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06-24-2009, 02:14 AM
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06-24-2009, 02:30 AM
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Loving the pics, and lovin' the vacation shirt!
 We spent last July in Playa, and right now I've really, really been "homesick", missing both the beach, the heat, the sun, and mostly my friends (  Cheri ). Your pics are helping me along! Thanks for that.
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06-25-2009, 01:53 AM
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Monday- A Day spent at Kantun Chen Eco Park, Xpu Ha Beach and a stop in Paamul!
We were bound and determined to do swim in a cenote eco-park this trip, which would give us a break from the heat! Online we researched and decided on Kantun Chen….they have a cool website and now I can say, its way better in person. I highly recommend anyone go here, it’s a delight! It was $35 a piece and well worth the price, we must have spent a good 2.5-3 hours touring these cenote caves! We took a colectivo there….and interestingly discovered that some vans have cup holders….we were very amused by this fact…   ...and have I ever mentioned our love of Apple soda! Its all over Mexico! Anyway, its about a 30 minute van ride south, and then there we were! Kantun Chen Eco Park    We were lucky to visit it very low season. Usually they do not allow visitors to bring their own cameras, since they make money selling photos they take yet for a minimal fee ($25), they allowed us to use it. The guide said our cameras were the same exact cameras they use for the photos they sell, so he knew what mode to put the camera on to take the best photos. Its a good thing he knew what mode to put it on, or else our photos would have turned out something like this....   I have to warn you....this place is cool! See for yourself!:D               A photo w/ our guide 
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06-25-2009, 02:03 AM
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After the cenote tour, we strolled around the beautiful grounds…. pleasant garden areas
        
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06-25-2009, 02:43 AM
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Then Scott wanted to try out Xpu Ha Beach, its essentially right across the highway. This beach is a striking find!
Xpu Ha Beach       The beach club was just what we needed....some food and drinks        Oh...Yes, Scott had to bust out his fishing rod.....    ...It might be small, but he still caught one!  One last stop to Paamul...we wanted to try the snorkeling there...Scott had snorkeled in Paamul on a prior trip, but it was my first snorkeling experience there... ...And look who we run into!!! Kathleen-our sweet amiga! We chat and show her our photos of the caves!   We do have luck and see some fish!     The sun is setting....we realize we had a spendid day!!!!   We head back to Playa and get ready for some dinner....stay tuned!
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06-25-2009, 11:04 AM
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Wow, I can now see where you got the title for your TR; Kantun Chen looks like a really cool place- literally. Probably one of the few places you can get away from this June heat. The photos are awesome. I want to check it out.
Great job, keep it coming. 
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06-25-2009, 10:39 PM
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 ! Dan-o, you have to put Kantun Chen on your to-do list!
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Last edited by Beth&Scott; 06-26-2009 at 01:48 AM. Reason: clarification
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06-29-2009, 01:29 AM
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We arrived in Playa, went back to the Hotel Banana and clean up for dinner. We decided we must have dinner at our favorite taco joint---TACO GOMEZ
! This is a necessity for anyone seeking excellent tacos in Playa! (Sorry Michelle, we didn’t try the brain guts....  ) I know I’ve mentioned this place in previous trip reports, its located right by the colectivo area on 2nd.   We loved the coconut ice cream we had in March in Puerto Morelos and after dinner, we craved it.... and looked for restaurants selling it...We came across Jungle Caribe- restaurant Jaguar (5th & 8th) offering it as a dessert ! We stayed here in May 08, although the rooms may be affordable off season, the restaurant below is costly year round. We enjoyed some after-dinner drinks and coconut ice cream!     We were soooo tired....before we strolled back to the hotel, we made a few pit stops....  My favorite....the Playa textile shop!!! I purchased a pillow cover and what looks like a pencil case and love them!  Stay tuned....for a day at Xal Ha!
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07-01-2009, 01:10 AM
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A day at Xel Ha
Our last Full Day we spent at Xel Ha. I went to Xcaret in 1994 while in Cancun…(my first Mexico visit during a college spring break trip) and swam with dolphins and loved it. What I liked about Xel Ha is that it was less touristy than Xcaret and is more historic. I wasn’t keen on the fact that I heard that most of the coral was dead, and therefore they had to feed the fish, but I was overall pleased with the beauty of the place. I have to say really the only disappointment was the blurry water, which made it difficult for fish viewing and underwater photo opportunities. I read on a sign there that the water is blurry due to a mix of water temperatures in the lagoon.   The water fountain stations made it tempting to drink Mexican water!  Cute signs!  Saw a few birds...    Dolphins... (no we didnt pay extra to swim w/ them...)  Iquana's...    & a Manatee!!  Paths were everywhere....  hammock area...   just great scenery everywhere...    
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07-01-2009, 01:55 AM
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But the main reason for our trip to Xel Ha was to enjoy the snorkeling...and that we did!
            Easy on/off stairways into the water everywhere...   Nice resting areas....in between snorkel sessions!  The restaurant was superb! (We did get the AI plan and highly recommend it....we ate as soon as we got there and before leaving...)  Huge palapa roof  with nice views...  and delicious food (especially the fresh, ripe tomatoes!)  Overall, the day was great! Xel Ha's price seemed above our budget taste, yet they are more affordable then Xcaret. For snorkeling only, I do not recommend it. As you can see, the underwater photos are blurred and most of the bigger fish were mostly hanging out by the dock... I did see a stingray  ! No photo, Scott had the camera when I spotted it! We spent most of the day snorkeling, yet Xel Ha offers a bike path, cliff jumping, a water rope and so much more....great for everyone to find something they enjoy!...Wait for more of our trip!!!! Another night in Playa....
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07-01-2009, 02:49 AM
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Yucatanner....Yes, we loved the hotel and would stay again! You and Royal would like it. The location was a bit further than what we're used to, its on 5th and Calle 32nd. Its a bit of a walk from the bus station, but a taxi was no more than @ $1-$3 anywhere in Playa. We found ourselves using the taxi to get to the colectivo area for day trips, Im sure we could have handled the walk- maybe 10 minutes, but it was very hot! We did walk everywhere at night, with no problem, night time obviously provided a little less heat. It was a short walk to the beach, and that part of the beach was less crowded than the 2nd-10th street areas. Like I said we got a great deal on cancun(dot)com at around $30USD a night!...And your comment...Can it get any better than this?.... I feel this trip would be hard to beat, and the fun factor ranks very high comparable to other trips! 
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07-01-2009, 12:34 PM
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Hi Beth (and Scott).
Thanks for the heads up on this site. I've now registered and am looking forward to "exploring"!! I've almost booked our condo for November... (waiting for the paypal instructions). Hopefully next year we'll be there around the same time again!
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07-02-2009, 01:31 AM
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Where are you booked and what dates are you visiting?  Did you find a non-stop like you were looking for? How exciting!
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07-02-2009, 12:00 PM
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We booked at a condo in Playacar, I believe its the Rosa Blanca condos. the condo is called Casa Sueno it is actually Laurie's place (Intheroo) on this forum and on the other forum. It looks really nice and she is a wonderful lady. We will be going November 20-28. I haven't gotten a great price on flights... they are still over $500 for direct flights.... so its still the 8-10 hour flights right now.  But hopefully after this weekend, the prices will drop! Keeping my fingers crossed.
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07-02-2009, 09:26 PM
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What a great trip report Beth! You and Scott seem to have such great vacations together. You guys are so cute.
Do you have another trip planned for the near future? If yes, I am already looking forward to your next T.R.. Thanks for sharing this one.
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  ...........I'm going away...to an unknown country where I shall have no past and no name and where I shall be born again with a new face and an untried heart. -Colette (as seen at the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden) 
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07-03-2009, 01:15 PM
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) tell me they also booked their next stay w/ out purchasing tickets. Its something I will consider next time!
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07-03-2009, 01:21 PM
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We plan to visit again in the near future, but nothing is set in stone. My parents may join me for a short fall or winter trip. Its hard to plan w/ Scott being a full time nursing student (classes & clinicals), so I may take my next trip w/ out him! When is your next trip Coccinelle?
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07-07-2009, 12:27 AM
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Wow, looks like the report so far has received a high star rating! Augh, thanks guys!
The end is near..... Our last night in Playa (wished it was'nt...)Well, as you read, we ate a lot of food at Xel Ha, so food wasn’t on our minds, I wanted to do a bit of last minute shopping and Scott however wanted to find a good place to watch the NBA finals! So off we went!  Oh...we made a pit stop at the nearest internet cafe (about 1 block south of the hotel) to check our emails, flight info, and details of being picked up in Detroit. I was happy to get a facebook message from a friend saying it was cloudy and rainy back home in Michigan!  I loved the internet cafe's bathroom sink!  Loved this shop on 5th!!! It was a great place to look around!   it had beautiful artwork, this is hand embroidered art!   Some of those infamous Mexican sink bowls found on 5th..  Gorgeous lamps- different than the typical "jellyfish style  A peak at the swanky Mosquito Blue's dining as we walked by..(I think its Mosquito Blue- someone correct me if I'm wrong.) (As I walked by I recognized the tables & chairs from a report John & Libby did)  I bet everyone recognizes this guy! No walk on 5th is complete without running into this guy! We were shocked when he declined money after the photo! I was under the impression thats what he did: dressed up for photos and in turn expected a tip....??.... In the Ultrafemme bag was a purchase I made....(those ole' school Swatches are back!) A new Swatch with a coo-coo clock design- perfect for a therapist, right?  A happy police officer....  Some creative marketing...  A pit stop for some take-home meds!  Time for a drink!   Someone was hungry!  We found the perfect spot to watch the NBA finals- Lakers vs. Orlando. It was like watching a movie with the projection on the wall! Sorry, I have no clue where this was...somewhere on 5th!   ...and thats it for our last night!
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Last edited by Beth&Scott; 07-07-2009 at 01:22 AM.
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07-07-2009, 12:57 AM
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We had a mid afternoon flight, so we woke up early to hit the beach one more time!
Our last day! (repeat photos) I will miss this... ..this but especially this... but we must go home....we know we will be back soon! At the airport At the airport, the swine flu hype was still brewing...  we had our temp's taken...  They asked us to fill out health questionaire's... We passed! (and as I write this on July 7th, we are both still swine flu free!) We stopped for one last Mexican meal in the airport!  one more guacamole presentation...  We flew Delta home- great flight, no problems.          We had a layover in Atlanta...  someone is hard at work!  nice artwork in the Atlanta airport.  And finally we arrived in Detroit.   The end! Thanks sooooooooo much everyone for reading! Until next time!....
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Last edited by Beth&Scott; 07-07-2009 at 11:49 PM. Reason: omission
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