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POSTCARDS FROM JOHN & JODY

Yucatan
| JODY JAFFE & JOHN MUNCIE | Postcards from

This is a series of “postcards” sent to WDT
Magazine publisher, Ron James, from veteran
journalists and friends Jody Jaffe and John
Muncie as they travel the globe.

Dear Ron
After three hours schlepping on buses, we ar-
rived at the Calvin Klein photo shoot -- also
known as Tulum. Along the narrow strip be-
tween beach and jungle strutted a parade of
The Tall, The Slim, The Beautiful, The Young,
and The Fashionable.

But the folks at Hotel El Pez let us book a room
anyway. They even greeted us with comple-
mentary margaritas, which we sipped under
the soaring thatched palapa that doubled as
their open-air dining room just 30 yards from
the placid waters of Turtle Cove.

Tulum is really three separate places: the “Pla-
ya,” the beach-side strip of expensive resorts,
funky hotels, spas, yoga retreats, and bike
rental shops, accessed by a single road (Hwy.
109); the “Ciudad,” a scrappy town three miles
inland, featuring sombrero shops and taco
joints; and the spectacular Mayan ruins on a
cliff edge looking back six centuries and over-
looking the postcard blue Caribbean.
On our first morning we watched fishermen netting sardines for that
Big money is changing the Playa but, unlike Cancun, the buildings are night’s restaurant menu while pelicans dive-bombed the waters of the
low slung and thatched roofs are everywhere, along with the occasional little bay fishing for breakfast. Our own breakfast included watermelon,
hippie bus. Still the backpackers look like movie stars, the ATM’s spew pineapple, papaya, yogurt and an impromptu lessen in Mayan from our
out dollars, and the people at the next table are as likely to speak Italian waiter Gregorio. We’re pretty sure “kium bo-otic” means “thank you”
or French as Spanish. and “mishba” means “you’re welcome.”

El Pez fits right in. The style is upscale patchwork, like some rich guy’s The next day we rented bikes and pedaled to the famous ruins, about
family compound. Each guest building – made of wood and concrete and three miles north of the Playa. We got there early enough to cut in front
topped, of course, with thatch – has its own tropical fruit color scheme: of a massive Chinese tour group, but the grounds were already packed.
papaya, kiwi, kumquat, avocado and dragon fruit. Our building was pa- We hopped from the Temple of the Diving God to the Temple of the Fres-
paya. Big sliding doors separated our bedroom from the porch. At the coes to the Castillo pyramid catching historic tidbits from English-speak-
bottom of the porch steps, a tiny fish-shaped wash pool awaited sandy ing tour guides.
feet and sandals.

90 Wine Dine & Travel Summer/Fall 2015