Vanessa's Trip Back to Playa 1/30 to 2/6

[Vanessa]

Wednesday Jan 30th:



I awake at 4am in my hotel near the Chicago airport. Due to taking a sleeping pill the night before, I didn't stay awake with anticipation, but rather fell into a beautiful sleep that had me dreaming of the many faces I'd see in Playa. I'm downstairs in the lobby, ready to go at 5am on the shuttle that will take me to the airport. My flight leaves at 7am, so I figure I'd still arrive at the airport at 5:20am which gives me plenty of time to check in and get past security. Who says you need to be at the airport 2 hours ahead of time. While chatting up some other sleepy folks waiting for the same shuttle, the desk clerk leans over and informs us that the shuttle is running 10 minutes late. No problem. I'll still arrive at 5:30am. Plenty of time still! By 5:20am, I start to get antsy. Desk Clerk says he just called the Shuttle Guy and he is still not to close. I start to get nervous and ask Desk Clerk to call me a cab. He says it'll be here in about 15 minutes. I start to get more nervous that I'll arrive just as they are closing the desk and I start to chew on my newly manicured nails.



At 5:30am, Shuttle Guy rolls in much to everyone's relief. My cab is cancelled. As I help to load my luggage into the back of the van, I ask Shuttle Guy if he can drop me first at the International terminal. Thankfully, he is receptive. 15 minutes later, I'm at Terminal 5 at Ohare airport and quickly rush into line for USA3000. A few more people pile in after me, so I know I'm not the last to arrive. Since, I prepaid for assigned seats, I know I'm the window seat in Row 6 before I even check in. Cruise through security, stop in the restroom to change into capris and flip flops, and head over to the gate as the plane is boarding. Now, I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but as soon as I get settled into my seat, I fall asleep. I wake briefly as we takeoff, but quickly nod off again and sometimes do not awaken until the beverage cart is being wheeled around. This time, I miss the beverage cart. Now worries though, it's only a 3 hour flight.



We land on time at Terminal 3. Long walk to Immigration, but there are no lines. Cruise into duty fee and buy a bottle of Belvedere vodka for a dear friend who is celebrating his birthday that week. Grab my very identifiable bags, which are littered with Java Joe stickers from the last time I was there and cruise through customs. Pull up to the ADO desk, get my ticket and am told that the bus leaves in 15 minutes. Perfect timing as last trip I missed the bus by 2 minutes.



In no time at all, we are cruising down 307 and I'm in Playa before I know it. Grab a cab and I'm dropped off at the Alux Hotel. Great place, however the stuck me in a first floor room next to reception. There are no outside windows, which is not an immediate problem, but starts to get to me later in my stay. I do ask for an upper room with a balcony, but I get shrug of the shoulders and a shake of the head. Hmm..maybe I'll ask tomorrow.



Kim (Silvergirl) calls me from the beach!! I´m so happy to hear her voice as well as to know that my phone is working! We make plans to meet at El Pirata at 2:30 for hugs and drinks! After unsuccessfully trying to convince the 2 girls at the desk to give me a room upstairs with a balconey, I settled into my room and unpack. It´s a cute room...big...but the view from the window is a brick building . I¨m also right next to the reception desk. Maybe they want to keep their eye on me. I need someone who speaks Spanish better than I do to negotiate a room upstairs for me.

After I unpack, I´m off to Walmart to stock up on supplies. Supplies being vodka, rum, soda and a cooler. I arrive back in time to change into my suit and head down to the beach. I´m not there for more than 10 minutes when Kim and Kenny show up!! Yea!! I´m so happy to see her!! And it´s so good to finally meet Kenny too. I must now try and convince him that I´m not a a bad influence on his wife!! She was here in November with Dori and he wants to know about the pictures that couldn´t be shown. I try to assure him that no such pictures exist and that she was a good girl while she was here without him.

A short while later, Steve and Judy show up followed by Jeanean, Cyndy, her friend Linda, Penny, and Randy. Lots of drinks were had and soon it´s 5pm. We bid farwell with plans to meet up later.














So, it´s back to the hotel for me with a quick stop at the market across from La Rana to get more credits for my phone and ice for my cooler. I peek in La Rana and do not see any familiar faces so I take my ice and walk ´home´. It feels a bit strange to not call La Rana home this time around.

I unpack a bit more, hit the shower, and then I´m off to La Pesca to meet up with my Peeps. Kim, Kenny, and Penny are already there. Judy shows up right after me and we have a most enjoyable dinner. Calamari, fish tacos, and shrimp soup for me!! I haven´t eaten anything since the night before and I´m famished! Everything was ooohhh sooooo good!!







After dinner we walk back to 10th and see Tyra upstairs at the Bucket. Yea! So good to see her smiling face too!! I text a few peeps to see if anyone is coming out and finally Jez shows up!! A few more drinks were had and then I realize I´m sooo tired. Kim and Kenny walk me home and take a peek into my cute little room and then we say our goodbyes. And I fall into bed!

[Joana]

Great report so far, more more more!!!

[bufante]

Now this is what I am talking about!

Thanks Vanessa!

[Kirbyfan]

Awesome stuff Vanessa!

Keep it commin!!!

[PlayaLove]

Great T/R and great pictures thanks for shareing

[TAPPY]

Great report and pics V.

[redhed]

Yeah!! A first!

Thanx Vanessa......luv it.

[Coccinelle]

Hi Vanessa! I love you new avatar!

You just brought a little sunshine to my day.

Is there more?

[Michele]

Vanessa - It was nice to see you in Playa again. Great trip report!!

[John]

Woohoo! A Playa trip report! Thanks, Vanessa! I look forward to the rest of the story.

Sorry we did not get out to see you this trip. We had 2 weeks of family visitors that needed us to play tour guides. We'll catch up when you convince your boss to let you work from down here!

[DiJo]

just what I needed on this -19 day.

[Vanessa]

Thanks everyone for the comments!!

Yep, there is more. Day 2 is Kool, Bad Boyz, Carbonicito's and the Beer Bucket!

I'm working on it, but also trying to be a good employee so I can prove to my boss I can do my job from Mexico!!

[MsRubio]

Great report!!! I just love seeing all the pics of everyone...

And it gets me really excited about our upcoming trip.

Looking forward to Day 2.

[Vanessa]

Thursday Jan 31st

Wide Awake at 5am!! Have to remind myself that I am on vacation and try to get more shut eye! No can do. I’m awake. I peek out to the foyer and see that I’m locked in. I could attempt an ‘escape’ but it’s till dark and I cannot see the locks. Finally, about 6:30am, I cannot bear be locked in any longer, so I sneak out to the foyer and start unbolting the locks. I’m almost there when the night guard comes out and releases the last one. Oh….lo siento! I woke him up!

Decide to walk over to Java Joe’s…grab a coffee and head down to my favorite breakfast spot, the base of El Faro. I sit in sheer happiness that I’m watching the sun come up on my first morning in Playa. But, it’s cloudy. I decide to walk north on 5th and then maybe back on the beach. As I near 22nd (?) I see that an internet café I already open. I hop online and see that Stewart is on IM. We chat a bit and then he off to pack as he and the beautiful KelliG arrive the next day. Right before I hope off, I see Kim on IM. She is awake and posting her Trip Report!! She invites me over to her condo which is a few blocks up. I send a few emails off and then wander up to the Royal Palms. Kim greets me with a smile in her sexy nightie!!

Kim sends Kenny down to Kool to grab some beach chairs and we head out to breakfast at La Vagabunda. Kim knows all the waiters here and they all come over to say hello. I am so impressed with Kim’s Spanish. Her tapes are really working well for her! Judy calls and we make plans to meet over at Kool later. I accidently call Jeanean ( I swear I accidentally called A LOT of people on this trip. I do not know what is up with my cellphone, but it calls people when I’m not looking!!). Jeanean says that they are headed to Mamita’s and I tell her I’ll stop by later and see them.

I say goodbye to Kim and head back to the hotel to change and grab my beach gear. I meet up with Kim at Kool and we decide to hit the water! The waves were HUGE today and we had sooo much fun in the surf!! They kept crashing over our heads and we were screaming and laughing. What a workout. We are back soon and lounging on our chairs when Brent and Kathleen show up!! Yeah! They made it!! They join us and we have a fun afternoon of catching up. Brent and I talk about our upcoming diving day on Saturday and we talk about how wonderful it would be to one day see sharks. We also trade diving stories. I only have one story actually, and Brent already knows about it, but he tells me how he caught a tank in his ribs once. YIKES!!!



It’s getting late in the afternoon and we plan to be at Bad Boyz, so I leave to go back to the hotel to shower and possibly nap. Nope…cannot sleep. I putter around the hotel, watch some Spanish language soap opera and call Judy to see if she ready for Bad Boyz. I meet her on the steps of her apartment and we walk around the corner to the Beer Bucket to find the Tres Chicas Rubias and Steve. I get a big ole hug from Sharkey...but I really don’t think he knows who I am. He says he recognizes me from my stay last time. We take a bunch of pics at Beer Bucket and then head over to Bad Boyz.







Walk down to Bad Boyz and find Kim, Kenny, Tyra, and a bunch of other local peeps!! I see Maureen dancing around with a chair at another table and decide to go and say ‘hi’ as soon as I get settled. Before I know it, Maureen is over by me and introducing herself. What a sweet and fun woman she is! We talk about decision to not adopt Lee at this time from the Animal Shelter and she goes back to her family.

[Vanessa]

Lots of laughs were had, lots of beer drunk and finally we decide to go and get dinner at Carboncitos. Fun dinner. Tyra’s friend Jergen is hysterical. I was laughing so hard!!



Walk over to La Rana to see who is around. Sadly, I do not recognize anyone. We have one drink and everyone it tired but me. I say goodbye to everyone and head over to the Beer Bucket where there is a party in full swing upstairs!! Again, I text a couple of Playa Peeps to see if they are coming out and only Jez responds, but he never shows up.


My contacts are drying out so I tell Judy that I’m going to put saline solution in them and return. When I arrive at the Alux, I realize that I’m locked out but quickly see the buzzer. I wake the night guard up again and am embarrassed. Lo Siento again! Not wanting to wake him as I leave again and return, I decide to stay in and fall fast asleep.

[Cyndy]

So much fun, Vanessa! And great to finally meet you, Miss Photogenic 2008. LOVE your new avatar btw. Sexy!