From Maya to Inca: Tulum, Mexico - health and fitness retreat

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Tulum, Mexico - health and fitness retreat

The first stamp in my brand new passport is Mexico. On May 3rd, I flew from Geneva to Cancún on the Yucatan peninsula, home of the Mayans, and made my way down to Tulum - the perfect place for recovering from the recent stress of leaving my job and flat and changing my life around. I was embarking on a week of fitness and yoga with 20 other woman from all corners of the world but didn't know yet exactly what it entailed. I arrived stressed out to the eye balls, with a layer of jet lag on top, and only 2 hours sleep the previous night, to be told that classes started at 7 am the next morning on the beach. Could be worse I thought. The beach sounds good. And then it was followed by circuit training, kick-boxing, abs and yoga! This was the programme for the next 5 days, more or less, including visits to Mayan ruins and cenotes, accompanied by healthy food and zero alcohol. It was definitely the best way to set me up for the next three months and I left feeling completely relaxed and healthy. Hopefully it will last!

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Interesting facts

Another slightly subjective fact. Peruvian mountain roads are among the most dangerous in the world.
Kuelap is a Chachapoya fortress in Northern Peru built before Machu Picchu.
Peruvian men are the most persistent men on the planet.
Blue zones are called blue zones simply because Dan Buettner and his research team (who first identified the blue zones) used blue ink to circle the areas on a map with the highest life expectancy. Nothing more, nothing less.
The Inca civilisation arose from the highlands of Peru sometime during the early 13th century.
Contrary to popular belief, Panama hats are not made in Panama but in Ecuador.
Ten of the volcanoes along the Avenue of Volcanoes are higher than 5000 metres.
Rafael Correa has introduced the "pico y placa" system in Quito, following the Colombian example, "pico" meaning "peak" and "placa" meaning "plate". Cars are restricted from circulating in Quito on certain days during morning and evening rush hours according to the last number of their registration plate, in order to ease traffic congestion.
Quito is 72 kms long and 10 kms wide.
Quito is the oldest capital in South America and lies 2800 metres above sea level.
The sex of the tortoises bred in the breeding centre in Puerto Ayora on the Galapagos islands depends on the temperature of the incubators. The eggs kept in incubators at 29.5 degrees celsius become females and those kept in incubators at 28 degrees celsius become males.
The giant cacti of the Galapagos islands are the only species of opuntia cactus in the world that grows like a tree.
Legend has it that the Incas discovered the Galapagos islands in the fifteenth century but no solid evidence has been found to prove this.
Slightly subjective. Playa del Carmen sells the most expensive ice cream in the world. But it tastes pretty good.
The piece of lime in the top of a bottle of beer was originally not for the taste. It was used to wipe the rust off the rim.
Mayan mothers used to wrap planks of wood around their children's foreheads to flatten them.
The dazzling blue ocean along the Mayan riviera is due to the fact that there are no rivers feeding into it. And because of the lack of nutrients flowing into the sea, there is also less animal life along this part of the ocean.