Yucatan

Anyone who has been to Playa del Carmen knows 5th Avenue, or ‘Quinta Avenida’ in Spanish. That is, if you ever needed to use your Spanish while you were in Playa.

The Riviera Maya is one of the most popular destinations in Mexico, and it’s easy to see why: crystal clear Caribbean waters, pristine beaches, beautiful beach towns and Maya ruins …

While we were staying at the beach house, we had many little geckos that were hanging out there with us – including this one, our personal favorite!

Since we’ve started traveling full-time in 2010, we ran into a hurricane every year – first Matthew in Belize, then Irene in Washington last year, and this year Ernesto in Mexico…

In my monthly round-ups, I am looking back at my travels over the past four weeks, what went well and what didn’t, and what’s next for me.

The Zocalo in Merida is home to several shoe shine men and boys, as are most central parks or squares throughout Mexico and Central America. We stopped to talk to him because of that adorable (and very pregant!) black cat.

Although Valladolid is with 45,000 considerably big, it has more the feel of a sleepy Mexican village, with pastel colored colonial buildings and a tranquil town center. A lot of the women still wear the typical Mayan dresses and sell hand-made dresses and other crafts around the town square.

My last stop in Mexico was the tiny island of Isla Mujeres with its picture-perfect Caribbean beaches and laid-back vibe. The perfect place for a mini vacation!

Chichen Itza is one of the best known Mayan ruins in all of Mexico, and has been voted one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.

I’ve been road tripping all over the Yucatan Peninsula this past week – a trip filled with Mayan ruins, stunning beaches, loads of tacos and crystal clear cenotes!