Arriving amidst an endless downpour and flooded roads, aftermath from the previous week's tropical storm, was disappointing. However, luckily, by the next day the weather was only slightly overcast and seemed to improve each day. Our first stop was Puerto Morelos; a sleepy fishing village about 20km south of Cancun. If you are an avid snorkeler or scuba diver it is a great town to call base. Less touristy, the central plaza overlooks the beach. Fishing boats still dock along the shore and birds swarm for scraps as the daily catch comes in. It is here that my mom and I spotted Monarch butterflies, tasted the best queso fresco, and dug into fresh seafood.
The highlight, however, was an authentic cooking course at Little Mexican Cooking School. Together we learned how to make a variety of delicious salsas, homemade tortillas and work with many different types of peppers. What was so wonderful about the class, was not just the cooking, but the history behind traditional Mexican ingredients, culture and drink. the beginning of class was spent sampling a slew of spices, both Pre-columbian and modern. And every hour or so our gracious host served a typical drink or aperitif to sample, explaining the history behind the process. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in authentic cooking. It was a lovely way to pass the day.
