Time in Playa del Carmen

Cozumel discoveries!

2011-08-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

When we go to Playa del Carmen we're usually quite content just to sit back, sip beer or margaritas and enjoy a day at the beach or around the pool. We've been going down for so many years now that it just feels like home. We've seen the touristy stuff that we wanted to see now it's more a matter of relaxing and enjoying our time with each other and friends in Mexico. We love having friends come to stay with us while we are there so that we can take them around and show them all the things we enjoy about Playa.

One thing that it took us a few years to get around to doing was taking the ferry over to Cozumel for the day. So we finally did that with our cousin and his lady and we made a great day out of it. We weren't interested in all the touristy shops which are right a the foot of the ferry terminal so we rented a jeep and set off on a trip around the island. Which only takes a couple hours - well that's IF you don't stop at EVERY watering hole along the way. Everywhere there was a patch of sandy beach there was a little "restaurant" set up so you could stop for a beer and a bite.

I think the funniest thing we found on Cozumel were the "big name" companies in direct competition with each other, right across the street from each other vying for all the business (HAHAHA) but they were in such a remote area on the island that there was obviously no business.

If you click on the pictures to enlarge them you can check out the signs on these buildings to see what I mean.

We certainly had fun that day driving around the island. Perhaps we'll have friends we can take there on our next stay in Playa.

Are you interested in taking a trip to Playa del Carmen? We have a lovely condo available to rent. Click here for details.

Transportation like we'd never see in Canada

2011-08-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

We never cease to be amazed at the types of transportation you see around town in Playa del Carmen. Basically if it's got wheels it gets used.

There is one woman we see zooming around on a golf cart and those travelling by ATV. Others use bicycles - lots of them around and I believe the resorts have them available for their guests to use for a days outing. There are even bicycles that are built with two wheels on the front and a big metal cart type area on the front. The locals sometimes use this to move water bottles, or fresh linens going from the laundry mat to the local resorts, or supplies for their shops or some of these bikes will sometimes be built with a bench in the front area where people can sit while one person sits on the bike doing all the pedaling. Of course there are taxis everywhere. Never seems to be a problem flagging them down. There are tour buses bringing people from the Riveria Maya resorts to town for a day of shopping and beach time. There's also the local ADO bus transport system that can take you to many towns outside the Playa del Carmen area.

Then there are the many mopeds and scooters zipping in among the traffic. They make me nervous sometimes the way they zoom between cars and trucks and all sorts of tight spots. In Playa there doesn't seem to be traffic lanes like we're used to in Canada and the U.S. It seems that if you're in a vehicle, whatever it may be, and it can fit in that space then it's a lane! I think the thing that amazed and made us most nervous were the families that would travel around on mopeds or scooters. We've seen as many as 4 people on one moped. The driver was usually the Dad then standing between the Dad's legsthen in the middle would be one child with the Mother on the back holding another baby or young child in her arms. Very scary sight! However scary it might look to us I must admit that I have never seen a car accident of any type while in Playa. Not to say they don't happen, I'm sure, but considering the difference in attitude about traffic control between what I'm used to and what I see in Playa I'm just surprised that we don't see a lot more problems. But I suppose the locals are all used to driving in this manner and I'm sure if we were there and driving we, too, would become accustomed to it. But for now our condo puts us in a good location so it's an easy walk to anything we may need. Therefore we will continue to wander merrily along and perhaps one day if you're ever in Playa our paths may cross and we can sit and share a beer and watch the traffic go by.

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Ahh, a day in paradise!

2011-07-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

This resort is the Bahia Principe on the Riviera Maya near Playa del Carmen. They are the sponsor of our nephew's football team, the Caballeros (which means Gentlemen of Knights). While we were in Playa they were having a fundraiser that we were really excited to get to attend. I mean really, what could be better than spending the day at an all inclusive enjoying all the amenities and then in the afternoon moving into a huge viewing area to watch the super bowl with hundreds of other vacationing fans!

We made a point of getting to the resort early in the morning to take advantage of a full day of all the amenities.

We started with a buffet breakfast then headed to the beach to claim some hammocks and soak up the sun and atmosphere of the resort. It seemed that there were endless chairs and hammocks on the beach but surprisingly we had a bit of difficulty finding any available. So my advise - head to the beach early to find the best locations still available. We spent the day alternating between lounging in the sun, wandering over to the bar to enjoy the all inclusive benefits available, swimming in the ocean or pools or having endless snacks - good thing we had our hammocks to doze off in because you know what happens when you have unlimited drinks, sun, surf and fresh air!

We had a wonderful day including buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner then watching the big game with abut 600 hundred more people! It was such a good time we're hoping to be down there at the same time next year so we can support the team again!

Interested in visiting the Playa del Carmen area? We have a condo available to rent. Click here for more details.

The Entrepreneurial spirit at work!

2011-04-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's so interesting the things to see and do in Mexico. And you just never know what you might find! I tell you I find the Mexican people to be very imaginative in the ways and means to create work for themselves.

I was sitting out on my deck at our condo one day and started to hear this piping sound in the neighborhood. It was a very pretty melodic type sound - much like a pan flute. I enjoyed it without thinking that it was anything more than a child playing with a toy. A few days later I again heard this pretty sound and this time curiosity got the better of me as the sound seemed to be following the same path as it had the previous time.

So I summoned the energy to get up from lounging in the sun to investigate and once I found the source I had to run to get my camera, thinking this would make an interesting blog subject. So there I was out on my deck trying to discreetly take pictures of this guy walking down the street blowing on his little blue flute and carrying this box on his back!??! I had absolutely no idea what that was all about!

Next time I got together with my brother and his family, who live in Playa, I asked him about what I had seen. Apparently this man sharpens knives and scissors using that box apparatus that he carries around. He blows his flute so everyone knows he's coming and that sound tells people that it's a knife sharpener who is coming through the neighborhood. If you need his service you just call out to him and he will sit on the side of the street and sharpen everything for you!

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Bulk food shopping Mexican style

2011-02-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

We went on an adventure the other day into Cancun. We drove through the tourist hotel district with it's beautiful beaches and big resorts surrounded on both sides by beautiful blue water.

Then we went into what I referred to as "real" Cancun. Meaning that we visited areas where the locals shop. This outdoor market was just one example of life in Mexico. You could buy everything there from fresh produce, fresh meats, plants, clothes, everything imaginable!

The pictures here are of a "bulk food" store where all the sacks of food - from dry pasta, spices, flour, grains and beans to dry dog food - are just opened up and set on the floor for people to buy from. (click on picture to enlarge it and then click your back button to return to the blog).

It was funny to see it all just out on the floor like this as there were birds landing close by just waiting for their chance to sneak in for a meal.

There was a candy store that was packed solid with bags and bags of every type of candy possible. The aisles were just one person wide and the place was packed with people trying to get past each other and trying to see and reach past each other to get at the goodies. It was lots of fun to try to shop in there.

I would look forward to going back there to shop now that I know what to expect. It would be fun to see what kind of "treasures" I could find. I still prefer the simple lifestyle I experience living in Playa del Carmen but now I know I can just drive down to Cancun for a different shopping experience.

In answer to a query to my blog: Thank you for reading my blog. As for the market in Cancun - the name of it is Mercado 28. The best thing I can suggest for telling you where it is, is this:

go to google maps, type in Mercado 28 Cancun Mexico and you will see a map showing you exactly where it is. Enjoy!

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Music Festival brings good times and good tunes to Playa del Carmen

2011-01-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

It's so busy in Playa del Carmen right now! How fabulous for all the businesses!

There is a music festival happening in town right now and it looks like everyone came down for a some good music and a good time!

The 4th annual BPM Festival is an annual world class electronic music festival which takes place in the beginning of January and if you're on the beach during the day you're going to be hearing some great music. I know that the Blue Parrot is having special performances during the festival, as I'm sure will Kool and Mamita's. The weather has been excellent and attendance seems really good from what we see around town - I know that last year there were over 18,000 people attending the events.

Personally we prefer a more laid back, quiet time at the beach so we wander by all the music and party goers down further to an undeveloped part of the beach front and just contemplate nature in all it's raw beauty.

Thinking of a trip down to Playa del Carmen? Click here to view our condo rental.

Very interesting bathroom.

2010-11-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

I love this! Unfortunately I think it's been renovated since but it was so fun. This was probably the most photographed bathroom in all of Playa del Carmen. Why you ask????? Look closely behind me.............there's no wall back there. It looks over the roof tops of the buildings along 5th Avenue - which is the pedestrian shopping/restaurant street in Playa and behind that is the ocean.

Talk about having a complex trying to use that bathroom. There certainly was no one who could see into it because it is higher than everything else by quite a bit but still!!! The door, by the way, was very cool too. As you can see it's a large round door and it's hinged in the middle for ease of use.

I believe I heard that they had to put up a wall on the open side as there were new buildings that went up and were higher so it was necessary to enclose the room. Oh well, at least I had the fun of experiencing this while it was unique.

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Diving on the reef in Cancun

2010-10-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share some pictures from the dives I took on the reefs off the Cancun coast. (Click on the picture for a larger view).

If you're going down that way and are thinking about diving here is a link to our friends, Lisa and Jesus. Wonderful people and I was totally comfortable diving with them. For a more in depth description of my diving experience with Lisa and Jesus please read my Feb. 2009 Reef diving post.

On the left - we found a puffer fish.

The picture above is a rock fish I spotted. He's quite poisonous. He has spines on his back and if you step on him you're in big trouble. You can also see him in the picture on the left in the front. See how well he blends into his surroundings.

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My favorite pottery shop

2010-09-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

I love this little pottery shop we found in Playa del Carmen. It's a bit of walk from our condo but well worth it as it's just stuffed with wonderful pottery and wall hangings of all sorts. Last time we were in Playa del Carmen we must have visited this shop about 4 or 5 times, so needless to say the shop owner has become my newest Mexican Amiga. She would give us such a warm welcome (probably because she knew we were there to buy more things) and always gave us a deal before we even asked.

The first time we went there was to get kitchen cupboard knobs made out of the pottery - it looks so pretty. But she didn't have enough to do the entire kitchen and wouldn't get more in before we were leaving. So the next year we were down in Playa del Carmen we went back to her and got the rest of them.

Then we decided that since one of the light switch covers in the condo was a nice pottery cover, it would be fun to have

all the switch covers be in the pottery and add a little more Mexican charm to the condo. We made another trek to her shop. (The great thing about all these treks is that we found the cheapest ice cream shop in town along the way. So we would make sure to give them our business as well!) We got our single covers and when we got home we checked to see how many covers we needed for the 2 and 3 switches and went to see her again but she didn't have any in stock at the time. Guess you know what we'll be doing on our next visit to Playa del Carmen. I think if we go see her as soon as we get there and tell her what we want she can have them brought in for us. I know the other times she'd said she could get things for us but we were going to be gone before they would arrive. So next time we'll just place our order early in our visit. Considering that she doesn't speak English and we have almost no Spanish it was very interesting how we managed to convey our needs and understand her responses enough to get by - but that was all thanks to my hubby, he seemed to get it!

Hhhmmmm.........wonder what other lovely pottery things I can incorporate into the condo??? Such fun!

I should mention by the way that this lady had the BEST prices - we walked from one end of Playa del Carmen to the other checking every pottery shop we could find and her's were WAY cheaper than anywhere else. If you're interested this shop is on Benito Jaurez at the corner of 25th (if I remember correctly).

Click here to view our condo rental and start planning your trip to Playa del Carmen.

Tacos anyone??

2010-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's such fun to just wander around in Playa del Carmen. You never know what you will find! Love this!

Talk about Mexican ingenuity!

This old VW van has been transformed into a taco stand - how fun. It's set into this space right next to other businesses on a side street just off of 5th Avenue.

We didn't eat there this time though as we found it (again) just after we'd had our lunch.

His business must be doing okay because when we saw him this time we recalled that we'd seen him last year when we were down to Playa.

Maybe next time we're down there we will have to stop and have something to eat here. Looks like lots of fun!

P.S. If you're thinking of a trip to Playa del Carmen we have a condo that's available to rent. Please click here for details.

Cozumel shore line

2010-06-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Love this shot! Nothing like surf, sand, sun and suds!!

In all the years we've been going down to Playa del Carmen we have said we needed to make the trip over to Cozumel. Somehow that never happened until this year. A word of warning if you choose to make the trip - the ride over can get rough so you might want to make sure not to do too much partying the night before or you might lose your breakfast and they actually have staff going around handing out baggies in case of just such an occurance. A great way to start the day - NOT! Fortunately we didn't have any problems and weren't seated next to anyone who did. Thank goodness!

When we first docked in Cozumel it was very much like you would expect from a community that deals with the cruise ship industry. Very commercialized right near the docks. There's even the big money companies like Cartier.

Don't get me wrong there were lots of Mexican style shops too but it was just very commercial for my liking. We prefer experiencing the natural culture of the country rather than the commercial culture although I appreciate that all the cruise ship business is an essential part of life in Cozumel.

We knew that we wanted to get a car and drive around the island - which doesn't take very long, well unless you stop every few minutes to check out the "watering holes" or walk along the shore line picking up (I won't even say searching cause they're everywhere) seashells.

So we walked down from the ferry terminal a bit and rented a jeep and off we went. Once you're away from the ferry terminal area the island goes back to nature very quickly. The shore line actually surprised me quite a bit. After hearing about Cozumel for so long I was

expecting fabulous beaches everywhere and it's so totally not like that. It appears that where there's a "watering hole" there's a beach. But the rest of the island has a very rocky shore line. It was very odd - almost seemed like a lava rock type of formation. So another word of advise - if you want to walk the shoreline I suggest a good pair of shoes - barefeet and flipflops will make for difficult walking. Beautiful scenery all along the shore with the big waves coming in and crashing up over the rocks. Lots of photo opportunities to be had - just watch you don't get your camera wet in the process.

Certainly am glad we made the trip - at least now we can say been there, done that. Would I go back again?? I'm not sure - I guess if we had friends visiting who wanted to go over - then yes, I probably would. Just for an outing for myself - probably not - there are a lot of other places yet to see or that I'd prefer to see again more than Cozumel.

Interested in visiting? Click here to view our condo rental.

Jellyfish Lights - so pretty!

2010-05-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a unique light for your patio you will find many shops that sell these pretty little lights on 5th Avenue, just off of Constituyentes. I'm not exactly sure what they are carved from but it seems to be some sort of a gourd. They are quite a hard shell, I guess you would call it, and each one is carved with flowers or fish or whatever the artist has been inspired to create, then colored glass balls are inset to add color and beauty to the effect, an electrical cord with a socket and light bulb are inserted and it is completed by strings of shells hanging from the bottom. They get their name from the fact that the complete effect is similar to the shape of a jellyfish. They come in many shapes and sizes and I would recommend that you shop around because the prices vary in each shop.

I have one of these beautiful lights at my home in Canada but haven't really appreciated it until I was given one by our friends when they were down staying with us at our condo in Playa del Carmen. We mounted it on the deck and enjoyed an evening outside under it's light. Not only are they a nice piece of art but the effects of the light coming through the carved sections onto the walls and floors creates another interesting pattern to be admired. (Sorry for the poor picture quality). I think I may even get another one to put on the deck just because they're so pretty! My brother says I'm a real hippy now because I have jellyfish lights - well okay I'd rather be a hippy in Playa del Carmen than a popsicle in Canada!

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

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Desperate for Tequila???

2010-04-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

I chuckle every time I see this picture come up on my computer wallpaper. We had rented a jeep to cruise around the coast of Cozumel. We would stop at all the "watering holes" we came across and at one location about half way around we found this. Needless to say neither of us girls like tequila enough to bare it for it but my cousin, Kyle, likes his tequila so he posed for a shot - but surprise, surprise - the free shot was only offered to any brave ladies - not really a surprise but I guess he figured it was worth the try and created a fun memory for all of us.

There were a couple of other girls there and they created an interesting picture. One was wearing a tube top so she stood behind the sign and positioned herself so the top was covered by the sign but the upper chest and mid drift were showing. If you didn't know otherwise you would think that she was actually topless! I'm sure they had lots of fun conversations about that picture!

It was very much an ocean front location - just a small bar and restaurant located on a coarse, rocky bit of beach.

A little further along you could see the surf crashing up against the rocks.

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LOOK UP before you sit down

2010-04-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

It's so wonderful to be able to walk down to the beach from our condo to enjoy an afternoon. You can just pull up a piece of beach or use one of the many chairs that are available. It's never a difficult decision to have sun or shade either. Both are always readily available either in the form of umbrellas or coconut trees to provide shade. A lot of the resorts and restaurants have tables for dining set out among the trees as well. But a word of advice - look up before you sit down!

You may find it quite an experience to be able to say - yeah, I had a lounge chair or hammock under the trees on the beach. I certainly would hope that it is a pleasant experience - hence my warning. Those coconuts probably look cool up there but if you get hit by one when it falls it can do some pretty serious damage. Although they look like they have really strong stems holding them in place I have to tell you when they're ripe and ready to fall a slight wind is all it will take.

So again - enjoy your day in the sun - but please LOOK UP before you sit down.

Interested in a vacation in Playa del Carmen? Click here to check out our condo rental.

Maroma Beach on a Sunday

2010-03-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

We made another trip over to Maroma Beach and Resort while we were in Playa del Carmen this year. What a beautiful place. Going on a Sunday is so peaceful because all the activities there are closed so it seems that everyone chooses that day to go into Playa. The beach is extremely empty and quiet. It's a great day to enjoy some peace and quiet, sunshine, and a good book.

With lots of staff on hand it's never hard to have your drinks refreshed and your food brought out for you to enjoy at a table among the trees.

Although it was a beautiful, sunny day there was a very strong wind blowing - great if you wanted to be exfoliated! But not so great when you're trying to enjoy the view of the beach - the sand at this beach is extremely fine so the wind was constantly blowing it at us. The only solution to avoid the blowing sand was to turn our chairs around and have our backs to the water.

I'm sure we made a funny site to the few other people who were wandering past but at least it kept the sand out of our eyes and still allowed us to enjoy our time at the beach. Definitely a great place to come to unwind and "recharge your batteries".

Interested in visiting Playa del Carmen? Click here to see our condo rental.

Garden of Eating Restaurant

2010-03-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

We found a little spot for a nice meal that is close to our condo. It's just a block from Constituyentes and 5th Avenue, off of 10th Avenue on 20th Street North. We couldn't help but notice the Canadian flag at the entrance so we decided to check it out. We asked our server and were told that it is owned by a lady from Toronto. It is an outdoor restaurant with tables nestled here and there among the trees and tropical plants. The entire layout is on various levels with anywhere from 2 to 4 tables in each area. There's a waterfall on one side adding to the ambiance. You can look down into the open air kitchen and see everything going on. It has a nice menu with an interesting selection of items - some you're familiar with and some familiar ones with a twist.

Even the washroom is unique. The ladies bathroom overlooks the back of the waterfall with just wrought iron bars and a curtain covering the opening that would otherwise give you a view of the waterfall and the restaurant area and everyone out there a view of you! The sink area is a common area for the men and women and the sink is a long trough style but the most interesting thing are the "faucets". The water comes out of two conch shells that have been mounted as your faucets. Very pretty but it does make a bit of a splash so you'll want to turn it on slowly and stand back a bit or your clothes might get splashed.

We enjoyed a very nice lunch there after wandering all over Playa del Carmen. It was a very nice, refreshing way to relax after our excursion. On Friday nights there is a curry buffet so we're thinking of going back to have a sample of that too. Hopefully the curry won't be too hot.

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Beachcombing in Playa del Carmen

2010-02-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

I've often thought that I should get up really early and go comb the beach for "treasures" before all the people are out and about. Finally the other day we did just that and I think we picked the perfect time for doing it. Since the beach was just rebuilt by having tons of sand dredged up

and poured onto the shoreline I figured that surely there would be lots of shells and things also being dredged up. My hubby got up early with me and we headed to the beach at 6:30 in the morning. The trek to the beach took us along 5th Avenue. It was really fun to see it at that hour of the day. We're used to going later in the day or in the evening when there's always lots of people around. In the early hours you see the occasional shop getting ready for the coming day - depending on how long it takes them to set everything out on display again - and lots of cats roaming along or lounging on the couches that are left out all night. Ah but I digress! Back to the beach.

The hard packed sand encrusted with shells of various shapes and sizes - some still in perfect shape - look like a mosaic on the beach. The colors were incredible. We walked along in the loose packed sand and as our feet sank into it we would feel something hard so we would dig down to find out what treasures we'd found. More often than not it was only broken pieces of shells or coral, but sometimes even those pieces were interesting as they might be the inner spiral of the conch shells. Others were various perfectly shaped shells.

I was actually surprised by the number of people on the beach that early in the morning. But what a lovely time to be out enjoying the sunshine and the sound of the surf coming in. There were all manner of people out, fishermen, families with little ones looking for treasures of their own, even party goers who look like they spent the night sleeping on the beach.

As we wandered back the way we'd come we walked through the surf rather than the new sand that had been pumped into the shoreline. This is where my husband found our most awesome treasures - 3 close to perfect, large conch shells. We brought all our treasures back to

display at our condo with the hopes that future visitors will enjoy their beauty as we do and will also leave them in place for others to enjoy as well.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

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Grass hats made to order while you wait

2010-02-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

We finally, after years of coming down to Playa del Carmen, took the ferry over to spend the day in Cozumel. We rented a jeep to take a spin around the island. While we were cruising around Cozumel we stopped for a bite at Carlos n' Charlies. This guy had his stand set up right beside the restaurant and while we watched he proceeded to make a hat just like the one he is wearing. It's made from one half of a palm leaf. It's one complete piece and he weaves into a hat. Takes him about 5 minutes tops. Of course once it's done he hands it to us so we can admire it and hopefully buy it. The nice thing was that this guy didn't push it on us at all. Just handed it to us, showed us that it was so flexible you could bunch it up into a ball - so good for putting in your suitcase to take home with you - and let us take pictures with it and then graciously took it back again. Absolutely no selling pressure. How nice to be able to honesty and openly enjoy his artistry without any pressure. He then took another little piece of palm and made a big, green grasshopper with it. That was really cool too!

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

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Can it get any better?

2010-02-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

For me it can't get much better than life on the beach. How wonderful it is to live in a place as beautiful as this and have good friends close by and coming into town for a visit.

We love the time we have in Playa del Carmen and spend a lot of time at the beach. It's wonderful - we can take a 5 minute walk from our condo, wander along 5th Avenue for a bit and then hit the beach. We usually take the public access right beside the Blue Parrot nightclub - they have chairs available for your use - as does every business along the beach front. We prefer to walk down the beach in the direction of the Cozumel ferry dock to our favorite seafood restaurant, La Tarraya, which is on the beach at the bottom of 2nd street. We then rent 2 chairs and an umbrella for 100 peso for the entire day (that's less than $10 CDN). It's great - we have comfort and a waiter close by, ready to keep us in food and drinks! And speaking of drinks - how about a glass of wine for 10 peso (that's around 85 cents)! You may have to have 2 glasses to equal the size you would get most places but it's still a much, much better deal!

Can life get any better??? Hmmm I think not - well actually I can improve it by making it my permanent lifestyle and that's coming - hopefully sooner rather than later.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?
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5th Avenue shopping Mecca

2010-02-03T16:41:00.000-08:00

Playa del Carmen has a pedestrian street that is wall to wall shopping, restaurants and bars. There's lots of nightlife activity as well. But don't expect to find 5th Avenue empty like this during the day. This shot was taken at 6:30 in the morning when everyone was still sleeping I'm sure.

There were a couple of shops beginning to open so other than a few employees starting their days there were only some joggers out and about. Early morning allows the cats lots of room to wander around or lounge on the various chairs and couches that are left out all the time. The rest of the day this street is just bustling and anything "Mexican" you could want - this is the place to find it!

It's souvenir heaven for anyone looking for that special something to take home with them.

The great thing is it's just one block off the beach so it's very easy to make a day of it. Wear your swimsuit and spend a good part of the day on the beach then when you've had enough sun and surf, throw on your coverup, walk a block up and shop til you drop. You can even have your hair braided or get a massage.

It's all there on 5th Avenue. You can fiind all sorts of restaurants and bars to refresh you when it all gets to be just too much. Even better the ladies can say to their men - why don't you just sit there and have a beer while I shop in this store? Then everybody's happy! It's such a fun way to enjoy a day and I've found that the shop vendors are not all that pushy either which makes shopping fun and easy.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

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The beach - before and after

2010-01-30T05:12:00.000-08:00

Amazing - can we please have some of these people go up to Canada and show them how it's done?!?! In a week they got all that work done! All the equipment was brought in, tons and tons of sand was brought in and they just got right down to it and got the job done! What a beautiful beach! If you think Playa del Carmen had great beaches before "you ain't seen nothin' yet"! By doing all this work they've doubled the width of the beach making it spectacular! Whereas before there was room on the beach for the chairs provided by the resorts and restaurants, then a thin strip for people to walk along, usually in the water's edge or dodging the chairs that had been pulled out for better sun exposure or the people who had tried to find a spot to put a towel down on the sand. Now there is just a ton of room for everyone! My hat is off to the Mexican people for a job well done and done so fast! Thank you for making Playa even more outstanding.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

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Just another work day in Paradise

2010-01-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

The first time we walked down to the beach from our condo we were surprised to see that at the end of Constituyentes the beach was closed all in front of one of the largest resorts on the beach. So we ventured further along and noticed that there is a lot of action on the beach this year and I'm not just talking about the vacationers. The beach is being rebuilt so they have sections of it closed

each day as the large sand dredging freighter is out in the ocean pumping sand to the shore. There is a large bulldozer working in the surf to spread the sand out along the shore and rebuild the beach. It will be interesting to watch the progress from day to day and see how much bigger the beach will be when they are finished. I feel sorry for the businesses along the beach that have to close off their beach access - so no foot traffic, no suntanning on the beach - only inside seating available but I know that in the end there will be much more business for them.

Another day we decided to have a day at the beach and were close to the section where the work is being done. As a matter of fact we were so close that part way during the day the staff had to move us from the beach chairs up to the restaurant area as they had to totally clear the beach of all their chairs and tables and the barricade was moved down past their business as the bulldozer was progressing into that area.

I have heard that apparently it was the government who decided that it was necessary to put this project in motion to build up the beaches. For those of you that are familiar with Playa del Carmen the project was started at the pier at Constituyentes and will go down past Playacar. This will definitely improve the beach along there as this is quite a rocky area and the few clear places usually have boats tied up in them.

We like to hang out at the Blue Parrot nightclub area (P.S. great music, great food) during the day and this is in the section that is being improved so I'm hoping once everything is completed that maybe the rocks will be covered up or at least much less exposed so it will become a more popular area with the swimmers. At the time of posting this blog the beach has now been completely closed from Constituyentes all the way down to Juarez which is approximately 14 blocks of beach front.

I've been told that it will take about a week to complete so I look forward to watching the progress and enjoying the end result while I am down here this year.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

Click here to see our condo rental.

The beginning of our annual migration.

2010-01-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

So we've made our annual trek down to Playa del Carmen to stay in our condo. This year we are staying for 6 weeks. I like that it has increased by 2 weeks this year. That means we're that much closer to my husband being ready to retire so we can do 6 months at a time rather than 6 weeks.

It's funny how we perceive things though. We knew we were coming to Mexico so we, of course, were thinking - ahh, hot, sunny days basking in the sun at the beach. We had forgotten that we were coming down about three months earlier than usual. For the last 2 or 3 years we've been down here in April. So needless to say we were a little surprised not to have that hot, hot sun that we were expecting. Good thing we had worn some warm clothes - long sleeves, pants and jackets - for the trip down here otherwise I would have been at Walmart buying a sweat jacket and pants for sure.

The days have been nice, although partly cloudy, but the nights sure cool down. As I look out my window towards the beach, watching the sun rising, I see that today will be another partly cloudy day. Since the sun has risen above the buildings now it's time to move myself out to the deck to bask in that sun while I have the opportunity. It's hard to tell if the clouds will stick around all day or move away and leave us with a beautiful, clear day. The other day started without a cloud in the sky but as the day progressed it got a little cloudy so you just never know what you might get - but hey - it's warmer than at home so that's always a good thing.

Even with a few clouds I still get the chance to sit and warm my bones in the sun for a while each day and that is much better than what I would be doing back home these days where there's more cold, rainy days than cold, dry days. So I'm most thankful for the chance to be here in this beautiful, warm, sunny part of the world again.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

Click here to see our condo rental.

Saving my favorite tree

2009-10-22T23:00:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite scenes in Mexico. This is the beach at Ana and Jose's restaurant and bar in Tulum. I just love the way this tree leans over the beach. The first picture was taken when we were in Tulum in 2008. As you can see there was a beautiful white beach below these trees.

This second picture was taken a year later when we returned in 2009. Notice how the beach at the base of the trees has been badly washed away during the fall when the weather is worse with more storms churning up the water. The owners of the restaurant have tied ropes to the trees and packed sand bags around the base of the trees to try to save them and keep them from falling over completely.

The beach area right in front of these trees is often used for weddings with an alter and chairs set up with the trees as a backdrop. It was very sad to see the trees in such a distressful state.

On our next trip to our condo in 2010 I look forward to returning to this location to enjoy another day at Ana and Jose's and to see what state the trees are in now. I'm hoping that they have managed to save the trees and that somehow or another the beach has been restored and once again everything is beautiful.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

Click here to see our condo rental.

Interesting menu item found!

2009-10-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here watching the local news this morning and they brought a story from L.A. to our attention. Apparently some restaurant has created a soup that is the latest rage. They are calling it Viagra Soup. Well sorry people but I have to tell you that the Mexicans beat you to it. We went for a stroll from our condo in Playa del Carmen one evening up to this beautiful restaurant, La Pesca Restaurant, on 30th Avenue right across the street from the Mega store. It's a great seafood restaurant. It has a large covered open air seating area in the front. The back part is open to the sky and there is a lovely area with plants and a waterfall that creates a very peaceful feeling with the sound of the water running down.

We were perusing the menu and I just had to take a picture of this particular entry and you guessed it - Viagra Soup! We all had a good laugh over it!

Our waiter brought out a platter of fresh lobster to tempt us but we all passed on the lobster because there were so many wonderful choices to be had on the menu - other than the soup, that is.

This is a restaurant I will surely visit again next time we're in Playa. I really enjoy finding a good place to eat close to our condo so we can have an excellent meal and then enjoy a stroll back home with a stop along the way at one of the many ice cream stands! That ice cream is SO good and makes a perfect end to the evening.

PS: Want to come play in Playa del Carmen?

Click here to see our condo rental.