The Weekenders: Coba, Mexico

 COBA, COBA, COBA 

You know how some weekends just hit different? Like the perfect mix of adventure, activity and relaxation. Coba was it!

Nothing more I love than hitting the open road... and getting snacks. Am I hungry, goodness no. Do I feel the impulse to constantly munch, heck yes. Shoutout to the dang good roadside tortas as we passed through Tulum, but the real MVP and source of entertainment along the way was picking up a piping HOT, HOT TAMALE! I don't know the science behind it, but that molten pocket of stewed meat (?) and gravy (likely bean mash) held its heat like nothing I've ever experienced...and I've eaten my share of pizza pops. But the most curious thing was the sweet senorita just grabbing that shit off the fire with her bare hands.

ANYWAY. 

We rolled into Coba at sunset and despite some pretty lofty weekend plans, immediately proclaimed we weren't leaving the little slice of paradise we'd come upon. It was beautiful, quiet, lakeside, there were palms trees and a breeze. Tropical haven. Before even checking-in, we decided to take in the sunset at the lakeside gazebo, where Little J. aptly inquired, "Why is no one swimming in this lake?" Why indeed. Well after almost no investigation, turns out we got ourselves into a crocodile situation. Guys, we note the warning signs--- We talk about the jaguar crossing, heed the menacing moose signs, even slow down in hopes of seeing a turtle cross the damn road, and we rarely see what might be about. But walking along the lake and actually seeing a 12 ft crocodile just chilling, flashbacks/cautionary tales of Rescue 911 circa 1994 came flooding back. No way were we getting Captain Hook'ed on this vacation. 

OK.

Next day, we grabbed a quick coffee and morning taco and made our way to the Archeological Zone to tour the Mayan ruins. Thought to have been in existence since 50 BC, there's evidence of ancient Mayan civilization in and around Coba everywhere (our hotel even had a roped-off pile of rocks that dated back). The archeological zone is about 26km², and there are five main sites/groups of structures that have been uncovered, which include temples, ball courts, tunnels and chambers. With a couple of them standing 40+metres and nestled into the jungle, it was very Jumanji. If archeology is your thing, checkout this website which gives all the details and pictures of each of the sites https://www.themayanruinswebsite.com/coba.

Our child crushes electrolytes.

As commonly done, we had wanted to bike around the ruins, but there was no option for a baby jump seat. Not one to give-up, Tyler caught a good laugh when he asked if he could just rent a tricycle-taxi and do the chauffeuring himself. After much debate and best efforts, Tyler was sidelined and had to be carted around. I've never seen someone doing nothing, look so forlorn and envious of a guy pushing around a family in 40 degree heat. Tyler loves to pedal. In all, the tricycle ride was about two hrs, and Baby J just kept shouting "It's better than I thought it would be!" So mixed reviews from this family. I personally loved it. Smaller than the better known Chichen Itza, Coba was the best option for us given the time of year (bloody surface of the sun) and time in our lives (don't give an eff-about-history toddler era). We toodled back to the hotel in time for lunch, a nap and swim...and yah, it was a pretty nice little Saturday. 

Hotel Kaab Coba bringing the jungle vibes

THEN.

As per our Saturday afternoon at the pool, we had met a family with a little guy just our size, and on Sunday we all piled in the fam-mobile, and hit the underground caverns (because that's just what you do after a few Modelos). So cenotes are large, freshwater sinkholes found all over the Yucatan Peninsula. Sacred to the Mayans, these were the water sources for the ancient Mayan civilizations, and represented the strong connection to the natural world. For us, these are revered magical caverns, other worldly holes in the ground. Being away from the coast, and it coming into rainy season in Mexico, we had the underworld-cenotes all to ourselves, which was such a cool, slightly eerie experience. Kudos to Tyler for being our trusty sherpa (I feel like I've said this 100x before-- but seriously, Tyler has carried this child to the top of mountains and to the depths of the earth), getting Baby J down the slippery cavernous steps NBD. Kudos to Baby J for hanging with the bats in near darkness. Kudos to the water wings which kept our baby afloat in the 30 metre glaring abyss. This was so cool. 

Cenote Choo-Ha

Cenote Multum Ha

Besides being alone in the caves and swimming in the clear blue water of the underworld, one of the biggest highlights of the day were the flocks of butterflies we found outside the cenotes. Watching two little boys frolic in clouds of yellow butterflies might be one of the purest moments of delights I have ever seen. My heart 💗

SO.

If you're going to the Mayan Riviera, hit up Coba--- and if you feel so able, go under your own steam. Being away from the tourist centres and in nature in all its cold blue, deep green and fluttery magic is just so so good for the ch'ulel.

An Adriatic AdVANture: Choose Your Own Adventure

Many moons ago I wrote about a prospective summer roadtrip, outlining the loosely made plans to travel around the Adriatic Sea. We did it and had a blast.

Now, with the prospect of a post-pandemic world (I've been optimistically proclaiming this since April 2020), it's time to dust off the old passports and start plotting. To pique some wanderlust, I took a jaunt down memory lane, reliving the seasides, the wine, the cheese, the misadventures and epic scenery of that summer.

This is a bit of a 'choose your own adventure' situation--Read in chronological order or click around the links. So where are we going first?!

Prerequisite reading- Time to Hit the Road!

• The Montenegrin Chapter
• The Croatian Chapter
• The Bosnian Chapter
• The Swiss Chapter
• The Italian Chapter 



The summer circuit!

An Adriatic AdVANture: The Montenegrin Chapter

At the birth of the planet the most beautiful encounter between land and sea must have been on the Montenegrin coast. -Lord Byron

Prerequisite reading- Time to Hit the Road!

After a quick visit to Canada, landing back in Albania for less than 12 hours, and working my inconvenient way into week three of a bout of guardia, we hit the road! Although there were a few mild moments of jetlag and indoor toilet-lust, we were beyond tickled to be in what has turned out to be our favourite European country, Montenegro! (I know I have proclaimed this at least a dozen times about different countries.)

We spent our first night in a dusty carpark overlooking the city of Ulcinj. As we indulged in a long lunch and seaside dips, the town had a lovely lazy vibe about it. Little did we know what we were in for that evening. We had struck the Montenegro Independence Day (Declaring independence in 2006, Montenegro is relatively juvenile)---which much like Canada Day ensured that the streets were packed, the music was bumping and the fireworks were popping off. It was a super crowded evening and the once vacant carpark was now jammed packed. Luckily the jetlag was very real. We put up the curtains and slept literally in the dead centre of the party. The next day we woke up to a much quieter New Year's Day-ish atmosphere. People were again chilling out on the beach and the Mediterranean vibes had been restored.

We then mozied up the coast to Petravac and properly setup camp for the first time since finishing the van. We rode our bikes, swam, ate fresh seafood and soaked up the campground for a few days.

Next up, we had our eyes set on Budva, but first thought we'd call-in on Sveti Stefan. In the past (1400's) Sveti Stefan was an island town just off the mainland. After a bunch of history, occupants and varied states of disrepair, it is presently a luxury resort with a connecting causeway. Sveti Stefan has been frequented by royalty and celebrities since the 1900's and is well beyond our price range. Even renting an umbrella and a couple of chairs was beyond our budget. Although access to the island resort is restricted to guests, the beaches, parks and beautiful village surrounding it are free for us commoners to gawk at and enjoy. We wandered around for awhile, had a beer and hit the trail for a night spent in Budva. 

Being just 20 minutes up the road from Sveti Stefan, it was no surprise that Budva was bursting with luxury yachts. With beachside carnivals, restaurants and bars leading to the beautiful walled city it was not hard to see why Budva was super busy with holiday-makers. A bit too bustling for our taste, we stayed only one night before heading onward to (one of) the City of Cats, Kotor. 

The Bay of Kotor, holy cow guys. As Tyler skillfully maneuvered the, at times single lane road which precariously hugged the shoreline of the bay, it quickly became clear that this is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Lord Byron was not wrong. The Bay of Kotor is a large bay comprised of many smaller bays connected by narrow channels and home to multiple medieval towns. Throw in the Dinaric Alps and the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea and you've got yourself a deadly combo. We spent our days biking, swimming, checking out the monasteries, eating at the grill bars and reveling in the beauty of our surroundings. 

In the depths of the bay's crook is the fortified city of Kotor, which is where I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday! Tyler did a great job to make it special, decorating the van and pulling gifts from the storage. We spent the evening in the city, wandering the streets, drinking wine and making the trek up the 1400 steps to the San Giovanni Fortress for stunning sunset views of the city and shimmering sea below below. It was perfect! 

For a journey that could have taken us under two hours, we had just spent over two weeks driving the coastline of Montenegro. If given more time, we would have happily continued to explore the country but alas, King's Landing was calling! Next stop Dubrovnik, Croatia!

....But first we had to cross the border into Croatia. After waiting in a long, slow line, we were asked to pullover for a vehicle inspection. Having previously experienced some scrutiny over our Albanian license plates, we were not phased. After an hour of waiting with no movement, we spotted a stern officer heading our way, snapping the old rubber gloves on looking as if he was ready to rip the van apart. Seeing this, we cheerfully slid the backdoor open to reveal the absolute party-pit of a van littered with balloons and pool floaties. Recoiling at this juvenile club-house of a situation, the wind seemed to have been knocked out of his sails. Scattered, he had a quick peek through my purse, asked if we smoke marijuana and bid us adieu.

Checkmate.

An Adriatic AdVANture: The Croatian Chapter

Prerequisite reading- Time to Hit the Road

I'm going to start with a very unpopular opinion. 

Croatia is over-rated. 

There I said it. 

Yes, it has the goods to back-up its resounding reputation; Gorgeous coastline, sparkling turquoise sea, fairytale villages, amazing food and wine (gahhh here I go talking myself back into a full-on endorsement). BUT compared to its southernly neighbours (Montenegro and Albania), who share the EXACT SAME COASTLINE, it is crowded and expensive. 

So, after crossing the Montenegrin border our first call of port was Dubrovnik. As one cannot visit Dubrovnik without acknowledging the obvious dragon in the room, evidence of Kings Landing was everywhere.

We are the average Game of Thrones fans. No, we haven't read the books but we know the main characters and their houses, and understand most pop culture references. If you yell 'HODOR' at us, we'll hold the door. So did we join any GoT tours? No. But did we take some pleasure in swimming at Blackwater Bay? Yes. Did we happen to eat lunch on the Jesuit staircase- No SHAME here.

Otherwise, being a super hot day, we meandered through the city walls, scurrying from one scrap of shade to the next and were thankful we decided to pack our swimsuits for a periodic swim. How often can you say that you have swam off the walls of a medieval castle? 

From Dubrovnik onwards was just one gorgeous coastal town after the next. With our very loose plans consisting of sticking to the coastline and doing a bit of island hopping, the Croatian days dripped by the way of scenic drives, lazy bike rides, frequent swims and seaside lunches. 

It was slow going when we had to pullover to enjoy the all views!

Waking up to ferry over to Korcula for pastries and coffee

Driving through Drace and quickly realizing we were in wine country--Which has always been our favourite of countries to visit.

Whenever we mention that we visited Croatia, often the response is, "Oh! Didn't you just love Split?" To which we sort of agree and quickly move the convo along in a different direction. You see, the travel-stars aligned for us in Split, and we were lucky enough to be meeting our friend Meagan for a one-night only reunion. To say that we were gearing up for a big night was an understatement. Little did we know we were about to co-star in movie sequel The Hangover: Lost in Croatia.

Tyler and I had parked the van a couple kms outside the city and biked in to meet our friend. From there a series of tragicomedic events unfolded that resulted in one of our most ridiculous night ever. Upon arriving in the city, we decided our best plan of action was to lock our bikes to a nondescript fence for safe keeping, but made absolutely no note as to the location. Next, we met Meg, had a dance party, wandered around the city and got so twist-turned around, we didn't know which way was up. At some point in the night we said farewell to Meg... and unknowingly to each other as well. For some lost amount of time Tyler found himself having a solo gigglefest in a virtual reality room, while I aimlessly wandered through a dog show flexing my knowledge of puppy pedigree. 

Finally, by some miracle Ty and I found each other and our bikes, and were set to cycle back to our beachside park-up for the night...when I looked over my shoulder and POOF! Tyler was gone again. Hours later, after each taking our own routes home, we eventually found each other. We spent the subsequent day napping in the shade outside a McDonalds...only to emerge every couple hours for a bag of burgers and a tray of hot fudge sundaes. If you know, you know.

Before it all went awry

The downward spiral from being swindled on a wheel of cheese, to the questionable dance moves and the last we saw of Tyler.

We finally emerged from our McD's fog, and geared up to make the trek to Krka National Park. Somehow we mustered the will to complete a hike around the park and revelled in the refreshingly cool water at the basin of the waterfalls. That night was definitely an early and quiet night at camp!

Pause for a Bosnian interlude

We popped over to the Island of Brac, and got willingly stuck in Bol for many nights.

Camping in Seline, we found ourselves parked-up next to a lovely Romanian couple, who after getting to chatting offered us some of their raki (as one does in the Balkans). What is raki? Well it's liquor usually made from plums or grapes, everyone's uncle makes the best, and it often comes out of a reused Fanta bottle--So, it's essentially moonshine. We've sampled our fair share of raki, but boy-howdy! After two shots of the Romanians' hooch, it was seemingly lights out. Altho not entirely so, as we awoke the next morning to a somewhat suspicious crime scene of a pasta meal strewn about, van door wide open and a vague memory of someone singing Shania karaoke (ok, it was probably/definitely me).

Turns out there are lots of places to explore without tons of people in Croatia

After we had spent the last couple weeks cruising the Croatian coastline, we arrived at our final stop, Pula. At first Pula presented itself as yet another picturesque seaside town where everyone lounged on the beach by day, and wandered the town by night eating gelato. However, as time wore on and we ventured further and further on our bikes, more revealed itself. First, Pula has one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres. Structurally, very much like the colosseum in Rome, the Pula arena does not have throngs of people crawling about, doesn't cost a bunch of money to visit, and is wide open for exploration. It was pretty sweet to quietly have our morning espresso unbothered amongst the ruins.

After a couple days with our feet up, it was time to get moving again.

What's your favourite flavour of gelati? I sway towards pistachio, chocolate, maybe a refreshing lemon or coconut.

Next, as we were cycling back towards our van, we haphazardly came across an abandoned naval base including tons of house, government-esque buildings, and even a hospital. It was as if everyone just didn't come home one day. Bits of former domestic life strewn about, tons of refuse from present-day squatters, and nature reclaiming the space made it a neat place to explore, imagine and wonder about. 

Ok, ok, so you might have noticed that this post is rife with pictures of our time in Croatia...and as it turns out, after going through the photos and reliving the beauty, adventure, food, scenery and general quaint grandeur of the country, it is aptly-rated (perhaps even under-rated!?). Croatia is so so beautiful, the coastlines and towns are spectacular, and if wanting to get off the beaten path, there are plenty of places to enjoy the natural beauty without throngs of people. 

So, yes, Croatia is amazing, it's worth every kuna ($$), and we would 100% love to visit again. And the only reason we weren't more forlorn to be moving on from this fabulous country is that we were off to Switzerland to meet our bestest frau, bask in the freshness of the Alps and eat our weight in cheese and chocolate!

Annnddd just because I don't want the last picture on this post to be of an abandoned building...here's one more snap of our van somewhere in Croatia.