Just returned yesterday 6/19 - some photos

Rick1 · 06-20-2003

Just got back from PDC at the Porto Real, got some pictures and
tips. My trip report will be long, but I got some good tips, and not
enough time to catch up, so anyone interested pm me.
Even though weather.com said rainy, thunderstorms and all that
crap. it was beautiful and when it rained (last monday), it just
rained for part of the day, but it was very pleasant. The occasional
light clouds were excellent in order not to get toasted, since you
can still get a nice and safer tan through these light clouds.

We loved it.

In the pictures, look for the "King of Tulum" http://www.pdc.freewebspace.com/photo2.html

Rick

Rick1 · 06-20-2003

Here's some photos to start...

http://pdc.freewebspace.com - It has a "Home" page and a "Photo" page - use the buttons on the left side of the page. She'll post more
pictures upon request.

NiceTom · 06-21-2003

Wow, I wish we had piers like that around here! :o

Mossy · 06-21-2003

Let me borrow a quote from someone else on a different photo thread...

Quote:

I loved all your pix! They are beautiful. You have a very nice sense of composition. Thanks for sharing them.

:o

MoonDance · 06-21-2003

A very interesting collection of photos, indeed. Well, what did Newton know about the laws of gravity anyway.

Rick1 · 06-23-2003

Here we start with some tips. Take enough sunscreen to start, and not spoil your vacation. With Kids make sure your car has AC. We didn't need it for just my wife and myself.

One day, wake up early (6:30), get everything ready, have breakfast
at the Porto (already paid for) and take the 8:00 AM Ferry to Cozumel.
This is the best ferry since it is not as crowded as the next one (10:00
AM) - most crowded, plus you enjoy your day more at Cozumel.
The last ferry returns around 10:00 PM. There are two or three
boat lines, so do some asking since one is faster than the other
one, but on the slower one (10 minutes diff). you can go outside
and enjoy, while the faster one is all A/C and it gets cold inside.
It rained on us on the way about 10 minutes from Cozumel, so
we got inside. Ultramar is the yellow boats which are slower.
On the way back we took the other boat, and they had a video
all the time (inside).

The ferry runs 35 to 40 minutes. You can leave your car parked anywhere on the street close to the ferry pier. Your kids will love the Chankanaab lagoon to snorkel. It is about 12 miles from the ferry. Ferry will cost you $15.00 dlls round trip per person. Chankanaab
will cost you $10.00 dlls per person. You are only allowed to use biodegradable sunscreen at Chankanaab in order to protect the environment, and it is expensive at Chankanaab. You might want to try
it at Walmart (water proof / bio-degradable). You can either take a taxi, rent a small car (44 dlls per day) at Cozumel. We rented a motorcycle
for $28.00 dlls per day. As you get out of the ferry, there is a
nice restaurant right in front of the pier - right there you can ask
the waiter where to rent a vehicle and he'll point you to the guys
who are standing on the corner with some binders, showing you
the photos of the vehicles available for rental. You can also just
take the taxi back and forth from Cozumel, but if you are going
to spend the day, the rental beats the fun of just going wherever
you want for the day.

Forget the weather reports. Even thought if one day it gets rainy, it usually clears in one or two hours and your day will be great. We even at some times preferred a liittle bit of light clouds.

You will find one or two topless at the beach at the Porto Real (so be
aware for your kids), but you might want to walk north (400 yards)
of the Porto Real and spend some time at Playa Tukan, where the
ratio of topless is maybe 40%. If you arrive early (10:00 am) you can rent a bed per $2.50 dlls. for the day, and an umbrella (palapa) for $1.00 dlls per day. These are free using your Playa Deal Card.

If you want to do the ruins (for the cultural thing - which is worth),
you can do on the same day Tulum / Xelha or Tulum / Xcaret.
Xcaret is $40.00 per person, Xelha is less expensive - both are great
for snorkelling. This way you can balance the fun for the kids
since they tend to get a little bit bored at the ruins. Though,
Tulum is beautiful next to the ocean. You can even take your
swimsuits on, and refresh yourself at the beach between the
ruins. Also, make sure you take water and sunscreen since
it gets HOT at the ruins before you reach the seabreeze at
the ruins.

Entrance is $3.70 dlls per person.

Try to hire a 45 minutes english spoken tour guide and split the
cost with another one interesting. The tour can cost $20.00 dlls
which is a great deal if you split it, and this way you can learn more about the ruins (worth it), and will cost you just $10.00 dlls if you split it
among another group or family, etc.

If you plan so snorkel a lot, buy your own gear at
Walmart, otherwise rent there. I prefer my own since who knows
who has used the snorkels before.

The Tulum visit is about 1.5 hours, which if you get there early -
(about a 40 minute drive from Porto Real), you can use your
day very well and balance the ruins/snorkel fun with your kids.
Do the Ruins first, since they will not want to leave if you do it
the other way.

I got more tips, so let me know until when will you be checking
your posts - music to listen, places to have a drink, etc.

megan · 06-26-2003

Great tips!! I will be going to Cozumel and one of the tours. We are staying in Mayan Palace so we will be renting a car. I have the sunscreen and sea lice stuff ready to pack. How is the food? Expensive? I didn't want to do 2 weeks of all inclusive since we want to experience some food other than resort fare. My husband is a dive instructor and wants to do some cave diving. I will spend my time snorkeling. Any good spots you recomend? Thanks again for your help. I have not been to either Cancun or Riveria Maya before and I am a little apprehensive but I am sure we will have a great time.

Rick1 · 06-27-2003

The big difference between Cancun and Playa is that First hand - Cancun
is like travelling to the U.S. - can get quite expensive since you will find
all types of restaurant chains (Planet whatever type, Outback Steakhouse,
McDonald's, Burger King), etc. But, it can get quite interesting if
you research around and ask for the local places - great inexpensive
but freshest seafood at the Mercado 28 - Mariscos El Cejas - I mean
the freshest. Here you can also buy souvenirs at very reasonable prices. There's prices for every budget, for all kinds of food.

You might want to check this link:

http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/ellyn/Cancun.html

Playa is for me nicer, more european, everything is on one street
which is closed for cars during the day/night, so you can walk
it and find everything there. The hotels are not Vegas style
(big) as in Cancun.

One tip is: Have a great breakfast, munch on the lunch, and
then go out for a killer and romantic dinner.

At Playa, our usual dinner tab ran between $30.00 dlls. to $65.00 dlls
for two persons. Same applies for Cancun, unless you go to one
of those franchise places, where you can easily spend $80.00 on a dinner
for two. At Playa, for fresh seafood there's the "La Coctelería"
for some some large fresh "shrimp and mixed seafood" cocktail which
runs around $8.00 per person.

Da Bruno in Playa has a very good italian Pizza - which we thought would never feel like eating pizza in Playa, but being hungry and as romantic
as it looks, we definitely made a stop there on our way back from
Cozumel. The individual size Pizza's are good size for two people, and you can complement it with something else and share rather than having a pizza per each person. Or course, we eat in moderation.

Check out the restaurants and Fifth Avenue:

http://pdc.freewebspace.com/photo2.html

BMK1951 · 06-28-2003

Thanks for shareing your photos with us, Rick. I'm curious, in wf4.jpg - what are those things that look like a mix of an afro that's turned into a tumbleweed? Are they a new trendy beach hat?

I should think they'd make you sneeze a lot as they'd tickle your nose something awesome. :lol:

Glad you had a good time. Hope you had a chance to sample some of Playa's restaurants. I know with an AI plan the tendancy is to want to get your money's worth. Playa has so many good places to eat, the next time I come I may go EP and do lunch and dinner in town.

el wackjob · 06-30-2003

Now THOSE are some vacation pics!

GB Rick's wife. You're a lucky man.

Rick1 · 07-08-2003

Hey BMK,

That's seaweed I got from another beach since there's no seaweed
at that beach. The closest I could find to respect the privacy of these
people. The agreed to put it on - I said - hey, "I'm taking some pictures
of my wife so put this on"

We did try the restaurants... one each night - well worth it. I would
definitely go EP next time unless one eats all meals at the hotel
to get the money's worth and just gets some drinks outside, but
the experience of dining out in Playa is worth it.

Thank you Wackjob... I agree with you. As per some requests I'll keep adding pictures to the site as they become available. Look for the
king of Tulum on: http://www.pdc.freewebspace.com/photo2.html

Can't wait to get back.

06-20-2003	#1 (permalink)
Rick1 toe in water Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 52	Just returned yesterday 6/19 - some photos Just got back from PDC at the Porto Real, got some pictures and tips. My trip report will be long, but I got some good tips, and not enough time to catch up, so anyone interested pm me. Even though weather.com said rainy, thunderstorms and all that crap. it was beautiful and when it rained (last monday), it just rained for part of the day, but it was very pleasant. The occasional light clouds were excellent in order not to get toasted, since you can still get a nice and safer tan through these light clouds. We loved it. In the pictures, look for the "King of Tulum" http://www.pdc.freewebspace.com/photo2.html Rick

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

06-20-2003	#2 (permalink)
Rick1 toe in water Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 52	Here's some photos to start... http://pdc.freewebspace.com - It has a "Home" page and a "Photo" page - use the buttons on the left side of the page. She'll post more pictures upon request.

06-21-2003	#3 (permalink)
NiceTom life=playa Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 542	Wow, I wish we had piers like that around here! :o

06-21-2003	#5 (permalink)
MoonDance way into it Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 181	A very interesting collection of photos, indeed. Well, what did Newton know about the laws of gravity anyway.

06-23-2003	#6 (permalink)
Rick1 toe in water Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 52	Here we start with some tips. Take enough sunscreen to start, and not spoil your vacation. With Kids make sure your car has AC. We didn't need it for just my wife and myself. One day, wake up early (6:30), get everything ready, have breakfast at the Porto (already paid for) and take the 8:00 AM Ferry to Cozumel. This is the best ferry since it is not as crowded as the next one (10:00 AM) - most crowded, plus you enjoy your day more at Cozumel. The last ferry returns around 10:00 PM. There are two or three boat lines, so do some asking since one is faster than the other one, but on the slower one (10 minutes diff). you can go outside and enjoy, while the faster one is all A/C and it gets cold inside. It rained on us on the way about 10 minutes from Cozumel, so we got inside. Ultramar is the yellow boats which are slower. On the way back we took the other boat, and they had a video all the time (inside). The ferry runs 35 to 40 minutes. You can leave your car parked anywhere on the street close to the ferry pier. Your kids will love the Chankanaab lagoon to snorkel. It is about 12 miles from the ferry. Ferry will cost you $15.00 dlls round trip per person. Chankanaab will cost you $10.00 dlls per person. You are only allowed to use biodegradable sunscreen at Chankanaab in order to protect the environment, and it is expensive at Chankanaab. You might want to try it at Walmart (water proof / bio-degradable). You can either take a taxi, rent a small car (44 dlls per day) at Cozumel. We rented a motorcycle for $28.00 dlls per day. As you get out of the ferry, there is a nice restaurant right in front of the pier - right there you can ask the waiter where to rent a vehicle and he'll point you to the guys who are standing on the corner with some binders, showing you the photos of the vehicles available for rental. You can also just take the taxi back and forth from Cozumel, but if you are going to spend the day, the rental beats the fun of just going wherever you want for the day. Forget the weather reports. Even thought if one day it gets rainy, it usually clears in one or two hours and your day will be great. We even at some times preferred a liittle bit of light clouds. You will find one or two topless at the beach at the Porto Real (so be aware for your kids), but you might want to walk north (400 yards) of the Porto Real and spend some time at Playa Tukan, where the ratio of topless is maybe 40%. If you arrive early (10:00 am) you can rent a bed per $2.50 dlls. for the day, and an umbrella (palapa) for $1.00 dlls per day. These are free using your Playa Deal Card. If you want to do the ruins (for the cultural thing - which is worth), you can do on the same day Tulum / Xelha or Tulum / Xcaret. Xcaret is $40.00 per person, Xelha is less expensive - both are great for snorkelling. This way you can balance the fun for the kids since they tend to get a little bit bored at the ruins. Though, Tulum is beautiful next to the ocean. You can even take your swimsuits on, and refresh yourself at the beach between the ruins. Also, make sure you take water and sunscreen since it gets HOT at the ruins before you reach the seabreeze at the ruins. Entrance is $3.70 dlls per person. Try to hire a 45 minutes english spoken tour guide and split the cost with another one interesting. The tour can cost $20.00 dlls which is a great deal if you split it, and this way you can learn more about the ruins (worth it), and will cost you just $10.00 dlls if you split it among another group or family, etc. If you plan so snorkel a lot, buy your own gear at Walmart, otherwise rent there. I prefer my own since who knows who has used the snorkels before. The Tulum visit is about 1.5 hours, which if you get there early - (about a 40 minute drive from Porto Real), you can use your day very well and balance the ruins/snorkel fun with your kids. Do the Ruins first, since they will not want to leave if you do it the other way. I got more tips, so let me know until when will you be checking your posts - music to listen, places to have a drink, etc.

06-26-2003	#7 (permalink)
megan sandflea Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2	Great tips!! I will be going to Cozumel and one of the tours. We are staying in Mayan Palace so we will be renting a car. I have the sunscreen and sea lice stuff ready to pack. How is the food? Expensive? I didn't want to do 2 weeks of all inclusive since we want to experience some food other than resort fare. My husband is a dive instructor and wants to do some cave diving. I will spend my time snorkeling. Any good spots you recomend? Thanks again for your help. I have not been to either Cancun or Riveria Maya before and I am a little apprehensive but I am sure we will have a great time.

06-27-2003	#8 (permalink)
Rick1 toe in water Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 52	The big difference between Cancun and Playa is that First hand - Cancun is like travelling to the U.S. - can get quite expensive since you will find all types of restaurant chains (Planet whatever type, Outback Steakhouse, McDonald's, Burger King), etc. But, it can get quite interesting if you research around and ask for the local places - great inexpensive but freshest seafood at the Mercado 28 - Mariscos El Cejas - I mean the freshest. Here you can also buy souvenirs at very reasonable prices. There's prices for every budget, for all kinds of food. You might want to check this link: http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/ellyn/Cancun.html Playa is for me nicer, more european, everything is on one street which is closed for cars during the day/night, so you can walk it and find everything there. The hotels are not Vegas style (big) as in Cancun. One tip is: Have a great breakfast, munch on the lunch, and then go out for a killer and romantic dinner. At Playa, our usual dinner tab ran between $30.00 dlls. to $65.00 dlls for two persons. Same applies for Cancun, unless you go to one of those franchise places, where you can easily spend $80.00 on a dinner for two. At Playa, for fresh seafood there's the "La Coctelería" for some some large fresh "shrimp and mixed seafood" cocktail which runs around $8.00 per person. Da Bruno in Playa has a very good italian Pizza - which we thought would never feel like eating pizza in Playa, but being hungry and as romantic as it looks, we definitely made a stop there on our way back from Cozumel. The individual size Pizza's are good size for two people, and you can complement it with something else and share rather than having a pizza per each person. Or course, we eat in moderation. Check out the restaurants and Fifth Avenue: http://pdc.freewebspace.com/photo2.html

06-28-2003	#9 (permalink)
BMK1951 way into it Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 173	Thanks for shareing your photos with us, Rick. I'm curious, in wf4.jpg - what are those things that look like a mix of an afro that's turned into a tumbleweed? Are they a new trendy beach hat? I should think they'd make you sneeze a lot as they'd tickle your nose something awesome. :lol: Glad you had a good time. Hope you had a chance to sample some of Playa's restaurants. I know with an AI plan the tendancy is to want to get your money's worth. Playa has so many good places to eat, the next time I come I may go EP and do lunch and dinner in town.

06-30-2003	#10 (permalink)
el wackjob sandflea Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mountains Posts: 9	Now THOSE are some vacation pics! GB Rick's wife. You're a lucky man.

07-08-2003	#11 (permalink)
Rick1 toe in water Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 52	Hey BMK, That's seaweed I got from another beach since there's no seaweed at that beach. The closest I could find to respect the privacy of these people. The agreed to put it on - I said - hey, "I'm taking some pictures of my wife so put this on" We did try the restaurants... one each night - well worth it. I would definitely go EP next time unless one eats all meals at the hotel to get the money's worth and just gets some drinks outside, but the experience of dining out in Playa is worth it. Thank you Wackjob... I agree with you. As per some requests I'll keep adding pictures to the site as they become available. Look for the king of Tulum on: http://www.pdc.freewebspace.com/photo2.html Can't wait to get back.

register to remove these adverts