By 6:30 we began to get ready for breakfast at the buffet.
Buffet (beware of swooping birds...)
My bride tried the pancakes, fruit, bacon and add ons, and I tried the eggs over easy, Mexican sausage (recommended), bacon, mixed cooked vegetables (recommended) and chipotle sauce (Hot!) and coffee. If you are a coffecianado, this will not thrill you. But if you are a work-a-day coffee drinker, this brew was great! I hated to leave breakfast because I knew it was the last coffee I’d see all day! Food Pics:
Hers:
His:
Both, afterwards:
My bride and I (mostly I) thought it might be good to exercise. We’d tread-milled, weight lifted, done our abs and generally watched our diets leading up to this anticipated time of gluttony, so why stop exercising now? Ha!
We walked west/south through the newest part of the Sandos. First to the west you encounter the Haciendas – multiple housing units designed for groups and some with private pools, hammocks, etc… These were threaded with stone-brick paths (watch out for the really rough stone brick by the entrance – lift your feet when you walk over it or you may be face first on the rock!). The Haciendas all had a name/theme on a placard in front of the main entrance, and all sliding doors for the units faced the common area/pool. They were two story and from the outside, looked nice. Check TA for info from people who stayed there.
Hacienda:
Farther on are the new buildings. They have at least tripled the resort capacity with these two humongous new additions and a very large conference/dining area. These are the 8000 and 9000 buildings, the 8000 being closer than the 9000. They seemed mostly vacant at this time, but there were people out sunbathing already. Sandos runs their “Club Cars” (4 row, 10 passenger golf carts) from these buildings through the Haciendas to the main entrance constantly. That’s a plus. The minus is, if you forget anything back in your room in the 8000 or 9000 building, it’s a long ways back to get it, Club Car or not.
8000 Building:
9000 Building:
Fountain pool area in 9000 building:
Very end of the 9000 building. On the outside of the iron fence is Xaman Ha boulevard - south as you exit the Sandos entrance:
On the other hand, those considering the Riu Tequilla, for example, have to walk across Xaman Ha boulevard and down a long path to the beach…