Our transport van arrived, and we began our journey down Quintana Roo Route 15. Our destination was the disused Ultimo Maya dock near Boca Paila where we then boarded Pangas to continue our 1 1/2 hour journey down the inner lagoon to the Seaport Punta Allen where we hopped into trucks for a short drive through the village to Nervous Waters' Maya Azul Lodge, which operates completely off the grid, and does so quite well.
Headed to fish Ascension Bay, Cody and I headed out a day early just in case of bad weather or lost luggage. We stayed at the Motto by Hilton Tulum after landing at the new Tulum International Airport. We enjoyed walking around the town, found a pharmacy and our friend Ricky interpreted for us, so I could get my much-needed insulin. We ate at a restaurant that cooked their meats on open smoker grills and had live entertainment. We enjoyed the area around our hotel enjoying live music, finding a podcasting studio called Huddle Puddle, a gelato shop, an Apple Store, and a rather large agave art of a Jumping Bean.
Before our shuttle to Punta Allen arrived, we rented a scooter and visited the Tulum Mayan Ruins at the Tulum National Park. Cody bought a Lucha Libre mask for a funny fishing bit. We shopped at a Sam's-style store for Coke Zero or Sin Azcura, and we had to have a parking ticket which was validated, if we spent a $110 Pesos or more. We also stocked up on nutrition for Montezuma's Revenge. It was a good start to our adventure.
