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Arrived in Mexico having crossed the border from Belize and spend two nights in Chetumal, where we visit a Mayan museum which was quite good but because I'd (Elaine) slipped on wet floor tiles in bathroom when trying to pick up wet floor mat , flying off into huge shower space banging my wrist ......I didn't feel like exploring further in heat with wrist now bandaged. ...how hard it seems to do things with only one arm...we head off next day and have a 4 hour bus journey to Tulum where we find our hotel can only accommodate us for 1 night....the next day we set off to find another hotel quite close by where we book another night....by this time Eric is not feeling well and we return to first hotel so he can rest up a bit....after lunchtime we move to our new hotel where Eric spends day in bed... Most people come to Tulum to see clifftop Mayan ruins with stunning beach below..... it looks like our 2 nights in Tulum are not going to be as planned.
We decide to head off next day and after Eric takes 2 Loperamide tablets we head off for bus station. We book a 1st class ADO bus for our 6 hour journey to Merida. It leaves in one hour and by luck our seats are at back near toilet......the first bus journey we've had with a toilet. The bus journey with air-conditioning and TV screens showing a comedy film in Spanish was luxurious ..like an upmarket Megabus and the 6 hours passed quickly. We decide to stay 5 nights in Merida in our 4☆ hotel costing £28/night including breakfast to recharge our batteries. As it turns out while Eric has recovered I've developed a UTI and can't leave our room for the whole of the next day as I have to be 2 seconds from a toilet.....this is a pain as I don't feel ill at all so Eric has to head off to practice his Spanish language skills at pharmacy and then doctor's to try to get prescription. What a pair we are...me with my arm still bandaged and badly bruised and now having a UTI and Eric just recovering from the trots!! We don't think my wrist is fractured but bandage it for support in case and to hide the horrendous bruising. For the UTI the pharmacist could not give antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. Fortunately the doctor is right next door to the pharmacist so Eric joins in the queue of 4 women. I ( Elaine) can't be away from a toilet so have stayed at the hotel. After an hour, Eric sees the doctor and explain the problem. She speaks no English but he manages to convey the problem and leaves with a prescription for Trimethoprim and vitamin C effervescent tablets.
Unfortunately just an hour or two after taking the first dose, my mouth swells up in reaction to the antibiotics. Eric heads back to the clinic where there is a different doctor on duty. He explains the problem,, (Doctor speaks no English) and leaves with a prescription for Ciprofloxacin.
Luckily even after 1 tablet there is a huge improvement in my predicament and I can at last leave Hotel room next day with confidence!!!!
We spend next few days exploring Merida or lying on loungers by pool....what a great choice of hotel.
Merida is a very relaxed city. Not too touristy but with enough to keep us occupied for a lazy few days. There's a great choice of restaurants too. We are just a short walk from the main Plaza which costs less than £1 by taxi of which there are many. On one day we take a city bus tour around the sites.. Avenue Montejo is lined with grand colonial houses, remnants from the days when the Yucatan had many very wealthy gentlemen, made rich through the production of sisal for rope making in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
We find all the Mexicans to be quiet, friendly people, always willing to help despite the language barrier and the fact that very few peak English. Every evening in the main square there are small stalls set up for food and sometimes live music and dancing.
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