Sorry to suck you in with the heading. On a short trip for the first time to the "other side" of Mexico, south of Cancun a ways. The beach is in Tulum. It doesn't feel like Mexico as it's hard to find anyone that wants to speak Spanish, including the locals, but it's hard to argue with how beautiful it is, and it's nice to see sand again. The Mayan ruins are unbelievable and worth a trip over here.