The hotel was noisy so we didn’t get great sleeps. Up at 7:00 to pack a bit then out to the same place as yesterday for breakfast, very nice again.
Wandered back to the hotel, finished packing then time for a final swim to cool down. We walked to the bus station, got there in time for the last throes of Arsenal’s defeat to City.
We took the bus to Tulum, about an hour south. On the way there was a short, very heavy rain storm, the first rain we’ve seen in Mexico. It lasted about two minutes.
The hotel is very nice, eco-lodge style, loungers on the beach. With the orientation meeting out of the way, we made our way to some sun-loungers and watched the waves for a bit.
We took a short walk outside the hotel; there are lots of interesting looking bars and restaurants. This part of Tulum, Paradiso beach, has a very pleasant, laid back feel to it, everything is small and local and friendly.
Quick swim in the sea to cool down before the highlight of the day – dinner at Hartwood. This restaurant was opened by a New York chef Eric Werner a few years ago and has been the driving force behind the opening of a number of high quality places – next year Noma are coming here for six weeks while their main restaurant is refurbished. Hartwood has a tricky reservation policy, you can email them and you might get lucky, otherwise you have to queue from 2:00pm to be at the front when they start taking bookings for the evening at 4:30. Fortunately we’re lucky with the email.
Hartwood is open air, fine apart from a short shower. It has a relaxed feel, all cooking is done in wood-fired ovens. We started with cocktails – Cilantron for me Habanero Marguerita for F. The food was wonderful – again – starters of Jicama salad and tomato salad; a Jicama is crunchy like an apple but more savoury, all the ingredients are sourced locally.
The main course was a stuffed roasted chilli with some roasted beetroot, sweet potato and plantain. Finally corn and cheese ice cream – far better than it sounds.
The waiter convinced us to finish with a tequila – very nice too.
The waiting staff are a good mix of Mexicans, Americans and even someone from Hull. Florence told the tequila joke to one of the Mexican guys – he liked it.