Last Night in Tulum, Mexico

“Let’s head down to the beach on our way back to our room,” Brian said as he handed the signed dinner bill to our waiter.

My bare feet sunk into the soft sandy floor of Ziggy’s Beach Restaurant. Above us was a towering thatched roof holding up no sides at all – the restaurant was all open to the outside. And the ceiling magically was aglow. Many basket-woven spheres hung throughout, each containing a single light bulb that gave off a soft, magical glow.

Tulum’s Ziggy Beach Restaurant was nothing like dining in Arlington, VA. No a/c – just the delightful ocean breeze. No piped in music – a 4-piece band played live music. My favorite musician was the bongo player. Boy could his hands move to make sound. And no hurry – we had just slowly enjoyed cocktails, an appetizer, a fresh fish dinner, said “sure” to dessert, and ended with a glass of port. I don’t know how many hours have passed because vacation rule #1 – no watches. But I do know it was a good long time.

Once I stepped away from the restaurant and onto the beach, I looked up. Wow – so many stars. “There’s the North Star,” I proudly announced. After weeks of studying the evening sky, I was starting to read the sky. However, it does help when the sky is so clear and not overshadowed by city lights!

We continued to step along the the sandy beach just above the shore line. The sand was soft and easy to walk in. Then suddenly, the sand changed. “Look,” I pointed down. Brian turned on his iPhone flashlight and lit up the sand. It was packed down and was in the shape of a long column going back down to the water in one direction and headed up the beach in the other. Quickly, he turned off his flashlight and whispered, “I think that shady spot up there is a turtle.” He pointed up the patched down path to a mound about a yard away.

Suddenly sand flew across my leg. “I think she just sprayed my feet with sand as she digs.” We were strolling on the beach in Tulum, Mexico and suddenly realized we were next to a giant sea turtle trying to lay her eggs on the beach.

Dinner, barefoot, live music, star-filled sky and a turtle, too. What a magical last evening of vacation!