Yucatan Journal

Day 6; 7-8-12; Sunday 

Day of leisure in Playa Del Carmen; second day at Melinda’s apartment. We had breakfast on the patio then realized that Sunday in Playa del Carmen was noticeably quieter than other days: less traffic, few people on the streets, bars closing early so people could be ready for work on Monday. We went for a long walk on the beach heading north. We went for a swim at a beach full of local families enjoying Sunday afternoon.

We had margaritas at a bar on the beach and found some great live music: the band there, “The Surf Tigers” were playing Johnny cash when we arrived, and had a diverse repertoire with reggae and beach music. The lead singer was an Asian-Mexican man with a beautiful deep voice. The bar had a cheap buffet that was mostly vegetarian.  We left the beach and did some shopping: Wayne and Susan both got new bathing suits!  During the night the cistern leaked, and thousands of ants swarmed in to enjoy the water.

Yucatan Journal

Day 5; 7-7-12; Saturday g+ Photo Album

A Day in Playa del Carmen; We enjoyed our breakfast of fruit, yogurt and granola out on the garden patio of Melinda’s apartment. After we went inside, there was a heavy but short rain shower. We went to a small market around the corner and purchased some food for lunch including tamarind drink.

We headed out in our car looking for a beach that Melinda had recommended called Xpuha. The beach was down a dirt road that would have been more easily traversed by 4wd, but our little Attitude and Wayne's driving skills made it easy. The beach was beautiful. The white sands were lined with jungle and a few small colorful

out buildings and palapas, none of the mega resorts that we have seen on other beaches.  We swam, snorkeled, looked at coral and fish, and lounged in the warm water. There was a woman in the water nearby with her big yellow lab. She had a device that he eagerly climbed into that allowed him to float in the water. We could tell he loved it by the serene look on his face and the fact that he stayed in it for at least an hour.

After swimming, we walked along the beach and tried to climb up on the rocks to go around the point to the North despite the no trespassing sign, but we were whistled back into public territory. Before we went back, however, we found a fossilized conch shells in cross section in the limestone. We sat talking in the shallow warm water by a bed of sea grass before heading back to our car.

We decided to return to our apartment and shower before dinner, then got back in the car to head to a restaurant we had read about called Alux.  Alux is fine-dining restaurant set in a limestone cave complete with stalactites, stalagmites, multiple rooms, and a waterfall into a remote and non-visible Cenote (an underground pool in a cave) in the main dining room. It was absolutely amazing, beautiful, and super fun. 

Marine-fossil researchers build Otago's profile | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News

Marine-fossil researchers build Otago's profile | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News