancún, here are some of the many mascots you can see around the city. Starting with the typical Mexican one, the skeleton woman called Catrina. During the Day of the Dead, people usually take to the streets in costumes or Mexican skull make-up, especially women, representing the character of La Catrina, the “Dama de la Muerte” – the skeleton of an upper-class woman, who reminds people of the fleeting nature of differences.

Well, tomorrow is moving day, I'm heading down the coast to Playa del Carmen.