Mexico’s Caribbean coast is the perfect place for a relaxing vacation, adventure tourism and exploring ancient civilization. You can find a full list of the most interesting things to see and do around Riviera Maya and some useful tips on how to protect yourself from particular risks in the area.

Political situation in the country

We left for Mexico without being prepared for the political situation in the country.

We did not know about the arrest of the son of the drug lord El Chapo a week earlier, nor about the clashes between the “Sinaloa” cartel and the police in the city of Culiacan in the . We had not even  heard about the scandalous cases with Bulgarian tourists who were detained at the Cancun airport and sent back on the first plane to Bulgaria.

I don’t know if our ignorance did us any favours, because otherwise we would have directly cancelled the trip, but I am convinced that we were extremely lucky, for which I am sincerely grateful. As if by magic we happened to miss all of the disturbing events and not even hear about them. On the last day of our holiday on the way to the airport, for example, we miraculously escaped a protest led by taxi drivers against the legalization of Uber in the state of Quintana Roo, which blocked the main road  from the hotel zone of the Riviera Maya to the airport, leaving thousands of tourists missing their flights.

I’m glad we got home safe and sound, but next time I wouldn’t take the risk and travel to another country without thoroughly researching the current events there.

A tropical paradise

Despite the dangers, I do not regret choosing Mexico as our honeymoon destination. On the Caribbean coast there is a blissful tranquility and timelessness that intoxicates you and allows you to loosen up. You forget about the time. You forget that your hair is frizzy and that your clothes smell musty from the constant humidity. You forget about your old self and just feel alive – happy to be here and now.

The fine white sand doesn’t retain any heat. The sea and the sky are in the most beautiful milky blue color that you can ever imagine. While you are hiding in the shade of a palm tree, staring at the palapas nearby and blissfully sipping another mango smoothie, you hear samba rhythms from the other end of the shore, inviting you to join the aqua zumba workout. You can’t resist the temptation and rush to swim in the crystal clear waters, while small fish peck at you.

When you get tired of dancing in the sea, a surprise awaits you next to your sunbed – a cute doe who is just waiting for you to come back to lick your hand and congratulate you on your remarkable performance. In two words – a tropical paradise.

Timeshare scheme and how to not fall prey to it

While we were enjoying the good weather and the warm hospitality of the hotel staff, on the first day of our arrival we unwittingly became victims of a timeshare scheme. At the reception we were offered a discount on the tickets for two amusement parks nearby – Xcaret and Xplor in exchange for  our attendance at  a free tour of the resort with a hotel representative.

Without hesitation, we agreed, and the very next day we were joined by a charming, middle-aged complex employee at breakfast. We had a friendly talk, until suddenly she started asking us questions related to our habits as tourists – how often do we travel in a year; mainly in Bulgaria or abroad; how much money we spend on excursions and what has a larger impact on our choice – luxurious conditions or favourable prices. I don’t know why the interviewer confused us with very wealthy Europeans, but the next stop on the tour was the VIP area of ​​the resort.

Timesharing as a tourist practice in all-inclusive resorts

It turned out that the purpose of this seemingly innocuous walk was not to show us the various facilities in the complex, but to present to us the benefits of membership in the hotel’s vacation club. To become a member of this club, you have to pre-pay a certain amount, for which you get the right to use a house or apartment in the VIP area of ​​resorts from the entire hotel network around the world for several years to come. This scheme is more known as timesharing and was very common in the years after the Second World War in America, but in the past they pre-paid for a week’s summer vacation in the same place every year.

Advantages and disadvantages of vacation clubs

As a member of the vacation club, you receive premium service from the hotel staff. You can make a last minute  reservation – literally a few days before you leave. You have access to accommodation in all-inclusive resorts on all continents, etc. However,  the accommodation only is actually covered. You have to pay extra for the plane tickets, the all-inclusive fee per day and the additional excursions. In addition, after the initial prepayment, you are required to pay a subscription fee each year for each week booked.

We looked at the VIP area of ​​the hotel and it became clear that the VIP suites are not at all that different from the standard ones. The only difference was that the monkeys at the resort were climbing with their little ones on the VIP balconies, but I didn’t think that was a good reason to invest in such a vacation plan.

Aggressive sales tactics

We were skeptical, but our rep did not give up and took us to the sales office of the holiday club. There an even more aggressive sales representative awaited us with two mimosas (a cocktail of three parts champagne and one part orange juice). He showed us photos of the resorts from hotel network and a map with the locations, talked to us in numbers, and every time we refused, he added more special offers in the form of additional free weeks of vacation and hotel compliments if we joined.

I don’t know if it was the champagne in the mimosas or something, but we started doing the math and it seemed like a good deal. We were also pressured with the common commercial practice that the offer was only valid that day and we didn’t have time to do a research on the Internet. We proceeded to sign a temporary agreement that required us to deposit money, but luckily I have a debit card limit and most of the transaction didn’t go through. That night we checked on Google and there was not a single positive review for this club and we informed the sales representatives that we were cancelling everything.

Tips on how to react in such a situation

• Keep your eyes open at all times and don’t be fooled by the courtesy of the staff
• There’s no such thing as a free lunch, so when you’re offered discounts, compliments or scratch-off gift cards, refuse to attend hotel tours in return.
• If you made the mistake of attending such a tour, lie that you are in a hurry to go somewhere else if the presentation drags on. The discount note we received said the presentation was supposed to be 90 minutes, but in reality we lost 3 hours.
• If you did sign any documents binding you to membership, you have the right to cancel within 5 days of signing under Mexican laws, which are aware of this practice and protect victims of the scheme.
• If you have transferred money and want to get it back, you should escalate to the managers in the sales office of the holiday club. They are most afraid of negative reviews on social media and the Consumer Protection Agency – PROFECO.

Occidental Xcaret Destination

Apart from this unfortunate incident, we have no complaints about the all-inclusive resort we stayed at – Occidental @ Xcaret Destination. The food, cocktails and service were top notch, and the same could be said for the activities organized by the resort – workouts, evening shows and Mayan ceremonies. We chose this particular hotel as it is a 15-minute walk from Xplor Adventure Park and a 5-minute boat ride from Xcaret Eco-Archaeological Park.

The resort is located in the middle of the jungle and is surrounded by beautiful tropical forests, where flamingos, roe deer, monkeys, turtles, coatis (an animal of the raccoon family, but with an elongated snout) and parrots walk undisturbed and completely accustomed to human presence. A network of rivers also passes through the resort, and every round hour until 4 in the afternoon a boat comes to take tourists to Xcaret.

Xcaret Eco-Archaeological Park

Xcaret, also known as the Mexican Disneyland, is an eco-archaeological park that recreates the natural beauty of the Yucatan Peninsula and the rich cultural heritage of Mexico in an extremely interactive and engaging way. It was founded in 1990 around archaeological excavations from the Mayan civilization. It offers a variety of water activities – swimming with dolphins, walking underwater in a diving suit, snorkeling and swimming in underground rivers; a zoo with jaguars, sharks, butterflies, birds, turtles and a rich aquarium; horse shows; a Mayan village where Mayan arts workshops are held; and a park with scale models of Mexico’s most famous buildings.

The Mexican Cult of Death

At Xcaret, we came across the most unusual cemetery we’ve ever seen and encountered the Mexicans’ positive attitude towards death. All the graves were brightly colored and whimsically shaped and reflected the character, hobby or profession of their owners.

Mexican cemeteries are so colorful and full of life because their purpose is not just to honor the dead, but to celebrate life. Mexicans do not fear death, but rather accept it as a natural stage of their life’s journey on earth. They believe that death is not the end, but a new beginning, and that the dead live on in the memories of their loved ones.

In the cartoon ,,Coco” this philosophy is very well recreated and the action follows how a Mexican family celebrates the Day of the Dead – El Dia de Muertos. On November 1 and 2, all family members gather to honor their deceased loved ones and remember their lives. They decorate houses and cemeteries with flowers, candles and ofrendas – altars that symbolize the joy of life even in death. They place photos of their ancestors, gifts of food and religious objects on the altars and believe that the deceased are with them during the celebration, if only in spirit.

We were deeply impressed by the Mexicans’ positive attitude towards death, their joy in life and their belief in the power of love and memories.

The evening show program at Xcaret

The evening show „Xcaret Mexico Espectacular” is the highlight of the whole program and I highly recommend you to visit it if you have a chance to go there. The spectacular show takes place in a large amphitheatre with a roof and starts at 7 in the evening, but I advise you to get your seats half an hour earlier, because they fill up quickly. The performance is unique in its kind, with a phenomenal scenography and over 300 different performers – singers, dancers and acrobats, dressed in colourful costumes – “Cirque du Soleil” style, but in a Mexican version. The show is divided into four acts and tells different stages of Mexican history and culture – the Mayan rituals, the Mayan clash with the Spanish conquistadors, the traditional costumes. songs and dances of the different Mexican states and contemporary pop culture in Mexico.

Xplor Adventure Park

Also within walking distance of Xcaret is Xplor Adventure Park, which has become our favorite attraction in Mexico. It cannot be described, but must be felt. It is unique in its kind and allows you to experience nature in the jungle with all your senses and a variety of means of transportation – ziplines, amphibious cars, swings-hammocks and rafts. Reminiscent of Jurassic Park and the Flintstones’ house, but with adventure elements.

The way it was built beautifully reflects the Mayan cosmogony. They believed that the world was divided into three levels – heaven, inhabited by the gods; the earth where people live and an underworld where the dead rule. The different adventure activities in the park are also designed in a similar manner.

Ziplines

Firstly, you get a bird’s-eye view of the jungle by ziplining from platform to platform and flying over palapas (huts with palm-leaf roofs). The harnesses they use are certified and there is nothing to worry about. At each platform you are met by a professional staff member who checks that everything is in order with your equipment and is responsible for your safety.

Amphibia vehicles

To get to know the flora and fauna of the jungle up close, you have amphibious vehicles that are suitable for tough terrain. With them you cross rope bridges, through caves and in muddy waters. You must be prepared to get thoroughly wet at all times. Therefore, it is recommended to wear only a swimsuit and shorts. It is important to note here that the driver of the amphibious vehicle must have a driving license. I don’t have one, but until recently my husband encouraged me to try, by reminding me how easy it was for me  to ride an ATV in Cappadocia. Sitting behind the wheel, I found out the hard way that amphibious cars have nothing to do with ATVs.

There was a small crash into a tree at the very first turn, but there were no casualties – neither people nor trees, so keep in mind that it’s not good to experiment. We swapped seats in the car and drove off. The routes were extremely scenic and allowed us to see the jungle from different angles.

Underground rivers and caves

The latest activities were related to the underground caves and rivers in the complex, which can be explored by swimming, single and double rafts and an underground expedition. We didn’t make it to the swim as the park is open until 5pm, but the sights we saw during the rafting and water walk were stunning – cave paintings, illuminated rivers and strangely shaped stalactites. You must wear water shoes for the walking tour.

The whole day is quite intense in terms of experiences and activities, but at any time you can rest and treat yourself to healthy milkshakes and oat biscuits from the bar, and for lunch there is also a buffet with varied and very tasty dishes, which is included in the price of the ticket. We liked it even more than the food in the hotel. At all times, you can plan which attractions to visit based on a board that shows the occupancy of the facilities.

Visiting Xplor Park is definitely worth it and will fill you with unforgettable emotions for a long time to come.

Chichen Itza

It would be a crime to go to this part of Mexico and not visit one of the seven modern wonders of the world – Chichen Itza.

Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city that was an important cultural, religious and political center for the Mayan civilization between the 9th and 12th centuries. With its remains of pyramid temples, administrative buildings, palaces and ceremonial stadiums, the settlement is a material evidence of the Maya’s advanced knowledge of mathematics, architecture and astronomy.

The Temple of Kukulkan – 3D Agricultural calendar and display of wealth

The temple of Kukulkan (also known as El Castillo) is located in Chichen Itza and is dedicated to the god of wind, wisdom and fertility – Kukulkan. The sanctuary is a truncated pyramid that served as a three-dimensional agricultural calendar and a center for religious ceremonies and astronomical observations. Its precise alignment with the movement of the sun and moon, as well as its intricate architectural details, suggest that the Maya used the temple to mark the passage of time and track the movement of celestial objects.

The mystical structure is also known for the illusion of “light and shadow” created by its design, where when illuminated by the sun, the corners of the pyramid create the illusion of a snake slithering down the staircase during the spring and autumn equinoxes. The locals read these phenomena as signs that they should start sowing crops in the spring and harvest in the fall.

Besides a calendar, the temple of Kukulcan was also a symbol of power and prestige for the ruling elites of Chichen Itza. The sheer size and intricate details of the sanctuary were intended to impress and awe the populace and demonstrate the power and wealth of the city’s rulers.

Useful tips for Chichen Itza

• Do not climb the stairs of the temple of Kukulkan. The sanctuary is a valuable cultural and historical site and by doing so you risk damaging the stone steps, eroding the structure and incurring the wrath of the locals. In addition, the climb can also be dangerous as some steps are steep and uneven and there is a chance of falling. To preserve the temple and ensure your safety, it is best to admire the view from the ground.
• Temperatures at Chichen Itza are very high even in winter, so be prepared with a bottle of water, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Here is the moment to tell you about the miracle cream that literally saved me from the sun, given that I always burn very quickly. It was recommended to me by Notino and it’s from the Japanese brand Shiseido. I didn’t have any redness on my skin during the whole holiday and I was very satisfied.
• Note that it is prohibited to take pictures with a drone or stabilizer at Chichen Itza. As we went through the entrance check, they immediately noticed our gimbal case and confiscated it from us. There’s no mention of an action camera, though, so if you’ve got one and want to take some good shots, be sure to grab one.

Mayan number system

The accuracy of the Mayan calendars and their synchronization with celestial phenomena is astonishing and most likely due to the Mayans’ well-developed knowledge of mathematics. They had a vigesimal number system as they counted with their fingers, both on their hands and feet. They had one of the earliest uses of zero in human history, and instead of numbers, they used three symbols to count by – a dot (=1), a line (=5) and a caracol. It was forbidden to use more than 4 dots and 3 lines.

How did the Mayans predict the movement of the Sun and Moon so accurately?

The Mayans deeply respected the Sun and the Moon. They perceived the two celestial bodies as powerful deities that influenced their lives and the natural world. The sun was worshiped as the source of life and light and was associated with creation, fertility and masculinity. The moon was also deified and associated with water, feminine energy, the underworld and death.

Using astronomical observations only, the Maya developed an advanced calendar system – a 365-day solar year (like ours, but divided into 19 months – 18 months of 20 days and 1 month of 5 days), a 260-day lunar calendar (corresponding to the number of days of pregnancy, 13 months of 20 days each) and an even more complex cycle of time that measured longer periods of time.

Astronomy as a tool for mass manipulation

The complex astronomical knowledge of the Mayan civilization was recorded in books, of which only three undisputed copies have survived, while the main part was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors. The upper classes only had access to these manuscripts and used them to manipulate the masses.

The Mayan kings and queens invited the villagers to religious ceremonies coinciding with important celestial events to demonstrate to them that they rule over the sun and moon and to cement their positions as mediators between mortals and the supernatural. The ordinary people had no idea of ​​astronomy and naively thought that their rulers were gods.

Human sacrifices and ritual ball game “pelota”

During these official gatherings, they often practiced human sacrifices in order to consecrate a new temple, propitiate the gods in times of crisis and drought, and ensure a good harvest. The most common methods of sacrifice were heart removal and decapitation. The victims were usually prisoners of war or criminals, but sometimes members of their own community. On this occasion, I recommend you to watch Mel Gibson’s movie ,,Apocalypto”. 

I can’t guarantee it’s 100% historically accurate, as it intertwines the customs of all the Mesoamerican civilizations – Mayans, Aztecs, etc., but it will certainly give you an idea of ​​this barbaric and inhumane religious practice of the past.

Another sacred ritual of the Mayans was the ball game “pelota”. It was played with a rubber ball on specific courts. The players were divided into two teams and the requirement was to pass the ball through a hoop placed several meters above the ground without using your hands. The game had religious and political significance and was seen as a way to win the favor of the gods. Therefore it was a matter of prestige for the captain of the winning team to be sacrificed for the common good.

Spirit animals in Mayan cultural tradition

An interesting fact is that only men with a jaguar as their spirit animal could become captains in the game of pelota.

Totem animals are an integral part of the cultural tradition of Mesoamerica and are present in Mayan horoscopes as spiritual animals – patrons. They were believed to be messengers of the gods and to have special powers – they can ward off evil, bring good luck, guide you on your spiritual path and help you understand the mysteries of the universe.

On the way to Chichen Itza, our local guide Carlos from the modern Mayan community helped us to get birth certificates in Mayan language with pictographs and a horoscope to identify our own spirit animal. We had to provide our first name and date of birth. The documents were drawn up by a local shaman and written on a sheet that is traditionally made from the bark of a local tree. To my surprise, my spirit animal patron turned out to be a lizard – a symbol of rapid growth.

Have the Mayans disappeared as a civilization?

As I already mentioned, there is a Mayan community to this day. About 8 million Mayans live in Mexico. They have schools and are mainly employed in the field of tourism. You can recognize them by their short stature, swarthy skin, massive and broad upper nose, full lips, dark almond-shaped eyes, and lack of body hair. In certain areas of Mexico, they are subject to discrimination and marginalization, but in general they are respected and seen as a valuable part of the country’s cultural heritage.

There is a misconception that the Maya disappeared as a civilization long before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, due to drought, unfavourable conditions for agriculture and lack of water resources. The truth is that the Mayan civilization then suffered a decline and the number of the population decreased significantly, but it still managed to survive to this day.

Cenote –  a fabulous natural phenomenon

If your excursion includes Chichen Itza, they will definitely take you to the sacred cenote near the settlement.

Cenotes are sinkholes – karst formations in the form of deep and wide vertical pits filled with water. They were primary sources of water for the Mayan civilization and have been used for religious and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years. These natural wells are incredibly beautiful and are some of the most remarkable natural phenomena I have ever seen.

Tourists are allowed to swim in them with life jackets and snorkel. The experience cannot be described in words – it is as if you are an inhabitant of the imaginary planet Pandora from the movie “Avatar”. Picturesque lianas wind along the walls of the cenote, and when you look up through the hole, you see the sun and a tree rising to the heavens. It is important to note that if you want to take photos in the cenote, it is a good idea to bring a waterproof case with a neck strap to protect your mobile phone from water splashes and falling into the water.

How were cenotes formed?

Cenotes have formed quite naturally, without any human intervention, in areas of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The region is characterized by a thick layer of porous limestone, and when the limestone wall collapses, a hole is formed that opens to the groundwater below and creates a cenote.

When and how did the meteorite hit the Yucatan Peninsula?

The meteorite that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs fell right on these lands about 66 million years ago and formed the Yucatan Peninsula. It is believed that upon the clash with the Earth, the limestone dissolved and created numerous underground cavities, which became the cause of the formation of cenotes. Other factors such as tectonic activity, erosion and changes in sea level have also influenced and aided the process.

The collision created a massive crater – approximately 180 kilometers in diameter and triggered fires, earthquakes and tsunamis. Huge amounts of dust, ash and gas were also released into the atmosphere, which blocked sunlight, caused the effect of “nuclear winter” and left an imprint on the evolution of life on Earth, leading to the extinction of many plant and animal species.

Tulum and Coba

One of our last trips in Mexico was to Tulum and Coba. We didn’t have a Bulgarian tour guide, because not enough people from Bulgaria gathered, so we had to wait at 10 in the morning for a van with a Spanish-speaking group to pick us up from the hotel. I would like to add here that we had traveled to Chichen Itza the day before and had set our clocks back one hour to local time. However, it turned out that when we got back to the hotel, the time had not automatically changed according to the local mobile operator and, unbeknownst to us, we were 10 minutes late for the van. In 5 minutes we ran across the entire resort and managed to hop on, but the delay set the tone for the rest of the day.

The driver didn’t speak English and we had to ask the rest of the group for departure times from each location on the tour. Most of the time he followed his own route and didn’t let us know where we were going at all, which made us nervous and worried.

Tulum – the stone place

The first stop of the excursion was Tulum– one of the best preserved Mayan coastal cities. The settlement was discovered by Captain Juan de Grijalba’s team in the 16th century. Its original name was Zama (dawn) and its new name Tulum (stone place) was given by English explorers who reached there three centuries later.

The Spanish searched for gold in these lands. The locals did not have any and decided to escape the greedy conquistadors by abandoning the city.

When it was still inhabited, about 300 people lived inside it, and about 5,000 people who helped to build the settlement lived outside the fortress in wooden houses.

The sun – the main actor in the spectacle for the masses

During the spring and autumn equinoxes – March 21 and September 22 – the inhabitants were invited to gather in front of a building with one door inside the fortress. The rulers knew with precision, based on preliminary calculations and astronomical observations, that just then the sun would show itself through the gap in the building. Therefore, in order to surprise the other residents, they hid in the building and synchronized their appearance in front of the audience with the sun shining through the door. In this way, to mere mortals, it appeared that the kings descended with the sun and were real deities, and a wow effect was created.

By the way, the Maya had both kings and queens. For them, equality between the sexes was a fundamental principle and they believed that if one of the two sexes did not exist, everything would fall apart.

While walking around the ruins of Tulum, we spotted quite a few iguanas. They nodded anxiously and the local tour guide from the complex explained their behaviour to us. By shaking their heads, they guard their territory and show that this is their home and tourists are invading their personal space.

Mexican crafts

Crossing the road between Tulum and Coba with the van, we encountered the real Mexico without the glossy tourist packaging. We realized that the people here have a fairly low standard of living and are barely surviving, relying on tourism, agriculture and fishing for their livelihood. They do not have a developed industry and rely on trade of handmade souvenirs and handicrafts.

Macramé stalls appeared on both sides of the road. Macrame is quite a popular craft in Mexico and is rooted in local weaving techniques. Here is a paradise for bohemian interior style lovers. You can also buy hand-woven traditional Mexican backpacks and hammocks in all colors of the rainbow. Bargain when choosing souvenirs and you have a good chance to reduce the price drastically.

Guacamole or chili sauce?

Before arriving in Coba, we had a stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant. Now is the time to warn you that there are two green sauces in Mexican cuisine that look identical. One is my favorite guacamole – avocado paste with tomatoes and lime, and the other is a chili sauce. From my experience at the hotel buffet  I knew that they serve the avocado paste separately from the rest of the ingredients,I didn’t hesitate to cover an entire slice with the first green sauce I saw. Within seconds, my entire oral cavity regretted my mistake and could not recover from the shock for several minutes afterwards, so keep this in mind.

Coba

After the short lunch break, the driver dropped us off at another May village on the program – Coba and left us to explore for an hour inside without a tour guide. In my personal opinion, Coba is overrated and there they are only looking for ways to take money from tourists – additional payment for a guide and an archaeological fee, for a rickshaw ride or bike rental in the forest. The excavations overlap with what was seen at Tulum and Chichen Itza, and it is not worth stopping by.

After Coba, we were already convinced that we were going back to the hotel, but the driver had other plans and took off in an unknown direction. Needless to say, we had neither mobile data nor internet on our phones and no way to alert anyone or check the location. To our surprise, we arrived at an unknown cenote and the driver told us that we could swim inside and had an hour to spare. The cenote itself was nothing special, but the whole group depended on the van and the whims of the driver and were forced to get off and wait for an hour.

Maya ceremony – theatre of the absurd

To top it off, this wasn’t the last stop on the tour. We continued to a roadside souvenir shop with which the driver apparently had an arrangement. In front of the shop we witnessed the following scene. A shaman with a ponytail and a Mayan pastor had stretched two sheets with Frida Kahlo’s face behind them and were burning incense with a palo alto. On the altar in front of them there were candles, minerals and various wooden figurines. They recreated a May ceremony for a better harvest, which was traditionally performed in the middle of the field. We were asked to stop filming so as not to block the energy from flowing freely. The shaman blew a shell horn, called upon the gods, and recited some prayer in Mayan language. With each blow we had to move to a different direction of the world.

Religious battles

The ceremony was interrupted by an African-American young man brought in from another van. He started shouting that god was his savior and to stop these witchcrafts. Zafo and I broke away from the group and hid in the souvenir shop because we couldn’t stop laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

The clash of religious beliefs continued in front of the vans. The boy along with his wife, who turned out to be on their honeymoon like us, got into a head-to-head argument with the pastor while licking lollipops. They complained that this ceremony had been forced upon them and they were there against their will, which coincided with the opinion of all the other tourists and our own. Meanwhile, the driver was mischievously flirting with the shop assistant from the souvenir shop and was not planning to leave anytime soo. At our insistence we finally moved out, drove to the hotel and arrived safely.