SketchTravel in Mexico

in #steemsketchbook5 years ago (edited)

SketchTravel in Mexico

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Hotel? What hotel?

One of the first things that we know about travel is that things go wrong. On this trip to the Yucatan and Quintana Roo in Mexico, we discovered on our arrival that our hotel… wasn’t actually there. We drove back and forth trying to find it from the address. All we saw is workers pushing wheelbarrows of concrete and carrying buckets of rocks, with construction materials all over. We eventually realized that in that mess was our hotel. It was a shell of a concrete structure. The reception area was just a concrete floor with boxes of lighting to be installed. The beach advertised was rebar strapped together over the rocky land – waiting for sand to be delivered. It turned out well though, since we got our money back and found a cool old hotel just down the street – Hotel Club Akumal Caribe. The pool was still closed from a recent hurricane that blew away the pool bar and everything else it could. That’s why the palm trees were all at crazy angles!

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The trick’s on me.

After visiting the awesome Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, we continued on west to Merida. It is a beautiful colonial city in the middle of agricultural country. We parked our car in the hotel lot, and declined requests to have it waxed. (it’s just a rental car!) When we checked out and got the car, they said it had been waxed and we had to pay the bill. I said no way, but as we drove off we felt a thump thump thump from the rear tire. It had a piece of wood on it with a screw into the tire. Nice trick! So I found a tire repair center a couple blocks down the street and had the tire patched. I figured the hotel parking lot workers had a good deal going with the tire company.

We drove west until we arrived at Celestun on the Gulf of Mexico. The brilliant white beach was littered with fishing boats. Though the town seemed empty, we did find a person idling here and there, and ended up having the best breaded fish I’ve ever had at a rundown structure with a few tables in it.

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On to Isla Mujeres

From Cancun we took the ferry to Isla Mujeres. It feels pretty ideal, with enough of a town but lots of country. Our hotel was down the island next to Tortugranja, a turtle aquarium. On a boat trip to the bird sanctuary of Isla Contoy, I got my sketchbook wet walking in the surf, and had some awesome cooked fish from the boat’s engine on the way there. We also snorkeled in shark waters and swam in alligator waters (we learned later). But hey, we’re still here. On the flight home I drew some imaginary fish that I would have liked to see while snorkeling.

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Manually curated by @veryspider.

wow, i love these sketches so much, @mrsomebody ! your inking is so beautiful and the strokes are so expressive and lovely <3 i enjoy all the stories, as well.... ! first, being that your hotel wasn't actually there.... and then the trick with the wax! ah! the joys of travelling~

hahaha

wonderful post, @mrsomebody ! you're really such a delightful steemian to follow :)

Thank you @veryspider. I love Mexico. The beaches, the colonial culture, the fantastic Mayan ruins, the climate. Not having a hotel room was kind of unsettling, but I've always wanted to take a trip unscripted and see where I end up. In Mexico it seems there is always another place nearby, and usually for a better price! I prefer being away from the beach where things are quieter and way less expensive, though they tend to have very nice amenities.

Yay so glad I saw this! Now I know of the tag #steemitsketchbook. Keep sketching!

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Thanks @foxcauldry. Glad you like the post. I don't remember where I found that #steemsketchbook tag.

It looks like not everything went smooth but all was good at the end and you came back home with beautiful sketches :) It feels like following your trip through photographs.. just in this case there are no photographs :)

Well done! Thank you for sharing and have a good day!

All was good at the end, for sure. Actually that was the best part of the trip because we had to make it up then, and there is a sense of freedom and adventure in that. Glad you like the post @delishtreats.

These sketches are really sweet and wonderful. So many little details! What an amazing job, sir!

Thanks a lot for sharing!

Thanks @trincowski! You can't go wrong with Mexican beaches. Glad you like them!

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