The old road from Tulum and Coba Has a couple of small villages and Topes that will kill your car. At night with signage hidden by vegetation & topes come up fast. There are lots of buses flying the road to get to and from Coba and the road is narrow. From the Coba turn off the road to Valadollid is not a busy but local trucks and delivery vehicles have no concern the road is narrow with no marking or center line in many places and animals especially at night lay on the roads for warmth. From Valadollid take the main toll highway, there's not much to see on the old road and it will speed your trip up. A few peso's not much I can't remember just have small bills or change for the tolls there and back.
I've driven a lot well over a million miles in 22 countries 30 states and all 10 Canadian provinces but from the turn off from the Valadollid highway back to Tulum was the scariest drive of my life. We came back from the March 21st snake ceremony at Chichen Itsa in the dark. The highway we came up on during the day. There are no street lights and oncoming cars and trucks don't like to off the high beams, The vehicle maintenance is not up to our standards and old trucks with flopping high beams driving at full speed coming towards us on a road with no edges, center line or side lines. When there's no vehicles coming towards you there could be cows and animals laying on the blacktop, unmarked topes and pot holes that never get maintained. If it has rained the roads get very very slick and there's not much for quick breaking at speed.
They've a few odd road rules, one I won't abide by is the left turn blinker. If a car in front of you puts their left hand blinker on it means EITHER it's safe to pass OR they're TURNING LEFT IN FRONT OF YOU. it's up to you to figure it out. A lot of very fast drivers and they'll want by I don't do the left turn signal thing, I do like we'd do up here put my right blinker on and pull to the right. They can think I'm turning right alls good, but If I'm making a left I do the same with traffic behind me I put my right blinker on pull right and wait for all traffic to be gone then I'll come back out and turn left. I don't want someone thinking it's safe to pass when Oh No he's turning left it not safe.
Another is Alto, It's supposed to mean stop but as far as I can figure it means slow until you get past it then floor it. No One full stops at Alto signs except tourists, Tourist are also the only ones driving the speed limit, I like to blend in and stay with the flow but they all advise to do the speed limit.
If you do drive don't have a wad of cash in your wallet 20-30-40 pesos, That's it both you and your wife need empty wallets to show the cops when you get pulled over in Cancun and never tell them you're leaving tomorrow. They'll get you for what ever you have on you and try to intimidate the fk out of you. I've been stopped by them numerous times and it gets cheaper each time. Instead of being intimidated I try and have fun with them smile and rib them with my poor Spanish about their boots or hat and show I've no money. The last guy got us for about $5 we had left over from Pizza we'd bought. The first guy got us for $80 on our way to the airport, that's when they'll get you, on your last day heading to drop off your car. fkers
I'm not sure if you're aware of the gas station scams but to avoid them step out and in your best Spanish ask for the exact amount of gas you have cash for. No change back and count each bill into their hands with a few peso tip and they'll wash your windows before you leave. There are Credit card scams, change back scams, not resetting the gas pump scams, 2 people working together and working to extort you saying you gave them a five or 10 and not a 50 or a hundred.
When we pull into a Mega or Chedraui there may be old folks helping you park or back out, they may put a windscreen on your window when you go in and expect peso's when you come out. I always gives these's guys or kids a couple of peso's and smile, Its fk all to me and helps them out. They'll even grab you cart and help you push it and unload with a smile and a couple 10-20- 100 peso's depending on how I feel. Parking anywhere you'll get folks wanting to watch your car for you and expect a few peso's when you return. I try my limited Spanish on them and smile, its all fun in my books, its exotic, its hot, I'm on FKing Holidays and its an adventure. I love it.
I'd like to add that Coba has too many tourists, its hot and muggy under the canopy. Ek Balam Is close to Valadollid and like it more than Coba, you can still climb the ruins and there's not many there, no tour buses. I personals would skip Coba and head straight to Ek Balam before or after Chichen Itsa
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