Our January 2010 Trip to Playa - An Ode to John

[January Guy]

This is the 6th straight January that my wife and I have visited Mexico, with the last 5 trips being to Playa. On public forums, we avoid using our real names and I go by JG and she goes by TG (short for Tequila Girl).

Some of you know this guy named John who lives in Playa and owns a website there. He is our favorite Peep in all of Playa - no offense to any of the other truly wonderful people we have met and love, it’s just that we have got to know him very well in our last two trips to Playa and he is one hell of a great guy - so we figured we’d honor him in this trip report.

Why honor John, you ask? Because he will do anything for you…

John will tell you good places to run, like the soccer stadium.


John will join your wife for tequila shots at Bad Boys even if he is feeling under the weather.








John will take pictures of you when you are swing dancing at Bad Boys.






John will introduce you to the restaurant called Pummarola off 1st and 12th for their delicious personal pizzas for 25-30 pesos. He will also show you the one off 24th and 5th/10th that you will return to the next day.




John will look like a gangster when you take a picture with him at El Bar with your bride and a guy that goes by Transit.


John will watch your gal slug the punching bag at El Bar and make faces of awe at her pipes.


John will back away when your gal threatens to slug him.


John will join you in beating the crap out of the punching bag at El Bar.







John will join you in helping your gal off the ground at the end of the night in the courtyard in the Luna Blue when she trips and falls into the landscaping due to too much tequila.
(no picture)

John will take you on a running tour of Playa/Playacar the AM after a rowdy night at Bad Boys and El Bar. John will run slowly so that you do not die on the run.


John will join you again at Bad Boys and try on your Stetson


John will join you and your bride for a photo with great new friends Beth and Scott and a random Mexican dude.


John will join you again at El Bar and make goofy faces.


John will invite you to his house for a dinner of HC’s arrachara, grilled onions, peppers, and potatoes. John will cook the food perfectly!


John will risk his back by holding his 23 pound cat in a picture for you.


John will buy beers and limes for you and cut up two limes for each of your beers because you are a freak that way.


John will introduce you to his fun friends, even if his friends are in witness protection programs and will only allow you to take pictures of their hands.


John will convince Libby that having friends over (right when she gets back from a cold weekend of camping without showers and helping out Coco’s Cat Rescue) is a great idea. John knows that Libby likes wine, so when you ask if you can bring wine to dinner, he will say yes but remind you that liquor stores close early on Sunday in Playa.


John will take a picture of you with your bride so that you have wonderful memories of Playa.



Next installment - things that John won’t do for you. Well, he probably would do them for you except that he has a job and life in Playa outside of hanging out with tourists.

[John]

Be careful now, or some people might actually think that I'm a nice guy.



Great start for your trip report - we'll see if you get bonus points for kissing up to the Admins in your first post.

[Beth&Scott]

Glad we were lucky enough to spend time with this popular guy! He is a celebrity!

Forget the beach, sun, tropics, fishing, alcohol, Mexican food & cheap haircuts....just come to Playa del Carmen to.....see John.

Did I read that right...2 limes in one beer?

[January Guy]

Originally Posted by John

Be careful now, or some people might actually think that I'm a nice guy.



Great start for your trip report - we'll see if you get bonus points for kissing up to the Admins in your first post.

Thanks pal. Of course, you will find the rest of the report more boring as none of it is about you! Everything about you was in my first post!

Originally Posted by Beth&Scott

Glad we were lucky enough to spend time with this popular guy! He is a celebrity!

Forget the beach, sun, tropics, fishing, alcohol, Mexican food & cheap haircuts....just come to Playa del Carmen to.....see John.

Did I read that right...2 limes in one beer?

Absolutely friend! Not 2 whole limes, just 2 lime slices. I love lots of limes in my beer. 4 or 5 would probably be optimal. I amused people in my Jan 2009 trip because I would cut up a couple limes and take them out with my at night (in a plastic ziploc), so that I could supplement the one lime the bars always give you. This trip I just would always ask for 2 limes and they got used to it right away!

[SUNBABY]

John is a pretty cool guy...I like him..even if does stare at me like I'm from another planet. John is even cooler when Libby is with him.

[Beth&Scott]

You got a photo of ----bleep (John's friend) hands? I was not that lucky.

That is a photo of Libby, after not showering for a weekend? For real?...Wish I looked that good after not showering!

...And Playa tourists want to know: What does John feed his cat? (for real)

[John]

Originally Posted by SUNBABY

John is a pretty cool guy...I like him..even if does stare at me like I'm from another planet. John is even cooler when Libby is with him.

I only looked at you like that once, when you brought some other local a signed copy of your relative in a certain magazine - I was just jealous.

Thanks, however, for bringing my ego back down to normal levels. The next drink is on me.

[John]

Originally Posted by Beth&Scott

...And Playa tourists want to know: What does John feed his cat? (for real)

Mindy is fed a balanced diet of Royal Canine neutered adult female cat food. Unfortunately, she doesn't just eat her food. She eats that as well as her sister's (Nanu) and brother's (Mork) food, in addition to her nemesis's (Juanita, the dog) food. There may have been a small child here and there, but no one has ever complained, so we just look the other way.

Honestly, when we put Mindy on a diet, she just becomes lazier and ends up gaining weight as a result. Do they do gastric bypass for cats? It would sure be cheaper than feeding her insatiable appetite..........

[SUNBABY]

Originally Posted by John

I only looked at you like that once, when you brought some other local a signed copy of your relative in a certain magazine - I was just jealous.

Thanks, however, for bringing my ego back down to normal levels. The next drink is on me.

If you would like an autographed copy, I can get you one..no problemo..if it's ok with Libby.

[January Guy]

Eating without John

John did not join us at Pastorcitos, but he may wish he had because the food was good (not El Fogon or HC good, but still good) and cheap. John probably would have been smart enough not to eat the green salsa though.


John did not join us at La Cueva Del Chango, but he definitely wishes he had as it was our favorite breakfast in Playa.


John did not join us at the Pummarola off Flamingo (way north). He is probably fine with that as it is nothing extra special and kind of pricey. Not nearly as good as the Pummarola’s John introduced us to. John is jealous though that they gave us a free appetizer and free tequila.


John did not join us at Los Amigos, but again he probably wishes he had as it is good and cheap. I wonder if John is scared of the Russian owner lady like I am. I wonder if John’s witness protection program friend is hiding from her.




John did not join us at Carboncitos, but looking at my psycho pumpkin-salsa eating wife can you blame him? Actually, John really wishes he had joined us as this place is awesome!




John did not join us for PG Sandbox’s carryout fish and shrimp tacos. At 19 delicious pesos apiece, he again wishes he had.


John did not join us at El Faisan y El Venado. He is probably fine with this as it is nothing extra special and is way out on the highway. John probably would have eaten all of the chorizo which would have pissed me off. Again, John probably would have been smart enough not to eat the green salsa.


John did not join us at El Nativo. He wishes he had as it is a great place. John didn’t even recommend this place, Cheri did – thanks friend!







John did not join Beth, Scott, and us at El Fogon. Big mistake buddy! John wishes he could have eaten my arrachara nortena; best meal on the planet and it is about $8.






John did not join us at this taco place off 10th. This lady was sad that John did not join us.








John did not join us at El Huerto for breakfast. John is likely indifferent about this as the place is good and very cheap, but nothing extra special.


John did not join us at Las Cazuelas. John is not sad about this as it is pricier with average food and slow (but friendly) service.



Next installment – Partying without John

[susango]

Love the TR and that famous guy John !

[Beth&Scott]

This meal look mildly gross. YUCKY! John may or may not agree with me. Keep up w/ the John theme! So entertaining! I vote 5 star!

laughing:
















[

[John]

John approves of this trip report. John is quite amused. John has never seen his name used as much as he has in the last post. It is now late and John needs to go to sleep. John out.

[SUNBABY]

I'm waiting for a picture of when they went to the John.

[January Guy]

Partying without John

John did not join us at the Luna Blue on the first night of our trip (Tuesday). TG with Lenny, who is about 1/5th the size of John’s cat.


John was not there to join TG and Mike Grabow for tequila shots.


John would not have made such a pansy face after the tequila shot.


TG dancing with Joe. I have never seen John dance.


Me dancing with Mike Grabow’s friend Erika. I doubt John knows Erika.


My wife is hot. I am glad she does not look like John.


Wednesday afternoon drinks at El Bar. John joined us twice at El Bar, but not this time.


Later that night, me talking with Keith at El Bar. John knows Keith.


The Mexican duo playing tunes at El Bar. I don’t know that John has ever heard them play.




Late Wednesday night, we found out that the Rodeo Mix country bar was permanently closed. I bet John could get them to re-open.


Thursday night party at Bad Boys. John was there but was not on the dance floor like Jana. John knows Jana.


Drinking tequila at El Bar later Thursday night. John was there but not drinking tequila. At least not at that exact time.

[January Guy]

Friday night bar crawl without John, started at Mom’s. I met John at Mom’s last year. John was hospitable enough to allow me to join the Texas hold em game and take a few hundred pesos from me


John knows Juergen. .


Continued on to Manne’s without John.


John likely knows Manne and Ronny. Ronny is very cool. But not as cool as John.


Next stop El Bar. More tequila without John.


Next stop Luna Blue for more Mike Grabow. Mike took a leak in my hotel room’s john (not on John) during a break.


Toni and Cheri, wonderful owners of the Luna Blue where we stay every year. John knows them.


TG doing tip jar duties for Mike Grabow. John did not tip, presumably because he was not there.


TG and Jorge. John knows Jorge


Hot Swedish chicks. Don’t worry Libby, John doesn’t know them.


More tequila without John.




Back to El Bar without John for Mayte’s birthday. Mayte’s face was shoved into her cake. John would not have allowed this to happen had he been there.

[January Guy]

Dancing at Bad Boy’s Saturday night before John arrived.



Picture courtesy of a guy named Murray. He and Michelle had to take pictures of us because John was not there. John was fashionably late. When you are a big stud like John, you arrive places fashionably late.


Singing with the Nasty Bastards without John. I doubt John has ever sung with the Nasty Bastards.


John wearing my stetson. Not to be confused with John though.


Dancing on the bar at Bad Boys without John. He was there; he should have danced with me.


TG and Jana dancing on the Bar without John. But John was watching.


JJ and me. JJ is on my short list of my favorite Playa people. But he is not my favorite Playa person. We all know who that is. That is John.


Swing dancing with Jana. John was watching.




After Bad Boys, John went with Beth and Scott to El Bar. TG and I stopped at Carlos and Charlie’s. A lot of people turn up their nose at going to Carlos and Charlie’s, but John knows that it has its place. I respect that about John.


More tequila shots without John.


Salsa dancing at Carlos and Charlie’s without John. John was sitting in El Bar at the time.


TG and Beth at El Bar. John was not invited into this picture.


Mayte and Ale, owners of El Bar. John knows them.


Sunday night at El Bar after dinner at John’s house. John didn’t feed us dessert so I had to spend $9 on an ice cream cone. Thanks a lot John.


It was freezing cold, so I wore TG’s shawl at El Bar. John likely would not have approved.


Brent Parkin playing at El Bar. I assume John has heard him play.


Brent with my bride. We like Brent, but not as much as we like John. But, we would rather hear Brent sing than John. And we heard John sing some Whitesnake the night before so we know.



Next installment: YouTube videos without John

[Beth&Scott]

I wish I was John! John knows a lot of people!

I think you are right, John does not dance, but he does sing a mean Whitesnake chorus!

I think John really liked this last segment, especially the Swedish chicks....even though I heard they really were not Swedish! John probably agrees with you that "Swedish chicks" sounds sexier!

[John]

Hey, for the record, John tries to dance every now and again. John hears that John was quite amusing last night at Coco Maya.

John likes referring to John in the 3rd person.

[bruce]

john starts to remind me of george in seinfeld.

george would agree.

not sure if john knows what I'm refering to.

john is such a party animal.

all the best

bruce