A huge thanks to Playa.info Peeps who have supplied so much info used not just for this trip but others. It’s about time I did a Trip Report.
A deep and heartfelt thanks to my friends of 22 years. The 1980’s were a long time ago…these gals are proof that the good things in life have staying power no matter how much time and distance separate us from them. I am lucky to call them friends. They are excellent travel companions: Laid back and flexible but also energetic and
funny. It’s wonderful to laugh so hard that your sides hurt before you leave the breakfast table.
My camera got wonky at points, but Annette, Deb, and Laura also took photos. Credit will be given when it’s due, which is often.
Day One, Thursday: 4:00 am is closer to the middle of the night than morning and I thought to do something loud in the backyard to wake up the birds, change things up a bit. But I had something more fun to do – get to Playa. The flight was smooth and uneventful. At baggage claim I could watch for Annette to come through immigration as I watched for my bag.
There she is, hasn’t changed a bit! She flew USA3000 and since the bags were delivered from Terminal 2 we were cutting it close for the 11:45 bus. Speeding through the terminal we exchanged some dollars then approached the ticket counter, “Did we miss the 11:45”
“No, I’ll radio to hold the bus.” Fantastic!
Annette had apparently read my “arriving at the airport” email and had her “No gracias” at the ready when we exited the terminal. Then, a guy from Ado actually met us half way to the bus. The ride was great, we all brought photos and Annette had hers in her shoulder bag so we looked at those, caught up, talked about all kinds of stuff, and before we knew it, we had arrived in Playa.
Since I hadn’t had a cigarette in about 8 hours, I suggested a stop at the Zolcalo before grabbing a taxi. The water was stunning! I forgot how truly incredible it is.
A pic Laura took later in the trip, but this is what you find when you turn right from the bus station to get a taxi
After a quick cab ride to SLC and a smooth check-in, we grabbed some waters at the bar and headed to Mamitas for a bite to eat.
Annette and the quickly changing weather
Fortunately we finished some guac and a beer before wind and rain drove everyone off the beach for cover. 150 wet bodies crammed under a palapa is not as much fun as is sounds. We didn’t hear thunder or see lightening so we decided to dash back to Shangri La and see if Deb and Laura had checked in yet. No dice. After freshening up and inquiring about internet access to check their flights, we found Laura and Deb at the bar. Got a table for a while, laughs were already well under way, and then went to the rooms with some beers. We sat on the porch and brought out our photos from back in the day. We had a great time and a lot more laughs looking at them.
A pic of the Pueblito section. It didn’t seem like many other people made use of the porches. I fully expect someone will soon post, “Oh, you were part of
that group.”
As is often the case with travel days, the evening is a bit of a blur. Dinner was good but I can’t remember what we ate. Was I that tired or was it the beers?