The flight was smooth, customs went quickly, and there were no problems with my cheked bag. All in all, it meant that I was dumbfounded by my own lack of preparedness far earlier than I expected. Luckily I knew the word autobus and bought a cheap ticket to Puerto Morelos.

The ride down was fairly quick and I soon found myself standing in the sun on the side of the highway with nothing but my pack and the vague knowledge that the beach was a bit east of where I was standing. So I walked east.

About 5 minutes later I was regretting my decision for a number of reasons. My pack was not packed optimally and was sitting too heavy on my shoulders. It was 90 degrees and humid, which is the kind of weather that has me drenched with sweat when I’m sitting still in the shade. Here I was hiking along a sun drenched road with 45 lbs of gear slung on my back.

Eventually I arrived and found Posada Amor, a hotel recommended in my guidebook. The room was simple but comfortable. I put down my pack and tried to cool down. I even showered underneath the funky conch-shell showerhead in the bathroom but somehow just felt warmer after. My first peso purchase was some agua purificado frio which may have been the best water I’ve ever had in my life.

I walked around the town with my camera and found that I have a love of handwritten signs. I came across a large iguana sitting atop a fence, but he was camera shy. The center of town has a playground with a tiny Mayan pyramid for the kids to climb. I walked along the beach and watched the local fishermen going about their business. I noticed a decided lack of tourists, which may be because there’s not much to do in town and the nearby cities of Cancun and Playa del Carmen are far more geared for the foreign visitors.

Not long after sundown, I felt exhausted. I went to bed early and slept like a baby.