Cancun El Centro

Last year I was in Mexico for work and had the chance to spend extra days traveling in the region for pleasure and leisure. I went to visit Chichen Itza, the Tulum ruins, spent a day in Playa del Carmen, and stayed in Cancun as well. Since my previous employer sponsored us a luxurious stay at an exclusive resort near Puerto Morelos which means I had enough of the sun and sand and the all-inclusive hotel resort food (this is worrying my eating habits), I decided to stay at a hotel in Cancun El Centro and not in Cancun Hotel Zone for the rest of the days that I was not working.

Except for the food, architectural ruins and the language, Mexico reminds me a lot of the Philippines.

I find the old centre of Cancun a bit raw and less touristy compared to the Hotel Zone where its a chockfull of (north) American holidaymakers and partygoers. I did wander around the old centre and even went to the mercados to look for something to bring home but I did not find anything I like.

My only souvenir in Cancun was a Maya tile calendar given to me by the hotel personnel who were wearing, interestingly, thick winter coats because it’s -+18C outside while I am wearing a short sleeve blouse, thin leggings and slippers. They were very nice people, they helped me book my last minute trip to Chichen Itza, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Check out my collage fotos of Cancun El Centro below:

Cancun El Centro scenes. I ordered Nachos at the hotel and look what I got, some rolled tortillas with frijoles refritos - not really a Mexican food fan anyway. Nachos I learned is a Texan thing and not really Mexican. Upper right foto you can see a street food vendor selling tortillas. Below foto with the tall buildings is my hotel room view.

Rotunda monument in Cancun. The Mexican Peso. I did a little walk into this park and saw this colourful row of houses. Bought myself some nachos to munch in my hotel room.

And I sauntered into this concrete park as well with a covered podium. There were a number of stalls selling native Mexican items.

Daily life on the streets of Cancun El Centro. The buses, the traffic (scary to cross the streets there!), the roads, as well as the people there remind me of the Philippines.

All fotos are uploaded to my online Multiply album, and to see them one by one, please go here: Cancun El Centro - Mexico