Yucatan Journal

Day 4; 7-6-12; Friday g+ Photo Album

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We had breakfast from our host and spent some time out by the lagoon knowing that we would not return to this beautiful place until the last days of our journey. We consolidated our belongings into just one backpack each and headed out by taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car. On the way there we almost became part of a bad accident under the overpass where a jeep rolled up over the median and our driver was going full speed without noticing it.  If Susan hadn’t gasped in horror the driver surely would have ran straight into the wreckage.

After our rental car was squared away we began our drive southward along the coast to Playa del Carmen. On the way we took a little side trip to the quaint fishing village of Puerto Morelo.  We walked on the fine white sandy beach where children were laughing in the waves, tropical birds were singing, a Mexican harpist was playing on the strand, and we could see all the multiple colors of the seaside shops and smell the cotton candy. After spending an hour or so swimming in the azure waters we had lunch at Los Pelicanos restaurant, where we experienced a truly magical meal on the edge of the Caribbean Sea. Susan had coconut shrimp with applesauce and Wayne had rice and beans. At most of our meals we drink a cerveza or two because they go so well with the hot and humid climate, and we are on vacation after all.  Mariachi singers, including the harpist, came to our table to sing a love song and add to the truly magical moment that we were having.

From Puerto Morelo we finished our trip to Playa del Carmen and arrived at our next lodging courtesy of airbnb.com. We met our host Melinda at the "compound" she created; a main home and guesthouses all surrounded by a walled enclosure with jungle vegetation all around. It turns out that Melinda travelled here from Monterey, CA when she was younger 30 years ago and just never left.  The tall, thick, wired walls were truly like a fortress and we felt super safe here.  While checking in she suggested some places to visit and then we went on our way walking down to the beach to swim once again in the warm waters of the Caribbean.  The beach here is much less cluttered with big hotels, and the people on the beach were tanned and gorgeous as if shaped by the beauty of the local Mexican landscape to fit in.  We walked the promenade on famous 5th St where there was music, food, and vendors selling all manner of colorful goods.  We even encountered a vendor selling time with a baby lion to tourists.  Wayne, as it turned out for the remainder of the trip, was every vendors “amigo” and always had “nice tattoos amigo”.  We returned to our little apartment, got dressed for dancing and stayed out until 1:30am exploring all the sights, dancing, and talking.   We walked for a long time exploring and waiting until later when most of the ritzier younger-generation clubs opened but settled on “Senior Frogs” for our dancing venue that evening.