So our motorbike trip began with a stop off in Mexico, except this destination would be traveled with backpacks and local transport. Our Chilean motorbike was in storage in Uruguay for the past eight months, and we planned to pick it up to continue our South American travels.
So, why did we begin in Mexico? So far from South America?
Many people wondered about this, and the question has arisen many times, but the answer is simple - we were invited to a wedding. My good friends Lars-Erik and Miriam invited Dennis and me to their Norwegian/Mexican wedding, which would take place in Puebla, a state close to Mexico City, and we decided to turn this into a more extended trip to explore Mexico before the wedding celebrations began.
Our plan was simple: we would begin in Cancun, celebrate my birthday in Cozumel, travel across Mexico, visit some top highlights, and then end with the wedding. So that is what we did!
We began in Playa del Carmen, where we enjoyed plenty of Mexican street food, celebrated my birthday on the island of Cozumel (the picture above is of my birthday on rental scooters in Cozumel), and spent a few days in Tulum City and Tulum beach, visiting Mayan ruins and enjoying the beach.
So, why did we begin in Mexico? So far from South America?
Many people wondered about this, and the question has arisen many times, but the answer is simple - we were invited to a wedding. My good friends Lars-Erik and Miriam invited Dennis and me to their Norwegian/Mexican wedding, which would take place in Puebla, a state close to Mexico City, and we decided to turn this into a more extended trip to explore Mexico before the wedding celebrations began.
Our plan was simple: we would begin in Cancun, celebrate my birthday in Cozumel, travel across Mexico, visit some top highlights, and then end with the wedding. So that is what we did!
We began in Playa del Carmen, where we enjoyed plenty of Mexican street food, celebrated my birthday on the island of Cozumel (the picture above is of my birthday on rental scooters in Cozumel), and spent a few days in Tulum City and Tulum beach, visiting Mayan ruins and enjoying the beach.
From here, we continued to Valladolid, Holbox, Merida, and finally to Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico before making our way out of the Yucatan peninsula and towards the recommended states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. Firstly, let's just say that Holbox is well worth a visit, and even though it is a popular place filled with beach bars, coconut vendors, fancy restaurants, and beach hotels, we still managed to find cheap accommodation, cheap local food, and even cheap cocktails at the beach.
We are not the type to splash out, except on special occasions, so we need to seek the best deals wherever we go. Otherwise, our trips would only last for a bit! Holbox was a stunning place to swim in calm turquoise waters, and the sandy roads reminded me of the Gilli Islands in Bali somehow - but not when they were flooded, and we were ankle-deep in water.
It was my second time to Merida and Valladolid (The best place to visit Chichen Itza from), but my first time to Campeche, which we found to be a charming colonial town with lovely coastal views. Did I mention that these first few weeks were sweltering? So, the coastal breeze was a 'warm' welcome from the previous places we had been. No pun intended!
We are not the type to splash out, except on special occasions, so we need to seek the best deals wherever we go. Otherwise, our trips would only last for a bit! Holbox was a stunning place to swim in calm turquoise waters, and the sandy roads reminded me of the Gilli Islands in Bali somehow - but not when they were flooded, and we were ankle-deep in water.
It was my second time to Merida and Valladolid (The best place to visit Chichen Itza from), but my first time to Campeche, which we found to be a charming colonial town with lovely coastal views. Did I mention that these first few weeks were sweltering? So, the coastal breeze was a 'warm' welcome from the previous places we had been. No pun intended!
One thing I havent mentioned is the cenotes we visitied, how could i forget this? I had been to two on my last visit to Mexico, and this time we planned to visit a few different ones. We visitied Gran Cenote near Tulum where we could snorkel with many turtles, which made the experience so unique and cool. We then visitied three other cenotes near Valladolid, Oxman and the joining X'keken and Samula, all of which were great to experience and were all so different from each other.
From Campeche, we adventured to San Cristobal de las Casas, a renowned mountain town popular with expats and travelers. Before we arrived here, we stopped off at Palenque Archeological Site, one of the top Mayan ruins we had been advised to see - it was impressive, to say the least, and could I argue that it is better than Chichen Itza? Maybe!
San Cristobal de las Casas was beautiful, and they say that many people who pass through this town get drawn in and stay longer than planned; some end up living there (even our walking tour guide admitted to this). We also learned that buying weed in San Cristobal is legal, so maybe they go hand in hand; who knows? Either way, we could see why this place was so popular. It was much more relaxed than the previous places we had been, the nature was more mountainous and green, plus the town had a charm with its narrow cobbled streets and quirky cafes and shops.
San Cristobal de las Casas was beautiful, and they say that many people who pass through this town get drawn in and stay longer than planned; some end up living there (even our walking tour guide admitted to this). We also learned that buying weed in San Cristobal is legal, so maybe they go hand in hand; who knows? Either way, we could see why this place was so popular. It was much more relaxed than the previous places we had been, the nature was more mountainous and green, plus the town had a charm with its narrow cobbled streets and quirky cafes and shops.
After spending some time exploring San Cristobal de las Casas, we made our way toward the coast to a trendy town called Puerto Escondido, but only after a visit toSumidero Canyon, which was incredible. We took a boat trip through the canyon and saw wild monkeys, various birds, and even crocodiles, which was so cool. After the wild ride, we hopped on an overnight bus bound for Puerto Escondido.
This was once a sleepy coastal town, but today, it is one of the most popular places to visit, lined with beach bars and hotels, yet the city center still has a local feel. However, this was where we had one of our worst hostel experiences yet (If you've seen my Instagram stories, you will know), but let's say Pipeline Hostel SHOULD be avoided if you have any standards. Lesson learned!
This was once a sleepy coastal town, but today, it is one of the most popular places to visit, lined with beach bars and hotels, yet the city center still has a local feel. However, this was where we had one of our worst hostel experiences yet (If you've seen my Instagram stories, you will know), but let's say Pipeline Hostel SHOULD be avoided if you have any standards. Lesson learned!
Nevertheless, we enjoyed cocktails at the beach, rambling around the town and beachfront, and had the BEST tacos ever. To enjoy world-class coconut shrimp tacos, you must visit Pepe's Fish Tacos, which is FANTASTIC and great value. Trust us when we say that one taco is HUGE, so don't order too many. Pepe is passionate about his creations and does not like food waste! We loved this!

After Puerto Escondido, we decided to make our way to Mazunte, a small coastal town along the Pacific coast known for its small Italian community and woodfired pizzas. We were sold! Mazunte was such a world away from Puerto Escondido and had a small-town feel and a very laid back beach vibe. The roads were small and dusty, the shops and cafes were quirky and cute and the beach was stunning. We could easily have spent much more time in this place, but we needed to keep going.
From Mazunte we took local transport to Huatulco for the day, after our plan to rent a moto fell through - aparently it was too dangerous to drive all the way to Huatulco from Mazunte. Little did we know, this was a terrible turn of events, and taking local transport to this famous resort town, would prove to be a waste of time. I had heard about Huatulco and its nine bays, and we imagined that we could spend the day there hiking, swimming and enjoying the coastal vibe, but this was far from reality.
It turns out that public transport in these popular resort towns is almost non existant and if you want to get to the beaches, you need to avail of expensive taxis. The local buses got us to the main town, but there was no way to explore further without walking miles in the heat (which we ended up doing). After a defeated day, with not a stunning view in sight, we decided to call this day a write-off and go back to Mazunte. We visited the town of Zipolite, known for its more prestigious vibe and nude beach, before taking the bus to Oaxaca - a place we were SO excited to finally visit.
From Mazunte we took local transport to Huatulco for the day, after our plan to rent a moto fell through - aparently it was too dangerous to drive all the way to Huatulco from Mazunte. Little did we know, this was a terrible turn of events, and taking local transport to this famous resort town, would prove to be a waste of time. I had heard about Huatulco and its nine bays, and we imagined that we could spend the day there hiking, swimming and enjoying the coastal vibe, but this was far from reality.
It turns out that public transport in these popular resort towns is almost non existant and if you want to get to the beaches, you need to avail of expensive taxis. The local buses got us to the main town, but there was no way to explore further without walking miles in the heat (which we ended up doing). After a defeated day, with not a stunning view in sight, we decided to call this day a write-off and go back to Mazunte. We visited the town of Zipolite, known for its more prestigious vibe and nude beach, before taking the bus to Oaxaca - a place we were SO excited to finally visit.
The next place on our list was Oaxaca, the cultural heart of Mexico and the place that is famous for its various moles (Mexican sauce) and chocolate - did you know that Mexico is the birthplace of chocolate? We were excited to visit this town, try the local food (the food varies greatly from region to region in Mexico), and explore the attractions around the city. We visited Monte Alban, an impressive Mayan ruin and a UNESCO Site, and Mitla, which was also declared as a UNESCO Site but could have been more unusual in our opinion; however, i'm sure the historical significance is remarkable.
From Oaxaca, we were able to visit Hierve el Agua, an imposing and unique rock formation that resembles a waterfall. Oaxaca was a great place to explore huge local markets, shop for handcrafts like Mexican Huaraches (leather sandals), and soak up the smell of chocolate from the various chocolate factories. We could easily have spent longer in this place, but we are sure we will return next year with Gimli and our future car, so no worries! For authentic culture, delicious cuisine, and a wide range of amazing attractions, make sure to visit Oaxaca.
From Oaxaca, we were able to visit Hierve el Agua, an imposing and unique rock formation that resembles a waterfall. Oaxaca was a great place to explore huge local markets, shop for handcrafts like Mexican Huaraches (leather sandals), and soak up the smell of chocolate from the various chocolate factories. We could easily have spent longer in this place, but we are sure we will return next year with Gimli and our future car, so no worries! For authentic culture, delicious cuisine, and a wide range of amazing attractions, make sure to visit Oaxaca.
From Oaxaca, we made our way to the capital city of Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, a typical modern city with a lot going on. Not only was the traffic crazy here, with cars going both ways around the roundabouts, but the public transport was a little confusing, with buses never showing up and the metro being built, so it took multiple connections to get where you wanted. It seemed like the city wanted to appear modern and efficient, but in reality, it was a bit chaotic - which is fine; just embrace it!
We stayed in one of the fancier areas of Mexico City, between Roma Norte and La Condesa, a place known for its fancy shops, eateries, and mansions. We fit right in! Just kidding... We took a bus tour around the city, giving us a glimpse into the city as a whole and an idea of areas we wanted to explore more. We visited the Museum of Archeology, which was fantastic, and enjoyed rambling around the cute Coyoacan area, where Frida Kahlo once lived.
While in Mexico City we also had the chance to visit Teotihuacan, which is one of the most famous ruins in Mexico and was incredible to see in real life. Boy, is it MASSIVE! On our way there, we passed by hills filled with colorful houses that resembled the favelas of Brazil, and we were told by a local that these were the ghettos of Mexico City and one of the most dangerous areas in the entire country - most likely where Mexico gets its reputation of being hazardous from (but not all of Mexico is like this)
We stayed in one of the fancier areas of Mexico City, between Roma Norte and La Condesa, a place known for its fancy shops, eateries, and mansions. We fit right in! Just kidding... We took a bus tour around the city, giving us a glimpse into the city as a whole and an idea of areas we wanted to explore more. We visited the Museum of Archeology, which was fantastic, and enjoyed rambling around the cute Coyoacan area, where Frida Kahlo once lived.
While in Mexico City we also had the chance to visit Teotihuacan, which is one of the most famous ruins in Mexico and was incredible to see in real life. Boy, is it MASSIVE! On our way there, we passed by hills filled with colorful houses that resembled the favelas of Brazil, and we were told by a local that these were the ghettos of Mexico City and one of the most dangerous areas in the entire country - most likely where Mexico gets its reputation of being hazardous from (but not all of Mexico is like this)
After Mexico City, it was time to go to our last state, Puebla. Here, we would have time to explore the sights and prepare for the wedding which we would attend in the nearby town of Cholula. First, Dennis needed a tie, and I needed to get my awful nails sorted out before we reunited with our friends in a few days.
Puebla was a stunning city, full of culture and incredible architecture, and since it was coming up to Dia del Muertos, the city was in full Day of the Dead mode. If you don't already know, this is perhaps the biggest event of the year in Mexico, apart from Christmas, I can imagine, and here you will see lots of decorations, offerings, alters, and even Halloween costumes since they celebrate both holidays these days (they are completely different by the way). Day of the Dead is a time of remembrance, a day when the deceased can enter our world and visit us. Offerings are put out to welcome the dead after their long journey, so you will see alters everywhere with pictures of a person at the top and their favorite foods or beer below. We loved this!
We had the chance to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the sights and the food of course, before it was time to get into full wedding mode.
Puebla was a stunning city, full of culture and incredible architecture, and since it was coming up to Dia del Muertos, the city was in full Day of the Dead mode. If you don't already know, this is perhaps the biggest event of the year in Mexico, apart from Christmas, I can imagine, and here you will see lots of decorations, offerings, alters, and even Halloween costumes since they celebrate both holidays these days (they are completely different by the way). Day of the Dead is a time of remembrance, a day when the deceased can enter our world and visit us. Offerings are put out to welcome the dead after their long journey, so you will see alters everywhere with pictures of a person at the top and their favorite foods or beer below. We loved this!
We had the chance to soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the sights and the food of course, before it was time to get into full wedding mode.
The Wedding: I reiterate that this was NOT our wedding, but a friend's wedding (yes I did receive lots of messages of Congratulations after posting some stories on Instagram). So, now that it is cleared up, let's talk about the wedding of the year - Lars-Erik and Miriam's Norwegian/Mexican wedding in Cholula, Mexico.
We arrived at the hotel where the guests would stay for the three-day wedding, but we arrived a day earlier to soak it up and explore the town. Cholula is home to the world's largest pyramid, located right in the city, and can be seen from many of the main streets. This town oozed culture, authenticity, and charm, making it an ideal place for wedding celebrations.
It wasn't long before the wedding guests arrived from around Mexico, Norway, and other parts of Europe to celebrate the wedding. The three-day wedding included a fantastic rooftop Mexican feast, where we met other guests, reunited with old friends and mingled, a morning dance class where everyone learned how to dance Cumbia, and the incredible wedding itself, which was held in a magical Italian-style venue.
We arrived at the hotel where the guests would stay for the three-day wedding, but we arrived a day earlier to soak it up and explore the town. Cholula is home to the world's largest pyramid, located right in the city, and can be seen from many of the main streets. This town oozed culture, authenticity, and charm, making it an ideal place for wedding celebrations.
It wasn't long before the wedding guests arrived from around Mexico, Norway, and other parts of Europe to celebrate the wedding. The three-day wedding included a fantastic rooftop Mexican feast, where we met other guests, reunited with old friends and mingled, a morning dance class where everyone learned how to dance Cumbia, and the incredible wedding itself, which was held in a magical Italian-style venue.
Following the best wedding ever, we flew to Cancun, where many guests would also join us for a few days' vacation at the coast. My friend Lis, Dennis, and I rented a beautiful apartment in Playa del Carmen with a rooftop pool and enjoyed some downtime and great nights out with the others before going our separate ways. While the others stayed a little longer in Mexico, we were due to fly to Uruguay to pick up our motorbike, ready for the next leg of the epic South America adventure.
Mexico was a fantastic backpacking adventure for us, where we learned a lot, ate a lot, saw a lot, and reunited with special friends in a beautiful place. We are so grateful to have been part of the wedding, an experience we will never forget. Thanks, Miriam and Lars-Erik, and thank you to Mexico for being kind to us and showing us your best bits. We will be back!
Mexico was a fantastic backpacking adventure for us, where we learned a lot, ate a lot, saw a lot, and reunited with special friends in a beautiful place. We are so grateful to have been part of the wedding, an experience we will never forget. Thanks, Miriam and Lars-Erik, and thank you to Mexico for being kind to us and showing us your best bits. We will be back!
