June 2008 TR

[HoneyB]

Originally Posted by Dan-0

When you get finished will you come help me refinish my countertops, strip my hardwood floors, and paint my deck?

I'm never going to be finished! The last wall cabinet went up today. It's the cab that houses the ductwork for the fan over the stove. Guess what's directly in the path of the ductwork? If you guessed a joist, you're a winner!

I can't imagine what state I'm going to be in when I go back to work next month. The next year is going to be really long.

[Sue]

Dan-O, what is it about the Maya-Bric that you like? My hubby and I stayed there this June and didn't really like it at all. The guy at the desk was really rude and the AC was terrible!

[Dan-0]

Sue, what I like about the Maya Bric are a.) price (500 pesos) b.) location c.) the pool (the kids like it). The people at the front desk aren't overly friendly, I'll give you that. And they don't answer their e-mail. As far as the a/c situation, I would demand to be changed to another room or be charged the rate for a room without a/c.

[Sue]

Originally Posted by Dan-0

Sue, what I like about the Maya Bric are a.) price (500 pesos) b.) location c.) the pool (the kids like it). The people at the front desk aren't overly friendly, I'll give you that. And they don't answer their e-mail. As far as the a/c situation, I would demand to be changed to another room or be charged the rate for a room without a/c.

Yeah, I agree about the price, location, and pool. The atmosphere is a little bleak, though. I paid $150 before arriving for a room with A/C for three nights and the guy at the desk when I arrived showed me a computer spreadsheet that said I paid only $120, which is pure b.s. He REFUSED to give me the remote for the A/C until I showed him an e-mail I had received from my travel agent that said, "Yes, there will be air conditioning." Then he real reluctantly handed over the remote.

[caramba]

Finally had time to read through your amazing report and take in all the wonderful pics- thanks for sharing- I loved it!

[Eileencc]

Excellent job Dan-O! Thanks for taking the time to share your adventures with us. You have a beautiful family, and I really enjoyed seeing all the places you "took us" that I've never been. One of the things I really liked was the pics of all the Cancun hotels. Those things are enormous, aren't they! I've never stayed in Cancun, so these photos were a first for me. Too bad you had to cut your vacay short. Stinks when work intrudes on life!

[Dan-0]

Monica, Caramba, and Eileencc thanks for the comments. Eileen, yes the hotels in Cancun are huge, it's a lot different than Playa. I like both Playa and Cancun for different reasons. If you get a chance, a drive through the Cancun hotel zone is well worth the time.

[MoonDollar]

A couple we are going with want to check out Cancun. In the 6 years we've been we've never seen more then the road out of the airport. I'm not sold on the idea. Between the transportation and the time it takes to get there, I think we could find something better to do. But I'm thinking about it.......

[Dan-0]

Calderitas, Q.R.- Reino Maya Restaurant and Bar
7/20/08

Calderitas is just a few kilometers north, up the Boulevard Bahia, from Chetumal. It's a small, quaint little town with a lot of seafood restaurants, a few hotels, etc. The little town is growing rapidly, and, recently, a very nice bar/restaurant just opened called "El Reino Maya". It features a landscaped swimming pool complete with cascading waterfalls. It's a great, inexpensive place to eat, drink a few, and take a dip in the pool. If you're ever in the area, it's definitely worth a trip to Calderitas to spend an afternoon there. They have live music on most days. Here are a few photos of my family's trip there on Sunday. Wendy and the kids, along with her Mom and cousin, Anel, are in the photos.

Exterior view from the Boulevard 1


Exterior view from the Boulevard 2


The gang arriving- Wendy, Teresa, Carlos, Anel, and Celeste


View of the pool and garden


Celeste, Anel, and Wendy


Celeste and Anel posing




Celeste and Wendy taking a dip


A good time was had by all

[SUNBABY]

Wow.. they must have new people at the Maya Bric...I know Roberto left.
We always got great service and great A/C there and everyone was friendly.
They are very slow to answer emails, but I knew how to get a quicker response when Roberto was there. Hey I don't expect the Palace for 35-50 bucks.

[Sue]

Originally Posted by SUNBABY

Wow.. they must have new people at the Maya Bric...I know Roberto left.
We always got great service and great A/C there and everyone was friendly.
They are very slow to answer emails, but I knew how to get a quicker response when Roberto was there. Hey I don't expect the Palace for 35-50 bucks.

I know that there was supposedly some great guy who used to work the front desk there and who is now gone. I certainly wasn't expecting anything fancy at all. But that guy was super rude. I was talking about him to someone I met down there who had also checked the place out, and she knew exactly who I was talking about, said he was rude to her as well. I don't know. It could still be just fine for some.

[SUNBABY]

Must be a new guy. Theother guy..phillip or ben..can't remeber was a good guy too. I haven't stayed there in a year. oh well.

Dan-o....I want a pool like that one! (in the pic)

[Ginger]

What a great pool! Looks like everyone is having a lot of fun.

[Maverick69]

This report is a great read.

[Dan-0]

Tulum Ruins 1
7/28/08

My wife had been wanting to go to Tulum since we arrived. She wanted to take some photos for a Spanish class she's taking in college. After much prodding, she convinced her Mom, Teresa, to go with her. So, yesterday, they loaded up the van and drove to Playa to spend the night. They headed to Tulum this morning to see the archaelogical zone. Cultural note: Yucatecos don't call them "ruinas", they prefer "zona arquealógica". Meanwhile, I'm still putting my time in here working and holding on to the faint hope that I'll get to go back down in a few days.

Celeste looking for a great photo

[Dan-0]

Tulum Ruins Part 2
7/28/08

[130taKen120]

Originally Posted by Dan-0

Tulum Ruins Part 2
7/28/08

Great pics - I recall that the view from here showed a dark break in the breakers that provided the ancient Maya at Tulum with a natural passage through the reef - one of the primary reasons that the settlement was built there. Thanks for the pics & the recall!