Saturday,July 15
Stayed at Motel 6 Linthicum City, Baltimore Friday night. Got up at 5:30, left on time at 8am on time at 5am for Cancun, arrived on time 12:30, Falcon Air B727. Took about an hour to get through immigration,
Arrived at Coral Mar, around 3:30. Paid $8 each, $32 for a cab. Nice place on lagoon side, but great anew of Hotel Zone.
Ate at Los Rancheros in Flamingo Plaza, great interaction with the waiters live band for background music. KK had marinated beef, and I had a steak / tamale dish, total bill was $100 U5. Waited for Linda et the pool, gave up at 9:45. She got in around 11:30.
Sunday
WIVC orientation at restaurant, free psstries and coffee. Led by Barbara, has been here about 10 years.
Lunch at restaurant, quesadillas, etc. Shopped at Market 28 downtown.
Dinner at Perico’s, total for 5, $130 US. Callis left his camera in the taxi, but we had the driver’s name-Javier. He delivered it at 9am the next morning.
Went to the Plaza la Isla, fantastic new mall, great stores, river walk.
Monday
Got up at 9, breakfast at Iguana Wana, bill for 5 (KK, me, Callis, Amanda, Linda), #350 pesos ($37 US). Best exchange rage has been 9.20.
Callis and I bar hopped-Sr. Frog’s, Fat Tuesday. Fat Tues had a nice dock and pier in the back. Waited for a water taxi and gave up, got back to the timeshare around 3. Women hit Walmart, got back around 2.
Left for the wedding at 5, got to Villas Tacul at 5:30, wedding at 6. On rock at beach, perfect weather, beautiful. Owner of service was Pauline, been here 14 years, started with a rejuvenation business. Mexico confiscated her new Ford truck because she loaned it to a Mexican friend.
Dinner at La Parilla, KK and I split a pork chop, steak, chicken combo, excellent food. Total for 5, $90 US. Pauline recommended shrimp cocktail at Le Cejas at Market 28, tacos at Aka Taco downtown. Also said good food at Rosa Mexicana and Maria Bonita.
Taxi driver, Benedicto, got a ticket on the way back, due to 5 people in the taxi. We gave him 100 peso tip. Set him up to take us to Tulum on Tues.
Tuesday
Left at 9am for Tulum. Stopped at the crocodile farm, but didn’t want to take the time for a tour. Also passed the horse ranch where you can take rides on the beach. Stopped at cenote Kantum Chi and took a swim. They also had a little zoo with tucans, monkeys, etc. $3 US each.
Stopped at Playa del Carmen for a while, very commercial near the docks. Benedicto found us a great place on the beach at Akumal-Bueno Vida. The floor of the bar was beach sand, had a nice breeze, and a great view of a little bay. It had a lookout tower you could climb with a great view of the to of things below.
Tulum is not nearly as well preserved as other ruins, but has a fantastic view of a cliff over the beach below.
Linda was sick all day, and didn’t go with us, and was still sick that night. Amanda was not feeling well, either, so KK, Callis, and I went to Kukulcan Plaza, to a place called Splash. I had the $12.95 lobster special. Callis had the Philadelphian Shrimp. KK had the cocoanut shrimp, and it was all good.
Came back, went swimming, and there was a full moon over the lagoon-gorgeous.
Wednesday
KK’s-birthday, Linda had gotten a mardi gras mask brooch, which was perfect. I ordered flowers, they were delivered a little late but it was a beautiful arrangement. Breakfast at the Cove, in Longosta Plaza, $8 US. We ate right on the beach, and it was good, but not as good a Iguana Wana ($7).
Took a bus to Ie Mirador lookout-great elevated view of the ocean and the hotel strip. Had a couple of beers at the restaurant next door, Papparazzi’s.
Came back to hotel, swam a while. Had dimmer show at Mango Tango, $40 each, US. I had steak & shrimp, KK had beef and shrimp shishkabobs. Drinks were included from 7:00 to 10:00. First half of the show was Caribbean dancing then 2 female singers, one very good, the other so-so, but very energetic. One performer swung balls on the end of 2 cords, where each swing hit the floor and made a cadence. Then h put a cigarette in the mouth of a volunteer, and whipped it out. Amazing!
Thursday
Ate breakfast at the hotel, then took a taxi to Xcaret the bus station downtown. Spent half a day at the park. We went straight to the beach, at the same secluded place as last time. Went to the show and got front row seats, thanks to Callis. The show was great, drummers from Tobasco, and singers from Vera Cruz. Some were “Vera Cruz”, something “Assissiyah Mexico.” We couild have bought the CD for $15 US, but passed.
Did some snorkeling at the beach, but we were restricted from going out of the lagoon swimming area. We some underwater bubble walkers underneath us about 4 feet down. They had moved the flying dancers pole to directly above the stage. and when they flew past they appeal to brush the top edge of the amphitheater. They had also added a ball court where they demo’d Poke ta Pok. it’s like soccer but they couldn’t touch the ball with their hands or feet. Most of the hits were delivered with a swing of their hips.
You could see the hotels of Playa and I think, Akamul, in the distance. Had Domino’s Pizaa on the veranda at the Westin Domicile.
Friday
Breakfast at the Cove, and we were going to lie out on the beach, but decided to the Hard Rock, where the waves were higher. Callis and I hung out at the bar and drank and practiced our Spanish while the women hit the water. About 4 KK and I took a bus to Market 28, while the others went back to the hotel
We bought dress for Megan, $13 US We looked for over an hour for soccer shirt for John, but gave up. A taxi driver, Santos. took us to a sports shop where we found what we were looking for, plus a shirt for me. I had a great shrimp cocktail of El Cejas in the market.
After going back to the hotel for a dip, Santos took us to Tacolote. KK and I had a taco combo with chicken, beef, and pork. We ran into some mariachis we saw at Coral Mar earlier in the week for a Mexican girl’s birthday party. They did a great rendition of Grenada at Mariachi Loco. They charged us $5 a song.
The Wests went to Planet Hollywood, we had fajitas and buffalo shrimp, stayed out until 2am. Had a great time.