Playa del Karma- the misadventures of caramba & fruitfly - Page 2

caramba · 12-26-2005

Thanks, all- just love to relive our trip, good memories definitely overpowering the bad. Had to take a dinner and Mai Tai break! Gotta love the Panda Wok, it's like our local "Cheers". Walk in and a Mai Tai "with dark rum" appears mysteriously at your seat.
Writing powers recharged and wounded thumb sufficiently numb, part two to follow momentarily...

caramba · 12-26-2005

Sunday, December 4th

Ahhh, there is nothing like waking up the first morning in paradise and sitting outside taking in the gorgeous view with a cup of coffee. Ummmmm, maybe not. Damn, we'd brought our favorite Blue Mountain coffee down, in our checked bags, and hadn't given it a thought when we'd been at Chedraui yesterday. Luckily we found a can of coffee in the kitchen cabinets (did I mention how well stocked this condo was??) and brewed a potful. Even in paradise I'm not a whole person without my first cup of joe in the morning.
The night before we'd thrown our few clothes in the washer and dryer so we'd be all set for awhile if our bags hadn't arrived yet (wishful thinking). So we showered (I wish we had that kind of water pressure at home!) and dressed, had a little breakfast and hit the streets to find a Telmex card and okay, maybe some bathing suits. Just in case.
While Brian picked up a Telmex card I found some sandals I liked and immediately ditched the deck shoes, not to be seen again until the return home. Ahhhh, much better.
We stopped at the first phone we saw and and tried calling Mexicana. No answer. Eventually we gave up and called American, since we'd started our journey with them. The agent who answered told Brian that he looked over and did not see anyone at Mexicana, so maybe we ought to try again later.
So we decided to cruise 5th for awhile and see how it had changed over the past year. We were stopped by a big "Hurricane Clearance" sign and went in to purchase a bathing suit for Brian, a three dollar tank top for me and a baseball cap. Headed for home stopping at the Playa Mart for a tank for Brian and some sunscreen. Along the way I saw some pretty pricey bathing suits and refused to buy one since our bags would arrive any time now and I must have four suits packed away in mine. So at the "Tequila/Drugstore" I gave up and bought some nylon shorts.
By this time we were ready for a drink and a snack to we plunked ourselves at the bar at La Bodeguita del Medio and had our first delicious, refreshing mojitos and a plate of Cuban appetizers. Awesome.
We walked back to the condo complex and tried our calls again. No luck. Well, surely they must be on their way. Or maybe the bags will be sitting in the condo! Nope. We changed and I felt like a walking Corona/Playa del Carmen advertisement in my new duds. Oh well, no one will see me, really. So we strutted off to the beach in our new finery and jumped in. The water was so blue and so warm. Just heavenly, and floating around for a good, long while we almost forgot about our missing luggage. Once our skin was adequately wrinkled from the sea we went back to the condo and I washed and dried (the salt water off) the tank top so I could wear it again IF our bags didn't show up soon, and hung out with some beers on the verandah awhile before going up and trying our calls again. Busy, busy, then, no answer. Hmmnn. While in town we'd been told that Mexicana had an office at the Chedraui plaza so we took a spin over there to investigate. Of course they weren't open on Sunday so we went in and got more beer and other necessities. I think by this time we thought it appropriate to get shampoo. Just in case, of course. Back to the condo, check on the agoutis and, well, what are we going to do now? Might as well drink. We called and left a message for Larry, the condo owner and property manager to give him a heads up in case he got a call about our bags, and walked back into town. First stop, Pez Vela. I must consult Mapchick's map but I think it's around calle 4 and 5th. We are always drawn to this swing bar as it's the first we see on our walk into town and even though the drinks are a little pricey we always stop here for a swing and a drink. Now we are hungry and decide that we must try Chicago Don Jose from all the rave reviews we've read. We were very happy with our choice. We sat on the street in a prime people watching spot and I had a mouth-watering filet stuffed with bleu cheese while Brian had some delicious ribs. The service was great and we highly recommend this restaurant. Once we tore ourselves away we wandered back along 5th and found ourselves drawn to a stairway by a sign that said Yellow Sub on 5th or something to that regard. Turns out to be a newly opened bar that was blasting lots of 70's music and something had clearly caught Brian's attention. Up the stairs to a streetside table and ordered drinks- very prompt service as we were the onely ones there.... the proprietors were clearly happy that Brian was practically hanging over the side beckoning passersby to come up, and before we knew it there was a dance party happening.
Before we'd finished our first round we saw a couple of familiar faces on the street below, Mary (Mave) and her husband Paul! We'd met these two last year and found ourselves to be very kindred spirits. We were thrilled to find ourselves overlapping trips this year too, and were now excited to have spotted them. We called out to them and after Mary made her beautiful amber purchase that she'd been scoping out at the booth below they joined us for drinks and catching up. It was now getting a bit rowdy from the crowd Brian had enticed up the bar so we ambled off down 5th and made a sudden stop at the Tequila Barrel. When, what to our wondering eyes should appear but several forum icons, including Michael Holmes, Shammy and Tyra! We made ourselves at home, ordered drinks and spent a good deal of time with these folks who seemed much more like old friends as the night went on than people we'd just met in person for the first time. I have pictures of them all (at least from the party on the 6th) except for Michael, but I can still hear his wonderful accent.... It was such a pleasure hanging out with these fine people.
Finally we all bid good night after making plans with the group for a breakfast meet at la Cueva del Chango and we walked back down 5th as the sidewalks seemed to close up around us. But as we passed Pez Vela we heard a 'pssssst' from the bartender and were easily persuaded to stop for a nightcap. We solved the problems of the world with the bartender, at least most of them, then stumbed through the cobblestones toward home. Luckily Brian is good at punching in lockbox codes in the dark and we settled into bed, with visions of lost luggage appearing dancing in our heads.
Here are a few pics of Xaman Ha condos. Our unit was on the ground floor, right past the furthest palm tree to the right in this photo-

Xaman Ha lobby-

Brian loved walking by this every day-

**sctx** · 12-26-2005

hmmmmm, you partied with Michael Homiez, Shammy, and Tyra and nobody broke any bones, no vehicles were damaged, and nobody got thrown in jail???......... very interesting

bgfangs · 12-26-2005

Wonderful report (I hope the luggage shows up!

)

Please let me know more about the condo, I am pretty sure that is the one I am thinking about renting!

**sctx** · 12-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgfangs

Wonderful report (I hope the luggage shows up!

)

note to self: pack Jamaican Blue Mountain in carry-on

caramba · 12-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by sctx

note to self: pack Jamaican Blue Mountain in carry-on

We'll have wished we'd packed more that that in the carry-on......
and I'm proud of myself. I'm normally the one who sports a bruised body on vacation, especially after the first, overly exhuberant night. I can match Tyra with being a bit accident prone.

caramba · 12-26-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgfangs

Wonderful report (I hope the luggage shows up!

)

Please let me know more about the condo, I am pretty sure that is the one I am thinking about renting!

Three bedroom, first floor, wonderful condo. Here are a couple more pics-

bgfangs · 12-26-2005

THANK YOU!

Looks like a wonderful place!

MsRubio · 12-26-2005

Great report Anne...and great pics too...I was cracking up reading your first installment...I can just picture you climbing the veranda to knock on the door with Brian snoring away on the couch.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your vacation.

BonnyW · 12-26-2005

Great report so far.

I can't wait to read more!

vacationstar · 12-27-2005

Enjoying your report. Can't wait for the next installment.

Tashi · 12-27-2005

More, More!!!

Loving your trip report....

BeachyKeen · 12-27-2005

Great trip report. We're waiting for more. Did you ever get your luggage?

nancyinma · 12-27-2005

Your trip report is so entertaining, it's like a great book hard to put down and can't wait for the next chapter.

Eileencc · 12-27-2005

Anne, what a great trip report...you have a hilarious way of telling the story and keeping us in suspense about the outcome. The pictures make me feel all warm and OK, maybe just a tad envious! What a gorgeous condo with a wonderful view. More installments please! I'm totally living vicariously through you! Hope you did get your luggage back, though it doesn't sound too promising!

12-26-2005	#17 (permalink)
caramba añejo Join Date: May 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,076	Sunday, December 4th Ahhh, there is nothing like waking up the first morning in paradise and sitting outside taking in the gorgeous view with a cup of coffee. Ummmmm, maybe not. Damn, we'd brought our favorite Blue Mountain coffee down, in our checked bags, and hadn't given it a thought when we'd been at Chedraui yesterday. Luckily we found a can of coffee in the kitchen cabinets (did I mention how well stocked this condo was??) and brewed a potful. Even in paradise I'm not a whole person without my first cup of joe in the morning. The night before we'd thrown our few clothes in the washer and dryer so we'd be all set for awhile if our bags hadn't arrived yet (wishful thinking). So we showered (I wish we had that kind of water pressure at home!) and dressed, had a little breakfast and hit the streets to find a Telmex card and okay, maybe some bathing suits. Just in case. While Brian picked up a Telmex card I found some sandals I liked and immediately ditched the deck shoes, not to be seen again until the return home. Ahhhh, much better. We stopped at the first phone we saw and and tried calling Mexicana. No answer. Eventually we gave up and called American, since we'd started our journey with them. The agent who answered told Brian that he looked over and did not see anyone at Mexicana, so maybe we ought to try again later. So we decided to cruise 5th for awhile and see how it had changed over the past year. We were stopped by a big "Hurricane Clearance" sign and went in to purchase a bathing suit for Brian, a three dollar tank top for me and a baseball cap. Headed for home stopping at the Playa Mart for a tank for Brian and some sunscreen. Along the way I saw some pretty pricey bathing suits and refused to buy one since our bags would arrive any time now and I must have four suits packed away in mine. So at the "Tequila/Drugstore" I gave up and bought some nylon shorts. By this time we were ready for a drink and a snack to we plunked ourselves at the bar at La Bodeguita del Medio and had our first delicious, refreshing mojitos and a plate of Cuban appetizers. Awesome. We walked back to the condo complex and tried our calls again. No luck. Well, surely they must be on their way. Or maybe the bags will be sitting in the condo! Nope. We changed and I felt like a walking Corona/Playa del Carmen advertisement in my new duds. Oh well, no one will see me, really. So we strutted off to the beach in our new finery and jumped in. The water was so blue and so warm. Just heavenly, and floating around for a good, long while we almost forgot about our missing luggage. Once our skin was adequately wrinkled from the sea we went back to the condo and I washed and dried (the salt water off) the tank top so I could wear it again IF our bags didn't show up soon, and hung out with some beers on the verandah awhile before going up and trying our calls again. Busy, busy, then, no answer. Hmmnn. While in town we'd been told that Mexicana had an office at the Chedraui plaza so we took a spin over there to investigate. Of course they weren't open on Sunday so we went in and got more beer and other necessities. I think by this time we thought it appropriate to get shampoo. Just in case, of course. Back to the condo, check on the agoutis and, well, what are we going to do now? Might as well drink. We called and left a message for Larry, the condo owner and property manager to give him a heads up in case he got a call about our bags, and walked back into town. First stop, Pez Vela. I must consult Mapchick's map but I think it's around calle 4 and 5th. We are always drawn to this swing bar as it's the first we see on our walk into town and even though the drinks are a little pricey we always stop here for a swing and a drink. Now we are hungry and decide that we must try Chicago Don Jose from all the rave reviews we've read. We were very happy with our choice. We sat on the street in a prime people watching spot and I had a mouth-watering filet stuffed with bleu cheese while Brian had some delicious ribs. The service was great and we highly recommend this restaurant. Once we tore ourselves away we wandered back along 5th and found ourselves drawn to a stairway by a sign that said Yellow Sub on 5th or something to that regard. Turns out to be a newly opened bar that was blasting lots of 70's music and something had clearly caught Brian's attention. Up the stairs to a streetside table and ordered drinks- very prompt service as we were the onely ones there.... the proprietors were clearly happy that Brian was practically hanging over the side beckoning passersby to come up, and before we knew it there was a dance party happening. Before we'd finished our first round we saw a couple of familiar faces on the street below, Mary (Mave) and her husband Paul! We'd met these two last year and found ourselves to be very kindred spirits. We were thrilled to find ourselves overlapping trips this year too, and were now excited to have spotted them. We called out to them and after Mary made her beautiful amber purchase that she'd been scoping out at the booth below they joined us for drinks and catching up. It was now getting a bit rowdy from the crowd Brian had enticed up the bar so we ambled off down 5th and made a sudden stop at the Tequila Barrel. When, what to our wondering eyes should appear but several forum icons, including Michael Holmes, Shammy and Tyra! We made ourselves at home, ordered drinks and spent a good deal of time with these folks who seemed much more like old friends as the night went on than people we'd just met in person for the first time. I have pictures of them all (at least from the party on the 6th) except for Michael, but I can still hear his wonderful accent.... It was such a pleasure hanging out with these fine people. Finally we all bid good night after making plans with the group for a breakfast meet at la Cueva del Chango and we walked back down 5th as the sidewalks seemed to close up around us. But as we passed Pez Vela we heard a 'pssssst' from the bartender and were easily persuaded to stop for a nightcap. We solved the problems of the world with the bartender, at least most of them, then stumbed through the cobblestones toward home. Luckily Brian is good at punching in lockbox codes in the dark and we settled into bed, with visions of lost luggage appearing dancing in our heads. Here are a few pics of Xaman Ha condos. Our unit was on the ground floor, right past the furthest palm tree to the right in this photo- Xaman Ha lobby- Brian loved walking by this every day- __________________ trip reports- 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

12-26-2005	#16 (permalink)
caramba añejo Join Date: May 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 4,076	Thanks, all- just love to relive our trip, good memories definitely overpowering the bad. Had to take a dinner and Mai Tai break! Gotta love the Panda Wok, it's like our local "Cheers". Walk in and a Mai Tai "with dark rum" appears mysteriously at your seat. Writing powers recharged and wounded thumb sufficiently numb, part two to follow momentarily...

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12-26-2005	#18 (permalink)
sctx HMWHTC President Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Body in San Marcos Tx....Tankah in my mind Posts: 31,109	hmmmmm, you partied with Michael Homiez, Shammy, and Tyra and nobody broke any bones, no vehicles were damaged, and nobody got thrown in jail???......... very interesting

12-26-2005	#19 (permalink)
bgfangs añejo Join Date: May 2002 Location: Glendale, CA Posts: 1,673	Wonderful report (I hope the luggage shows up! ) Please let me know more about the condo, I am pretty sure that is the one I am thinking about renting!

12-26-2005	#23 (permalink)
bgfangs añejo Join Date: May 2002 Location: Glendale, CA Posts: 1,673	THANK YOU! Looks like a wonderful place!

12-26-2005	#24 (permalink)
MsRubio añejo Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Top of the Chesapeake Bay, Md Posts: 6,504	Great report Anne...and great pics too...I was cracking up reading your first installment...I can just picture you climbing the veranda to knock on the door with Brian snoring away on the couch. Can't wait to hear about the rest of your vacation.

12-26-2005	#25 (permalink)
BonnyW añejo Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Left Coast...So Cal Posts: 10,299	Great report so far. I can't wait to read more!

12-27-2005	#26 (permalink)
vacationstar beachaholic Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Maple Grove, MN Posts: 415	Enjoying your report. Can't wait for the next installment.

12-27-2005	#27 (permalink)
Tashi beachaholic Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 270	More, More!!! Loving your trip report....

12-27-2005	#28 (permalink)
BeachyKeen life=playa Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bloomington, MN Posts: 565	Great trip report. We're waiting for more. Did you ever get your luggage?

12-27-2005	#29 (permalink)
nancyinma sandflea Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1	Your trip report is so entertaining, it's like a great book hard to put down and can't wait for the next chapter.

12-27-2005	#30 (permalink)
Eileencc añejo Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North of Boston, Mass Posts: 5,775	Anne, what a great trip report...you have a hilarious way of telling the story and keeping us in suspense about the outcome. The pictures make me feel all warm and OK, maybe just a tad envious! What a gorgeous condo with a wonderful view. More installments please! I'm totally living vicariously through you! Hope you did get your luggage back, though it doesn't sound too promising!