My Yucatan Experience.
THE BPM Festival. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
On January 5th of 2012 I caught my flight towards Cozumel Island in the Riviera Maya, Mexico. After a painful 12 hours overlay in Atlanta, Georgia I finally took my second flight towards Cozumel.
1st day, Arriving in Playa Del Carmen
On the 6th I finally arrived in the beautiful Island of Cozumel (the place is so beautiful that it is considered one of the best diving spots in the world). The airport didn't look anything like the US. Airports. Everyone and everything seemed so chill out and free of worries. I instantly felt a warm vibe from the locals.
An american couple that I met in the plane offered me a ride to the fairy. So I could get to Playa del Carmen, my final destination. Yet it seemed that it would take way too long for them to pick up their rental Jeep so I preferred to just grab the first van and head towards the fairy.
Sitting in the front I exchanged a couple words in spanish with the local driver. He also passed me on this warm vibe and this good feeling was just growing in me about this place. In couple minutes I got dropped off at the fairy. The weather was warm and everything looked so beautiful and exciting. I bought a fresh coconut water and waited for the fairy.
After 20 minutes of hanging out I finally entered the fairy. It was a huge fairy, and so many people were inside. I had barely slept for a night, so I already felt exhausted and once I entered that stuffy fairy with the crappy air conditioning it just made me feel more sick. There were big waves and made the fairy bounce around in which just helped me with my sea sickness. I started sweating and thought that I would puke everywhere. The trip seemed so far away. I moved seats and was able to lay my head down over my hand bags, it enabled me to arrive without puking. After 30 minutes I finally left the fairy and felt better. :)
The locals were so welcoming and willing to help seemed like. I got directions for my hostel in which were just couple blocks away from the fairy stop.
When I first arrived at Popol Vuh Hostel it seemed a little ghetto and made me worry for a little. Yet I committed myself to just follow the teachings of Dale Carnegie's book Stop Worrying and Start Living. I tried to just not worry about it. The guy at the front desk seemed a little unorganized and shady as well, but little did I know that I couldn't have stayed at a cooler hostel with the coolest manager now my friend Gama !
Before I even put my bags down in my room he introduced me to some people that were hanging outside. One of them was Mario, this guy from Oakland, California who was chilling at one of the hammocks. Seemed like I knew Mario since my childhood we instantly formed a dream team in which was up for nothing less than a Legendary time. Consequently I met his friend Rel, naturally enough seemed like I also knew him since childhood. The 3 of us bonded in a friendship forming this uplifting trio, something more epic than the Three Musketeers. Later that night we all went to a local clubby place with some more people from the Hostel for a great time.
I had booked a tour for snorkeling for the next morning. So around 2:30am me and couple of the girls Meagan and Caley we left so we could wake up feeling well. :)
2nd day, BPM Festival, The Younan Music Showcase Party !!!
Early in the morning myself the girls and Sadat another guy from the Hostel we all waited for the tour van in which finally arrived a few minutes late in which enabled me to eat some breakfast. :)
The van finally arrived, the driver/tour guide was one of the coolest and chillest tour guides I've ever met. He was so passionate about the nature, the culture and the preservation of the whole place. We had some awesome talks about mayan culture, and he was also a funny dude.
First we went to a Cenote (Cave) called Cenote Del Sueno. It was probably my first time at a cave, the cave was extremely beautiful, and it was also my first time snorkeling so I was extra excited. At first I freaked out with the whole breathing through your mouth thing but finally started to get more use to it... it was an amazing experience. So out of this world, Extraordinary ! at the end deep into the cave we sat at this room and our tour guide turned off the flash light for what he called our maya experience. It was incredible, the place became pitch black. A darkness that I have not experienced in a long time. So peaceful and just unexplainable...
After the cave we headed to this beautiful beach, where we again went for another snorkeling session. We swam in what is said to be the second biggest Reef in the world. We swam with huge turtles and school of fishes. It was just incredible. After a great lunch we headed back to the hostel. I was feeling so in peace. All that nature felt so surreal.
When we got back I took a nice nap. Then listen to some music, recorded some backup cd's and got ready for the big night. Performing at BPM Festival, for the Younan Music Showcase among the Elite of Eletronic Music was about to be Epic.
Around 1am I finally headed by myself to The Younan Music Label Showcase at La Santanera (the club where the party was happening).
A few minutes before I was about to perform my 2 friends finally arrived. They had already bought tickets for this BPM Cave party but decided to come to La Santanera instead. It worked out perfectly and made my night as good as it could be. A few minutes later around 3am I went on and it was on. The vibe at the party was so amazing, and everything was over my expectations ! Beautiful women kept pouring in, the place was amazing, and the service... I had never been so well taken care of. An unforgettable night !
3rd day, Tulum
Woke up pretty late. Got up and headed to Tulum. A city that has Mayan buildings (ruins) on top of a cliff right next to the ocean. The place is simply gorgeous. I arrived there half hour before the site got closed down, they weren't letting anyone else in. So I skipped to the side and was able to go under some fences and sneak in. The place was unbelievable. The beach so beautiful and the buildings at their locations just seemed unreal. The Mayans were really just from another world.
I finally got back to Playa del Carmen already night time. Hang out with people from all over the world who were staying there. We just took it easy, me and the boys had to wake up around 7am the next morning for another tour. This time to one of the 7 wonders of the world. The great Pyramid of Chichen Itza.
4th day, Chichen Itza
Woke up early this time. The tour guide had not much any personally this time. He was also speeding and doing some risky maneuvers in which kind of pissed me off a little. I felt like telling him that no body was on a rush, but I felt that that would probably just make him angry and worsten the situation so kept it to myself.
After 3 hours we finally arrived. The place the energy, again was just unreal. This ancient city looked bigger than Rome. Our Park guide said that there are over 60 buildings. Most of them have now disappeared under the jungle. The great pyramid of Chichen Itza is one of the most amazing buildings I have ever seen. So much depth and meticulously built, these guys were just thousand of years light ahead of our society and this was evident in the Riviera Maya.
After a long day walking around and exploring we finally got back to our hostel. Went out for a couple drinks with everyone from the hostel, it was hard saying bye.
I have decided that at the end of this year in December I will make my self back. One of the most amazing places on earth. The Mayan Energy is still so evident in everything and everyone. Everything was over my expectations over anything I couldn't imagined. The natural beauty, the kindness of the locals, the vibration of the place, the BPM Festival itself. I have so much gratitude to all the incredible people from all over the world that I've met and to Saeed Younan to invite me to play amongst the Elite of Dance Music.
I instantly felt in love for the Yucatan. Playa del Carmen has become one of my favorites. An unforgettable trip. Resuming everything it was... wait a second... "Legendary !
