December trip: A prequel

roni · #1 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 09:05 AM

We heading down to the Yucatan on December 12 for 16 nights, and are starting to get a little excited.

December 12, a special day of the Virgen de Guadalupe, I understand, we'll arrive and take the ferry over to Isla de Mujeres for 5 nights. We used to enjoy going to Tulum, but it has become too hip and expensive to appeal to the frugal traveler in me

, so we are staying here, where we will have the top floor and exclusive use of the rooftop terrace for $52 bucks a night. It is a couple of blocks from the Posada del Mar and the beach.

After that we'll head to Merida for a week, that will include day trips to Uxmal and the Gulf coast, time spent with friends and exploration of some neighborhood outside of the Centro Historico of the city. We've engaged a woman who has lived there for a decade to guide us on some of that exploration. We'll have a studio room (includes kitchenette and sitting are) at Luz en Yucatan there, a nice small hotel on the same block and the Santa Lucia church. Here is a photo looking our from our room to one of the common areas in the hotel

On the 24th we'll take the bus over to Playa for 4 nights, where we'll chill on beach, see friends, meet babaloo and prepare for our re-entry to the Pacific Northwest winter on December 28.

Dan-0 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 09:19 AM

Ron, sounds like a great itinerary, especially the week in Merida. Have you been to Campeche? It's an easy day trip from Merida and it's one of my favorite cities in Mexico. Have a great trip and take lots of photos!

roni · #3 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan-0

Ron, sounds like a great itinerary, especially the week in Merida. Have you been to Campeche? It's an easy day trip from Merida and it's one of my favorite cities in Mexico. Have a great trip and take lots of photos!

Thanks Dan-0

No we have not been to Campeche. May not make it on this trip, but we have a lot of time planned down around there in the future.

melliedee · #4 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 11:08 AM

Looks like a great plan, not too short or long in each place. Are you still considering a move to Mexico in the future?

I've never been to Meridia, but hear that it is a cool place.

roni · #5 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melliedee

Looks like a great plan, not too short or long in each place. Are you still considering a move to Mexico in the future?

I've never been to Meridia, but hear that it is a cool place.

Yes, we are planning on that - with the timing being contingent on progress in research on Kathy's degenrative eye disease.

Ginger · #6 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 11:20 AM

Sounds like a great trip, Ron. Can't wait to see your photos on your return.

Have a great time!

worthless nut · #7 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 11:22 AM

Hey Roni,

are you willing to give up the name of the place at Isla Mujeres. We are heading there in Feb and it looks like a great value.

roni · #8 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by worthless nut

Hey Roni,

are you willing to give up the name of the place at Isla Mujeres. We are heading there in Feb and it looks like a great value.

Sabina's Eclipse apartment

book through Mornings in Mexico Mornings in Mexico, Isla Mujeres Mexico

Sabina's Eclipse Apartment

We have booked through them for our previous two trips to Mexico. This is our first time for staying at this apartment - we'll let you know how it goes.

We send a check for the deposit to a bank in WI, and then later we chose to send a check for the remainder of bill, so that we are prepaid before arriving.

Have you stayed on Isla before?

roni · #9 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginger

Sounds like a great trip, Ron. Can't wait to see your photos on your return.

Have a great time!

Hey Ginger, we are looking forward to the trip with the new camera

, with the 18x optical zoom, we expect some closer shots of some of the wildlife, human and otherwise

worthless nut · #10 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 12:24 PM

Thanks Roni,

Yes, we stayed last year at Villa La Bella. Absolutily loved it and will probably stay there again this year. I am the cheapa** of the group and was looking to save some denero.

Coccinelle · #11 (**permalink**) 12-02-2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roni

We heading down to the Yucatan on December 12 for 16 nights, and are starting to get a little excited.

December 12, a special day of the Virgen de Guadalupe, I understand, we'll arrive and take the ferry over to Isla de Mujeres for 5 nights. We used to enjoy going to Tulum, but it has become too hip and expensive to appeal to the frugal traveler in me

, so we are staying here, where we will have the top floor and exclusive use of the rooftop terrace for $52 bucks a night. It is a couple of blocks from the Posada del Mar and the beach.

After that we'll head to Merida for a week, that will include day trips to Uxmal and the Gulf coast, time spent with friends and exploration of some neighborhood outside of the Centro Historico of the city. We've engaged a woman who has lived there for a decade to guide us on some of that exploration. We'll have a studio room (includes kitchenette and sitting are) at Luz en Yucatan there, a nice small hotel on the same block and the Santa Lucia church. Here is a photo looking our from our room to one of the common areas in the hotel

On the 24th we'll take the bus over to Playa for 4 nights, where we'll chill on beach, see friends, meet babaloo and prepare for our re-entry to the Pacific Northwest winter on December 28.

Oh gosh...it sounds so wonderful, Roni. I'm a little jealous, I am.

You & Kathy will have a great time, I know it.
Can't wait to hear all about it.

I would be so excited, too.

maestranba · #12 (**permalink**) 12-03-2008, 05:26 PM

Hey Roni, I'd be really excited if I were you too! Can't wait to hear all about it, especially Uxmal. That's one place I'd love to take my students if we do a trip in 2010. Please take lots of pics and tell us all about it!!!

Buen viaje!

cpfstich · #13 (**permalink**) 12-03-2008, 06:28 PM

Roni, you and Kathy have a wonderful time!

roni · #14 (**permalink**) 12-03-2008, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maestranba

Hey Roni, I'd be really excited if I were you too! Can't wait to hear all about it, especially Uxmal. That's one place I'd love to take my students if we do a trip in 2010. Please take lots of pics and tell us all about it!!!

Buen viaje!

I will take lots of pictures and write a trip report. I have not been there or to the Itza place, but I have corresponded with folks who like Uxmal better because it is big and they say not nearly as commercialized as Itza.

Sol wrote a good trip report on some other board of the trip she and Dave took that included Uxmal. Lots of photos there.

roni · #15 (**permalink**) 12-03-2008, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpfstich

Roni, you and Kathy have a wonderful time!

okey dokey

Dan-0 · #16 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 09:41 AM

Ron, if you like archaelogical sites, you might also try to swing by Oxkintok. It's a great site, close to Merida, and, when we were there, we were the only ones there.

roni · #17 (**permalink**) 12-04-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan-0

Ron, if you like archaelogical sites, you might also try to swing by Oxkintok. It's a great site, close to Merida, and, when we were there, we were the only ones there.

I do like sites, but the time in Merida is not primarily a "tourist let us go see all the neat sites" time. It a more a let's explore the city time.

But speaking of places, this photo comes from the city of Tekax, pronounced tay-KASH, that someone we will meet in Merida visited. Her blog posting on that is Right Here More photos where that came from