[kgargr]

Sunday, March 12th

Here is the internet cafe across from our hotel .... open air, housed with a laundromat .... 5 pesos for 1/2 hour .. machines are slow, keyboard is spanish, but works well for a quick mail check:




Up early, cup of coffee to go from the Coffee Press just down Calle 2. I think 16 pesos. Aren’t set up to change larger bills. Back to the hotel where the others are getting up. We are going to the fruit stands by the ferry and the bakery on Juarez on the way to the bus station. It is a beautiful day. Minnesota was pretty much grey and brown when we left (no snow), so is wonderful to see the bright pinks and other colors…..

Coffee Press -- a picture actually taken an other day, but made several visits here for a quick caffeine fix



Oh no, Bakery is closed for good.

Carts on way to beach -- we didn't eat there, but plenty of people were:










Flowers on Calle 2 near beach



Fruit stands by beach – pic is from last year, but looks the same. Went from 1$ to 1.5$.



Back to the hotel to grab our beach bags and we start walking up 5<SUP>th</SUP> to Playa Tukan. It is pretty early for Playa … maybe around 9:00 a.m. Many shops are not open, or are just opening.

Arrive at the beach … 95 pesos for 5 chairs, 2 umbrellas. We settle in for the day, lathering on the suntan lotion. It is very windy, the water is beautiful, not crowded yet ….. we hear many languages, just like last year .. Here is a sample of some of the things we ordered from our beach chairs:

‘sex on the beach’ drinks: 40 pesos
quesadillas 45 pesos
beers 20 pesos or so
water 15 pesos

I decided to wander further north …. I walk and walk and walk …. Not considering that I would have to turn around …. It is Sunday, there are many local families on the beach …. I finally get back and swim then collapse.

Gorgeous day, here are a few pics:






Later, I tell the group that there is a 2 for 1 happy hour at a bar farther south on the beach … so we walked along beach to el Paraiso (?) (harder to walk on this section of beach, boat lines, the ‘yellow hotel’ that I am not too fond of, etc.) … we are ready for major margarita action .. oops … this is for beer only. We stayed anyway … very pleasant, relaxing, mariachi band (but sounded different than the ones on 5<SUP>th</SUP>, thank goodness) …, sat there and people watched, had a drink, then out to the street to go back to the hotel.


Kristy and I decide to go and get some pop and snacks for the room .. the front desk shows us two possibilities – one is Walmart .. we decide to go for it. Wow, another ‘sea of humanity’ … we didn’t need to go there for what little we bought. Kind of fun, though, walking around, trying to figure out what to buy On the way, we stopped at a Mexican bakery (much like the one that closed by the bus station) Then back to the hotel, shower, get ready for dinner …. Then the 5 of us head out for the evening …

We arrive at El Oasis …. An all seafood menu, which is why I didn’t eat there last year (younger daughter doesn't eat seafood), but this group is up for it. I am excited …. I try the shrimp taco, also have shrimp for dinner, a margarita …. Jenny tries octopus .. the flavor wasn’t bad, but the texture was too crunchy for me …. needless to say, it did not all get eaten ….. I would definitely eat here again.


My daughter, Gen and I:



Used the playa deal card for a nice discount, then out into the evening …. Not sure what all happened next … a few pictures, perhaps a cocktail, but in fairly early as we were meeting the playa.info people for our Sea to Cenote tour at 7:30 the next morning.


The girls: