"Do you do anything other than read and eat when you're down here?"

[beachreader]

When my friend T and I chatted with Angelo at Om two days into our trip, he asked that question. The answer, writ large on this particular trip, was an emphatic "ummm, no". Is there something else we're supposed to do when we're escaping a winter like 2011?

My street, just a few days before I left for Mexico:

http://beachreader.smugmug.com/photos/1169399704_UQMww-L.jpg


And that doesn't even really show the mountains of old snow that actually block the view of entire houses. I would say our trip was perfectly timed, as the worst of the winter had already hit, and after we got home, NJ has enjoyed several 60-degree+ days and much of our snow (other than the plow-mountains) has melted. Spring is coming! (Well, apart from the 3 inches we're supposed to get tonight :rolleyes:).

OK, so while my weather was clear for departure, my friend T was going to be stuck in Houston by a snowstorm down there (who gets stuck in a snowstorm in HOUSTON?), so she took a flight to another city, rented a car and drove three hours so she could get her luggage, sleep for two hours, and catch her connecting flight to CUN the next day. Thanks to her heroics, and no further delays, we met up as scheduled in CUN on Friday the 4th. She got there first and waited for me out at the palapa bar outside the terminal.

My flight was only slightly delayed, meaning it landed exactly on time at 12:30 p.m. CUN time (usually we get in up to a half-hour early). I had the longest trip through Immigration I've had in a long time, but my bags were waiting and I got my pesos, through Customs and met T by the end of her second beer.

Christopher, our driver from Playa.Info, was waiting for us, and his van was right there, no waiting at all, though I've heard some other services have to radio to bring in the vehicle.

He was a great driver, very sweet, and happily stopped at the 7-11 so we could pick up some beverages, and again at the Soriana so we could use the banos after drinking said beverages. :rolleyes:

I have to say that I really loved having a transfer down to Tulum. Oh, here's a picture of the van: http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-info-airport-transfer-reservation.html (http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carmen-info-airport-transfer-reservation.html). In order to see the rates for Tulum, right now you have to go through the booking process to see the prices and then just don't complete the transaction if you're not ready yet. It's $79 unless you're coming in at an odd time of day/night, in which case there's a small upcharge. Very prompt, polite and professional service, and on our departure day, even though we hadn't re-confirmed, Christopher was walking in the door of the Villa at 9:28 a.m. We tipped him well both directions, he was really great.

I think the price is very reasonable for a private, non-stop (aside from requested stops) no-hassle trip from CUN to Tulum. Definitely the fastest I've reached Tulum in all these years. I think we were there by 3:00, and I didn't get out of the terminal until 1:15 or so.

Not driving gave my friend and me a chance to really catch up since we haven't seen each other in several years. We were also able to look out the window and gawk at the constant development and change on the way down, and gave a moment's silence as we passed the former entrance to Capitan Lafitte/Kailuum, places we used to love together.

[heenan]

Thanks for the info on the airport transfer.
We are considering doing this for our next trip because of the ease and door-to-door service, and availability of rental cars and taxis in Tulum.

[susan]

Fran, is the title of your thread a serious question? Seems like you need another trip with me:)

Love the picture of your neighborhood. We are supposed to get 15-18 inches of fresh snow today, can't wait.

Transfer sounds convenient but did you miss not having a car?

[beachreader]

Yup, that's pretty much going to be my plan next time around. Transfer southbound, rent a car in Tulum for just a few days (money saved pays for the transfer), then either the transfer back north or the direct bus, depending on budget and schedule. I don't love taking taxis, and even though it's pretty easy to do these days with so many taxis cruising the beach road, I felt limited in our mobility so we only went into town twice when we needed money.

So this really was the trip of staying on the beach, eating, drinking, reading, sleeping, walking the beach to another place to eat and drink. I will apologize now for not having as many pictures as I usually do, in part because I was just having fun being a regular tourist and talking with my friend. After the first few days we got back into the swing of taking pictures, so things will pick up.

So, we pulled in to the Villa, and once again I was so impressed with the beauty of the building itself and the view right through the restaurant out to the water. I will just point people back to my thread from September, which has lots of pictures: http://tulum.info/showthread.php?5422-Villa-Las-Estrellas&highlight=villa+las+estrellas (http://tulum.info/showthread.php?5422-Villa-Las-Estrellas&highlight=villa+las+estrellas).

http://beachreader.smugmug.com/Travel/Villa-Las-Estrellas/Tulum-Sept-2010-049/1022629970_Js4LB-L.jpg

We were shown to our room, which was #2, the ground floor room on the north side of the building (hidden in the picture above). I had originally requested this room because I thought my companion would be my 81-year-old mother, and the accessibility in that room is the best in the house, though the step down to the sand off the deck is like 18", since I'd probably have had to put a temporary step in there somehow. When I found out my friend T was coming instead of my mother, I wrote to the Villa to ask for #6, which is the upstairs room Patmex and I had had in September, but alas they were booked. #2 was still a lovely room, just without the soaring palapa ceiling of the upper units.

There were some staff changes from our trip in September, a new bartender (Paco), a new waiter (Rafael) and a new manager, an old friend of owner Simone's, fellow Italian ex-pat Giuseppe. Roberto, one of the best chefs on the beach, is still in charge of the kitchen, and I would recommend everyone visit the Villa to eat his food, especially the wonderful seafood paella, which we had twice during the week. Simone and Thais, his lovely Brazilian wife (and maker of the finest coffee on the beach, if only after 8 a.m.) are still very present, making everyone feel welcome, and their beautiful daughter Sara makes daily visits but spends most of her time elsewhere.

Here's the Villa at dawn, showing our room on the lower level, right side:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186501183_UCASa-L.jpg

It's funny that those upper rooms had their plastic wind curtains down, since we had actually been quite warm the night before. Clearly the wind that night had come up from the southeast, and we were blocked from it by the building. Last September, the wind had been primarily from the northeast, so our side of the building had the benefit of the breeze. Just goes to show how the wind really makes a difference in Tulum!

Each room now has a fan, which even though not oscillating, still gave us good air movement at night, and the screened windows gave us good cross-breeze when it came our way.

The house dogs, Polo and Tequila (Polo is the yellow lab with his head turned, Tequila is the golden retriever who has had his coat cut short for the heat):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186516709_nZWCD-L.jpg

In September, Polo had a terrible limp, but has since had hip surgery and is much more mobile, though not as active as most 3 year-old labs would be. Tequila looks so skinny without his full retriever coat, but he is still fast and agile and will spend all day playing fetch, especially out in the water.

Knowing this, I had brought him a few toys. One, a super-strength dog tennis ball, double-walled construction, etc. It made it through about three sessions of fetch before Tequila had the yellow covering off and the body cracked. It sank in the waves and he was very sad.

So I pulled out my second toy, a brightly-colored nylon stuffed toy with a rope ring on one end, perfect for flinging into the waves. It also made it through about maybe four sessions of fetch before he had a hole in the side and the stuffing out.

So by day three we were back to sticks and coconuts, and that seems fine with him. I will keep an eye out for more indestructible water toys, because it really is fun to see him charging over the waves and surfing back in with his prize. My throwing arm isn't quite up to his standards, though I used to be able to reach first from third in my glory days. It was funny to feel his disdain when a throw barely cleared the first break. :o

They are very well-behaved dogs, especially compared to the rest of the dogs on the beach, though you may occasionally be the innocent victim of a a wet, sandy doggie shake from time to time, something to bear in mind if you're not a dog person (I am officially NOT a dog person, but I like these guys because they're generally so well behaved, no jumping, pawing, begging or barking, and about 75% of the time you won't even know they're there, and if you do want them away from you, a quick word from Simone and they're gone).

[heenan]

"Do you do anything other than read and eat when you're down here?"

My rhetorical response might be: what else need one do on the beach?
Although I do hope you included a drink or two on the beach since the sun can be somewhat dehydrating!

[beachreader]

OK, so we arrived on a Friday around 3:00, and we dropped our bags in the room and hit the restaurant for a snack-meal and some drinks. Margaritas and ceviche, the perfect welcome meal! The ceviche at the Villa is perfect, served on top of a layer of guacamole, which I think is a terrific combination since I always want both at the same meal. Delicious (and strong) margaritas went down so easily, we ordered another, and then another, and by the time we even thought about what time it was, we had already missed Margo's Feel Good class at Zamas, which starts at 4:00. Sorry, Margo, next time for sure!



http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1129847508_NQFGg-L.jpg

On the bright side, we had a surprise visit from Guylene, whose smiling face is always such a welcome sight. I had muled a few things down for her, so she joined us for a drink and showed T her beautiful jewelry. OK, this is an old picture from September, and those are not T's knees, but I like this picture anyway:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1020697955_5KYah-L.jpg

T fell in love with an ice-blue glass (quartz?) necklace, and asked Guylene to make her a custom set, which turned out beautifully. I selected a set of turquoise-colored pearl earrings, really different in that the pearls had been colored with a laser so the turquoise color is very intense. I wore them all week!

Guylene joined our cocktail hour, and we just chatted away until the sun set. We moved back to our room for a little while and decided just to stay put for dinner, and Guylene was able to join us for that as well. This was our first taste of Roberto's paella, and it really is delicious, our best meal of the week, and that's saying something, since we had some great meals this week! Since it's lobster season, we asked for the lobster upgrade, and it was perfectly cooked, so delicious! The paella at the villa is all seafood these days, no sausage or chicken as some recipes have. Robbie cooks the rice in seafood stock, which gives it such a richness, I could have eaten just the rice and been happy.

Farewell to Guylene and early to bed as we were both exhausted, especially T with her verrrry long trip.

[beachreader]

"Do you do anything other than read and eat when you're down here?"

My rhetorical response might be: what else need one do on the beach?
Although I do hope you included a drink or two on the beach since the sun can be somewhat dehydrating!


Oh yes, indeed, Heenan. We paid a lot of attention to our hydration this week! In fact, while we did consume a lot of alcohol (as evidenced by our end-of-week budget tally), we took Margo's advice to heart and always kept a bottle of water at hand and just kept adding water to our drinks, which made them last longer and made the water very tasty to boot. This is such great advice, and works really well with both margaritas and mojitos, or any mixed drink. So you get the enjoyment of having cocktails whenever you want them, but not the ill effects. We timed things so we could just catch the right buzz and then keep that running without going over. As with all of Margo's advice, this is a real-world tip that works!

[beachreader]

Fran, is the title of your thread a serious question? Seems like you need another trip with me:)

Love the picture of your neighborhood. We are supposed to get 15-18 inches of fresh snow today, can't wait.

Transfer sounds convenient but did you miss not having a car?


Sue, I thought of you often, and how much you would have gone crazy on this particular trip. Yes, I do need another trip with you, but this trip, at this time, was exactly what I needed. I've never been so relaxed at the end of a week.

I did miss having a car, but I didn't miss the highway drive one bit. The traffic through Playa was terrible as the construction of the overpass is still going on. On the way back north, we were forced onto the Arco Vial bypass and I was SO glad I didn't have to deal with that, and the rain, and the traffic!

[Westybchbum]

Sue, I thought of you often, and how much you would have gone crazy on this particular trip. Yes, I do need another trip with you, but this trip, at this time, was exactly what I needed. I've never been so relaxed at the end of a week.

I did miss having a car, but I didn't miss the highway drive one bit. The traffic through Playa was terrible as the construction of the overpass is still going on. On the way back north, we were forced onto the Arco Vial bypass and I was SO glad I didn't have to deal with that, and the rain, and the traffic!

That bypass is such a pain. Our May and October trips, we fell for it and dealt with the traffic and crazy detour. This time we saw that some cars were actually driving straight so we decided to try it also. We did a u-turn ignored the detour signs and ended up able to be on 307 right up to the airport. OMG what a difference. We really are getting braver and braver with every trip. Sorry for the hi-jack, but I forgot to put this in our recent TR that you can in fact, stay straight if you want and we HIGHLY recommend doing so!!

And YEA............... Been looking forward to this TR!! :) :) :)

[beachreader]

OK, after all that, it's Saturday, and we really have no plans but for Margo massages this afternoon. I was up, as usual down there, with the sun:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186485442_r6oUL-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186486385_VKvkq-L.jpg


Looking at my photo album, I apparently didn't take any pictures at all today! Wow. We had breakfast at the Villa, with Thais' delcious coffee and frothy milk. Continental breakfast of coffee/tea, fresh squeezed juice, beautiful fruit platter, croissants and bread is included, and you can order more off the menu. We supplemented with a shared dish of huevos a la Mexicana (with a side of very hot sauce) for 70 pesos, less than $6 US, and that was plenty of food.

Again, this pic is from September, but it's the same, though instead of the rice, it's now served with a wonderfully fresh salad, very nice:

http://beachreader.smugmug.com/Travel/Villa-Las-Estrellas/Tulum-Sept-2010-138/1022634964_LwgYv-L.jpg


After breakfast, I don't think we did anything. I honestly can't remember, but I think this day was just about hanging at the Villa, more ceviche for lunch, maybe we took a walk, and then Margo came by around 3:00 to hang out for a while before our massages.
Editing to add that we also had the "crunchy octopus" for lunch. I wouldn't call it crunchy, but it was fabulous. The sauce was red and garlicky, maybe an adobo? Fantastic, one of the best of the week. We were using bread to clean the plate.

And they were fabulous massages, and Margo's table fit perfectly inside our room with plenty of room for her to get around. We had plenty of breeze from the windows, just a great situation. She really is a talented and expert massage therapist, giving tips and pointers throughout, all very practical and simple. I'm sitting here at my laptop and am more aware of my posture and balance, sitting square and not slumping to the keys. So you learn some, but mostly the massage is just fantastic. Her technique is different from the standard US spa massage, you'll just have to experience one for yourself.

My friend T was so impressed she scheduled not one, but two more massages during the week, and I also had another, so we saw Margo a lot this week!

After our massage, we dressed and joined Margo for dinner at Zamas, where her buds Camilo Nu were playing. They really are a great band, I highly recommend them. That is perfect music for Tulum!

We were joined by Bonnie (and, momentarily, by Bob), owner of the Casa de las Palmas, and two other friends of Margo's, yoga instructors Marti and Michael from Akumal, and we also met Ernie and Priscilla from Casa Tortuguita and Casita Limon. The food was fantastic, the special was a whole fried snapper in a Thai sauce, wow. We also shared a spagetti carbonara, which had been my original choice, and while it was good, it paled on comparison to the fish, and wasn't the best partner, so different in flavor and style. Oh, and we ordered a plate of the papas bravas, the roasted potato chunks with dipping sauces that are so fabulous. It's a big plate of potatoes, so beware not to spoil your appetite! There are plenty to share among four or even five people.

T and I started drooping and said our goodnights, took a taxi back to the Villa while the rest of the gang headed into the pueblo for more live music, and apparently went late into the night.

[beachreader]

That bypass is such a pain. Our May and October trips, we fell for it and dealt with the traffic and crazy detour. This time we saw that some cars were actually driving straight so we decided to try it also. We did a u-turn ignored the detour signs and ended up able to be on 307 right up to the airport. OMG what a difference. We really are getting braver and braver with every trip. Sorry for the hi-jack, but I forgot to put this in our recent TR that you can in fact, stay straight if you want and we HIGHLY recommend doing so!!

And YEA............... Been looking forward to this TR!! :) :) :)


Alas, there was a physical barrier across the road, he had no choice but to turn off onto the detour. No one was going north at that point. Not sure how the locals managed, but I'm guessing they don't do such a complete detour often.

[tbpeaceful]

Beachreader ~ this sounds like a wonderful pace to truly enjoy your vacation!

It's so nice that you took it easy this go round.

Wow ~ you left a whole lotta white stuff on the ground! Brrrrr........

[minniemex]

Whoo hoo!! Trip report!!

Great start! Can't wait for more.

[babycakes]

BR, love the feel of your report. It's like being there. Can't wait to hear and see more!

[Solbound]

Great start to the TR BR! Wicked sunrise pics....don't keep us waiting too long for the rest!

[beachreader]

OK, so today was Sunday (I think). The water was a bit rougher today:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186487862_zr4Kz-L.jpg


After breakfast (pretty much a duplicate of the day before), we just hung around and read some more as far as I can recall. After a while, we decided to head down to Om for their Sunday beach bbq, see if that was happening despite the moderately windy day.

I swear, I might as well just not even have brought my camera along on a few of these days, no idea why I didn't take any pictures!

Got to Om maybe around 12:30 or so, place was really full of people, and the staff was trying to get the bbq lit, so T and I headed up to the dining deck to see how things went. It looked like maybe another hour of fire-starting, so we decided to peruse the new menu, and we settled on a shrimp burger that had been recommended by Margo the night before, and the gambas al ajillo, with their "famous" garlic sauce. It really is famous, and now the menu says so too!

Oh, and some margaritas as well. Angelo and Fatima cruised in at some point during the process, so we had a nice chat, during which he asked the key question of the week: "So, do you do anything other than read and eat when you're down here?" T and I exchanged glances between us and the food laid out on the table and the drinks in our hands. "Ummm, sure...there's, um, walking the beach, and, um, getting massages, and, um, well..."

The garlic prawns were fantabulous, one of the top dishes of the week, and the shrimp burger was good but would have been better cooked on the grill, which finally got rolling after our lunch. Angelo had a regular hamburger that looked fantastic, I might have to try that one next time.

After a few more drinks and a few more shots (thank you, Angelo), we decided to wander back north. As we passed by La Zebra, I mentioned the sugar cane press and the great mojitos, and we decided to try a few. Settled in at the bar because the outside deck was full of people, and Roberto the bartender took care of us. We had some guacamole, very good and I appreciate the deconstructed style of it, but I kind of prefer everything smushed together for me. The mojitos, however, were fantastic, as usual. So good, we each had to have two.

I'm not entirely sure how she found us in the dim of the bar, but Guylene came in, said she'd been trying to find us to get us T's new jewelry! We had completely spaced on our meeting time, sorry, Guylene! But the jewelry was absolutely beautiful, of course. I really wish I had a picture of it, but remember, this was one of those days it stayed in my bag all day long. See, sometimes I forget to "work" on vacation!

Note: I just went back to the post about Saturday's lunch and added the fabulous octopus dish we had at the Villa.

After La Zebra we pretty much sauntered the rest of the way home, admiring the many MANY kiteboarders out on the water. There were at least 10 boarders in sight that day, more than I've ever seen before in Tulum, and these guys (and at least one woman) were amazing. Super-high jumps where they were suspended in air in slow motion. So cool.


I'd also note that there were also more people on the beach than I have ever seen before. I guess my last few trips have been pretty much off-season so I've gotten used to the old Tulum population, so this was really surprising to me. It wasn't like Playa or anything, just more full than Tulum is in my head.

After our long day of such strenuous activities as watching kiteboarders and bartenders, we decided to stay "home" for dinner again, and we had caesar salads and shared a lobster pasta. It was very good but not our favorite dish of the week--the competition was just too high for it to rank in the top 5. A great lunch tomorrow, though!


Editing this to add that tonight was SuperBowl night! Neither of us had a dog in the hunt but we both like football, so we were thinking about places to go to watch the game--had heard Mateo's was a good choice, but when I walked in to the Villa "living room", Simone had the TV on where they were just finishing up watching some Italian soccer. He switched the channel over, and there was Fox Vivo and the Star-Spangled banner. We turned the volume all the way down since we wouldn't understand the Spanish commentary anyway (and didn't want to disturb other diners). A young couple from Cleveland by way of Brooklyn stopped in and joined us to watch the game, turned out to be a really fun way to see the Superbowl! Also loved being in Central time, so the whole thing was over nice and early.

[beachreader]

OK, I have to hit the hay now and I'll be on the road 'til Tuesday night, not sure if I'll get back to this before Wednesday. Hope you're liking it even without all the pictures, but I promise there are more pictures to come!

[FITZ]

It sure sounds like you really enjoyed yourself! We're really getting into your trip. Thanks.
Have a safe journey.

[minniemex]

Hope you're liking it even without all the pictures, but I promise there are more pictures to come!

I am just plain jealous........ but happy that you had a great relaxing trip. Those I think are the best!

[Westybchbum]

I'm very happy for you that a) you weren't sick this time around and b) you got into the FULL Tulum laid back vibe. You are completely forgiven for leaving your camera in your bag.... You deserved to enjoy and NOT work!! :) We can actually feel your relaxation through your TR!! And PS- never got to say, your friend T was awesome, we really enjoyed meeting her (and you of course), glad it worked out for her to be there even though your mom couldn't make it!!

[manitou]

OK, I have to hit the hay now and I'll be on the road 'til Tuesday night, not sure if I'll get back to this before Wednesday. Hope you're liking it even without all the pictures, but I promise there are more pictures to come!

Lovin' it!!! Can't wait for more!

[utmck]

Keep it coming!!!!!

[beachreader]

Sorry, guys, work is interfering with a vengeance this week. Hope to get something up tomorrow night, definitely over the weekend.

It's funny that this is taking me so long, because we seriously didn't do anything. I'm really sorry I didn't even get to see the insides of Casita Limon (at Casa Tortuguita). I know Priscilla and Ernest have done a lot of work over there, tucked between Ana y Jose and Zulum, and I soo wanted to take some pictures for everyone.

Sigh. Next time!

[tbpeaceful]

No worries BR ~ if it happens, then it happens. What matters is that you truly enjoyed your time in Tulum!

You have gone above and beyond in your previous trip reports. A girl's gotta have a day off, eh? Thanks for what you do. :)

[PhyllisB]

Sounds like my kind of trip, Fran. Nothing but rest and relaxation. Perfecto! Although every time I read that a place was "full of people" I get a little melancholy...

[beachreader]

OK, I'm back, hope I can still remember what happened!

So, today is Monday, and we need pesos, so it's a day for heading in to the pueblo. Since the Villa's breakfast service doesn't start 'til 8, and we were (as usual) up much earlier than that, we decided to go in for breakfast. Out of sheer habit, had the taxi take us to Don Cafeto's, where I've always had good breakfasts. Today, the coffee was pretty terrible, clearly instant. I don't know if it's always instant there, but it's never tasted so bad before. We shared a plate of huevos moltulenos, which were good, but it wasn't my best breakfast. As we walked away from Don C's, I kept remembering other places I've been wanting to try for breakfast, but it's just so hard to remember new things at 7 a.m.!

Headed down to the HSBC for pesos and checked a few stores since T was looking for a chammock (hammock chair). Most places were still just opening, but eventually found a nice kid from Valladolid and found a nice one for her for not too much $. I think maybe 300 pesos, T? Walked north a bit more, bought a few jugs of water (the Villa only provides small bottles in the bathroom--I think all hotels should do the big Culligan-style water dispenser that they have at other hotels. It's got to be cheaper, is better for the guests, and is certainly MUCH more eco-friendly).

Back to the hotel, dropped off the stuff, decided to head back to beachtown for a little more shopping and a trip to Mateo's for "the world's best fish tacos" (says the sign out front). Walked all the way to Maya Tulum, where we found that the seaweed problem has come back in their little bay. Not nearly as bad as it was two years ago, but bad enough that I decided we didn't really want to eat at the new Slowteria since the breeze was carrying the scent of seaweed pretty strongly. T's first trip to Tulum had been to Maya Tulum last spring, and the water was perfectly clear; she was feeling pretty lucky about that.

Walked around the next bay to the north, and it looks like Pez is expanding, or someone is building a new place right next door:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186489739_kyFgY-L.jpg

See, I DO own a camera! Anyway, this building looks to be directly in front of the existing swimming pool, so I'm guessing that will move as well. Stopped at Zamas to cool off (that last stretch of road after Pez is pretty hot) with a couple of drinks (margarita and michelada, I believe), then off to the shops. Looked around for a dress to show off T's new Guylene jewelry but couldn't find anything (and damn, those shops get HOT), so we headed over to the beach side of the road and snooped around a bit.

Here was a happy surprise (to me):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186490012_4ntn7-L.jpg


Yes, Buenos Aires has opened an outpost on the beach road! It is basically the restaurant for Punta Piedra. Here's how it looks from the street:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186490240_tLroj-L.jpg

Decided to walk back and take a look at the space and the menu, since I knew I wouldn't be able to see either very well at night:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186490465_KoDVM-L.jpg

It's a bit hidden by the palapa in the foreground, but the restaurant is a small space, about 12'x12', palapa-roofed and screened by glass panels on tracks so they can open for breeze or close against wind. Very cool, perched up on the bluff above the beach.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186490662_hSJT6-L.jpg

There's a little open space with tables and chairs for cocktails, I guess:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186491072_CCQ8x-L.jpg

My apologies for only shooting the lunch menu--I didn't read the top before I took the picture!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186490913_jLFGH-L.jpg


We did see the dinner menu, decided we would definitely be coming here one night for dinner (turned out to be Wednesday).

Across the street I noticed that TreceLunas is now serving in the open space at the end of that row of buildings.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186491839_pTVvX-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186492277_9W6rf-L.jpg


The old TreceLunas space is now a very trendy (expensive) clothing shop.

[AmoTulum]

OK, I'm back, hope I can still remember what happened! Yay!! Been waiting to read more, enjoying it thus far!

[beachreader]

Wandered back down to Mateo's, ready for the "best fish tacos in the world", but even though it was 12:30, they weren't open yet. Apparently they don't open until 1:00. Not sure how that works for a lunch business, but from what other folks have said around here, I guess they get plenty of business and it's well worth it.

But we were hungry and hot and headed back over to Zamas for another drink while we waited for the best fish tacos in the world.

Of course, after a few more drinks and some guac, a waiter brought a very fresh raw fish out to the table next to ours and explained it was the fresh fish of the day and could be prepared any number of ways. Soon after, Laura, the Zamas chef, came over for a chat, and remembering the amazing whole fish in Thai sauce we'd had on Saturday night, we decided we wanted nothing more than another whole fish prepared by her kitchen. We asked for it plain, fried with garlic, and ordered a bottle of wine to go with it.

It was, of course, fantastic (and doesn't it look good against the bright green table?):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186492466_rHdn9-L.jpg

T and I both agreed that we could seriously eat whole fish all week long!


Sated by our delicious fish lunch, we decide to take a taxi back to the Villa where we spent the rest of the afternoon doing pretty much nothing that I can recall.


[Darn, just forgot something about Sunday, going back to edit]

[beachreader]

No memory at all of the afternoon, guessing it was just a stretch of beach time mixed in with playing catch with Tequila and reading, maybe a nap? Very exciting after our busy morning.

Come dinnertime, we decided to head back up to the new beachfront Buenos Aires for what turned out to be one of the top meals of the week. My camera suddenly decided to have no flash at all, and the place was dark. As recommended by Willifred, we decided to share the vacio, an Argentinian cut of meat that apparently comes from the side of the ribcage. I am not at all sure of this and will have to Google it. It's a delicious cut that is not normally found in the US unless you have a Latin butcher. Since we were hungry, we decided to each have a salad to start. BIG mistake. First, there's a complimentary starter of a creamy salsa/dip and chips. And the salads are HUGE. Seriously, like Cheesecake Factory huge.

We loved our waiter, a young Chilango with excellent English, new to Tulum and very happy to be there. There was a bit of a service error where our hot food came out immediately after the salads were put down, so we basically pushed our salads aside after a few bites to get to the good stuff. We'd also ordered a platter of grilled vegetables. Next time we will definitely skip the salads and focus on the main course. The salads, by the way, were wonderfully fresh and very good, would make a great lunch, but this is the kind of place to go for the meat.

The vacio was perfect for two women to share. It was so good, I probably could have eaten the whole thing, but I'm glad I didn't.

Here's the last picture my camera took before the flash died:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186493903_kkTXK-L.jpg

So, in case this helps anyone at all, here's the steak:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186494657_ByHd3-L.jpg

You can just see the grilled veggie platter in the background. The vacio was 270 pesos, perfectly cooked and with fabulous flavor, the grilled veg were 100 pesos for the platter. The salads, which we unfortunately had to push aside, were 90 and 100 pesos, I think (T's had egg and avocado and sesame seeds, mine was plain). We shared (well, "shared" being a relative word since I inhaled most of it) a bottle of Norton Malbec for 300 pesos, and it was really delicious (I've happily just found it here in my local store for $8.99 US, that'll be my new house wine for a while). So while we spent a lot that night, you could easily do dinner for two for 670 (wine, steak, grilled veg), or $55 US, $27.50 per person, not bad at all for such a meal.

The guys back at the Villa had never been here, so we headed home to give them our report, and Simone, who was a bartender in Milan for many years, made us delicious after-dinner coffee drinks. Basically just decaf expresso with Bailey's, shaken over ice, so simple yet so good, must have been the richness of the coffee and the proportions. It was our go-to nightcap for the rest of the week.

[beachreader]

Hey, I just realized a new tip for easier photo-posting. If you start your post, post it and then go back and edit it, the photos you add in editing will require two fewer steps in the posting process. Instead of having to click on the URL tab, then post the address, then uncheck the remote access box, you just have to paste the address and click OK. Love it, and I wonder why it's different than the regular way?

[beachreader]

And here we are at Tuesday, another quiet day. Actually, I think it was raining this morning and we pretty much just flopped around and read. I honestly can't remember, but Margo came by at lunchtime (today was T's second massage) and we decided to head over to El Bistro at Ziggy Beach Club (aka Cabanas Tulum), which is only two properties away. Since it looked like the rain might pick up again, we thought that was a good idea to stay close to home.

So this was my second meal at El Bistro since they opened (shared steaks with the Minniemexes in September), and while I keep hearing good things about them, this meal was pretty disappointing IMO. We each ordered something different and shared tastes around the table:

T had the tuna caesar salad. The salad was good, the spices on the tuna were tasty, but the tuna was egregiously overcooked and dry:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186494915_B3mLp-L.jpg

Margo had the bbq pork ribs, which she really enjoyed, but they were not to my taste. IMHO, the sauce was too sweet (coconut in bbq sauce not my style), and the cut of the ribs was cross-cut instead of individual ribs such as I prefer. I found the meat fatty and gristly, but as I said, Margo enjoyed them so I'll chalk that one up to my personal taste:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186495081_dPrtk-L.jpg


I chose the lamb burger with goat cheese:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186495695_mh9Cw-L.jpg

The goat cheese itself was superb, really delicious. The bun and veggies were good, and so were the fries.

The lamb itself was chunky and gristly, such a shame because it seemed like a good concept.

There was also a mixup in the drinks orders, and we had to ask for certain things several times.

You guys know that I don't slam restaurants, I'm just sharing my specific experience. El Bistro is in a fantastic location, the tables are either in the sand of the beach or up on the deck with a full view of the water, and I have had certain items that were really great, and I know a lot of other people have had great experiences here, so I don't mean to steer anyone clear, just maybe to skip the lamb burger and order the tuna rare and see what happens. I will definitely give them another try on my next trip.

We headed back to the Villa and Margo got her stuff out of the truck and set up. As soon as they got started and I was settled out in the "living room" of the Villa with my book, the rain came down in earnest. So it was a peaceful hour or so, listening to the rain and reading. Must have been great to listen to that during a massage!

As I waited, I chatted with Roberto about this and that, asked him what the special was. Whole grouper! Good news for T, and we decided to stay put for the evening. She has by now realized that I like to take pictures of the food but my camera sucks at night, so she kindly brought her own camera out. She hasn't sent me the pics yet, so I'll put my own camera's effort here and will replace it when I get something better.

We hadn't asked how it was going to be cooked, guess we just sort of figured it would be fried, but he had done it in the oven in a foil packet, so the presentation was wonderful. He carried it out to us and cut it open at the table so the steam rose to tantalize us. OK, this picture really stinks. T, need yours asap!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186495973_DEj7V-L.jpg

Another bottle of wine, a few more of those iced coffee drinks and I think our rainy day is complete.

[Solbound]

So where is Tuesday already?????:)

[beachreader]

Page up for Tuesday, Wednesday coming next, but now it's time to run and look at the Oscars. Go, Colin Firth!

[tbpeaceful]

Thanks BR! Hubby will L.O.V.E. Buenos Aries! Dam carnivores :) Once again, I can feel the relaxation in your trip. Que sera, sera!

[minniemex]

I knew that fish!! I met him while snorkeling!:rolleyes:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186492466_rHdn9-L.jpg

[utmck]

Very nice!!

[Jorge&Marcia]

Great TR beachreader. Can't wait for more. BTW love that pic of the fried fish. YUM!

[minniemex]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/baguette20clip20art.gif http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/sorry.gif Had to do it. http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/www_MyEmoticons_com__giggle.gif

[beachreader]

Sorry, everyone, business trip and then catching up after said business trip has just sucked my life away. Darn that whole "need to pay the mortgage" thing anyway. :mad:

There are three pages of threads waiting for me here--sigh.

I wonder if I even remember anything else about my vacation? Guess I'll go look at my pictures and see if they jog my memory.

[beachreader]

OK, let's see, what was happening? I think today is Wednesday, the day we are to learn the secret of Om's fabulous garlic sauce.

T and I decide to just head up to Om first thing to try the chilaquiles Angelo had told us about the other day. While they were different from what he had described (as we all know, chilaquiles is a dish that changes from chef to chef), these were fantastic chilaquiles, really good and gooey with lots of stuff, sauce, cream, egg, cheese, chicken, all the good stuff. Alas, no picture of this one, but it was a great breakfast, and plenty large enough for us to share.

It turned out to be a stormy morning, the rain hit just as we arrived, but it's still such a lovely property:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186496208_PQkhH-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186496734_yPEgj-L.jpg

I just love that rich dark wood set off by the red fabric.

OK, after breakfast and the rain passed, the sun came out (as it always does) and we settled ourselves on the beach to wait for our time in the kitchen. Around 11:00, our new friend Cat came up the beach to join us, and luckily had brought her i-Phone so we could get at least a few pictures of the process.

Our muy guapo chef Christian collected us and showed us into the impossibly tiny kitchen (for a restaurant that turns as many high-quality meals as Om does, I was really amazed they could function in there), and in no time at all gave us the scoop on the garlic sauce. Basically, it's garlic, onion and oil. Honest, that's it. A little salt & pepper, maybe a little sugar if it needs it at the end, but that is all. And it's not cooked.

The problem, which I have yet to overcome here in the US, is the garlic. I can duplicate the oil and the onion, but the garlic is something that Christian called "Italian garlic". I have been unable to find it here in my area, T has tried in her area, and I know others have also tried. Maybe we need to find someone in Gilroy, California, find out if they even grow it for the US market?

"Italian garlic", is large and solid garlic. It doesn't come in heads like our garlic, and is the size of a shallot. Cut this in half, it's ALL garlic. T has tried this with elephant garlic, and it's just not the same.

Here's a picture of the garlic. If ANYONE out there in TI land knows how to get this stuff, please let me know, and maybe I'll share the recipe with you. Otherwise, I'll be reduced to smuggling the stuff next trip down. Hope no one from US Customs is reading this. :rolleyes: (Photo credit to Cat, thanks!)

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1214997316_MoTku-L.jpg

OK, so zip-zip, the stuff is done. It doesn't need refrigeration, either. It's amazing, as you all know, and I totally should have brought some tupperware to take some back with me.

Cat headed back to the Villa, and T and I decided to stay at Om for lunch (meal #3 at Om, for anyone keeping track). This time we just shared a pizza and about three little tubs of garlic sauce. :cool: It's good and good for you!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186497122_czmCT-L.jpg


As we ate, and read, and watched the kiteboarders do their incredible thing out on the water, the fishing boat came in and Christian headed out to do his shopping. He's the tall one in the white jacket:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186497279_f87yC-L.jpg


A vision of my dreams: handsome man with fresh lobster:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186498055_4wTTn-L.jpg

And our dinner for Thursday night, a beautiful coronado (amber jack):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186498450_ttV5m-L.jpg


The fishing boat had a bit of trouble heading back out into the waves and wind. I took some video of it, hope I can figure out how to post it here.

Hmm. OK, while I find where I put it, here's a picture of the boat trying to get out:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186498608_pPNLu-L.jpg


Honestly can't remember the rest of the afternoon in my garlic-soaked haze, but I know we got back to the Villa at some point. I was all set to go eat dinner somewhere "out", but the rain picked up again right when it was time to go out, and without a car we really didn't want to go hunt for a taxi in the rain. So we stayed home again for dinner, on what I think was Robbie's night off. T had the coconut shrimp, I had the lasagna, another very quiet evening.

For those of you who remember my ambitious pre-trip dining list, it pretty much went right out the window due to the weather and our lack of wheels. That was fine, didn't hurt the trip one bit, but I will definitely reconsider the car next trip for this reason alone.

Or I'll just plan a trip with less rain! :D

[beachreader]

OK, it's Thursday already! Boy am I glad I booked that extra day so it's an 8-day trip instead of 7. 24 hours makes so much of a difference!

Beautiful but rough morning again. Can you see the slashes of palest blue in the sky?

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186499409_VdbuB-L.jpg

I like the sun on the wet sand in the morning:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186500807_p5uAD-L.jpg


The way south, to OM, to OM!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186500966_QFk4Y-L.jpg


Yes, we loved the chilaquiles at Om so much yesterday we went back to have them again. Alas, today there must have been a different breakfast chef so they came out completely different. Still delicious, but different. No egg on this one, so we ended up ordering two fried eggs on the side to add. This pretty much confirms that I love chilaquiles, no matter how they come out!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186501566_pZs2h-L.jpg


We were both running a little low on pesos again, so we decided to head into town while the temps were still low. Headed out to the beach road to find a taxi and walked for a while before we got one in front of NV. A few shots along the road:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186501771_iq4zj-L.jpg

This place looked cute, was almost right across from Casa Violeta. The sign in front said "Baguette and Tacos", and right next door was the little shop called InSpirit. Looked pretty but wasn't open yet:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186502160_KyzcN-L.jpg

A bit farther down was Loco Local, also not open yet for the day. One of these days I will definitely come check this place out:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186502373_DkrH8-L.jpg

I think this was the same property as Loco Local. If this means they grill meat over an open-wood fire, I'm definitely going to try it!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186502481_jELoL-L.jpg

If this isn't Loco Local, could it be Heartwood? I'm sorry I didn't write it down or take a picture of the sign, but this is the next picture from the LL one, so I thought it might be the same place.


Across the street, a beachfront villa for sale. I think I looked it up and it's $1.25 million. Are there maybe 99 other TI'ers interested in a time-share oppty?

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186502637_R5zWw-L.jpg

I'm pretty sure this is the house that's between Playa Mambo and Luv Tulum. Kind of well-covered on the beach side, you can't see the house very well which I guess makes it very private. I'll try to find a pic from my last trip that shows it from the other side.

[beachreader]

Finally hopped in a taxi around NVR and headed to town. Along the way I took some pictures of the works-in-progress that I'm sure are well completed by now. Powerlines along the road and a new Pemex, all to serve the new developments lurking behind the greenery on the south side of the road.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186503427_vwhwQ-L.jpg

(These were shot through the rear window of the cab, hence the horizontal lines):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186503820_Qx3BP-L.jpg


Uneventful trip into town, uneventful return home, might have had some more rain.


This is a totally random shot, not sure how it got into this part of my photo album, or where it belongs, but I thought this was interesting, a Clausurado sign on Coqui-Coqui?

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186504006_8LYrY-L.jpg


I'm not sure if I mentioned this place earlier and I'm too lazy to go back and look right now, but there is a new cabana hotel that has moved in to one of the two lots between the Villa Las Estrellas and Petit Shambala. Only three cabanas and what looks like an owner/manager cabana, I went over and took a look today. It's called Blue Iguana Tulum or Iguana Blue Tulum, not sure, will have to go see if their website is up and running yet (they were still working on it):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186486650_s4Hx6-L.jpg

This is the middle one:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186486881_RRXFK-L.jpg

The front unit is right next to the beachfront unit at Shambala, but it didn't feel too close IMO, and there's a stick fence between them anyway:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186487166_5Ywnq-L.jpg

We were shown the back unit first, it's the only one with two beds, and has a decent enough view from the front porch. Very inexpensive too. Hard to say how much these will be going forward, but I think they were asking only $80 or $90 for this one in February.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186504241_Yprdu-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186504705_MN8FN-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186504397_iCbcS-L.jpg

Not sure why that's so blurry, makes the beds look icky, but they're really very nice.

The middle unit was occupied, so we headed up to the front:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186505077_CjbN5-L.jpg

Really cute interior, good storage, bed looked really comfortable but I resisted jumping on it and rolling around.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186505805_zS6Dj-L.jpg

Robes, towels, nice hangers:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186505948_EKuYP-L.jpg

End tables on both sides of the bed:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186505641_qYEQL-L.jpg

Beautiful bathroom with a door, though there's no ceiling on the bathroom. So it's a bit of a compromise for the privacy-minded, but it does give ventilation!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186506082_S9hnw-L.jpg

The view from the front porch:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186506299_yD6Gw-L.jpg


So a really nice, small, not-expensive place on the beach. The man we spoke to said that there were only three cabanas by design, that they did not intend to build any more. The units are really cute, the beach furniture is really good. There were no fans that we could see, but I think the girl said they were planned for the future (uncertainty on my part due to the fact the conversation was in Spanish and I can't remember her answer). The main drawback that I could see was that the large windows on the front did not have screens on them and didn't look like the kind of window that screens were coming for.

But, if the price was right, I bet you could bring some screening material, maybe some mesh fabric, and fasten it across the window yourself? Could that work?

[minniemex]

So, just to get my bearings ~ this place is between these two pictures?

http://minniemex.smugmug.com/photos/453868144_5RhWZ-L.jpg


http://minniemex.smugmug.com/photos/453868158_ktzDA-L.jpg

[minniemex]

Found a better picture! Is this it??

http://minniemex.smugmug.com/photos/1028178208_eph9R-L.jpg

[utmck]

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186504006_8LYrY-L.jpg


We saw this place when walking the beach, but it was never open, does somebody know anything about it????

[pepper]

The place next to Shambala looks like a great find on a budget. Fabulous!!

Wonder what happened at Coqui Coqui - I liked the spa options there. I had the best shiatsu in my life up in the 3rd floor palapa. I think they also have a space in Valladolid - wonder if it closed as well.

[beachreader]

Yes, Minnie, that's the property. The glass-fronted room at Shambala is the one that's right next to the oceanfront room at Iguana Blue (or whatever it's called--I couldn't find it on Google, but I'm sure the guy said they had a landing page while they worked on their site--maybe someone going down soon can get more details).

Minnie and I wandered into the shops at Coqui-Coqui in September and I was shocked right out of the clothing boutique by the prices--like $100 for a gauzy white beach coverup. I thought the perfumeria was kind of an odd choice for a beachfront shop, and there didn't seem to be anyone in there. There was a person who looked like they worked there sitting at the front of the building, didn't even look up to smile at us or greet us, maybe we didn't look like the right kind of customer?

I've always kind of liked the building itself, hope it turns into something else.

[CoconutShrimp]

Fabulous TR Beachreader. Lucky Girl getting to go 6mos apart. We had such a great time with you in September. Also good for you on taking it easy!!

Can't wait for more!! :)

[beachreader]

Yes, 6 months apart was really nice. Not sure when I'll get back, though, since I'm saving money and vacation time for a trip to Australia in November. Hoping for a quickie to Tulum maybe in summer, we'll see. If I don't, I'm afraid of how much will have changed by the time I get there next!

[Solbound]

Glad to see you are getting caught up too ....love the Thursday a.m. sunrise pics....wonderful light!

[beachreader]

OK, back to the task at hand:

After doing my one "new property" job (nice that it was right next door!), back to the beach. God, the sun just feels so good.

Come lunchtime, we decided to try once more to go for the "best fish tacos in the world" at Mateo's. We started north on the beach with all good intentions, but as we passed La Luna, I realized I hadn't been in there yet to say hello, so T and Cat followed me up the dune to the La Luna restaurant (Las Estrellas). It's such a beautiful place, the bright colors suit Mexico so well but are more Moroccan-themed:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186509503_PCnVH-L.jpg

And such a view!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186509157_Uv8gr-L.jpg


Jacob wasn't around yet, but we got to see Ruben and had a nice chat. He showed us around, since T and Cat hadn't been there before, and they fell in love with it just as I did. They've made a few changes to Marrakech, the two-bedroom unit that Patmex and Phyllis and I shared a couple of years ago.

First, they added some roping to the deck rails--I wonder if this was a suggestion from a parent with small children? It's handsome enough, but I prefer the plain wood and less interruption of the view:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186506937_N5azf-L.jpg

They put a wall mirror behind the front bed, I guess to make it appear larger and to brighten the whole place, which it does, and the gauzy mosquito netting helps cut the shock factor--many of us don't want to see that much of ourselves in the morning! Sorry this picture is so hard to make out--I'm standing at the foot of the bed, the deck is to the right, any figures you see are reflected in the mirror:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507145_exGho-L.jpg

(The room was being cleaned while we were there, fyi)

The biggest and best change: a DOOR on the BATHROOM! Woo hoo! It was actually OK before with the curtain, but this is much better:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507292_vLNQf-L.jpg

And there's a mirror on the inside of the door, which I guess is also good, but it'll give you a good view of yourself on the loo:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507400_JZmQv-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507503_u6q3i-L.jpg



The main spaces of the unit hadn't changed, and we peeked inside of CasaBlanca (downstairs of Marrakech), Cristopher Columbus and Robinson Crusoe (they were changing guests that day, but Captain Dale was still occupied so we couldn't see in there). Plans for the enlargement of Crusoe are still on, probably next fall. I think they're going to take over the space that used to be the communal kitchen (which has water supply) and use that and some other space to make a larger bathroom, then extend the bedroom over to make it larger. Looking forward to seeing it, but I'll miss my little room!

We couldn't see the Penthouse as guests were in there, but Ruben did take us to see the Jungle Suite, which is also going to be enlarged even further. What a great room this is, I had no idea! The only thing it lacks is a sea view, but I would definitely consider this one especially for a family. There's a little "hot tub" (actually a cold tub, no heat) in the garden facing back toward the villa Zanzibar, but the greenery is so dense you really can't see the villa, barely a glimpse of the pool. The room entrance is to the left in this picture:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507679_e32Z8-L.jpg


Inside the room there are two bunk beds and a king bed (I think it's a king, might be a queen, but big) that looks out to the tub/garden:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507789_ZpTyW-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186507997_VWkof-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186508111_L7TqA-L.jpg

There's plenty of storage in general, but this walk-in closet really blew me away--they should turn it into another bedroom!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186508540_ZasEt-L.jpg

Funny that I didn't take a picture of the bathroom, no idea why, but I was really impressed with this room. Ruben said the expansion plans will take the space outside the door, making a second bedroom (I think that's what he said). Again, this will likely happen next fall, when they'll close for several weeks to do the work.

Back upstairs to the restaurant, we were all set to move on to the "best fish tacos in the world", but after all that exhausting room-scoping, decided to stay at La Luna and enjoy our lunch there, and with our first round of drinks, Jacob came up from the beach to join us and talk for a while, always so great to see him.

Here are some shots of the La Luna Las Estrellas menus, hope they're legible:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186509786_KQB6Z-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186509631_4Q33x-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186510084_Q5W8k-L.jpg


For our lunch, to go along with our delicious margaritas, we had guacamole and the traditional Mayan dish "Xikilpax", a dip made from pumpkin seeds. Not the prettiest stuff in the world, and my photo, taken far too late in the meal, makes it look even less appetizing, but SO good!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186511382_pRLXD-L.jpg


T had the Luna version of fish tacos, which aren't grilled but sauteed with coconut cream. Still very delicious if untraditional. And a huge serving for 140 pesos (about $11.50 US):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186510661_8FbhA-L.jpg

Cat and I each had the ceviche, delcious and fresh--also untraditional with the surprising addition of ginger:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186510829_YDCCh-L.jpg

Jacob really likes to play with different flavors and takes on traditional foods. I can't wait to go back there for dinner!

[minniemex]

I on the other hand, did get pictures of the bathroom.:)

http://minniemex.smugmug.com/photos/790422632_jefTU-L.jpg

http://minniemex.smugmug.com/photos/790422774_Ra6mn-L.jpg

These were actually taken in Feb of 2010 when we visited the property. The room wasn't quite done yet.

[beachreader]

Thanks, Minnie! :wave:

[beachreader]

After our wonderful lunch at La Luna, we headed home to wait for Margo, since both T and I were scheduled for massages. Such a luxury, having multiple massages in a week, and having the best therapist ever just come to your house. After we were both done, we tied up our coconut-oily hair and headed to Om, where we were meeting up with Westybeachbum and Tortilla y Tortuga and Angelo and Fatima for dinner--Christian was cooking up the coronado from the day before, but overall it was to be a garlic feast.

OK, my pictures of this evening are really terrible, so I'm going to take the liberty to direct everyone back to Westy's trip report which had wonderful pictures: http://tulum.info/showthread.php?5722-The-Westy-and-TyT-quot-Unplanned-Last-Minute-Valentine-Adventure-quot

The Westys were a little bit late because they had just arrived in country and were still getting to their hotel, so I think they may have missed the first course, which was an amazing little dish of fried garlic and fried jalapenos (not too hot) with delicious dipping sauces. Wow. So, even though my pic isn't so great, here it is:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186511733_oPxCN-L.jpg

We moved on through the garlic & cheese-stuffed giant shrimp (see Westy's pic), a garlic pasta with sage and the gorgeously presented coronado (again, see Westy's pic), cut and presented like a butterfly with an amazing take on gremolata that included olives and chiles (I think). Christian is a really wonderful chef, I hope he's there for years to come!

Oh, and we had a few of these and a few more servings that came in little glasses (see Westy's pic). Note the big dish of garlic sauce on the table--that's from the batch we made with Christian the day before:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186512127_V9E57-L.jpg


Big fun evening as usual, great food, wonderful company and a bit too much tequila. :cool:

I really love Om.


And I have realized lately that I have gone to many restaurants in Tulum more frequently than I've gone to any single restaurant around here, so I caught myself thinking about making dinner plans with friends this weekend and actually thought: "hey, let's go to Mezzanine for Thai". Yikes.

[beachreader]

OK, today is Friday, our last full day. :( But it's a gorgeous morning! :cool:

This may well be one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen in Tulum; I was out there for at least a half an hour, just shooting picture after picture. The last one in this sequence is my current laptop background:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186512976_wesg5-L.jpg


Tracks of an early-morning runner:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186513138_ToZDf-L.jpg

I love the circular hole in the sky, like the eye of a hurricane; it stayed for quite a while:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186514200_dq4N6-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186514363_reobu-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186514888_U7dBi-L.jpg

I had almost put my camera away when this phalanx of pelicans appeared. I can't believe this picture came out!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186515287_yWmxY-L.jpg

[minniemex]

Absolutely stunning sunrise shots! How lucky to see such a unique and gorgeous one.

[beachreader]

That one with the pelicans was the true definition of "point and shoot", like up from my hip where it was going into my pocket and shot in under a second. Amazing that the pelicans are so centered in the frame!

By the way, I found out what was wrong with my camera, it was really a lens cover problem. I pushed it open and the camera worked, so I closed it and opened it a few times, used a q-tip with some alcohol to clear away some gunk. That, I guess, is the big problem with using a camera at the beach, lots of crap on that sensitive little part.

[beachreader]

I'm not sure if you can see this disturbance in the water, but there is a cenote entrance right off the beach at the Villa Las Estrellas. So yes, there are a few more rocks in this area than in other areas of the beach (they're mostly flat and harmless), but I've never gotten real close to the cenote.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186515540_LqXef-L.jpg

There were some divers at the Villa this afternoon, full of gear, lights and such, they came to dive this cenote, down into the caverns. Cave diving gives me the willies, but it was very cool to see them so excited about it, and their helmet lights even in the daytime as they came up.

T and I were so happy with our lunch at La Luna the day before, and with Ruben's promise that coffee was available earlier than 8 (I think he said 7) that we headed up the beach to LL for breakfast. T had the home-baked pancakes with Nutella, I had the chilaquiles--I can seriously eat that dish every day. Excellent as usual.

Back to the Villa, we found that the beach had a special feature today. Every day the caballero of the Villa rakes the entire beach (not just the seaweed, the whole thing) at dawn. Watching him is very peaceful, he has a real style about it that's kind of zen. Anyway, today he added this (wish I'd seen how he did it):

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186517777_8LNFG-L.jpg

It didn't last long, of course, between the dogs and the people, but it was so nice to have a star at Las Estrellas!

I can't remember if we did anything all morning but hang out, and at some point it became time for lunch. Funny how that happens. Well, on my last trip, Patmex really enjoyed the chicken wings so much I kept telling T about how we had to get the chicken wings one day. Alas, they had taken them off the menu, so earlier in the week Roberto promised to make them for us. Problem was they had to be purchased, and there was a holiday, and then Sam's Club didn't have them, so basically here we were on our last day. Jackpot! Simone had found them somewhere, and here they were for lunch.

They were so good, but as often happens when you try to re-create an experience, they weren't quite up to my memory, mostly because the dipping sauce that he served with them in September was missing. The "wings" themselves were delicious, though, so I was still very happy. I remarked later that they were so big, and Roberto shrugged and said, "that's because they weren't wings, they were thighs". Wow, they were kind of small for thighs... "Mexican chickens have skinny thighs". :rolleyes:


http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186518017_bMQXo-L.jpg

Sooo good, though. I tried to convince Simone to put them back on the menu, and I think he's considering it. He is definitely re-working the menu to have two menus during the week so people staying a week or longer will have more choice, a great idea. Sorry I didn't take a picture of their menu!

The rest of the day passed quietly as far as I can recall. It was just this kind of day:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186516936_Ue4zw-L.jpg

This is Tequila, disappointed after someone (likely me) decided to stop playing water-fetch with him. I've never seen a Golden Retriever with a short-cut coat, but I'm sure he's so much happier without all that fur!

One of the big decisions one makes toward the end of a trip to Tulum is where to spend that last dinner. We had many options, of course, like all of the million places we hadn't been to yet, but after remembering the paella of our first night so often all week (every dinner was compared to it), that was our clear choice.

We went for the lobster upgrade again and there was far more than the three of us (Cat, T and I) could finish, even picking out all the best bits. We had a starter, kind of a little spring roll deal, very delicious, but the main event was the star:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186518997_FZ9KC-L.jpg

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186519705_9RNHQ-L.jpg

Yes, I used a flash, and it's not too bad. Here's the one without the flash:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186519176_yYWAN-L.jpg

The lobster tail at the edge is just decoration, it's empty. All the glorious lobster is throughout the dish, you can see all the meaty chunks all over the thing.

The flash pic of the paella was my last photo of this entire trip, so I guess that's just the end.


Saturday morning we ate breakfast at the Villa, finished packing, paid our rather significant food and bar tab, and pulled our bags out just in time to see Christopher, our driver from Playa.Info, walking up the path.

It started raining a bit just as we got in the van, and the rain picked up to a steady downpour by the time we got to Playa, and poor Christopher was forced off onto the detour. I am SO glad I didn't have to drive back to the airport in that rain, with the detour and everything. Got to the airport and stood on an obscenely slow line at the ticket counter, the slowdown created by the fact that my flight was now delayed (for no reason other than mechanical) for three more hours.

Headed up the escalator to the absolute longest line for security I have ever been on, in any airport, and I fly every month. The corral line was all the way back to the top of the escalator. Yikes.

I don't know why it was so crazy long, but it took forever. T, who had a different airline and an originally later flight, had skipped through with no problems (I just had bad timing), so we met at Margaritaville, where someone had told me, correctly, that the handmade guacamole is really worth going for. Since I was now hugely delayed, I ordered some stupidly gigantic margarita (just OK, but after about 1/4 of it I didn't care anymore), we had our lunch, T had to leave and I just kind of read for a while and chatted with my neighbors. Finally got my flight, got home to find a lot less snow than there had been the week before.


And now all I can think about is my next trip!


I just like this picture, so I'll leave it as the last one:

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186517777_8LNFG-L.jpg

[dionski]

Great shots BR!:sun:

Not only the latest scoop on places in Tulum but those shots really capture that wonderful sunrise.

"Phalanx of pelicans" I love it

d2

[Kitsapkat]

Thanks for the great pics and info Beachreader. This will be our 1st time staying in Tulum. I'm glad that Sal and I will be able to enjoy the Robinson Crusoe before the remodel. It's a little sad though, this is an affordable 2 person cabana that is right up front with the beach being your front yard. :cool:

[tbpeaceful]

Bravo! Gracias Beachreader. :)

[Solbound]

Thanks BR for the great reporting....sunrise pics awesome! Right light, right time, right place!

Oh by the way we had our golden retriever's hair trimmed short for the summer. Much cooler for her and she is in the lake lots so the dog smell is significantly reduced.

[barbj050]

great report i stole the star pic for my desktop...muchos gracias....

[Westybchbum]

BR, glad you finished, I'm just catching up with the rest now.... It is remarkable to me how the feel of each trip truly comes out in the TR's. Yours was wonderfully relaxing, laid back and kind of whatever happens happens. What a wonderful way to spend the week in Tulum. Once again, so happy we got to meet you!!

Cheers!
Westy

[utmck]

So Westy what is going to be the "feel" of your TR coming up. It should be really different between the 2 weeks you are there!!!

[TortillayTortuga]

So Westy what is going to be the "feel" of your TR coming up. It should be really different between the 2 weeks you are there!!!

Hmmm good question. I have a few ideas ;-)

[utmck]

I bet you do!!!!!!!

[beachreader]

Glad y'all liked it, and Solbound, I did notice Tequila's "dog smell" was very low with the short coat, and he is in and out of the ocean all the time.

Barb, wish I'd taken a more pure pic of the star, maybe earlier in the day, but I like it too. Might actually print it out or something.

[neddythesheep]

5 sleeps until Tulum but I have pretty much checked out already. CANNOT stop reading your excellent posts beachreader!

[Lynnette]

Another fabulous trip report!! I love your detailed writing, and I actually took some notes for our next trip. Did you ever find the large garlic bulbs? I love that garlic sauce on everything, especially drizzled, ok make that slathered on the pizza. I like your "star" shot, too, and your sunrise photos are stunningly beautiful. Each day brings something different, but I find this one exquisite!!!

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/1186512976_wesg5-L.jpg

[beachreader]

Thanks, Lynnette, that was one of those mornings where I just stood there staring at the sky for the longest time, and turned back to the building to find several other people doing the same thing.

I have not been able to find the garlic here in the US, but someone smuggled some back for me and I was able to make a reasonable facsimile of the sauce at home. Not nearly as good as Christian's, but I will try again!


(By the way, I'm not sure it's "smuggling" after all--maybe I'll ask the customs folks on my way south in September; if it's legal, I may just bring a whole bag back!)

[Grasshopper]

let me know if you get it "smuggled" back...cause then I will be bringing some too!

Love your TR as usual amiga! Gracias for all the detail!

[patmex]

I'm the "smuggler," and I was told it's OK to bring garlic back to the U.S. Although my luggage did go missing for about 48 hours on my flight home (nonstop) and I suspect it was because it was opened to see what the smell was. I wrapped the garlic in 5 or 6 plastic bags but even then the smell leaked out.

The single-clove garlic was ajo macho, according to the chef at VLE. I got it at the fruteria Pool in the puebla.

[minniemex]

(By the way, I'm not sure it's "smuggling" after all--maybe I'll ask the customs folks on my way south in September; if it's legal, I may just bring a whole bag back!)

Yes, my ajo smuggler Pat!! I did ask at customs on the way home before I asked Pat to "smuggle" some home for me. They said it was a bulb and therefore, allowed. They also said to check back before my trip as the rules do change on the fly and what is "ok" one day, might not be the next. I would just go for it and bring it back. Mine hasn't tasted quite like Christian's either. :-(

Here is a picture ~
http://apuntesdecocinaines.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/ajomacho.jpg

[Grasshopper]

thanks for the udpate, we shop at Pool all the time and bring a few of the fun things home, now I got something else on the list!

[Westybchbum]

Oh man, whats better than a Tulum trip report? Conversations about garlic..... Oy mama!! :)

[Lynnette]

Yes, my ajo smuggler Pat!! I did ask at customs on the way home before I asked Pat to "smuggle" some home for me. They said it was a bulb and therefore, allowed. They also said to check back before my trip as the rules do change on the fly and what is "ok" one day, might not be the next. I would just go for it and bring it back. Mine hasn't tasted quite like Christian's either. :-(

Here is a picture ~
http://apuntesdecocinaines.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/ajomacho.jpg







Wow...these are great shots, sista!! Did you use your Panasonic for them? Oh, and I just LOVE your ticker!!! http://www.criticallayouts.com/images/rsgallery/original/smiley-bounce.gif

[beachreader]

The garlics I got from Pat are about that shape and size, but they're white, more like the color or our US garlic, but it's so much better!

[ildipoo]

Fabulous reporting and wonderful pics! I love love love Tulum.