minniemex
29th November 2006, 01:50 PM
I had to break up the report, as it was to long for this forum - oh my gosh, now I have to edit for smileys!!
DAY 1
For a change, we did not have to get up in the middle of the night to travel to the airport - our flight did not leave until 10:30AM. Our friend who always drives us to the airport even commented on being able to "sleep in" for a change. Got to the airport in plenty of time, good seats already assigned, plane on time, what more could a person ask for?? We arrived early to Cancun - good thing/bad thing I have learned to discover - when your flight is early, the gate is usually still occupied - so you have to wait - finally gate is available & we disembark. I have never got off the plane in Cancun at a "Gate", & you actually go thru where people are waiting to board the plane & go down a flight of stairs to immigration - strange - a lot of people were confused including myself - No problems with immigration, as we do travel with passports - all luggage arrived & we get a green light!! YEAhttp://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/18.gif Now for the gauntlet - we have prearranged transport with Get Dita - find out Saturday is their busiest day, and we have to wait 45mns for a ride - kinda bummed me out - but - gave us time to use the cash machine - whoops, pin number does not work, pangs of fear run amuck in my stomach - NO MONEY?? But we had brought a sizable amount of cash & backup card, just not as much $'s in this account & I had paid for everything in advance, hotel, transfers - Our ride finally arrives around 4PM & we are off - our driver is starved, as he has had no time to stop for anything to eat so we said stop & get something - we stopped at the 7-11 (weird) & we got cervesas & he got a sandwich & pop - Francisco was a very talkative driver & we enjoyed our trip down to Tulum. He stopped at the bank for us to convert dollars to pesos, but the bank was already closed - no worries - most every one takes US dollars!! We finally arrive at Cabanas Tulum - I was very pleased, as it was as represented - got our room key, unloaded our luggage & returned to the restaurant for something to eat & drink. I wanted a Sangria, but had to settle for a cervesa - & we both had a chicken dinner - very basic, but very tasty - the restaurant here is just that - basic, tasty & economical - their prices are decent. ( we started later in the week eating on our patio - much better ambiance ) By this time I am beat & we head back to the room, read alittle & fall gently asleep listening to the waves beat the beach - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
A short word on Cabanas Tulum here - the resort/hotel was built in the 70's & everything in the room & bathroom is still from that era - the room has been repainted & was very clean & neat, just sparse looking. Each room has 2 double beds that sit on top of a concrete pedestal. There was not any dresser of any sorts to unpack your luggage to, just an area that served as a closet with a shelf 18" off the floor, with just a few hangers - We used the extra bed as our "dresser" & all worked out well - of course the beds were hard, but all beds are hard in Mexico!! We had no hot water our first day & half (it was Sunday), but was fixed first thing Monday - shower pressure was fine! I forgot to mention they gave us the key to the room next door to shower. The bathrooms were very clean & the fixtures were corroded as always, with being so close to the salt water. People have mentioned that the water is salty - did not taste the water to find out but seemed just fine to me. The room also had 2 plug ins on the wall for recharging batteries & such - just had to be aware to do it while the electricity was on. I am sorry but I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the room.
Day 2
Woke up early as we had fallen asleep early - got to see our first sunrise - beautiful - I wish pictures could capture the true colors better - They were gorgeous!! Since it is only 6:00AM & breakfast does not start until 7:30AM in the morning, we take a walk down the beach. This was to become our morning ritual - a walk on the beach every morning before breakfast. Can I handle this?? We ate at the restaurant at Cabanas Tulum, I had Mexican eggs, & my husband had boiled - a very good breakfast & inexpensive - We decided to explore - set out with only our suits on & walked North - we did not take the camera & ended up walking all the way to Zama's - It got alittle dicey going around Maya Tulum, but we made it. We decided to just have a drink, as we were not hungry, checked out the menu & then walked back to Cabanas Tulum. Of course, we kept jumping in & out of the ocean on our way & what a beautiful ocean it is!! We had a snack at our restaurant & then walked south on the beach. We needed to scout out where we were going to have dinner - & decided we would try Los Lirios. Back to the room, short reading session on the patio, & then "Pedro" showed up on our doorstep. Who's Pedro?? Why he is the man who makes his own hammocks & supports his whole family with his trade. He is originally from Merida & has not sold a hammock for 2 days & has an empty wallet.(He showed us) Poor Pedrohttp://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/17.gif I know nothing about hammocks, except that I would love one! I have no idea what a hammock costs, but I liked it - lots - & my husband knew it was a hopeless cause & wrangled a deal with my new friend Pedro. I can say, we probably bought Pedro's & his familys groceries for the week. My husband could only say it was yet another thing we have to bring with us every time - I said I needed it in our family room to watch T.V. from. Thank goodness he loves me! After lounging in my new hammock for an appropriate length of time, we shower & dress for dinner - just means husband puts on a clean swim suit & a shirt, and I dress in shorts & top - I cannot say how fun it was to go out every night & never put a pair of shoes on!! It was pitch black but there were some lights & we did have a flashlight as we headed over to Los Liros. We started at the bar, as it was happy hour, I got my Sangria, husband had cervesa - it was the best Sangria of the trip!! I really liked the ambiance of the restaurant & after our "Happy Hour", we sat down to eat. Again we both ordered chicken, mine was some Yucatan specialty, my husbands was just grilled. We had a chuckle, cause the menu said "friendly fries" & we thought it was supposed to be "french fries", but joke was on us - no french fries, but some sort of cellophane looking noodle that tasted like fish. Oh, forgot to mention, I have gross allergies to seafood & some fish, never know which, so I just steer clear of any, & DH does the same, as sometimes I imagine it gets to me through osmosis. We finish dinner & head home - some more book time & then http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/07.gif
Day 3
Up at sunrise again - so beautiful - such a fresh new day!
We eat breakfast at Tita Tulum - I am in love! I love the restaurant, sitting outside, sipping my coffee staring at the ocean ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - can it get any better than that?? We continue on down the beach south today - walk an hour south - we have no clue how far we are (distance wise) - find the perfect beach to relax & drink in the rays & play in the water - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - I feel so free!! Our own "Playa Desnudo" "El cielo en la tierra" We want to rent a car today, so we head back to Cabanas Tulum. Call for a cab from Cabanas Tulum,Senor at the desk tells me it shouldn't be any more than 34 pesos & if it is, don't get in, and he will call for another cab. Well, taxi shows, says 60 pesos, & I call Senor at the desk, he comes out - they have huge discussion in Spanish, & Senor says, "OK - 60 pesos" & we get in the cab with an angry driver. NOT my cup of tea. But we do make it to Tulum, rent the car from Buster, which I had read about on the forums. You do not get a deal renting on the spot I discovered - had I arranged the rental ahead of time I would have saved over $60.00 for the 3 days -( remember that - easier to book on the internet & then cancel if you change your plans ) - The car we got had been through the wringer!! He actually had the nerve to list all the bumps & bruises on the sheet with the picture of the car - it looked like a spider web with all the lines drawn to the car - I wish I had taken a picture - it was like if I put a new dent in the car, next to the other 5, they were going to charge me for it !?!?!? I am sure that car has been paid for at least twice over already for damages charged!! OK, I still take pictures of the car with my digital - I do not want to pay for a "Pre dent".
We drive all of 2 blocks down the road & dine at the famous "Don Cafeto's" . I had my Sangria again, not the best, but definitely the strongest! The food was great - met my expectations! We return to Cabanas Tulum, alittle reading, & early to bed - big plans for tomorrow - ummmmmmmmmmmmmm - sounds of surf lulling me to sleep.
DAY 1
For a change, we did not have to get up in the middle of the night to travel to the airport - our flight did not leave until 10:30AM. Our friend who always drives us to the airport even commented on being able to "sleep in" for a change. Got to the airport in plenty of time, good seats already assigned, plane on time, what more could a person ask for?? We arrived early to Cancun - good thing/bad thing I have learned to discover - when your flight is early, the gate is usually still occupied - so you have to wait - finally gate is available & we disembark. I have never got off the plane in Cancun at a "Gate", & you actually go thru where people are waiting to board the plane & go down a flight of stairs to immigration - strange - a lot of people were confused including myself - No problems with immigration, as we do travel with passports - all luggage arrived & we get a green light!! YEAhttp://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/18.gif Now for the gauntlet - we have prearranged transport with Get Dita - find out Saturday is their busiest day, and we have to wait 45mns for a ride - kinda bummed me out - but - gave us time to use the cash machine - whoops, pin number does not work, pangs of fear run amuck in my stomach - NO MONEY?? But we had brought a sizable amount of cash & backup card, just not as much $'s in this account & I had paid for everything in advance, hotel, transfers - Our ride finally arrives around 4PM & we are off - our driver is starved, as he has had no time to stop for anything to eat so we said stop & get something - we stopped at the 7-11 (weird) & we got cervesas & he got a sandwich & pop - Francisco was a very talkative driver & we enjoyed our trip down to Tulum. He stopped at the bank for us to convert dollars to pesos, but the bank was already closed - no worries - most every one takes US dollars!! We finally arrive at Cabanas Tulum - I was very pleased, as it was as represented - got our room key, unloaded our luggage & returned to the restaurant for something to eat & drink. I wanted a Sangria, but had to settle for a cervesa - & we both had a chicken dinner - very basic, but very tasty - the restaurant here is just that - basic, tasty & economical - their prices are decent. ( we started later in the week eating on our patio - much better ambiance ) By this time I am beat & we head back to the room, read alittle & fall gently asleep listening to the waves beat the beach - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
A short word on Cabanas Tulum here - the resort/hotel was built in the 70's & everything in the room & bathroom is still from that era - the room has been repainted & was very clean & neat, just sparse looking. Each room has 2 double beds that sit on top of a concrete pedestal. There was not any dresser of any sorts to unpack your luggage to, just an area that served as a closet with a shelf 18" off the floor, with just a few hangers - We used the extra bed as our "dresser" & all worked out well - of course the beds were hard, but all beds are hard in Mexico!! We had no hot water our first day & half (it was Sunday), but was fixed first thing Monday - shower pressure was fine! I forgot to mention they gave us the key to the room next door to shower. The bathrooms were very clean & the fixtures were corroded as always, with being so close to the salt water. People have mentioned that the water is salty - did not taste the water to find out but seemed just fine to me. The room also had 2 plug ins on the wall for recharging batteries & such - just had to be aware to do it while the electricity was on. I am sorry but I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the room.
Day 2
Woke up early as we had fallen asleep early - got to see our first sunrise - beautiful - I wish pictures could capture the true colors better - They were gorgeous!! Since it is only 6:00AM & breakfast does not start until 7:30AM in the morning, we take a walk down the beach. This was to become our morning ritual - a walk on the beach every morning before breakfast. Can I handle this?? We ate at the restaurant at Cabanas Tulum, I had Mexican eggs, & my husband had boiled - a very good breakfast & inexpensive - We decided to explore - set out with only our suits on & walked North - we did not take the camera & ended up walking all the way to Zama's - It got alittle dicey going around Maya Tulum, but we made it. We decided to just have a drink, as we were not hungry, checked out the menu & then walked back to Cabanas Tulum. Of course, we kept jumping in & out of the ocean on our way & what a beautiful ocean it is!! We had a snack at our restaurant & then walked south on the beach. We needed to scout out where we were going to have dinner - & decided we would try Los Lirios. Back to the room, short reading session on the patio, & then "Pedro" showed up on our doorstep. Who's Pedro?? Why he is the man who makes his own hammocks & supports his whole family with his trade. He is originally from Merida & has not sold a hammock for 2 days & has an empty wallet.(He showed us) Poor Pedrohttp://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/17.gif I know nothing about hammocks, except that I would love one! I have no idea what a hammock costs, but I liked it - lots - & my husband knew it was a hopeless cause & wrangled a deal with my new friend Pedro. I can say, we probably bought Pedro's & his familys groceries for the week. My husband could only say it was yet another thing we have to bring with us every time - I said I needed it in our family room to watch T.V. from. Thank goodness he loves me! After lounging in my new hammock for an appropriate length of time, we shower & dress for dinner - just means husband puts on a clean swim suit & a shirt, and I dress in shorts & top - I cannot say how fun it was to go out every night & never put a pair of shoes on!! It was pitch black but there were some lights & we did have a flashlight as we headed over to Los Liros. We started at the bar, as it was happy hour, I got my Sangria, husband had cervesa - it was the best Sangria of the trip!! I really liked the ambiance of the restaurant & after our "Happy Hour", we sat down to eat. Again we both ordered chicken, mine was some Yucatan specialty, my husbands was just grilled. We had a chuckle, cause the menu said "friendly fries" & we thought it was supposed to be "french fries", but joke was on us - no french fries, but some sort of cellophane looking noodle that tasted like fish. Oh, forgot to mention, I have gross allergies to seafood & some fish, never know which, so I just steer clear of any, & DH does the same, as sometimes I imagine it gets to me through osmosis. We finish dinner & head home - some more book time & then http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/tsmileys2/07.gif
Day 3
Up at sunrise again - so beautiful - such a fresh new day!
We eat breakfast at Tita Tulum - I am in love! I love the restaurant, sitting outside, sipping my coffee staring at the ocean ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - can it get any better than that?? We continue on down the beach south today - walk an hour south - we have no clue how far we are (distance wise) - find the perfect beach to relax & drink in the rays & play in the water - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - I feel so free!! Our own "Playa Desnudo" "El cielo en la tierra" We want to rent a car today, so we head back to Cabanas Tulum. Call for a cab from Cabanas Tulum,Senor at the desk tells me it shouldn't be any more than 34 pesos & if it is, don't get in, and he will call for another cab. Well, taxi shows, says 60 pesos, & I call Senor at the desk, he comes out - they have huge discussion in Spanish, & Senor says, "OK - 60 pesos" & we get in the cab with an angry driver. NOT my cup of tea. But we do make it to Tulum, rent the car from Buster, which I had read about on the forums. You do not get a deal renting on the spot I discovered - had I arranged the rental ahead of time I would have saved over $60.00 for the 3 days -( remember that - easier to book on the internet & then cancel if you change your plans ) - The car we got had been through the wringer!! He actually had the nerve to list all the bumps & bruises on the sheet with the picture of the car - it looked like a spider web with all the lines drawn to the car - I wish I had taken a picture - it was like if I put a new dent in the car, next to the other 5, they were going to charge me for it !?!?!? I am sure that car has been paid for at least twice over already for damages charged!! OK, I still take pictures of the car with my digital - I do not want to pay for a "Pre dent".
We drive all of 2 blocks down the road & dine at the famous "Don Cafeto's" . I had my Sangria again, not the best, but definitely the strongest! The food was great - met my expectations! We return to Cabanas Tulum, alittle reading, & early to bed - big plans for tomorrow - ummmmmmmmmmmmmm - sounds of surf lulling me to sleep.