Tulum, Hurricane Rina and the beach

Hurricane Rina's path

There was no way that we could have travelled to Tulum when we found out that a category two hurricane was also heading there. But strangely we found ourselves on a direct course to it, hoping to hit before Rina did.

Boarded up windows at our 'safe' hotel

A phone call to our seaside beach house had confirmed that they had booked us a safe and comfortable room in a hotel in the town, three miles from the dangers of the coast during a hurricane. Unfortunately the safe hotel looked like a natural disaster had already hit it. As the smell of disinfectant was burning our throats, we headed out to find a pub. Our sanctuary only lasted a few hours, as the police enforced an alcohol ban after 6pm, and the bars and restaurants started to board up the windows. It was a miserable two nights in Hotel Addy, the lowest point being when we turned on the air con and live cockroaches fell out. But we got through it with a bottle of tequilla and the following films: Johnny English, Leon, Hollowman, Liar Liar, Wierd Science, and a strange Martin Clunes film about a band.



Tulum beach



Tulum ruins/golf course

Rina showed her sorry face at about 10pm on the Thursday night. It wasn't the scary foundation rocker I was expecting, although the sky did go a perculiar colour and I suppose the wind picked up a bit. Once she was out of the way, we were allowed to check into the beach side paradise we were meant to be enjoying. We looked out from our sea view balcony at the blue sea and beach mattress bed that had been made for us on the sand. We breathed in the sea air, finally clearing our noses of the stentch of hotel addy. Our beach mattress became like a second horsebed to us over the next two days, and we left it only briefly to visit the Coba and Tulum ruins (which was a bit like golf course).

Not many of the hotel restaurants were open at our end of the beach, but we decided to walk along it and see what we could find. We were pleased to come across somewhere soon with lots of people eating and having a good time. Embarrassment was avoided only at the last minute, when Richard spotted the wedding cake in the background.