greetings from quintana roo

[BP.]

Hi All. Spending some time down here in Xcalak. It's not Tulum, but it is the Mexican Caribbean, and it is wonderful. Brought a Netbook this time, since this is a kind of long trip. Here's a pic shot by my girlfriend with her underwater Fuji Finepix.



Wi-fi connection is a bit slow, but will try to post more pics. Great snorkeling, good food, terrific people. Taking it easy, but having a blast. Cheers, and I will post more pics soon.

[beachreader]

Hi, Barb!!! That's an awesome picture, all those wonderfully muted blues. My eyes keep skipping around the picture to each fish rather than looking at the whole.

That would make a cool fabric or something, wouldn't it?

Where are you staying again? I want to go look at their website so I can imagine being there.

[Isla Nut]

WOW! WOW! WOW!!! Makes me wish I could add Xcalak to our trip! Where are you staying? Is this just off shore from your resort?

[minniemex]

Thanks for taking the time with the slow download to share that with us!!

I used picasa3 to take away the cloudy water look. Hope you don't mind. I love the blue tangs and how they school.



Wow, looking at both of them, I like them both!

[chamba]

minniemex, you are really good at that! nice photo, and nice photo edit!

[beachreader]

Minnie's edit is so sharp, they look high-def, even 3-D. Which is very cool, but the muted effect on the first picture is pretty amazing and unusual. I like them both too! I can't believe there can be that many shades of blue in the same place in nature.

[mayaflya]

I believe Barb is staying at Casa Carolina...if she doesn't mind me spilling the beans ;-)

WOW! WOW! WOW!!! Makes me wish I could add Xcalak to our trip! Where are you staying? Is this just off shore from your resort?

[Lynnette]

Hola, Barb Really cool shot of the fish! I'm looking forward to more from Xcalak, but make sure your vacation comes first. ENJOY!!!

[PhyllisB]

oOOOOOH, great shot! Thanks for sharing it, Barb! Have a wonderful time. I'm envious!

[letele]

Wow, that is such a cool picture - both versions! I can't wait for more (when you get back!)

[BP.]

Hi! Great job, Kayt!!! You are a wiz! Yes, Casa Carolina. Love it here. By the way, mayaflya, Playa Sonrisa had a great party a couple of nights ago. What a neat place that is. I see why you love it there. Bunch of us did late night skinny dipping up there in the moonlight. Amazing dinner at Leaky Palapa last night--fun atmosphere. Here's a shot of town.

[minniemex]

Gotta love "rush hour" in that town!! I need to retire to someplace that has very little "motor" vehicles.

[BP.]

Some friendly creatures:







Kids playing at the town dock:



Loving the fresh ceviche & fish fajitas here at Toby's- a restaurant in Toby's home:





View from the restaurant:



Will post more pics and stuff. Gotta get ready for dinner at Leaky Palapa.

Little drizzly today, but managed to get in some nice snorkeling this morning with a few friends. Yesterday we saw two very large eels, and also spotting lots of lion fish. A safari to kill lion fish is beng organized for sometime in the next few days. Marla from Leaky Palapa cooked some last weekend for a few of us to sample- tasty! Cheers all!

[heenan]

BP - Love the real-time on the spot trip reporting. Great stuff! Didn't know one could eat a lion fish. Guess they are not poisonous, just voracious toward other fish.

[tbpeaceful]

BP ~ beautiful photos! Thanks so much for taking your vacation time to keep us happy here at home. Enjoy your trip!

[minniemex]

Great pictures!! Did you get a picture of any of the lion fish?? What is the reason to search them out and kill them??

Love the picture of the "futbol" field!!

[mayaflya]

Great pictures!! Did you get a picture of any of the lion fish?? What is the reason to search them out and kill them??

Lionfish are an extremely invasive non-native species that can wipe out local reef fish populations. They have been spreading throughout the Caribbean from an accidental introduction of a few individual fish from an aquarium. They have poisonous spines that can inflict an extremely painful wound. See link below:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=111695369

[minniemex]

I knew about the spines but I didn't know about them being an invasive fish. The only Lionfish I have ever seen was in the Maldives. Thanks for the great link.

[Lynnette]

I love the critter shots, Barb!!!

Does the Leaky Palapa stay open all year round, now?

[BP.]

Hi All. So wish I could post more "live." I have some fun pics & doings to share but connection is slow. Would love to give you my daily sunrise shots from the rooftop. Lionfish prob is very serious!!! Google for info & educ, and what mayaflya has posted is very true. Mayaflya, another Playa S party tomorrow night. Should be a blast. Leaky P is not open year round, but they are thinking of doing more in the "off season." Maybe a wi-fi and coffee bar for lunch in the fall. We checked out an espresso machine with them yesterday in Majahual. Went to a gorgeous beach yesterday between here & Majahual with lovely deserted, sandy beach, crashing surf, great beachcombing.

Also a cool beach a few miles north of here loaded with broken shards of old Mayan pottery.

The lady who lives here does amazing hour long pedicures with very fancy paint job for just 100 pesos.


Waterspout:



Hope these pics post OK. More as soon as I can. Cheers!!