February 19, 2017 - Tulum, Mexico

It’s probably no surprise, but today was a beach day! We stopped and picked up tacos on our way to the beach and settled in at this palapa north of La Zebra. It was windy again today, and the waves were high. We enjoyed hanging out and walking on the beach. On Sundays, plenty of local families have the day off and head to the beach, as well. It makes for some great people watching.We hoped to pick up ribs for dinner on our way home, but the restaurant had already run out and it was only 4:30! Plan B. Home, showers, then back out to decide on dinner.

We ended up back at the “Everything is $35pesos” restaurant. We had an order of tacos and one of gringas. They thread meat onto the large spits and cook them in front of an open flame. When one side is cooked, they rotate the spit, slice off the cooked meat, and continue the process. Al pastor, developed in Central Mexico by Lebanese immigrants, is similar to shawarma spit-grilled meat, like Turkish doner kebabs or Greek gyros.

We saw an original Mexican dishwasher on our trek this evening. He was busy getting every last drop!One thing that has not changed over the years is the amount of trash people dump – everywhere. There are a few trash barrels along the streets, but not enough. Recycling is practically nonexistent and much needs to be done to improve this situation. We are surprised to see young people tossing garbage, as well. We still love this community and the people here. There is a lot of new construction going on and it is growing. Perhaps an influx of new residents will help with education on this problem.