greetings from quintana roo

[beachreader]

Such beautiful pictures, what a wonderful trip, and how cool that Pattie got to volunteer her new skills!

[BP.]

Beautiful pictures, beautiful days, and beautiful people....I'm envious

It's me who envies you, amigo . . . you'll be back there soon, right? You have the enjoyment of anticipation. There were two great parties by Cindy & Murph at your spot while I was there! Followed by massive naked nighttime cannonballs off their dock, which was neat 'cause that made the foamy water twinkle from all the phosphorescent-(sp?)-things.

[BP.]

Such beautiful pictures, what a wonderful trip, and how cool that Pattie got to volunteer her new skills!

I know, it was cool, and she even made a few housecalls, and even set a dog's broken leg- it was pretty wild.

And another skill she apparently has- she speared a lionfish when she snorkeled with a group of people in order to get some- her first pull of the sling, right through him. After she surfaced and cheered, she went back down to bag him up, but not before she had to deal with a big crab who thought he just had dinner served up. Marla has been cooking some of the lionfish, after the data on fish count & weights are given to the marine park office, and after she carefully burns the stingers over a flame. Delicious.

[mayaflya]

It's me who envies you, amigo . . . you'll be back there soon, right? You have the enjoyment of anticipation. There were two great parties by Cindy & Murph at your spot while I was there! Followed by massive naked nighttime cannonballs off their dock, which was neat 'cause that made the foamy water twinkle from all the phosphorescent-(sp?)-things.

That is just too cool.....

We'll be back there the week between Christmas and New Years! This will be a first for traveling at that time of year. We'll likely book a week for summer 2011 after that. Our "deal" gets us a week a year whenever we want, and we can earn enough FF miles to get free "low season" airfare every other trip. So our plan is to alternate travel between high and low season (until retirement and freedom from school calendars).

If you go back next summer, we should coordinate schedules and plan a meet up!

[BP.]

That is just too cool.....

We'll be back there the week between Christmas and New Years! This will be a first for traveling at that time of year. We'll likely book a week for summer 2011 after that. Our "deal" gets us a week a year whenever we want, and we can earn enough FF miles to get free "low season" airfare every other trip. So our plan is to alternate travel between high and low season (until retirement and freedom from school calendars).

If you go back next summer, we should coordinate schedules and plan a meet up!

Sounds awesome . . . what a nice plan. Would love to go back between the hols- you'll have such a blast!

Do you have an early flight out of Cancun? If so, where will you spend your last night? I found booking just a one night stay a bit hard around that time of year.

[mayaflya]

Do you have an early flight out of Cancun? If so, where will you spend your last night? I found booking just a one night stay a bit hard around that time of year.

Ahh...we've developed a strategy for that as well! Flying out of Wichita, we always have to make a connection to get into Cancun, no direct flights. We've discovered the joy of scheduling our connections to be overnight. At Christmas, we connect in Dallas and have a room at the Hyatt, inside the terminal, prior to an 8:15am departure to Cancun...arrive Cancun 10:50 am. So we catch the late flight to Dallas, arriving with ourselves checked in and bags checked through, have a nice dinner, good night's sleep, wake up, shower, walk through security, get breakfast and board the flight.

On the return, our flight out of Cancun doesn't leave until 5:15pm...we overnight in Dallas and then fly home next morning. Never had much problem booking a single night at an airport hotel

Air travel is stressful enough these days, and a connection involving clearing customs just adds to the stress. To make the trip in one day we have to factor in several hours of last minute packing, 45 minute drive to the airport, two hour wait for boarding, hour to two hour flight, an hour or two for connecting flight to board, another three hour flight, then waiting through customs, etc., etc. It takes a full day to get there (Cancun) from here and you are in a hurry up/wait mode all day. Breaking up the air travel gives us a big breather and a more laid back attitude in the process.

Often, the ticket prices are enough lower for the overnight itineraries to pay for the hotel stay. When we connected in Chicago in March, we arranged to meet my cousins for dinner on our way to Mexico...

[BP.]

Here are some misc. pics:



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This is one of the dive center's boats. We took a boat just like this down to San Pedro, Belize, with 6 friends- about one and a half hours. Beautiful boat ride, and a very fun day. It rained on the way back.

The boat was stopped by Mexican marines along the waterway just as we crossed the border back into Mexico. They wanted documents from the captain on himself, the boat, and the passenger manifest. It was pretty quick and easy. And we also had two other military stops while driving in our vehicle. We've seen military checkpoints, but most always get waved through. Both these times the vehicle was searched briefly.

And a heads up about the Rt 307 construction for you lucky people headed there soon. There's a bypass of the Playa del Carmen section of 307 being built- right over top of the existing 307. On the way down, mid-July, we were able to stay on the main 307, with the massive construction going on overhead. And lots of stoplights being installed- not yet operating. By mid-Aug, we had to detour to the west of the 307 through the little suburban subdivisions. There is a Pemex back there- very convenient.

[PhyllisB]

Just catching up on your trip & your photos, Barb. Wowowow. Love them! Thanks so much for sharing! God, I dream of the day when I can hang loose for 30 days on the beach in Mexico! Til then, you just keep going and sharing all your adventures, ok?

[beachreader]

And a heads up about the Rt 307 construction for you lucky people headed there soon. There's a bypass of the Playa del Carmen section of 307 being built- right over top of the existing 307. On the way down, mid-July, we were able to stay on the main 307, with the massive construction going on overhead. And lots of stoplights being installed- not yet operating. By mid-Aug, we had to detour to the west of the 307 through the little suburban subdivisions. There is a Pemex back there- very convenient.

I was wondering about this. So we should take the Arco Vial bypass to avoid PDC traffic? I'm betting that overpass will be done by high season, they've been moving pretty fast on it.

The bypass, I believe, leaves from just north of the city and rejoins 307 down the Centro Maya mall (where the Soriana is). We'll give that a shot, I hate sitting in construction traffic.

[BP.]

The bypass, I believe, leaves from just north of tthe city and rejoins 307 down the Centro Maya mall (where the Soriana is). We'll give that a shot, I hate sitting in construction traffic.

Yep, you're right, that was the routing- I believe I remember the Mall being at the start of the construction detour when we were headed northbound.

[Westybchbum]

BP, thanks for sharing... how is it no matter how many beach/sunset/sunrise, etc pics are posted they just don't get old? They just make you want to see more!!! I'm new to the group and you have me inspired to perhaps try to share some stuff from our May Tulum trip. Cheers!