Ocean fun:
I went jogging south all the way to the impassible rocks south of the Sandos! It’s hard to run, walk, jog or otherwise move in sand no matter what you’re wearing on your feet since the sand is soft and absorbs your footfalls easily. As a result, when I was done my legs were more tired than a usual run of that length. Also along this beach are trillions (gazillions?) of seashells for the picking. Kids and adults alike almost deserted beach and shoes full of sand upon return! Mamasita dreamed about printing with the wrong typeset while I was gone (she’s a former graphic artist/designer who worked for a printing company). Whenever I leave a hotel room, I like to bring a key with me and have the other key with the Mrs. Unfortunately at the Sandos, when you pulled that 2nd key out of the in the room keybox, all the electricity shut off. No doubt this is a cost saving measure, but we’d been returning to our room only to find it baking and humid – so much so that mould began to form in areas on the ceiling. (have you noticed how there is very little wood used in construction compared to the States? Unavailability, mould and termites must be the main reasons). Anyway, I got the brilliant idea (after 2 days, mind you) to go get a 3rd key for the room and just leave it in the juice box all the time. This is Tip # 11 on our top ten tips from the beginning of the report ?
We went together to get the key and at the lobby, Mama got ice tea – every day they offered fruit drinks, ice tea and champagne to those checking in or any guests who happened to stop by!
This day, like most days when we were there, was a red flag day. You can still swim near shore but the waves, surf and undertow are noticeable. Just be cautious and use good judgment and you’ll be OK. Even on red flag days, the breeze felt good and, as always, it’s cooler by the water than inland any day.
Red Flag Day – flagpole is directly out from the entrance to the beach and the main beach bar:
Was that a sand crab? ?
We ate supper at the buffet in about 8 minutes flat and headed to the room for a siesta. Then called our friends at the Riu Playacar and arranged the cab-shuttle to town in order to get to the Easter Peep meet at the Beer Bucket. Eddiet56 and Angie the Boss had been pumping everyone up on the Peep meet forum for months and we wanted to go see what these things were all about and meet any other peeps that might be there. What a cool concept: rev up on the Internet for months then meet people in a faraway destination for fun.
On the way we had the cabbie stop at the ATM at the Playacar Plaza shopping center, which is on Xaman Ha across the street from the Riu Yucatan and next to the Riu Tequila. We’d shopped a bit there the day before and found mostly high prices but a few bargains (T-shirts $4.99, etc…) There are restrooms there too for public use. Unfortunately since it was Sunday and Easter to boot, this and every other ATM I tried that day was drained. Advice: Get your ATM’ing done Friday or early Saturday. BTW, the banks will charge $4.00 for a withdrawal and $2.00 just to check your balance, so maybe consider bringing most of your cash with you instead of relying on the ATM’s.
We asked the taxi driver to take us to the Beer Bucket, and I ignorantly chose not to re-confirm the location on the Map Chick map before leaving the hotel. If I’d have done that, I could have just told the driver to take us to the closest intersection to the Bucket, but nnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooo. I erroneously assumed that every taxi driver has a built in GPS map system and knows the location of every establishment in the Yucatan. So, ignorant tourista that I am, I asked to be dropped off at the Beer Bucket. My first clue that this wasn’t the thing to do should have been the blank stare I got from the driver as a reply. He dropped us off downtown – somewhere and pointed up the street. Like hand grenades and horseshoes, close counts with taxis too ?
Wandering this way…
…and that…
So we did what any other lost people would do – began asking shopkeepers where the Beer Bucket was. Funny how the shopkeepers don’t have that built in GPS-map thingie either. It gave us a chance to get some walking exercising in, as we went back and forth along 5th for a while. Finally I asked a Policeman where it was (imagine that – asking a Policeman where a bar is. I think this is grounds for immediate arrest in some U.S. counties). He told us correctly and a couple blocks later, we were there!
Unmistakable signage:
Us:
And Them (forgot the name of the peep in the middle):
Hombres:
And Senoras:
