#it's kind of like when I brought my very nice homemade lentil salad to a work potluck

[astrabear]

Various thoughts on kudos/reader engagement, which are unlikely to be of interest to anyone but me -

Like many people who are writers and/or tumblr users, I love me some external validation. At the same time, I'm pretty confident in a lot of my skills. So my issue isn't so much "oh no, people don't like my work, I must be terrible" as it is "argh, this is so frustrating, my stuff is good, why won't people recognize that?"

And in fact, looking at my Ao3 numbers, my ratios are very good. A significant percentage of the people who read leave kudos, and a fair number of the people who leave kudos leave comments. The people who read my fics like my fics. It's just that, relative to the other writers I know, very few people read them. I'm seeing responses to my poll saying that "this has a lot of kudos" means 500+ or even 1000+ kudos. I only have two fics that have over a thousand hits. Half my fics don't even have 500 hits. It's an entirely different world.

Like I said, I'm pretty secure in the quality of what I write. And I've come up with explanations that make sense to me for why I have such a small readership (I don't often write the most popular ship; I usually write short, single-chapter fics; I don't generally write things that give readers happy and/or horny feelings; and I didn't start writing until a lot of readers stopped following the tag and just relied on subscriptions and word of mouth. If I'd started in the earlier days of the fandom, when more readers were checking the main tag and also more readers were interested in a wider variety of content, it probably would have looked very different.) Most of the time I'm ok with this. I write boutique fic for a select audience. There's nothing wrong with that.

But it throws me off a bit when I see just how different some other people's expectations are, even within the same fandom. Like I'll see people reblog posts about how you should write for yourself, not care about kudos, etc etc, and I'll think "that's easy for you to say, you're extremely popular" and then apparently they don't think they're extremely popular, because their idea of what "popular" means is orders of magnitude larger than mine. And then the brain weasels creep in and say things like "maybe you aren't writing boutique fic for a select audience. Maybe it's just that no one gives a shit about your fic and you just make yourself look foolish by pretending you have any significance in this fandom" and I have to go read comments until they go away.

[hallsp]

Ramadan Diary

Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and self-reflection for the world’s two billion Muslims. The observance of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, a central tenet of the faith. The holy month itself commemorates the start of the recitation of the Qur’an to Mohammad, culminating in Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Destiny, which celebrates the very first revelation.

The date for Ramadan varies from year to year, as the Islamic calendar is based on the movements of the moon, not the sun. This year, it began on the night of Sunday, May 5th, when the religious authorities glimpsed the thin crescent of a new moon.

I decided, after some encouragement from my students, to fast for all of Ramadan as a kind of personal challenge. This is a diary of my progress.

Monday, 6th May

Today was long, and hungry. I didn’t eat a morsel, nor drink a drop, all the livelong day. It wasn’t easy. I thought about food quite a lot. Bron, my roommate, is also fasting so we can do iftar together. An app tells me that the evening call to prayer, called maghrib, is at 19.27, but it began a small bit later — an agonizing two minutes — at about 19.29. Maryam, my other roommate, and raised Muslim, told me we have to wait until the prayer is finished, bless the food bismillah, and then eat. I broke the fast with some water and some dates, as is the custom, then devoured a chicken curry.

Tuesday, 7th May

Small bit easier today. Didn’t think of food so often. I was noticeably more tired though. I slept for an hour when I came home. Some strange reactions from some of the teachers to my fasting, but a lot of encouragement from fellow-fasters. Advice from other fasters includes waking at 3 or 4 AM for suhur, the pre-dawn meal, and easing into the iftar in the evenings with soup and salad. I decided against suhur, for reasons of laziness, so my fast is actually more extreme, having one meal, as opposed to two meals, per day. Broke the fast with some dates, a lot more water, and the last part of my chicken curry.

Wednesday, 8th May

Getting into the swing of things now, the hunger isn’t so obvious throughout the day, but much less energy. I’m in a very good mood, though. I’ve decided to make a fattoush salad, with the help of my Syrian friend Majd, who’s Christian and thinks I’m crazy for fasting. He also helped make lentil soup, another staple dish, with Bron, my roommate. So, this was a proper iftar: dates, soup, salad, and bread.

Thursday, 9th

Talked with the Biology teacher, who’s also fasting. He tells me that people ought to re-orient their mind towards other people during Ramadan, and that it’s not about feasting once the sun goes down. Look out, not in, essentially. More advice received: do not eat an even number of dates. Mohammad used to eat three. Broke the fast with (three) dates, and water. I made my own fattoush, which worked out very well. We also had leftover soup from yesterday, and I bought chicken tawouq, which I ate with bread.

Friday, 10th May

Today is International Day at school. The worst event for people fasting. There was food from every country on the planet. I had to borrow a tupperware container to bring the food home. Worse, today is Friday. The weekend is here. I have to go on a trip to Batroun for a bachelorette party with my friends leaving Beirut at about 5pm. Drink will certainly be taken. I can’t avoid it. Anyway, I’m not doing the fast for religious reasons, so once the sun goes down, I can eat, drink, and be merry. The hangover will be tough without a lot of water to compensate, though. We arrived in Batroun at 19:30 so I hopped out of the van, chugged some water, had a few dates, then started into the champagne. I managed to squeeze in a chicken burger in between the drinks.

Saturday, 11th May

The hangover wasn’t so bad, actually. In spite of this, I broke the fast for the first time — to drink a small bottle of water. As sins go, not so heinous. I was just so thirsty day after the night before. Religiously, you can break the fast if you’re pregnant, or menstruating, or sick. Maybe a hangover is a type of sickness? Anyway, spent the day on the beach, mostly under cover, and rested. Broke the fast back in Beirut with dates, some tuna fish, and pasta.

Sunday, 12th May

Apparently there’s an exemption on fasting if you’re traveling. I could’ve done with this on the road to Batroun! It also excuses my breach the day of my return to Beirut, I reckon. Broke the fast with dates, water, tawouq, bread, and pasta.

Monday, 13th May

People are always giving you advice when they hear that you’re fasting. Some of it contradictory. Bron was told not to drink so much water before eating at iftar. We decided to try it. Broke the fast with dates, no water, and chicken curry. Then copious amounts of water after. No obvious difference.

Tuesday, 14th May

Bron makes a strong point. Those who alter their body clocks by sleeping during the day and eating all night are cheating in a way. They’re just moving their day around, and sleeping through the hunger. It’s not a proper fast if you can’t feel the hunger. Broke the fast with chicken curry, round two, and lots of water.

Wednesday, 15th May

I feel hungrier today, not sure why. More advice with recommendations for iftar. The mindfulness coach thinks I ought to break the fast with some warm water, not cold, perhaps herbal tea, as this prepares the stomach better for eating, to be followed by three dates. He’s also of the opinion that people should be humble during Ramadan, no talking about their fast, no feasts at iftar, certainly no Instagram pictures. Broke the fast with a chicken burger from Smoked Bun, post-dates. Ridiculously nice.

Thursday, 16th May

I have a day off school today, for the funeral of Patriarch Sfeir, a Lebanese Maronite Cardinal. It was more difficult being home, actually. At work, even though I’m much more active and using more energy, at least I’m kept busy. Today, I caught myself watching cooking videos on YouTube. Broke the fast with (three) dates, and beef fajitas, but made with Lebanese bread.

Friday, 17th May

Broke the fast with a gorgeous mujaddara, a spicy mix of lentils, rice, and onions, made by a chef friend of Bron’s. Eaten with some of his delicious homemade bread, and some 961 Red Ale. Today is my good friend Enzo’s last night in Lebanon so drink will have to be taken again. What choice do I have?

Saturday, 18th May

Asma, Maryam’s friend from the UK whose working with a medical NGO in the Beqaa Valley, came for iftar. She’s a practising Muslim, so we had to lend her a Qur’an and find the Qibla, the direction of prayer. It was nice to get some more insight into the traditions. Apparently we can eat as soon as the call to prayer begins. We ate three dates, some ripe peach, and drank water, followed by mint tea. Dinner included pasta, fattoush, and more mujaddara. We also had ayran, a traditional kind of sour yoghurt drink. After dinner, we drank some Turkish coffee, then some Indian desi chai, made with ginger and milk. Finally, we had some traditional sweets, heloweyat. A proper iftar!

Sunday, 19th May

No hunger pangs at all today. I think my body has fully acclimatised to fasting. A small group of us went to see some childrens’ theatre in Tripoli, directed by a friend of ours and starring some kids from a Syrian refugee camp. It was really entertaining. The boys put on a production about a couple of swindlers selling dodgy seeds. The girls had a modern take on Cinderella. I could understand most of it, so I’m happy. We rushed back to Beirut for iftar. I decided to order a Ramadan Combo from Malik al-Tawouq: lentil soup, salad, and chicken tawouq platter, and a date cookie called ma’moul. Plus, a Miranda tamarind soft drink. The guy who delivered it was fasting and so forgot to take any money! We also ate some traditional Ramadan cheese sweets, heloweyat al-jibn, made with clotted cream called ashta, which we bought in Tripoli. They were spectacular. There’s a beautiful full moon tonight, which means: we’re half way through Ramadan! Ramadan Kareem!

Monday, 20th May

I genuinely don’t feel hungry during the day any more. Intellectually, I know I need to eat, but there are no hunger pangs. It’s not an obvious hunger. My sense of smell is more active, that’s about it. I decided to make chicken biryani today, which worked out really well. No big communal iftar today, as the final episode of Game of Thrones is available. Some things are more important.

Tuesday, 21st May

Bron invited two work friends over, a Syrian Muslim and a Jordanian Christian, and we also invited Dennis from downstairs. Bron made another batch of lentil soup, which was nicer even than the last one. She made fattoush as well. I contributed the remaining biryani. We had a huge variety of ice-creams with cones for dessert.

Wednesday, 22nd May

I didn’t eat so much today. I think my stomach is getting smaller. Broke the fast with three dates, some of the leftover lentil soup, a Mexican bean and tuna fish mix, and some fried haloumi. Fried haloumi is my new favourite food. Also, had a little pot of yoghurt.  

Thursday, 23rd May

The routine now is to break the fast with three dates, and follow this with warm tea, usually mint tea. This really helps the transition to eating. Today, I had a big plate of pasta, some fried haloumi, and a yoghurt.

Friday, 24th May

It’s 38° today. It’s so hot that the cold tap runs warm. It’s at times like these that you appreciate the true value of something as simple as a glass of water. Tonight we’re hosting iftar on our balcony. Maryam made a Palestinian vegetarian maqluba, meaning upside-down, which is made with layers of fried vegetables, potatoes, and rice, which is then flipped before serving, and topped with fried cashew nuts. It was delicious. I made fattoush for seven people, complete with fried pita bread, and it was my best one yet. I was relieved, as I was serving Arabic food to Arabs. My friend Shadi brought his fiancé all the way from Damascus. We eventually made our way to Mezyan in Hamra, where I was rewarded with a free drink for boldly asking for one. It’s Ramadan, after all, the season of good will.

Saturday, 25th May

Myself and my house mates, Maryam and Bron, went to the Beqaa Valley to meet with Asma, who had invited us to iftar with her boss, Doctor Fares, and his extended family. It was such an amazing evening. Typically Syrian. First, we sat around half-talking, half-watching Arab dramas, like Al-Hayba and Khamsa Wa Nos, while the family cooked. People were coming and going all the time. We then went for a short walk with the good doctor’s kids, who were adorable. His eldest daughter, Lamar, had very good English. Then we moved to the garden where we played cards, a version of Trumps. I managed to cheat a bit with help of the kids. Finally, as the sun went down, we ate in a big group in the garden, sitting on cushions around a selection of dishes. There was soup and salad, alongside three different meat dishes: chicken, lamb, and fish. The flavours were superb. The family were a lively bunch. At one point, Doctor Fares insisted on feeding us from his hand. I also discovered that they knew one of my colleagues in Eastwood. Lebanon is a very small place! We sang happy birthday to one his kids and topped it all off with cake. It was the best iftar experience so far.

Sunday, 26th May

Went to Souq al-Ahad, the Sunday market, with Bron. Such a crazy place. We bought some spices, some olives and maqdus (baby aubergine stuffed with chilies, and then pickled) from Aleppo, and salvaged an old backgammon board. It’s a great place to wander for a couple of hours. At one stage I was offered a taste of something, and when I said I was fasting he immediately said (in Arabic): “Me too, I’m Muslim. Are you Muslim? Are you Sunni or Shi’a?” I had to disappoint him by saying neither. It was at this point that he said, with utmost confidence: “It’s only a matter of time.” We broke the fast with a vegetable curry, alongside some maqdus and some Lebanese bread.

Monday, 27th May

I was a small bit busy with work tonight so I had three dates followed by a simple pasta with pesto rosso, onions, and tomato. Naturally, had some mint tea and gallons of water.

Tuesday, 28th May

Today, I had the least amount of food yet. I just had a simple pasta with spicy tomato sauce and cheddar cheese. I couldn’t even finish it. I think my stomach has shrunk over the course of Ramadan. I’m definitely losing weight.

Wednesday, 29th May

Today was a tough day. I was in a bad mood for some reason. I think it’s to do with not having enough energy. Usually, during the whole of Ramadan, my mood has been positive. I think I need to eat enough to maintain my energy levels. Tonight I made chicken vindaloo with egg noodles.

Thursday, 30th May

I had more energy today, back to my normal self. I broke the fast with the remainder of my chicken vindaloo. Also, the requisite number of dates and some mint tea.

Friday, 31st May

Another Friday is upon us. The last, in fact, of Ramadan. Tonight is a big night for Muslims around the world. No-one is quite sure exactly when Laylat al-Qadr is supposed to fall, but most believe it’s the 27th day of Ramadan, which is tonight. It’s also a Friday, so it’s a big deal. We had our last group iftar in the apartment. This time we had three Syrians with us, so we had plenty of help with the food. We had a rice and aubergine dish, a water melon and feta salad, a tabbouleh salad, and some fried haloumi. Later, I nipped downstairs to say goodbye to some friends, before moving to Strada 51, a local bar, and winding up in a swimming pool in a club at 4am. Your typical Laylat al-Qadr.

Saturday, 1st June

I had Arabic class with my friend Majd, from about 2pm. He spent half the day preparing a chicken and rice dish to break the fast with at 7.45. Bless him. I broke the fast with this and some delicious Ethiopian soup made by our friend Jodie, called shiro. It was spicy, and the perfect match for the chicken. I followed this with a few drinks with an Irish guy visiting Lebanon for a week.

Sunday, 2nd June

I broke the fast with three dates, some water, and pasta, alongside some fried haloumi. The end is nigh.

Monday, 3rd June

I had to work today, but I’ve been given the rest of the week off work to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Fast Breaking. Today might well be the last night of Ramadan, but we’ll have to wait for the religious authorities to check on the phase of the moon. It will end either tonight or tomorrow.

If Eid begins tomorrow, Muslims will gather for special prayers called Salat al-Eid, which is usually followed by a small breakfast, the first daytime meal in a month. Eid is usually celebrated by visiting relatives, where gifts are exchanged, and zakat is given to the poor. The kids will get a tidy sum of money. Unsurprisingly, food is very important. After a whole month of fasting, all sorts of delicacies will be eaten.

It’s official. Eid begins tonight. The fast is over. I broke the fast by going to Tariq al-Jadida, a busy part of the southern suburbs, with Bron. We then went to Dahieh, where we had some saj with jibneh and zataar, before walking through the market in Sabra and Shatilla. We ended up back in Tariq al-Jadida looking for heloweyat. We weren’t very successful, but we were given free street food: foul with lemon, and seasoned corn. Tomorrow, I’ll go for breakfast in the morning, and then hit the beach.

Epilogue

This month has been really amazing. I’ve learned so much about the traditions of Islam, I’ve met so many different people, I’ve tasted lots of new foods, and I’ve had some great experiences.

It was trying at times, but the effort was definitely worth it. Ramadan really focuses the mind, and makes you very thankful for what you have. It’s also helped me to think more about portion size and also about my own health. Lastly, it’s helped me bond with others who are fasting, and brought me closer to my Muslim friends and students. I can now say with pride that I made it through the full month of Ramadan.

[weederfall18-blog]

Birthday Weekend with lots of Celebrating!

ha ha. it's not actually super-glamorous to turn 45

This past weekend was my birthday (woot! 45!) and I had a pretty great weekend from start to finish. Usually we have a little family dinner or gathering to recognize each other's bdays, but this year my bday was (happily) eclipsed by my nephew's high school graduation (more on that below!). Obviously a high school graduation is a more festive and important life event than a 45th birthday. Nonetheless, I was feeling festive, and I was especially in the mood to have some friends over and have a friends party... so I decided to throw myself a bday party! 

My day started off great with a trip to the farmers market, a great workout, and a nice long yoga practice at home. Then I started getting ready for my party, and one of my best besties (ever since high school!) came over to spend some time together and help me get ready. It was so fun to see her and to have company as I puttered in the kitchen and back yard.

Because she knows me *so well*, she brought me some amazing bday gifties (all edible, of course!) - fresh mulberries from her farmers market, a gorgeous basket of strawberries, and two baggies of "energy bites" from a fancy retreat center that she went to recently... so many delicious treats!

MULBERRIES

I just love mulberries so much. They are funny looking (like giant caterpillar berries) and so sweet and delicious. A long time ago, my pal and I were talking about mulberries and how there is a vendor at her farmers market who sells them. I have never seen them at the markets I go to, and I was so touched and stoked that she remembered my love of mulberries!! There are only a couple left and I am going to savor them. 

    Birthday Lasagna!

For my birthday, I really wanted to have a vegan potluck... even though only two of the people I invited are vegan, everyone else very lovingly played along (thanks, pals!). I declared it to be a Mediterranean-themed vegan potluck and told everyone I would make a vegan lasagna, some cookies and buy ice cream.

At first I was going to make minestrone soup, which I also love, but then I soon realized that I had to make lasagna instead because lasagna is the #1 food of all time and I love it so much. I actually made TWO lasagnas - one for the party and another one to eat all week. Because the idea of going to all the work of making lasagna and not having leftovers was just too tragic. I used my very own "Amey's Birthday Lasagna" recipe - a recipe I am very proud of! 

glorious array of goodness! 

My pal L brought this awesome mix of spreads and veggies and breads. SO RAD. Regular hummus, beet hummus, a very cool pomegranate and olive tapenade, olives, veggies, pita chips. So much good stuff! 

I wish you could see just how huge this platter really is - my friend J brought this huge and glorious salad platter with one of my most beloved spring ingredients: fava beans!!!! Oh man it was really good: spinach, crunch from sugar snap peas and celery, shredded beets, ** favas ** and a creamy avocado. Plus some nice dressing she brought too. So good.

This picture looks silly but this salad was really good and special! J brought a really nice salad with greens (underneath all that good stuff) and then when we were ready to eat, she poured on a big mix of veggies that had been marinating in dressing: cukes, tomatoes, corn, and cranberries! It was really good! I like the idea of marinating the veggies in the dressing for maximum flavor delivery. 

Yaaaasssssssss. Dolmas for President! M and M brought a glorious array of dolmas that were so extremely good. Who even thought of dolmas and figured out that they could be so delicious and perfect??

Another non-stellar photo - but this was a really nice salad. K brought an orzo and lentil salad with "a bunch of other good stuff" ha ha. Artichoke hearts, sliced almonds, bell peppers... it was a nice hearty salad to go with all the other lighter salads.

Birthday party dinner plate - first pass!

It turns out that a Mediterranean theme vegan potluck is a good way to go! It's a pretty loose theme, and people will bring delicious and overall pretty healthy food, which feels good. Even after eating this huge plate of food, I didn't feel like I had eaten way too much. It was perfect! 

We had lots of different drinks on hand - fancy juices, fizzy water, beer and wine, and we even made Aperol Spritzes! I almost never drink alcohol, but I'll make an occasional exception for an Aperol spritz. They are so beautiful and not too boozy and transport me back to my wonderful trip to Italy with Mr VE&T a few years ago. 

Cherries are probably my very favorite fruit of all time and I promised my party pals that I would have a big bowl of cherries on hand. I love that cherries are in season for my birthday, I think it makes me feel a special kinship with them. I have been eating so many cherries, you guys. SO MANY.

cherries are the best, forever and ever, AMEN.

In addition to the big beautiful platter of salad, J also brought a big bowl of organic strawberries, straight from her farm. SO good. I feel so lucky to live in the land of strawberries. 

We had a really fun evening, eating dinner outside (with blankets and pillows to keep cozy). It was so fun. See our new solar-powered party lights? I love them! 

Vegan Cheesecake

My daring and wonderful pal A brought a homemade vegan cheese cake with some nice raspberry sauce! It's so beautiful. Then she took one bite of her own creation and declared "oh no, this cheesecake is terrible!" Ha ha. I didn't think it was terrible, but it was better to think of it as something other than a cheesecake!! 

Cooooooooooookies

I decided to make cookies for my party and figured that in the end, there is no better cookie than the classic chocolate chip cookie. None of our guests were gluten-free, so I went for a straight up gluten fest! These are the Soft Set Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Aquafaba Cookbook, my favorite chocolate chip cookie ever. I made a double batch, because I made them the day before the party and I still wasn't sure how many people were going to come. Now I have a big bag of cookies in the freezer, which is kinda like a birthday present to myself. 

When I told my trustworthy pal J that I was going to make cookies and buy ice cream, she wisely suggested that we make ice cream sandwiches. DUH. So I went all out and bought a ton of vegan ice cream. I didn't know what kind people would want, or if someone might prefer coconut base or almond base etc etc. OH SHOOT, I had to buy four kinds of ice cream. Ha ha ha. Now we have so much ice cream in the freezer to eat. Another bday gift to myself. I bought Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate, So Delicious Cold Brew (my new favorite!), So Delicious Salted Caramel Cluster, and Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia. Heaven on Earth! 

Dessert Plate! 

My cheesecake slice with raspberry sauce, and my ice cream sandwich (half cold brew, half cherry garcia). I don't know if you can see, but I also put out a bowl of mini chocolate chips so that we could roll the outside edges of our ice cream sammies in mini chips. yes! These cookies are perfect for ice cream sandwiches because they are so soft, so you can bit through them and they don't crack or crumble. I highly suggest ice cream sandwiches as a summer activity. 

In case you were wondering. Snoopy is still adorable.

He's had most of his bottom front teeth removed, and now his little tongue often slips out into a sweet little DERP. I love it. 

Graduation!!!

Like I mentioned before, this year I shared my bday weekend with my wonderful youngest nephew, who graduated from high school on Friday. We all went to his high school graduation and it was a really powerful and moving day. All the seniors had to present their senior projects and they each gave a speech. It was so emotional and wonderful. I think you can see how excited we both were.

Of course on graduation night, my nephew went off to have fun with his pals and it sounds like they had a fun night. But we were determined to have a big family party for him -- to celebrate his accomplishments and our love for him. I made a big huge chocolate cake! (I used a triple batch of batter from the Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World). I also made one little cupcake, which I inverted and used as a graduation cap. The mortar board is a graham cracker with black frosting on it! I even bought yellow fondant to make a little edible tassle, and used parchment paper for the mini diploma. I went to the party store for the fondant, and to get that nice silvery cake board, and ended up also spending $6 on a tiny little container of edible gold star glitters. I mean, how could I possibly have resisted??

I've never learned how to use all the fancy frosting tips, but I really wanted this cake to look fancy, so I did my best! I was really happy with how it turned out, and - more importantly - it was also super delicious and well appreciated by all!

What a wonderful weekend of festivities and fun and family. Phew! This weekend, I have a much more lowkey agenda. There will be sitting around, no baking, no parties... just some pet snuggles, yoga practice, and cherry eating.

Also! Thanks to everyone for entering my giveaway for a copy of the wonderful new book "Wicked Healthy." I used the random number generator... and Josiane Richer is the winner! 

Congratulations, Josiane! 

Send me your mailing address and the book will be on its way to you.

Even if you didn't win, check out my review, and put this book on your wish list! 

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Source: http://veganeatsandtreats.blogspot.com/2018/06/birthday-weekend-with-lots-of.html

[maizestove]

Travel Tips for Tulum, Mexico

I am back from Tulum in Mexico after one week of tropical paradise vacation! As promised on Instagram, I have compiled all my travel tips for Tulum, Mexico, here for you. I hope these will be helpful for anyone who is planning a trip to Tulum. Otherwise they might help you to decide to visit this beautiful place in Mexico. Tulum is packed with fantastic places to stay, eat, drink, enjoy. However I will only share here the places I actually visited, tested, and that I can recommend. So let me not prolong it too much. Here we roll!

Hotel: Prana Boutique Hotel: Tulum has many hotels of course. The majority is located on the beachfront, a few ones are in the pueblo itself. Now since I was staying in one hotel I can only recommend that one of course. I was staying at the Prana Boutique Hotel in Tulum village. I opted for this hotel because it sounded very tempting: Prana is an eco-friendly hotel with only seven rooms. Thus it is a quiet, relaxed, and intimate hotel run by two cool guys with friendly staff. The hotel features a lush garden and pool, a lovely small restaurant and pool bar, a boho lounge area including a little souvenir and crystals shop. The rooms are dispersed in various buildings made in the traditional style of the region. There are even two spacious tents for glamping if you prefer that.

The hotel offers free bikes if you want to drive down to the beach. Otherwise there is free parking for your rented car. Cool bars and restaurants as well as the main shopping street of Tulum are just around the corner. There is also a huge supermarket just 5 walking minutes away. I recommend you enjoy a good breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant ‘Nido’ (try the yummy granola with fruits and yoghurt), relax at the pool with a good book or swing in one of the hammocks in the garden. Also for dinner you can opt for the restaurant and try their freshly cooked meals such as an octopus burger or a delicious tropical scallop ceviche. Oh, don’t forget to sip a Bloody Maya cocktail at the pool bar. With good Mezcal of course!

Places to eat & drink:

In the village: Del Cielo Tropical Bar: One of my favorites in the pueblo! This tropical bar could be in LA, San Francisco, Paris, or London. It has a strong hipster vibe and serves us some delicious fresh treats. My go-to for breakfasts! Try the tropical porridge and their smoothies! Oh and the coffee is excellent. I even brought back a bag of local coffee beans. Another important fact: Free wifi! Yay!

Tulum Art Club: This fantastic gallery slash café in the village is another cool option for breakfast. Art is exposed everywhere, you can buy everything, and you can enjoy Tulum’s best Coconut Chia pudding with tropical fruits for breakfast! Do not miss the yummy coco coffee, too! Ok, ok, I am a bit coco-nuts!

Teetotum Hotel & Restaurant: This hotel & restaurant in Tulum village is another must-visit. It has a fun and colourful retro vibe. Expect tiles, 60s style cushions, vibrant colours. The courtyard is lined with potted plants and the restaurant serves a delicious breakfast. Get the huge green smoothie to kick off your day! Wowzers!

Estancia Jujena: This is actually an Argentinian asado in Tulum village but if you go for breakfast it is a charming little courtyard with a shabby-chic attire and hearty egg dishes, fresh fruits, and fine coffee.

On the beachfront/jungle side: Safari: This open-air restaurant is located on the ‘jungle side’ of the beach road and can easily be detected. The bar strikes a tropical wallpaper background and the restaurant features an open fireplace and the kitchen is in a parked trailer. Can it get any cooler? Yes, add light garlands across the palm trees and great food – voilà!

Hartwood: Now Hartwood is somewhat of an institution in Tulum. It is supposedly the hardest table to get in town and trust me: you better reserve a table! There are two options: You either queue at noon to catch a table for dinner or you book well in advance via email. I booked a table one month in advance and enjoyed amazing food: a Yucatán ceviche with tropical fruits as a starter, grilled octopus as a main dish, accompanied by a yellow lentil salad with pickled cactus. Excellent and friendly service is included!

Gitano: Yet another hot spot on the jungle side of the beach road! Gitano is particularly popular on Friday nights with live music and a fantastic boho-glam atmosphere. Excellent cocktails are served up while you wait to be seated (some say they have the best Mezcal cocktails in town). All trees are illuminated with light garlands, lanterns, and dozens of candles are burning everywhere. Magic! Their ceviche is a dream: Served in a young coconut half with fresh fish in lime juice with coconut, sprouts, cilantro, zucchini. Take me back, please! On weekends you must have a reservation!

Posada Margherita: This place is a real gem! I did not know that it was an Italian restaurant (and hotel) when I entered there. I was attracted to it by the armada of potted plants at the entrance and a dream-like pathway leading into a lush courtyard lined by coconut palms. I stepped in and found myself in a dreamy set worth a movie: Potted plants everywhere, little huts, benches, vintage pottery. A cute little candle boutique welcomes you before you enter the open air restaurant with magnificent views of the Caribbean. Homemade pasta, enormous smoothies, and a breeze will make you want to stay forever. After lunch I just went down to their private beach and spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing and swimming in the Caribbean. There will be a full blog post about this place soon!

Mur Mur: Here another place where I had a good and delicious dinner under a canopy of swaying palm fronds and light garlands. I enjoyed delicious roasted beets with goat cheese and nuts, a tender grilled octopus, and a fried banana with sour cream and cocoa nibs. All accompanied by well chilled Mexican white wine. Thumbs up!

El Tabano! This restaurant is a perfect option for a great plate of Mexican food. It can get busy on weekends, but during the week it is actually fine and rather easy to get a table. I had excellent fish tacos there!

Canopia: This cute little restaurant serves great and healthy breakfast in the morning and Thai food for dinner. I went there for breakfast and had great coffee, an intense green smoothie and a chia bowl. Great to start the breakfast: a green coffee beans tea to activate your metabolism. Oh and an evergreen for breakfasts in Tulum: A plate with tropical fruits!

Beaches & Beach Clubs:

Playa Paraiso Beach Club: This was my favorite beach and beach club! Imagine huge beach beds with swaying linen curtains, a canopy of coconut palms, white powdery sand, and food and drinks served on your sunbed. Yes, this beach deserves the name! Additionally they have good sanitary facilities – not unimportant on a beach! The sunbeds are for rent but the prices are ok – the big sunbeds as descirbed before are 250 pesos (around 12 Euros) for two.

Zamas Beach Club: Here the beach is not perfect (lots of seaweed) but the bar is perfect and directly on the beach. You can watch pelicans dive bombing for fish while you are sipping on a cocktail!

Mivida Beach Club: A relaxed beach club located on a sandy bay with rocks on one side. You can unwind here while being served drinks and food on your sunbed. Plus if you are staying at the Prana hotel  you get a discount here.

Beach at the Tulum Ruins: When you visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum, don’t forget to pack your swimwear and a towel. Because you want to go down to this wonderful beach and swim! This beach is free of sunbeds, bars, restaurants. Just sand and the Caribbean. And a few other tourists haha. But it is worth it! Especially if it is a hot day and you got all sweaty while walking around the ruins.

Great icecream: Origami Ice Cream: I read somewhere that you should not eat ice cream in Mexico. You know germs and stuff. Well, whatever you want, but when I passed at Origami on the beachfront I could not resist! I had a fantastic scoop of luxurious chocolate ice cream. So good and no, I did not get sick afterwards! Go for it!

Artehelado: If you want good ice cream in the village itself, then go to Artehelado. It is off the main road but you will find it easily. The ice bar is located in a colourful cargo container, Acapulco chairs are dotted around it and most of the times there is a tiny little market next to it selling local goods and handcrafts. Nice after beach stop-over before heading to the hotel!

Things to do around Tulum: Tulum Mayan Ruins: This is a must! The Mayan ruins of Tulum are located 3 km away from the village and can be reached by car or bike. As with most sites in Mexico you will be welcomed by various sales people trying to sell you all kinds of daily tours and cruises. My tip is just to go for it by yourself. Before reaching the ruins you have to walk through a tacky touristy shopping are but then after a few hundred meters you will reach the ancient walls of Tulum. The fascinating fact is that the Tulum ruins are the only Maya ruins located directly at the coast. So the sight is pretty majestic. You get the classical snapshot of beach, Caribbean, and Maya ruins. Plus afterwards you get to swim on the beach (see above). Don’t forget to equip yourself with sunlotion, sunglasses, water, a towel and your swimwear.

Grand Cenote: The cenotes are a highlight of the Yucatán peninsula. These are natural sinkholes that expose groundwater. Imagine crystal clear water in submerged pools that are partly below the surface. The Grand Cenote is wonderful. It is very close to Tulum village and offers a great natural pool on two sides. Some say it is pricey compared to other cenotes (entrance fee is 180 pesos per person), but I think it is worth it. They have great sanitary facilities, showers to prepare yourself before going into the cenote (only biodegradable sunscreen is accepted or none at all), and they have lockers and snorkeling equipment to rent. Swimming in the Grand Cenote was a marvellous experience. The water is so clean and fresh. You swim next to little fish and turtles. I was lucky as it was really not busy when I arrived there (I went there around 11 am). Count 1.5 hours or max. 2 hours to stay there and enjoy it. Oh and if you have a smartphone that goes under water – take it with you!!! So much fun!

Chichen Itza: Mexico’s most popular archaelogical site is Chichen Itza. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth a visit despite all the shortcomings of mass tourism sites. Don’t be surprised when you arrive to a packed parking lot, lots of tourists everywhere, queuing for entrance tickets, and a multitude of souvenir sellers scattered all around the site. It is the usual shenanigans. Plus bear in mind that – unlike in previous years – you can not climb the pyramids at Chichen Itza anymore. Still it is a fantastic site with breathtaking buildings and pretty unknown culture to us Europeans.

Valladolid: If you visit Chichen Itza, plan a stop-over at the close by town of Valladolid. This quiet little Yucatécan city has not the touristy glitz and glam of coastal resorts but exposes an authentic Mexican lifestyle. Colourful houses line the streets, colonial churches and palaces dot the town, and the people live their normal daily life here. Stroll around the city center around the main church to get a notion of a Mexian provincial town.

For lunch, head to the Hotel El Mesón del Marqués. This colonial building features a green courtyard with a spring and tables all around it. Sit down and have a great lunch. Order the homemade guacamole – it will be prepared right before your eyes by a waiter! As a main try one of the local dishes from Valladolid. I had a Pollo Pibil – it is spiced chicken cooked in a banana leaf with black beans and rice. Delicious!

Other practical tips: A rented car comes in handy in Mexico! It is really safe to drive around Yucatán and you are so much more flexible with your own car. Tulum village is about 3.5 km from the beach so if you are based in the village (like I was) you either have to take a cab or a bike (available at the hotel) to go to the beach. It is nice to do it but in the evenings I would not recommend to take the bike to the fancy clubs and restaurants at the beachfront. The street is poorly illuminated and partly completely dark. Plus with a car you can get around the peninsula easily and visit various cenotes, Mayan temples and other cities.

Make sure you have enough cash with you! Most restaurants and bars in Tulum are cash only. Just a few of those that I visited accepted credit cards. You can withdraw money in Tulum village at the main square (there is a HSBC bank), but there are also many ATMs along the beachfront (however some of them are only for US dollars).

Get some good sunscreen with you (even for a little walk in the pueblo – I got a burnt neck on my first stroll!) and bring a mosquito spray. Most restaurants and bars are outdoors and they burn special woods to keep mosquitoes away. Still bring some – also for a relaxed sleep.

Shopping! Tulum’s main street is packed with little shops selling Mexican souvenirs, handcrafts, all kind of tchotchkes. I saved the last day to do some shopping and bought two Mexican blankets (Saltillo), a little Tree of Life (Arbol de la Vida), Mexican pottery, and a full array of spicy sauces. Oh and local coffee from Del Cielo (see above). For more upscale shopping (including fashion) head to the beachfront – but you’ll spend also more there!

Finally I have no more to say apart from: Tulum is fabulous! I loved every day there, I enjoyed it to the max. It is still very authentic (especially the pueblo) and the beachfront has a special boho-glam vibe. It is far away from noisy mass tourism and drunk youngsters. Go and see it for yourself as long as it is as beautiful! I hope my travel tips for Tulum will help you. Happy (virtual) travels!

Photography/iPhone photography by Igor Josifovic

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