[a photo journal]


Sandos Caracol (The Resort)





5th Avenue & Central Playa (The City)





The Beach




Ferry Views (to/from Cozumel)





Snorkeling (The Adventure)





The Ritual (Fire Ceremony)








The Words


When we left for Mexico, I expected to lay out by the beach for four days straight, and maybe do some exploring in between. Instead, we ventured and explored, and squeezed in a few beach moments whenever we could muster the extra energy.

I am spent, and at the same time, I am full. The beaches of Playa del Carmen are picturesque as I imagined, but I was unaware of the sargassum seaweed problem throughout the Caribbean. It is piling quite heavily along the coast, collecting ashore more quickly than crews can scoop it away. We caught taxis to multiple beaches in search of clear sands but ultimately accepted waters as-is. Even the oceans know how to cleanse themselves when needed, and there is beauty in that.

We explored every inch of our eco resort, we ate plenty of tacos, we explored the city, we got lost, we sipped cocktails on lounge chairs, we swam with sting rays and sea turtles, we sailed across bumpy waves and rode along pitted paths. We saw an ancient Mayan Fire Ritual and admired street art and performance pieces. We struggled to stay awake past 10pm and rose with the sun. We seized all the daylight, every last minute.