In my travels around the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico I got completely hooked on the food. I loved the simple but vibrant flavours, the freshness of ingredients, and the versatility of the simple tortilla! This meant that by the time I got to San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas state I was actively searching for someone to teach me how to make authentic Mexican food. And I found it!
Turtles are my second favourite animal and though I’ve previously encountered them while snorkeling they’ve always been shy and have retreated into the distance at the first sight of me. At Akumal they were unconcerned by my presence, happily munching on the plentiful sea grass on the ocean floor, just 50 metres out from the shoreline.
Once in a while I get stuck in a place. Actually, ‘stuck’ is the wrong word, it’s not that I am trapped in any way, it’s just that I don’t want to leave. Valladolid was the ideal spot for some much needed R&R for me, but it felt like a place I could stay, and just like I have in a few other places I started to imagine myself settling there permanently.