Luna Blue Hotel & Garden (& Bar) Sept/Oct '08

[Cuff]

Well my SD card showed up recently.

It was with my video camera/bag that has been confiscated by the people my grandson spends his time with in-between visits.

We were in Playa the 26th of Sept to Oct 5th...
Playa was more quiet than we'd ever seen or experienced.

However, we had a wonderful time...
The Luna Blue being situated in the MIDDLE of an ever-expanding Playa del Carmen is NO DOUBT the center of our Playa del Carmen experience.

We were mere steps from great places to eat, have a drink and quickly hit the beach if we wanted...
Or, we could hang out at the Luna Blue.

She's really coming into her own. The staff are top-notch. And Tony and Cheri keep adding tiny little bits here and there, and the occasional larger piece, to the amenities, experience, rooms, you name it...
It was a pleasure to see the guests there asking questions and getting answers...and always smiling and saying good things.

We arrived Fri. the 26th of Sept.
Otherwise known as the day it started raining....

Since we spent MOST of the time intending to take video (per my son's request - he was wanting video to try out some video editing software he was going to get) that we'd get back edited and cleaned up (YET to get that too) we didn't take many photos...
Well, and it did tend to rain some...

So just a few photos...

Hardly ANY of people.
I WAS there. Honest. People saw me.
I was mostly behind the camera or under trees and umbrellas and stuff.

We did get the camera out for some photos at La Destileria (Which was built where the old Sky Bar was. North End. Next to and above the Sunglasses Hut.

Since it's somewhat new and was opened during low season, some folks may not have seen it yet, It's a chain apparently but a great venue for large numbers if you need. Wedding, etc...so here's too many photos of it.
(Hey gotta unload these things somewhere)

Upstairs under the newly constructed palapa area...







Papa T sitting to the left...having graciously come to dinner with us in the midst of a killer back-ache.




Nice mural.....

[Cuff]

Okay, I did find people in some.


Table preparation...and training session I think it was too...



Food photos....




We liked it a lot, and I'm sure that as time and length of opening goes along, it'll only get better.

I think T&C have been there a few times now and have enjoyed it.
We ate appetizers, entrees and drank and had desserts and it wasn't at all too bad~!

[popeye]

Thanks Tim, I really like the place. T & C took me there for my B-Day dinner and then Phyllis & I ate there in late Nov. Good food, fair (not cheap) price and a BIG palapa!! Now more pics please.

[roni]

Sounds good. We did not eat there in December

So many restaurants, so little time

Your eating companions are lovely

[Cuff]

Originally Posted by roni

Sounds good. We did not eat there in December

So many restaurants, so little time

Your eating companions are lovely

Yes there is....and YES, they ARE....

We did the usual...
Babe's North End (Before they shut down that location for a while, low season maybe?)...HC/CH Monterrey on 30th and Constiuyentes...La Pesca...Tried La Tarreya for the first time....

And had our first Papa T Burger in Playadise too~!
(That night DID have some photos and verification that I was there by Claudia or Michelle)

Oh, and we went to a really NEAT place for breakfast on morning in the rain (Theme for the 8 days) with T&C but I can't remember the name of it....really fun place. Open air, really nice folks too. Further North on 30th or so I think...maybe not that far...25th maybe...

Oh, we did do dinner with the same lovely companions at El Diez (10).
Not bad....Hadn't eaten there before. T&C may have pics yet or a review somewhere on their blog. Not sure...

Had our first hot cocoa drink (Thanks for sharing T~!) at Ah Cacao...(Oh, and thanks to Cheri for standing in line & buying too)....

Saw T&C eating what looked like a killer salad at Karma Bagel right before that. (We ran into them somehow. Don't know how as it is an upstairs place). Liked it up there. First time up there. It was busy too~!

Just want to say La Destileria was really a pretty place aesthetically...neat colored accent lights, the still, the bar...they did pump a lot of $$ into the reno....

One place we didn't get to, that I wanted, was Antica...but always save something for next time....

[Cuff]

Camera made it out of the bag again on Tuesday, several days later after we arrived.
T&C had planned a Luna Blue Bar Burger Night for that night.

The day was overcast and it rained some but not torrentially (until later)...
So....we were treated to a day in Xpu-Ha.
What fun~!

Read about Xpu-Ha in Tony and Cheri's blog here: Xpu Ha Beach - A Gem Close To Playa

Drove down to the turn.
There's a little family owner restaurant there at the turn I think.
They may be the people who own the rope...and I don't remember if we even saw anyone rope-related that day.

But we edged down the road to La Playa Beach Club.


Saw this guy:


They were doing some sprucing up, being low season and few cruise ships..


On the way in...



Restuarant...


The beach is just ahead....As T&C say, truly a Hidden Gem...

[roni]

We spent a day at Xpu-Ha (la Playa) with Babs, Sol and Dave and Squish a couple of weeks ago. Very nice beach and a pretty perfect day

[Cuff]

Not the best of days weather-wise but still relaxing and hanging out with good folks and conversation was the aim for the day and that was accomplished....

Much if not all of the shops normally open for cruisers, etc was closed....but we had beach service and a warm ocean and palapas and chairs...

In case you needed direction to the shops mere meters away, here's a sign letting you know which way to go to the Shooping Area...

Xpu-Ha really IS a neat chill time...
I spent a LOT of time walking the beach looking for shells and coral while the nappers...uh, napped.


And shots from either direction...









More shops, massage and a faraway resort it looked like were down to the south....

[Cuff]

A few more from Xpu-ha....














It was a fun, fun day....not action fun, just something we'd never had experienced had we not been treated to the day....

Loved it~!

But it got much cloudier, if possible and we had to return for the Burger Night at The Luna Blue~!

[banzoomba]

Well its about time.......love the pics

[Cuff]

Originally Posted by banzoomba

Well its about time.......love the pics

Hey, talk to the progeny....

"Uh, no Dad...no SD card around here....."

Was hoping for a nice edited and cleaned up video by now too.....

[Cuff]

Hey....another photo of a person....

Mostly, the day at Xpu Ha was like this...reading, crossword puzzles and chatting....

[Cuff]

We headed back into Playa and stopped at Sam's club for supplies for the Burger Night....

It was there we found out about Jarlsberg cheese.
Thanks Cheri~!

Anyway I looked forward to seeing folks and chatting all night, but those Papa T Margaritas took there toll on a certain someone (Again, photo evidence was posted in that thread because I'm not naming names on who it WAS)....So my time at the Burger Night was shorter than I'd planned...

(However, this person was heard saying, "THIS the BEST burger I've EVER eaten~!")

It was a wet night but folks turned out and it was good to see everyone.
Michele and Claudia posted photos of that night.

Here's the few I took before putting the camera away in a dry place...

Thanks again Tony and Cheri for putting that together and for all the work into preparing the burgers, etc~!




And had to get a couple photos of the new mural in the garden area...
First time I'd seen it.




I felt a bit like Claude Rains this trip.
But I WAS there, honest.

[Michele]

Woohoo! Shooping! I love shooping!

Seriously...great pics. It was so nice to see you and Ruth again.

[SUNBABY]

Originally Posted by Cuff

Food photos....

Was Cherie eating a battered fried rat?

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by SUNBABY

Was Cherie eating a battered fried rat?

That IS what it looks like, complete with tail!

Great photos cuff...we've never been to Xpu-Ha, going to have to go next time.

[PlayadelSoul]

More, please, kind sir.

[redhairgirl1]

Look's like you had a relaxing fantastic time Tim! Thanks for posting your trip even if it is almost 3 months later

Makes me reaaaaaly want to go back!

[roni]

I have some December 27 photos of Xpu-Ha.

Should I post them here?

[Cuff]

Originally Posted by Michele

Woohoo! Shooping! I love shooping!

Seriously...great pics. It was so nice to see you and Ruth again.

Hehehe...
Good seeing you too~!

Originally Posted by Ginger

Great photos cuff...we've never been to Xpu-Ha, going to have to go next time.

It's a nice place and depending on timing, not so crowded...We had good service too~!

Originally Posted by redhairgirl1

Look's like you had a relaxing fantastic time Tim! Thanks for posting your trip even if it is almost 3 months later

But apart from just a few photos I had on the laptop, I didn't have any others until a bit ago....

Originally Posted by roni

I have some December 27 photos of Xpu-Ha.

Should I post them here?

Surely....