11/22 Monday. Arriving at Cancun (same timezone as NYC).
My flight is at 7:15am. I went to the Link tunnel at 5:20, already quite a few waiting with suitcases. But the train didn't arrive for another 15 min. I arrived at TSA at 6:30, barely made to my TSA reservation of 6:15 (officially they give you +/- 15 min). The lady at the checkup didn't say anything. So I passed most of the line, I'm surprised how many travellers this early, on a Monday.
When I arrived at the gate, after taking the train to S gate, filling water, I heard my name called. They needed to check my document. Folks were boarding already. However, at boarding, 2 minutes later, I was asked for my passport again.
The flight was uneventful. View over the Cascades at the start of the journey is very pretty. After that was boring, either the brown Texas or the blue but featureless Caribbean. I was given a window seat. My seat mates were 3 generation of a Russian family from Spokane. The grandparents are my age. The guy next to me is very nice. He picked up stuff I dropped and passed trash to the stewardess, but never said a word to me.
Plane landed earlier than the published arrival time. Long lines at immigration. After, I was random selected to open my bag for agriculture inspection. She took my smoked dry sausage. I don't think she's right. Vacuum sealed store bought, not yet opened. I have two. She found 1. It was 29C, too hot. As soon as I left the cold terminal (AC in full blast), I started to sweat a bit. Bought an ADO ticket to town (M$98) and waited in the shade. There's a bus every hour I think. Waited for awhile, then, the bus went to 2 other terminals picking up passengers. The bus was full. A lady from UK sat next to me. She's been in Yucatan before, and is heading to Chiapas. We exchanged tips. Her favorite spots in Quantana Roo are Bacalar Lake and Mahahual. Traffic going into the city. I got off the bus and walked to the hotel, about 15-20 min.
Once settled down, I walked about the neighborhood. Av. Tulum is the main thoroughfare. Super busy, tons of shops all selling the same clothes or shoes. I went to supermarket Soriana looking for a folding umbrella. No. There are only 2 umbrellas in the store. Big heavy ones. Bought some bread and yogurt.
Researched where to go. Bought a tour on TripAdvisor to Tulum+Coba+cenote for Wednesday (US$44), operated by Sat Mexico. Hoping to be dropped off at Tulum.
11/23, Tuesday. Isla Mujeres.
Rain is in the forecast. 9am, the banks open. I went to one to use its ATM, took 3k pesos (~$150). Left most in my room, and then walked to Puerto Juarez to take a ferry to Isla Mujeres. Ultramar is the main operator here. M$450 round trip. Leaving on the hour. Lots of people. It's a big catamaran. 30 minutes. I probably will try a different operator next time. The boat is super cold in the cabin, and all seats taken.
Despite of the dark clouds, the water is still quite blue if you look straight down. Diesel golf carts are plowing throughout the pavement. The main street is choked with traffic, that you can walk faster than the carts. I went to Playa Norte, quite pretty. Lots of people and restaurants. 
Saw some dark patches in the water, mistook them for coral. I left my pack in the shade of some palms. Put my phone, pants with money in my dry bag. Took it with me when I went in to snorkel. No fish. It's some reed like plants on the sand bottom. Then it rained. I must have not sealed it correctly. Sea water got in. My phone died.
Without map, I didn't go too far. Walked to Yonque Reef. East of the private bridge to Mia Reef hotel. More windy here. Some waves. Rocky on the east side, sandy on the west, some fish.
No longer in the mood of exploring, I took the return ferry at 2:30pm. Less people now. I went to the upper deck, so not to catch cold inside.
Took a random mini bus back to Av. Tulum. Only M$10. Showered and washed everything. No email from my tour. Emailed them asking for meeting location and time. I was told that Tulum is the first stop, so I went to front desk to extend my stay here for another night.
Went to check out Mercado 23. They were closing. Bought a cactus palm, because I saw a guy cutting the needles. Bought 2 bananas and some guanabara. Went to Paque de Pa!apas. It's a park of cement, good for demonstration and pop performance. A ring (or rather 2 rings) of cement umbrellas provide seats for all the food stalls around the arena.
On my way back, I bought a trip to Chichen Itza for ~US$60. Probably I was ripped off, because the guy promised that the entrance ticket is included. I checked the tour operator online, and it has only negative reviews. Booked 2 nights in Valladolid, and researched what to do there.
11/24, Wednesday. Tulum-Cobá-cenote tour.
7:55 pickup at Hacienda Adhara, less than 10 min walk. I was there earlier. The van didn't arrive until 8:08. We were driven to the junction with hotel zone, where large coaches for different destinations were waiting. I was the last one on bus from Cancun. At Tulum city, 8 more tourists came on board. Now the bus was filled to the gill. First thing on the bus, we paid the 290 peso for the cenotes. Everyone was given a sticker (2 different stickers for 2 tours. Without Coba and lunch, it's $20 cheaper).
1st stop Tulum archeology site. Before the entrance, they use instant themometer to check your temperature. It turns out, this is very common here, almost every indoor space does this check, and pushes you hand sanitizer.
At the entrance gate, instead of using all 4 lanes with turnpike, we single-filed through one lane and a guy tore our tickets.
Tulum is very small. I think I walked around twice, that's after the guided part of the tour. The view of the coast is pretty.
However, the stairs going down to the beach were all closed. Also, almost all structures were fenced off. Pelican and other shore birds may stand in for your photo. I also saw quite a few iguanas resting among the rocks.
There's a small dry cenote, with a guard house above. The "observatory" is entirely gone. Only has a plaque.
I got back to the bus only in time to pick up my lunch, ate it on the bus.
2nd stop Cobá is not worth going, especially now climbing to the temple is prohibited. 
The ruin lies next to two good size lakes, and we drove by one. It's known of its 42m high pyramid Nohoch Mul and stelae. However, you cannot climb any pyramids (due to COVID) and all stelea are so eroded that you see nothing. The site is larger, but mostly still buried. You can rent a bike, and take a tricycle taxi. We were not allowed much time, nor really needed. 
I did walk (almost ran) to Macanxoc Group, close to Macanxoc Lake (but almost no view of the lake). It not worth going (certainly not running), similar but small structure in every other Mayan ruins. I was late back to the bus. But I wasn't the last person.
3rd stop is Canamayte Cenote & Ecopark. 
The first cenote is right next to the change and shower area. You have to shower (be seen wet) before you are allowed to get into the cenotes. The cost of lock and life vest are included in the tour. Quite a lot of people there. It's too shallow to swim. I took a photo and followed half of the group to check out the enclosed cenote a bit further. On the way, I lost the key to the locker, so had to walk back slowly to find it. Thus I lost the group, and ended up looking for a cenote closeby on Google map. There're 2 more on the map that's also close by, but not close enough to walk bare feet and in bathing suit. Zemway is still under construction. The workers were very surprised to see a half naked tourist wander into their job site.
I turned back, found the narrow turn to my destination. The last couple of my group were just coming up from the cenote. I went downstairs and I was the only person in the water. Fabulous. I did walk up and put on a floating vest (just loop around my waist, not wearing through my arms. I like this better.) and went back to the crystal clear pool. I don't know how deep it is, I could feel the bottom. Dimly lit, so my phone doesn't do the justice to its beauty. There are little fish, maybe 1 inch. They didn't come to clean my feet when I sat on the deck, as I was told they would. What a great ending to a sweaty day.
Traffic going back is bad. Leaving Tulum is slow, going into and out of Playa de Carmen is bad. A few of us were put on a smaller van for hotel drop-offs. This van goes along the hotel zone east of Nichupé Lagoon. At night, it looks very pretty with lots of light and action. I was dropped off ~9:30pm.
Packed up, prepared to go to Yucantan state tomorrow, on the tour to Chichen-Itza.
