Hola Amigos e Amigas!

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

Arrived at Esencia today... Que linda! Saw Frannie on Thursday and Friday in Tulum...... i will try and check back later tonite...... hasta la..... !

[minniemex]

Hola!! Have a great time!!

[PhyllisB]

Have fun!!!!!!!!!

[Julie in PA]

Buenos Noches and Bien Viaje!

[AdGuy]

Tenga Grandes Vacaciones, SKBB!!! :)

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

Hello everyone........ I'm home. Will need a day or so to adjust to reality and boy do I have alot to do this Monday morning...... oh how I wish my schedule read, walk up beach, coffee. Walk back to cabana, shower, oil and claim beach chair......! Sit, sun swim x 8 hrs........ ;)

[PhyllisB]

I know how you feel!!!!!! Oh, if I could do that all day every day I'd be a very happy chica....

Hope you had a great trip, and you get a chance to tell us about it soon!!!!

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

I'll need a few days...... and the holiday is bearing down on me as well.....yikes! No doubt BR may beat me to it......:p

[beachreader]

Hola, SKBB, welcome home! I actually ended up your neighbor on Sunday night, but I figured you guys had already left by then and I was tired and hungover so I didn't go over and search the Esencia chair hut thingies for you. I stayed at Al Cielo that last night, what a great swimming beach that is!

It was great meeting you guys, and thanks so much for the Ranitas coffee tip--I'll be sure to give you full credit in my report!

[BP.]

Welcome back guys!

[minniemex]

I stayed at Al Cielo that last night, what a great swimming beach that is!

I know you will probably cover this in your report but I am curious, what was it like at Cafe del Mar??

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

welcome back as well....... well as welcome back to the cold as possible! so u hit up ranitas for the cup o mexi-jo! too bad it took till the last day to figure out the cafe was inside an hour earlier than i had realized....... stupid gringo sitting on the beach an extra hour!

[beachreader]

I know you will probably cover this in your report but I am curious, what was it like at Cafe del Mar??


Alas, Minnie, Cafe del Mar is no more. Apparently they had to shut down within about 24 hours:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc39b3127cceb27eb7d60fea00000026108Aas2rVo2ZuS

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cc39b3127cceb27c74570f0a00000026108Aas2rVo2ZuS


I am SO disappointed I never got there before! I hate it when great places shut down before I can see them. Cuz it's all about ME! :rolleyes:

Still, it was very sad to see, and now there are really no public restaurants on Xpu-Ha beach other than Al Cielo, which is very nice but very expensive, not exactly a place to run over to for some tacos.

[minniemex]

I wonder why they haven't torn the hotel down?? It seems really funny that the "surf board sign" is still there leaning up against the building!!

There is another beach bar down further south - other side of the AI resort there.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/Oct%2020%202007/DSC03472.jpg


We stopped in on our walk south on the beach - I can't remember the name of it right now!!

[beachreader]

That looks like a nice place, wish I'd known about it. Though I guess really since I was only there for one night, it was fine just eating at AC. I walked as far as the resort just south of Cafe del Mar, right where the boats started, and headed back.

And apparently Cafe del Mar and the hotel only just closed like two weeks ago. Not enough time to tear anything down yet, I'm sure. I'll bet they leave it up until they're ready to build whatever the new place will be, and it'll just be an eyesore on the beach until then.

The old Xpu-Ha Palace resort is still up there on the north end of the bay, but apparently it's closed and just being allowed to go to ruin for a while. It looked kind of spooky.

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

how do u guys know these places...... if I walked out of Esencia facing beach... what places were to each side of me..... i was wondering about the ghost towns!

[beachreader]

I heard about the Cafe del Mar closing here on the boards (from Gale), and I talked to a woman walking on the beach who knew the area.

Standing in front of Esencia, looking to your left, that whole resort out to the point was Xpu-Ha Palace (I think the big skeleton building was part of their beach area). Looking to your right about 3/4 of the way to the other point was a large palapa building. The former Cafe del Mar was tucked in next to that.

Can't wait to hear about the Esencia part of the trip (and be sure to include your girlfriend's opinions, since I know you were somewhat ambivalent about the whole thing). :D

[Gale in KY]

My one and only AI experience was at the former Copacabana, now CRT at Xpuha Beach. I spent alot of time hanging out at LaPlaya Beach Club, that place is just so awesome..love those bar swings and the best margaritas around!

Xpuha is second only to Tulum when it comes to the beach..I would return there if I could stay at Al Ceilo..but really don't have a desire to do another AI.

[SoKaliBeachBoy]

I may start w/ a Esencia thread as it is fresh on my mind..... and yes I will give my girl's point of view as she is more inclined to dig these type of "digs".....;)