Dos Gringos Locos

Our last night in paradise… by newfiegirl22

We’re both lying here swinging in the hammock for likely our last time before we leave tomorrow…and I gotta say I’m a little sad to be leaving this place. In just a few days I have fallen in love with Playa (and even more so with Scott, lol)…and cannot wait to come back. Scott has even started researching for our next trip, hopefully within the year. This place is about as close to perfect as I’ve ever found.

Today we just stuck around town, having breakfast at the zocalo (town square). We found the food cart with the longest line and stood there waiting to order fresh shrimp tacos and coke (at 10 a.m., lol). The wait was worth it and we were stuffed for just a few pesos. I know, street meat scares a lot of people, but if the locals eat there it can’t be too bad because they can’t afford to get sick, right? After stuffing our face standing in the street we headed down to the very end of Quinta and down to the ferry pier to Cozumel. We contemplated for the last time if we’d go over or not and decided we just don’t really have the time left to enjoy it properly but have definitely added it to our ‘must visit’ places for the next trip. We watched the ferry leave and started back up Quinta.

Back at the hotel we grabbed some towels and decided we were going to head to Mamita’s Beach Club for a few hours with our free passes. Just as we were getting back through the hotel gate the skies opened and the rain started pouring down, the first time since we’ve been here. It was actually quite refreshing and since the maid was in our room when we c;imbed up there we sat under a palapa on the hammock on the rooftop deck waiting unti she was done with the room. We changed and headed out to Mamita’s finally when the rain subsided and the sun came back our in full force in about 15 minutes. At Mamita’s the place was only moderately packed so we easily found some chairs and a palapa. I got some tanning in while Scott got some shade, lol…but by the time the midday sun was at its highest I was ducking under the palapa for a little respite from the rays too. We ordered a few drinks (including a $7 daiquiri) and headed to Carboncitos for lunch.

Carboncitos is back towards the other end of Quinta (where we were earlier) and is highly recommended. We grabbed a table on the street and ordered some cervezas while we waited for our food. They bring complimentary tortilla chips with a very spicy (picante) sauce and also some other sauce that sort of reminded me of hummus. We decided to share a dish called parradilla which is supposed to serve two people anyways. It’s a sampling of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, peppers, onions, mushrooms, cactus, and some other stuff I can’t even remember with tortillas…what a feed! We were totally stuffed. After we ate we stopped across the street to buy some souvenirs, including these awesome ‘jelly fish’ lamps I’ve heard so much about. While I did bargain the price down a little Scott figured I should’ve held out for more…and he’s probably right, but at the time I was hot and stuffed and just wanted my lamp, lol.

We started back up Quinta towards the hotel (we spend a lot of time on this street, lol) and ended up taking a LONG siesta (accidentally, lol). At around 6 we finally got ourselves together and decided we HAD to go to John Gray’s Place before we missed the chance. The place is a beautiful little spot located just off Quinta on Calle Corazon and we took a small outside table under a tree. I started with a thin crust goat cheese pizza with spinach and mushrooms. Scott started with steak tartar. They also brought some garlic pesto loaf. I also had the drink special which was a mango mojito and Scott went with a Chilean red wine.For our main course I had pan seared duck breast which seemed to be served on some mashed sweet potato with oven baked baby veg. Scott had fresh local fish with olive butter. The meal was delicious and highly recommended, though it does come on the pricey side. We decided not to order dessert but rather wait until we got up the street to Ah Cacao.

Ah Cacao is a chocolate lovers dream! They have REAL chocolate and REAL coffee – all local and fresh and tasty. I had a iced mocachino (about a million times better than Tim Horton’s, Starbucks and Second Cup combined) and Scott had a real chocolate milk. I also had a brownie and icecream and Scott tried a real spicy chocolate icecream which is the traditional way chocolate is served around here – with spices! Yumm-o! We bought some cocoa, coffee and vanilla to bring home too.

Continuing up Quinta we kept getting asked to come visit everyones little store (as per usual)…they always say ‘honeymooners, come into my store, I give you best deal, 99 percent off’, lol…it’s getting much easier to say ‘no gracias’ and continue on…though tomorrow I do have to do some last minute shopping, lol. Back at the hotel we cooled off in the a/c and contemplated if we’d go out for drinks or not. I got a little caught up in reading all the news on swine flu…and suddenly inventing symptoms, lol…but Scott assured me neither of us has any symptoms and are fine, lol. I’m actually more worried about what’s going to happen at the airport and if we’ll be screened or quarantined…this is apparently a very serious thing, though we haven’t heard a thing about it in this part of Mexico since there have been no reported cases in Quintana Roo state, though there have been some from the Yucatan. I think we’ll go for precautionary blood tests when we’re back. I did have my flu shot a month ago, but Scott didn’t…but they say that would only help with some of the human flu symptoms…oh well, I think it’s being played as more serious than it really is.

Anyways, off to bed I guess…Scott is already asleep next to me in the hammock, lol. We should pick one up to take home…though I’m not sure where we could put it, lol. Up early tomorrow to pack, eat our last breakfast and lunch, shop and take the bus into Cancun around 2 o’clock or so to give us at least three hours before our flight (just in case we need to pick up some medical masks, lol). Scheduled to arrive in Edmonton around 11 p.m. and spend the night at TravelLodge before the long road ‘home’ to Hay River. We’ll try to post more photos in the next few days.

Leanne

Day 6…Coba and the swine flu by newfiegirl22

So we never got up super early like we had planned, lol. We did manage to crawl out of bed by 9:30 or 10 to have breakfast at Hot Baking Company just off 5th. Talked to Genero at the front desk about if he could arrange a taxi for us to go to Coba…he was on it and within no time we had a private taxi arranged and we were en route.

Coba is about an hour and fifteen minutes or so from Playa on the main highway south. Our driver today was Martin (the other guy, Guillermo, we’ve been using was in Cancun on a run today so Genero put us in touch with Martin instead), and he spoke great English and was really nice. He gave us a great deal of 1200 pesos return trip including waiting at the site while we explored and any stops along the way – more than half the price of a typical ‘tour’. The four lane highway around Playa quickly turns into a two lane highway just past Tulum as you enter rural Mayan jungle area. We passed through a few small Mayan towns where it seemed everyone had their own tiendas (small convenience-type stores) and sold lots of handmade stuff (hammocks, pottery, etc.). Finally we arrived in the town of Coba which sits near a small lagoon that is full of crocodiles. We saw one from the road, but when we stopped on the way back there was none in sight.

The ruins at Coba are a huge site and originally comprised of thousands of buildings and monuments, but only a handful have been excavated and recovered from the jungle. We could see lots of temples that were still covered in a thick jungle growth but they were still easy to identify. Once we paid the fee to get in (around $5) we decided to hire a guide for part of the site. He was a young Mexicano that had an odd grip of the English language, but we managed to get what he was talking about. Unfortunately we already knew most of what he talked about so we probably could’ve saved ourselves the 300 pesos and did it totally on our own. He only showed us the first few buildings as we only paid for that part of the site. Once we were done visiting the ball court and some other important buildings we rented a ‘Mayan limo’ for the rest of the tour. It was essentially a guy on a tricycle (bike) that had this huge cart thing in front of it and we managed to squeeze our fat gringo asses into the seat (albeit with a butt cheek each hanging over the side, lol) and this little Mexican guy peddled us around the rest of the site. A sight to be seen, I’m sure, lol. As we would come to the various structures he’d stop to let us off to take pictures and explore. It was so damn hot we didn’t stay long at each place. Because the site is so spread out I’m glad we chose ‘transportation’ because we’d still be there trying to walk it all and likely would’ve died from heat exhaustion. The ‘piece de resistance’ of the whole site is the temple of Nohoc Mul, which is the tallest pyramid in Mexico and second in the Americas only to Tikal in Guatemala. It’s 120 steps to the top and these haven’t been restored in quite the same way at Chichen Itza thus making them quite dangerous to climb…but the descent proves to be even more difficult. With the combination of heat and physical exertion (both of which we know I don’t do too well with) I only made it about 1/2 way up before feeling kinda overcome. I stopped and sat down on a step for a breather while Scott continued up to the top. I managed to to the sideways climb back down and found a shady spot under a tree while I waited for Scott to reach the top so I could take photos. He didn’t stay long, as you can imagine the heat and exhaustion puts a damper on the enjoyment of reaching the top. He slowly sidestepped his way down, using the ‘safety’ rope at points. It was definitely an experience and I love that we could pretty much fully explore the site and even climbing on things, unlike many of the other sites. Even though I only made it half way the view was amazing with the jungle all around us and other structures poking their way through the trees…I can only imagine what Scott’s view was like from the top through his photos. We quickly grabbed some cold overpriced Gatorade from the only vendor on site and enjoyed our tricycle ride back to the parking lot. I felt so bad for the little driver guy who peddled our fat asses around half the day so I tipped him well. Our taxi driver, Martin, was waiting for in the parking lot and we decided to head back toward Playa. He asked if we wanted to stop off anywhere else, and while I know we could’ve found some great places we were just too tired and hot to even entertain the idea. Since we had not yet had lunch (and it was now after 4 p.m.) we asked him to stop by McDonald’s on our way to the hotel. I know, I know…but at least it was quick, cheap and always satisfying! lol Martin made me do the drive thru order in Spanish so I could ‘practice’ and I actually managed quite well with a little help (jeeze, and they say Newfies talk fast…have you spoken to a Mexican lately?! lol). Back at the hotel we settled in for a siesta and to call Scott’s family via Skype (to get the latest on the swine flu news, lol) before heading to PG’s Sandbox Bar & Grill just 2 blocks down for some live music, snacks and beers. We had planned on going to John Gray’s Place for our fancy schmancy dinner we’ve been planning, but we decided to save it for tomorrow night instead as we’re both tired as hell. Tomorrow is our last full day in Playa so we’ve planned for some beach time in the morning, some shopping and food…lots of food! lol (photos to be posted later…they take soooo long to upload and shrink)

Leanne

Day 5…Tulum and Peep Meet by Scott

Had an early rise at 6 a.m. to get ready for the supposed 7:10 a.m. pick up by our tour bus…the guys didn’t arrive until closer to 7:45, but no worries, we were on our way in no time. We booked the Tulum & Beyond tour with Yucatreks since our Chichen Itza tour got cancelled (I know, I’m kinda bummed) but we’d heard this other tour was great too so we went ahead. We only had to pick up at one other hotel for 6 people and we were on the road south to Tulum. It takes about 30 minutes or so to get there and we’re then loaded on these caboose-like things that are towed by a farm tractor – sort of like a train of cars, but not quite as nice – to take us to the entrance of the site from the parking lot. Once there our guide hired an actual Tulum guide to take us around. This guy, while knowledgeable, was kinda annoying and I think I could’ve done the site on my own with a guide book, but it wasn’t look so we had lots of time on our own. I was very disappointed that Tulum, like so many other sites, is being roped off so you can’t get very close to the actual ruins anymore. Some places we couldn’t get within 50 feet and that’s a shame when we were really looking forward to it. I guess too many people were damaging the site so they put a stop to it like they did at Chichen Itza and others. Oh well. Scott’s camera battery died (long story, fixed now), but I had my camera for back up so I hope I did the site justice. It’s the only Mayan site that sits on the ocean and is on a cliff perched above an awesome white sand beach…great photo ops. We also got to see a bunch of resident iguanas and feed them hibiscus flowers…pretty neat.

A short time later we were back on the bus (not really a bus, I guess I should call it a van) and headed back on the highway to the first of two cenotes. Since the Yucatan Peninsula is made entirely of limestone, years of rain and water seep through the stone and form a vast network of underground rivers and lakes, and when the rooves collapse they form a cenote which are cool freshwater pools that are great to swim and snorkel in (and some also have scuba diving through the network of underground rivers). The cenotes were very important to the Mayan people as they were a freshwater source and a spiritual place. This first cenote was called Gran Cenote. Scott and the others did some snorkelling, but me not wanting to take off my glasses just paddled about and floated with a life jacket in front of me (just in case, lol). It was so refreshing after a hot morning in the sun. There weren’t many stalactites or stalagmites in this cave, but there were loads of birds and bats…and some tiny fishes.

Once we packed up from there and dried off we headed to the beach in Tulum (not at the ruins, but closer to the beach resorts). It was a super windy day and it made for huge waves. We had a nice lunch on the beach of typical Mexican food (tortillas, chicken, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, etc.) and got to set up under some palm trees for a bit to enjoy the sun. Scott tried the waves again, but he ended up being more interested in the dog that was hanging around. The owner said he likes to fetch coconuts, so Scott and another guy on the tour took turns throwing a coconut into the water and the dog would swim out and get it even thought he’d get swamped in the waves. And he’d bring it to shore and promptly lie down with it…I guess he never learned the rest of the came of fetch ’cause he didn’t want to share, so they’d have to pry it out of his mouth to go again. Once they were finished the dog came in and shook the water off his coat and proceeded to roll around in the sand…it was priceless! (we got photos! lol).

Our next stop was another cenote. This one was called Cenote Azul and came highly recommended. When we got there the place was packed, so obviously word has spread. This one had a cliff you could jump off, so you know where Scott was most of the time! lol He also spent some time snorkelling as well (when there space in amongst all the people). Our guide, Mitch, said it was the most people he’s seen at one time there. I wasn’t big on the crowds, nor the catfish who nibble on you (can you say fish pedicure?! lol) so I sat on the rocks and watched. We didn’t stay long as everyone was tired, and as I said, the place was packed. We were back on the road and in the hotel by 4:30 or so.

After a quick shower we headed out to the Peep Meet at Bad Boys. A ‘peep meet’ is a get-together organized by various people from the Playa.info forum that happen to be in Playa at the same time – really it’s just an excuse for drinks! lol There were dozens of people who showed up and some immediately recognized me so a bunch of us sat together and chatted. There was Bren and Dave (Bevoz) who we had met before (from Vancouver), Dave and Marsha (campaholic) from North Bay, Ontario, Scott and Jennifer (S+J) from California and a few others at out table. Then along came Sara (buggirl) and her husband (sorry, I can’t remember his name), Rick (Babaloo), (GApeaches) (didn’t get her ‘real’ name), and a bunch of the others that I cannot for the life of me remember their names…I wish I had’ve written it down! Another ‘peep’, Playamama (again, don’t know her ‘real’ name) came along to collect up the donations we all had brought for Angel Notion (such as aspirin, first aid stuff, etc.).

After a few buckets of beer Bren, Dave, Dave, Marsha, Scott and I (the Canadians) headed to Babe’s Noodle Bar for some dinner as we hadn’t eaten yet. The place was packed but we managed to find a table in the back. We ordered some seafood spring rolls to start, with an order of sweedish meatballs (go figure), and I had pad thai and Scott had another type of shrimp stirfry (I think). I also had the largest frozen strawberry daiquiri I have ever seen! Great meal, totally stuffed. Had to spend 10 minutes trying to figure out the bill since they wouldn’t split it for us…and then we found out they automatically added a tip to the bill! Nice. Anyways, got it all figured out and started walking back up 5th towards a reggae bar called Roots and Fire that we heard was great. We all sat down at a table on the street and ordered a few beers and waited for the music to start…they said a few minutes but it took forever. By that time we were already heading back to our respective ‘temporary’ homes, dropping off Dave and Marsha first. Bren and Dave walked with us as they were first across the street from us. We walked about 11 blocks I figure…all with sunburned and blistered feet! Ouch! It was a LONG day so we finally called it a night.

Itinerary for tomorrow: hopefully going to see Coba…but we’re not sure yet. Then we have to fit in some shopping!

Leanne

Day 4…Xpu Ha & Playa by Scott

Tried to get up for an early start but by the time we showered and got out the door it was closer to 9:30. Decided to try out La Vegabunda for breakfast which came highly recommended. Scott had an omlette suprema and I had a Mexican egg and tortilla dish (I can’t remember the name)…all pretty good, though the service was a little slow. Walked back to the hotel to talk to Genero about getting to Xpu Ha and as luck would have it another guest (Susan from Boston) and her daughter (Caroline) we at the desk asking Genero and Tony about it as well, so we all shared a cab which cost us around $8 each and we even made arrangements for the cabbie to come back in a few hours.

Xpu Ha is a beautiful beach located about 15 minutes south of Playa del Carmen and is much less crowded. We went to the La Playa Beach Club and as long as you buy food or drinks you get to use the loungers for free so we chose a place under a palapa and set up for the day. The wind was pretty strong and it was whipping up the fine sand most of the day making it hard to keep sand out of your drink (or your mouth for that matter). The wind also created huge waves that we almost worthy of a surf board (there were a few kiteboarders out there giving it a shot), so Scott couldn’t resist swimming out to splash around…and try to freak me out. I stayed firmly on solid ground (well sandy ground anyways) and ended up with a sunburn (or it could’ve been because of the sandblasting I was getting, lol). A few tour buses came and went with huge groups of people bringing them for just an hour or so at a time so it got busy for a bit…but we cured that by taking a walk down the beach further or just chilling on our loungers. Got a bite to eat – shrimp tacos, guacamole (I’m going to turn into an avocado, I swear, lol) and quesidillas with a few beers – definitely cost way more than anywhere in town, but where else are you going to go when you’re miles from town?! Monopoly? I think so. Spent a great day in the sun and finally met back up with the girls to grab our waiting taxi and head back into town.

Once back at Luna Blue we showered and napped for a little bit and tried to deal with the patchy internet service to not much luck, so we headed out for dinner at Blue Lobster since we both wanted to have a lobster meal on our trip. We knew the price would be slightly overpriced since it was just off 5th avenue but we figured it was their speciality. They come to your table with the huge wood cut out of a lobster that has the menu on it (no individual paper menus)…kinda tacky, kinda quirky at the same time. We picked our size of lobster and what we wanted for appetizers and watched the people walk by as we waited (doing a lot of people watching, lol). Started with, you guessed it, guacamole, and Scott also had a lobster bisque. Finally our lobster tail arrived (no, you don’t get claws or body, just tail…besides, these are caribbean lobster so they’re totally different) with a little bit of veg on the side. We both had steamed lobster and I gotta say I was not impressed at all (especially for the price!). It didn’t taste good and was actually kinda chewy and overdone. Scott wanted to finish it off with Mayan coffee which was quite the show. The guy comes to our table and starts lighting various alcohols on fire and then pours them back and forth between glasses before adding coffee…it was pretty neat and we have photos and video (to be posted shortly). After paying way too much money for an unsatisfying meal we headed back to the Luna Blue.

We checked out the live music at the bar again (Mike Grabow for a second time, and he was great). I’ve been joking with Scott that I’m somewhat of a celebrity here as a lot of people from the Playa.info forum have recognized me from my avatar photo and have been coming up and asking “are you newfiegirl?”, lol. It happened the first night when Rick (Babaloo from the Playa.info forum) and Sara (a.k.a buggirl) came up to me at the bar, and it happened a bunch of times over the past few days…including that night when Bren and Dave (a.k.a. Bevoz) stopped in the Luna Blue for a drink. They were staying across the street in a condo and are quite familiar with Luna Blue. Had a great chat with them over drinks and we had to call it an early night so we could get up at 6 a.m. to prepare for our tour day at Tulum.

Leanne

Day 3…es muy caliente! by newfiegirl22

(Sorry for the tardiness in posting these trip reports…we’ve been pretty busy!)

Started off the day up pretty early to upload photos and blog and get ready for breakfast at this place we’ve heard a lot about called Cuevo del Chango. It’s a few blocks away and is a really cool place – very funky. I had the chiliquiles and Scott had an empanada with corn fungus (can’t remember what exactly it was called, but it was the special and very tasty). The restaurant is known for its fresh juices, so I had fresh squeezed OJ, and a local speciality called chaya with lime – it’s sort of like a cousin of spinach and is super high in antioxidants. Scott had a guava milkshake and grapefruit juice – very yummy. The service was great and super cheap, costing just a few bucks for the works. We’ve been eating like pigs in Mexico and it’s costing us very little – much less than we pay when we eat out in Hay River and that food is all frozen deep fried crap, this stuff is fresh and good.

By the time we finished eating the temperature had climbed ever higher and we needed respite from the heat so we decided to finally hit up one of the beach clubs we have free passes to. Since I’m not one for huge crowds of people we decided to try the less crowded and very new Blucacao beach club. It’s quite a distance away in a more secluded area so we took a cab which Genero, the lovely front desk manager, arranged for us for 100 pesos (quite a deal as this place is easily 10 kilometers away and would’ve cost a fortune anywhere else). It’s located near a bunch of very high end condos (including some new ones that are under construction for a measly $189,000 down and $2800 a month – we can afford that! lol) at the end of a dirt road, and as I said before, very secluded. This place is super sexy, super chic…this is where the beautiful people hang out and lounge on the beach beds…today we were those beautiful people, lol. When we arrived there were only a few other couples there so we basically had the place to ourselves for most of the day. There was more staff than people so the service was amazing. We chose a set of nice beach beds under an umbrella and we had beach side waiter service! They even ran us a tab. While the food and drinks are extraordinarily expensive compared to everywhere else we’ve been it was well worth it and not so much more that what we’d pay in Hay River really. After a few daiquiris and beers we decided to eat. We started with fresh guacamole and a shrimp and fish ceviche which was to die for. Then I had the pan seared yellow fin tuna (an no, it wasn’t the grey stuff from a can – this was sushi grade fresh deliciousness) served over some fingerling potatoes with some other veg…absolutely mouthwatering. Scott had a Serano ham panini and french fries that looked awesome too. Oh, and I can’t forget the complimentary fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We ate like kings, and Scott tipped so well at the end they asked when we were coming back! lol It was worth it. The beach was powdery white sand and the water was the bluest I have ever seen…and the best part was that there was almost no one else in sight! Scott took a swim and enjoy the huge waves, but I only made it out to my waist as I can’t swim very well and these waves almost knocked me on my butt a few times (including filling my mouth entirely with salt water, yuck). I more or less just splashed around by the shore. It was still very hot out but the nice breeze off the water made it bearable. I got some major tanning time in and it was lovely. We’re definitely going to try to go back there before we leave.

We had arranged for our cabbie to come back to pick us up at 3:00 and he was there right on time; very friendly guy who spoke a little English, but appreciated our meagre attempts at Spanish. Quick ride back into town and we were back at the Luna Blue to freshen up and cool off. My body and hair was all salty from the water and sweat so a shower was the answer. After relaxing for a bit it was time to eat (again, lol) so we decided on El Fogon, a local hole in the wall place that gets rave reviews for its tacos al pastor. There are two locations, so on the recommendation of another traveller we tried the original one a few blocks away and were not let down. We started with the famous tacos al pastor, which at 7 pesos each (dude, that’s less than 70 cents each) were mouthwatering. We also ordered queso fundido (basically melted cheese that you pull onto a tortilla and eat…very ‘fun’dido, lol), arrachera especial and arrachera nortena. They also brought out complimentary soup and all kinds of salsas and toppings for everything. Scott had a couple beers and I had a few Coca-Cola. The place was soooooo damn hot we both sat there wiping the sweat off our brow the entire time – I have no idea how those guys work behind the hot grill. We were the only gringos in there the entire time and it is very popular with locals – I can see why! Stuffed ourselves full again and headed back to the hotel. The bill was 302 pesos (less than $30 for the both of us). After the sweat marathon we walked back to the hotel to cool off and have a siesta and get ready for Jimmy Buffett night at the Luna Blue.

Jimmy Buffett Night happens any night that Jimmy has a concert and they play it over the radio and have 2×1 margaritas (again) and any time he plays Margaritaville the entire bar gets free tequila shots! We didn’t stay long as we planned to get up early the nest day to go to Xpu Ha (pronounced shpoo ha). (pictures will be posted later).

Leanne

Recovering from slight overindulgence (Day 2) by newfiegirl22

Ok, so I really didn’t get to finish my post before…why?! Because I was recovering from one too many margaritas from last night. And by one too many I mean like eight too many! lol They were going down so good and tasted so heavenly I honestly didn’t realize how much I was drinking…I swear! The live music was awesome and I even sang along to many of the songs…yes, me, singing along! lol Anyhoo, we closed the bar down at 11 and not a moment too soon. I’m prety sure the effects of all that alcohol was starting to kick in and the climb to our room became dangerous and exhausting. Literally plopped on the bed and was out cold.

Scott woke up at like 6:30 a.m. and started uploading photos…I, on the other hand, could barely open my eyes and was feeling the after effects of the margaritas. I have not been this sick or hungover in a long time! I was so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed for fear I may throw up or, worse, die. Scott kept plying me with water and gatorade and finally some rehydration fluid. He’s the best boyfriend ever…totally takes care of me! He even went out and found a great breakfast place called La Hora Feliz and bought back some much needed nutrients to me. I had Huevos Americano, which is essentially scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese, and bacon. Scott had Huevos Rancheros. He also got bread and freshed squeezed orange juice and coffee. It was so good and cheap…hit the spot! It gave me the energy to get up and shower so we could finally get on the go for the day.

We decided to walk down Quinta Avenida (5th avenue – basically the main street) to check out the the little shops and places to eat. We then headed down to the beach and walked along up to the pier.

By this time I was so hungry and hot so we started looking for a great place to eat. We eventually settled on Karma Bagel for lunch and it was definitely worth it! The place is tucked upstairs on the corner of Quinta and Constituentes and is open air to the streets below. I had a Fistano (sp) bagel which was chicken breast, cheese, and ranch dressing on a fresh cheese bagel. Scott had the Insole (sp) bagel which was prochutto, pesto, pecans, cream cheese and honey…intersting combination, but oh so good. He even contemplated having another. The place was a welcome respite from the heat of the street below as we could catch a nice crosswind from our table.

It was so hot today, but Rick (an ex-pat whom I talk to on the Playa.info forum) said today was actually cool compared to the past few days and what it will be tomorrow…yikes! Scott and I are going to render in this heat! (not a bad deal since we both need to lose weight! lol)

After eating we headed back through the streets and went back to our room to relax and get out of the heat for a little while…kinda like a siesta.

By this time my tummy was starting to get a little wonky again, but we headed to PG’s Sandbox Bar & Grill to register for the Beer Pong Tourney. The cost was 100 pesos per team and the proceeds go to the local Peanut Pet Shelter. We got a couple beer and ordered a snack and settled in at a table near the street under an umbrella while waiting for others to show up. By 3 o’clock I wasn’t feeling very good at all, and was extremely hot, so I had to go back to the room to lie down in the air conditioning. Scott stayed behind to finished the food and pay the bill and let everyone know I wasn’t feeling well and likely wouldn’t be back. He came back to the room to find me in bed. After a quick nap, he got me to drink more of that gross rehydration stuff and I started to feel better again.

It was dinner time so we took out the maps and guide books and tried to decide on a place to eat that wasn’t too far away. On Tony & Cheri’s recommendation we headed just one block away to Herradura de Hacienda, a local Mexican place with great food. We ordered guacamole, nachos con arrachera (nachos with arrachera steak on top), Poncho style cheese (cubes of cheese with mushrooms and garlic sauce), shrimp tacos, sirloin tacos, and chicken enchillada with mole sauce. What a feed! They also bought out these pickled vegetables and bread with a nice seasoned butter type spread for free. Scott has a michelada which is a beer with lime juice and hot sauce served in a cold salt rimmed mug. I had a basic Corona. The waiter was really nice and the food was even better! Much to Scott’s pleasure there was soccer playing on the t.v., though he wasn’t as glued to it as I expected he’d be, lol. The whole bill came to 455 pesos, less than $45!

We were stuffed, almost painfully so, so we headed back to the hotel where we met some new friends from Minesota in the entrance who were just heading out to a little Italian place down the street. After chatting for a little bit we headed up to the room for some hammock time and upload some photos. We’ll likely head back down to the Luna Blue tiki bar for a nightcap and get to bed at a decent hour so we can get up early to start some real exporing.

Leanne

Arrival… (Day 1) by newfiegirl22

The flight was uneventful and right on time…gotta love WestJet, especially their zany flight attendants who sure make you laugh and enjoy the flight…but can I just say that Cancun International Airport is an absolute gong show and should be shut down for letting all of those people mob you as soon as you go through the baggage area…I mean, seriously, do I look like someone who wants (or can afford) to buy a time share or wants a private shuttle for $100 per person?! Nope…that’s what ‘no gracias’ means, so please stop following me! Aarrrggg. And this was all after Scott and I BOTH got red lights at customs! Seriously, how does that happen?! Anyways, quick search of bags and we were left to the wolves outside the doors. After a minor (well, ok major) freak out on my part because we couldn’t find the ATM or the ADO bus ticket booth, Scott got me calmed down and we found what we needed and managed to catch the next bus leaving for Playa which literally started driving away before we were even sitting in our seats. The ride was about an hour and I wasn’t sitting next to Scott, rather next to a young surfer dude who didn’t speak much English, and the driving was wild! Let’s just say it cemented the fact that we won’t be renting a car…or scooter…or bike…hell, I’m afraid to walk on or near the roads with the way these people drive! Arrived at the ADO bus station in Playa and the most beautiful site greeted me across the street…McDonald’s! lol But I resisted temptation (for that day anyways) and Scott got us a taxi for $2.50 to our hotel.

We pulled up in front of the Luna Blue tiki bar and I was in love! We immediately went to check in and Jaime (pronounced Hai-may) got us all set up and even helped lug my huge bag up the four flights of stairs to our treetop terrace room (apparently also known as the love nest)…if I have to go up and down these steps for the entire week I’ll be in good shape when I get home! lol The room is amazing and we’re right overlooking the courtyard garden…and we have that hammock I’ve been dreaming about for months (and it fits both of us)!

After freshening up we went back down to the bar and started with some margaritas and beers all the while sitting on the swings that are the bar ‘stools’. Pretty sweet.

After a couple of drinks we were hungry so Jorge (pronounced Hor-Hay) told us the little place right across the street, called Las Casuelas, had awesome garlic shrimp so we decided to try it out for ourselves…and we were not disappointed. We sat at the little tables on the sidewalk and could still hear the live music from Luna Blue. Nice.

We ate pretty quickly and were back on the swings ordering up more drinks…this time two for one margaritas…BIG mistake! While Scott got back to the beer, I continued with margaritas and apparently wasn’t paying much attention to the quantity, ’cause by the time the bar shut down I was feeling pretty drunk.

Leanne