Not San Pedro's Finest Moments

It's been a tough week for the Police Department in San Pedro. Or rather, it's been a tough week on the public perception of the San Pedro Police Department. From everything I have read the past two months, the police are not concerned with how the public views them, only the people who hire them, the politicians.

Now I will clarify right off the bat that I am no reporter, and much of what is below is from the TV coverage and newspaper, but It also includes personal conversations with a number of the locals, and their first hand experience with San Pedro's finest. And it isn't pretty.

The first news story that came to my attention was the transfer of the Police Chief from San Pedro. According to the papers many residents had been complaining to their councillors about the by the book approach to law enforcement. They preferred a more laid back approach, more suited to the way things are done on the island. The complaints worked and she will be moved out by the new year. Guess this could happen anywhere, but they may end up regretting this, as the following incidents illustrate.

On Dec 15 there was a big fundraiser in Times Square, not an uncommon occurrence there. The square is the main public gathering place right by the beach, about the mid point of the Town. The park is full of street vendors and food carts, a play area for kids and open spots for mingling. At some point during the evening a fight broke out and three officers came into to break it up. As is always the case, curious on lookers stop to see what is going on, and a bit of a crowd gathers. This went on for a few minutes, when one of the officers pulled out his gun and aimed it at the crowds, hand on trigger ( albeit safety on) and told everyone to back off. You can imagine how surprised everyone was: vendors, locals, taxi drivers, tourists; then even more so when they hauled out pepper spray and fired it directly at the crowds. Not a nice finish to the fundraiser.

Two nights later, another incident, this one even worse. The Tackle Box is a small pub on a dock right in Town, one that I visited during my stays there. This incident was viewed by a number of people right there at the pub, including several expats, one of which captured the drama on his cellphone. At some point in the evening there were some words exchanged between two men, one of whom thought another was getting a little too close to his woman on the dance floor. Never amounted to much, but as the man and woman left the bar, they're were greeted by officers who proceeded to hammer on the man with batons, then on the woman when she tried to stop it. One jammed the barrel of his gun into the mans mouth, while the other put the boots to the woman as she lay on the ground. Both were bloodied quite badly, and ultimately charged with assaulting a police officer. This is now two incidents where expats were direct observers, and as they bring a lot of money into the economy, they tend to be heard. We shall see.

After hearing these stories, they lead a little credence to a story related to me by one young man who will be on crutches for some time. He was with his buddies at a party when the police came in looking for contraband, which my guess is that someone had. He had gone outside and laid down on the ground with his hands on his head, where an officer shot him in the leg when he didn't get the answers he wanted to his questions. After the other occurrences, I am now inclined to believe it.

All in all, cause for sober second thought in relocating there.

I'm Going Home

Guess that is it for my little journey in 2012. Heading for the airport in San Pedro, and with a stop over in Miami, I'll be home by midnight. Have a bunch of stuff to catch up on the blog but thought I would add another tune finished off down here, as it is most appropriate for the day. Gonna try and get a few of these recorded over Christmas.

I'm Going Home
By M. Smith


I stumbled through
Trying to find my way
Didn't have a clue
Where I'd end up that day

The lights were bright
Out in front of me
Still that winding road
Was just to dark to see

And I'm going home
I'm going home

I've been away
For far too long
And I'd have to stop and think
When it's been since I've been gone

But I'm going home
I'm going home
I'm going home
I'm going home

There's been many roads
Many journeys
Many friends along the way
But for all the time spent searching
Never found that place to stay

So I'm going home
I'm going home
I'm going home
I'm going home

There's another town
In the glow ahead
I'll be passing through
Or maybe stay awhile instead

Finding Mitch

Well, I found Mitch tonight. No, not me, still figuring that out.

Headed down to BCs bar to get a burrito before staring the night. Was enjoying a Bellikin when I heard " Mitch, get out of the water and come here, it's time to go home". After looking to see a cute blonde standing beside me , I said " can you give me a minute to finish my beer first". After getting a sharp look I laughed and told her I thought you were talking to me, my name is Mitch. Her eyes lit up and she said that I had to meet her son.

Mitch, who is 11, was born in Belize where his parents had moved for a different lifestyle. When his Mom introduced us, he said that I was the first Mitch he had met, ever. He hated his name, it rhymed with " witch, snitch, bitch, and so on" and the kids at school teased him regularly. I knew where he was coming from, so I told him a little story, a true story.

" Mitch, when I was young there was a show on TV called Supercar. One of the characters in the show was a monkey named Mitch. The kids at school tormented me with that for years, Mitch the monkey they would say, and it got so I wouldn't let anyone call me anything but Mitchell. But the point came when I started wearing the name as a badge of honor. It was unique and I became very proud of it. So two things will come from this Mitch. People won't Forget your name as it is unique, and secondly, you really won't care what people say anyway as time goes on, as you will have taken anything they can throw at you and come out on top."

So we shook hands and I told him to wear that name with his head held high, cause it is a name to be proud of. Mitch left smiling.

Diving in Ambergris Caye With Scuba Steve

As you walk around Town you will see the occasional sign that says " San Pedro is a quaint little drinking village, with a diving problem". There are variations on this, "fishing problem" etc, but they are all quite true. Much drinking, much diving, much fishing goes on in this place. All along the east beach you will find shop after shop offering diving courses, tours, and rentals. If you are an old diving pro you can charter your own boat and do your own dives. But for the new open water diver, like myself, this is the place to be as the entire coast is full of one exciting dive site after another, anything from 30 up to 100 feet giving you lots of time to get your dive count up, and gain the necessary experience, before moving onto other areas with more challenging dives.

The reason for such excellent diving is the Barrier Reef. It is approximately 300 km long paralleling the coast anywhere from just offshore to 16 miles. Through Ambergris Caye, it is less than a km making for easy access by boat for both snorkelers and divers. If you take a look at the map below you will see the wide variety of sites, and types of dives you can take. At all of these you can see an incredible array of wildlife, including from first hand experience; nurse sharks, sea turtles, sting rays, eagle rays, moray eels, groupers, lion fish, piccolo fish, barracuda, jellyfish and a multitude of other fish , some brightly colored and some camouflaged. The reef itself is impressive with beautiful corals and plant life, wrecks, canyons and mounds and it's own life force that makes one marvel every time you get near it.

As mentioned, there are many places to chose in San Pedro to learn to dive or partake in a day of diving. It is interesting talking to people on how they selected their particular dive shop; trip advisor, travel magazines, Internet search, recommendation from friend..but most simply show up here and see what others are doing. My selection for a dive shop was Scuba Steve, and while in San Pedro have used him exclusively. Back in November I had selected Steve to get certified precisely for the same reasons I continue to dive with him; best prices, knowledgeable and careful when it comes to diving, and the laid back approach.

Steve's shop is located right beside Big Daddy's nightclub at the Times Square on Front Street, or purple park as many call it. The office is smaller than a hotel room, and Steve and his staff sit out front greeting people as they walk by. There are generally a number of people around that have gone diving with Steve, often just hanging out for a while, whether they are diving or not. For some divers, this is likely not the place for them. If you are regimented, and get upset if a 10:00 am dive doesn't start right at 10:00 am, you will have your troubles. And you might further get aggravated when it looks like nothing is happening to move things along. You are probably best to try one of the others. But for many, this is a perfect fit.

While these guys may look like they are chilling, once they spring into action, they are quick, efficient, knowledgeable and careful to ensure you are diving within your capabilities. The less experienced are told to stay close to the dive master, and while underwater they take regular checks to make sure all are OK. They don't just take you on a dive, they search out interesting things to see and lead the group here. The equipment is good, and the price of $60 for a two tank dive is as much as 50% of the cost of other dive shops.

Steve's right hand man is Donny. He does everything from setting up the equipment, first mate duties, leading snorkeling and acts as dive master when Steve is not there. Donny has long dreadlocks, talks with a heavy Creole accent, and is super laid back. But you would be wrong to take him for granted. Like Steve he is very sharp, takes everything in, gets very quick reads on people and is über capable in all aspects of the business. On top of that he is a fun guy to be around. Steve also had his boys around showing them the ropes.

Today's dives were to Victoria Tunnels and Mermaid Caverns. Each of the dives was the same, yet completely different. It was also special in a couple of ways. First, there were two young kids there, 13 and 15,  from Whitehorse, who were doing their final checkout dive. This was the second dive I had done with them, and the difference in their confidence and wandering spirit was very noticeable in the span of a few days. Second, this was the deepest I have been yet, standing on the bottom of Mermaid Canyons exactly 100 feet below sea level. A Kodak moment, but with no camera, and I will tell you now that one will come in tow with me on my next trip in the new year.

In summary, go to Ambergris Caye, learn to dive and dive with Scuba Steve.

The Old Pro

It's amazing what a difference a few weeks makes. Went from being a rookie to an old pro. When coming through in early November, I didn't know where to go, how much it was going to cost, what to expect at customs, and so on. I was always worried about missing buses, not getting to the water taxi on time, how long did it take, how do you clear customs in Belize..... I asked everyone that looked like they knew what they were doing, and then asked another person till I felt comfortable. I listened into every discussion where someone who had been there was giving tips. Different story this time, as I was the one being asked the questions, and the one whose conversations people were listening to.Looked like a seasoned traveler.

Towards the end of the bus drive on the way down, a couple sitting in the seats across the row asked if I spoke English, and did I know anything about the water taxi. Told them how it worked, fees involved, where to but the ticket, how to clear customs, and that they shouldn't put their wallet away until they got on the water taxi, as just when you think you are done paying, zap, they get you again. Also assured them not to worry, they had plenty of time to get there, and get on board, and that nothing left till the army showed up. They were a very nice retired couple from New Mexico( it wasn't lost on me that they were only a few years older) who were touring Belize, Guatemala and Costa Rica by bus. I was able to help them on some things to see, including Tikal in Guatemala.

Also met a young American who started out in California, traveled by train, and was there with his bike to cycle through as much of Central America as he could in six weeks. We had a common bond, both lost our debit cards. After hearing the advice his bank gave him, I'm not so down on my bank. It will certainly be one hot ride for him.

All and all a pretty smooth journey. Only comment I will make is that between the bus to Chetumal and the water taxi to San Pedro, there were three movies playing, all inappropriate for the customers. Now keep in mind, there was not a single person under twenty on either of these. The Movies: Sorcerers Apprentice, Beverly Hill Chihuahua 2 and The Tooth Fairy 2. Hmmmmm...

Anyway, arrived safe and sound in San Pedro, have a few days of legwork to do then will coast the rest of the way to Caracol on the 21 Dec.

Tulum Again

The last day at Sandos is generally a little disgruntling for me, as it is usually been only a week in the sun, and meant going right back to work. But this time, I had been there two weeks and was ready to get back on the road. Notwithstanding there was still a full morning to take advantage of the perks on site, so a bit more ocean and buffet, before cleaning up and packing up and dropping off a few tips to key staff.

The final ten days of my trip are going to be based back in Belize. From my efforts in November there is one real opportunity for purchase of a bar on the beach, in San Pedro, and I have put together a long list of questions for discussion with the current owner. Noting is likely to happen before getting home at Christmas, but at least I will leave with everything needed to make a decision. Will scout out living accommodations, local stores, tax structure, etc. Then it will be gut check time.

So Wednesday at noon, I headed to the bus stop to take the first bus heading south, and as it was not possible to make the 3:00 pm water taxi in Chetumal, I would stay wherever it was going. That just happened to be Tulum, which suited me fine as after the visit there two weeks ago, it was easy to find my way around.

This time I decided to check into a different place, and tried out the Chilam Balam Hotel. It is located right on the main road, right beside the Mot Mot Dive Shop. The señorita at the front desk showed me the room, it was basic, neat and clean, had TV and wireless with ceramic tile throughout. For 350 pesos, around $28, it was a bargain and I took the deal. If there was anything negative to say about the room, it was the water pressure in the shower, but that is pretty constant throughout this part of the world. I will give this place a good recommendation on trip advisor, and would not hesitate to stay here next time in Tulum. Even for budget travelers, this would be a great find if you were traveling with a friend as you could stay pretty much for the price of a hostel by splitting the costs.

There are lots of other options available in Tulum, from bed and breakfasts, to hostels, to a series of budget hotels. There were quite a few people driving around town on bikes that advertised Hostel Lobo Tulum, where for $10 US per day you get a bed, breakfast and a bike rental. No idea what the accommodations are like, but that is a deal in anyone's books.

After check in, not having eaten since breakfast, the first order of the day was finding a place to eat and grab a beer. Remembering from the last trip there was a funky little bar down the street near the Ado bus station, off I went. Also by the bus stop is the Weary Traveler hostel, so the area was full of young travelers, and it looked like something right out of the movies. The one called The Beach with Leo Dicaprio jumped to mind, with the long hair, beards, dreadlocks, flower girls with tattoos..you name it. Have to say I admire the young people I have met on this trip, and can only think how nice it would have been to have done the same in my twenties. Oh well, nothing wrong with being fifty something and starting.

The restaurant was as I remembered, small, brightly decorated with a cool bar. If the food was as good as the ambience, then a treat was in store. After a thorough review of the menu, I did what I normally do, and ordered the flank steak tacos. And delicious they were. Nice ambiance, ice cold beer and good food. Now that I was suitably fed and watered, it was back to the Chilam to watch some Netflix on the iPad, and get an early sleep for the travel to Belize the next day.

The water taxi leaves from Chetumal at 3 pm, and the bus from Tulum takes about three and a half hours to get there, so the 10:30 bus gives plenty of time. After checking out and heading to the Ado station around 10, walking by a cafe I noticed my friend from two weeks ago, will call him Bob as he doesn't like having his picture taken or using his real name in print. So I sat down for a quick chat with him and the young lady he was sporting, and one thing led to another, and there we were making a run at 5 for 100 pesos Coronas. Guess that meant another night in Tulum.

Now Bob from Boston, is quite a character, is a big Bruins fan and surprisingly well versed in hockey tradition and history. He liked my Toronto Maple Leaf joke about " what won't you find hanging on the wall at the Air Canada Center? A coloured picture of the last Toronto Stanley Cup win." Three weeks ago he was looking for a job, found one, then quit because they asked him to do a lot of "accounting", and he was no good at math. He loves Mexico and wants to live here, and find a Mexican wife. That lead to a discussion on how attractive the women are in this part of the world. I mentioned in Belize that the women averaged out some where between pretty and beautiful, and that 1 in 5 was simply stunning. He nodded that it was not quite that good in Mexico with only 2 in 10 stunning. I understood the math issue at that point. It was an enjoyable afternoon with Bob, we said our goodbyes and good luck on our respective quests, and I headed back to check in at Chilam.

Supper was at Don Cafeto, another dandy, and I decided to step outside the taco box, and ordered grilled chicken. Before the main course they bought out a bowl of pickled veggies and hot peppers, and two sauces, as he said " this is the hot one, and the other is the really hot one". Neither was as hot as the first pepper I bit into. Holy crap, smoke was flying out of my nose and it took five minutes to start breathing normal again. Couldn't even taste the chicken when it got there. Will I ever learn? I sat there reading Dracula, which incidentally Is quite an enjoyable read, and sipped a few Sol. Once the band started, it was time to leave as mariachi music is a bit tedious after a few songs. So I headed off to El Capitans to continue sipping and reading.

Found out an interesting tid bit while here. One thing I have noticed on this and the previous visit, was that you could order a Sol, or a Corona, in any restaurant, but could not get both. The owner of El Capitans told me that Corona pays for her liquor license, so that they serve only products Corona distributes. So the game is on, Corona vs Sol.

The bar was busy and hopping, and after a few minutes I was joined at the table by another couple. Let's call them Brad and Angelina. They were formerly from BC, and just got title to their property in Tulum (LOL...as I am writing this the bus driver just pulled over to the side of the highway and headed for the bushes. Don't think he's getting a coffee) and plan to start building next week. They came to Tulum first nine years ago because of the nude beach, and being they were nudists, it made for a good fit. After seven years vacationing to get an all round tan, they moved here two years ago. Nice people, and Brad had some great advice to depart on the bar business as he bought a fixer upper fifteen years ago, before turning it into a success and ultimately selling it. We were joined by a friend of theirs , formerly of Vermont, who now called Tulum home.

Another great unexpected night on the road. Finished it by buying my bus and water taxi tickets for the next day, and here I am riding the coach in comfort listening to I wonderful tunes. Will be in San Pedro by 5.

This Ain't No Crisis

I have become a big fan of the Songwriter App on my iPad. It is a great tool, including help with ideas, rhyming, phrases, showing chords, framing the song and so on. It also allows you to record the song with the iPad or external mike, so you don't forget what it is supposed to sound like. This is very helpful as once you start getting to twenty plus songs, you start to forget some of what you actually wrote. So on my trip I have been using it to write new songs, but also get the old ones on the system. The tally is 24 completed, seven under construction with another dozen ideas/titles in queue.

Here is one I wrote a couple of years ago when I first started thinking about a detour. I was reminded of the words when punching the song into the iPad, and how close it is to what I am actually doing.

This Ain’t No Crisis
By M. Smith

He wants a faster car
He wants to own his own bar
Wants’ to do all the things he hasn’t done so far
He wants a cool guitar
Wants to learn how to strum
Wants to write the music that he hasn’t yet sung
They tell him that it’s just a phase he is passing through
He’s just feeling the feelings, and doing the things that any middle age man will do

But this ain’t no crisis.
It’s just the way he feels
This ain’t no crisis
Everything you see is real
You can tell him that he’s crazy, that he’ll come around, but he won’t hear what you say
So get on board, come along for the ride, or just get outta his way
This ain’t no crisis
This ain't no crisis
This ain't no crisis
No middle age crisis
NO, NO, NO

He wants to travel the world
Live in a hut on the beach
Wants’ to do a little dancing, with the senioritas
Speak a little Spanish
Margaritas and beer
Live for the moment, and grow his long hair
They tell him that it’s just an aging man and his fantasies
But his heads' on his shoulders, his ass is in gear, it’s his new reality

This ain’t no crisis
It’s just the way he feels
This ain’t no crisis
Everything you hear is real
You can tell him that he’s crazy, that he’ll come around, but he won’t hear what you say
So get on board, come along for the ride, or just get outta his way
This ain’t no crisis
This ain't no crisis.
This ain’t no crisis
No middle age crisis
NO, NO, NO

Sandos Wildlife

Here are a few pictures showing the wide range of wildlife to be found around and near the resort.

Not exactly sure what these birds are called, but they are all around the resort, and appear to be some of the smarter birds you will find. They use the fountain to cool off, are extremely cautious and hang out at the buffet. We watched one survey the room, then hop on a table and pick up a package of dairy creamer from the jar, then fly up to a perch and proceed to tear the package and eat away.

I spend a lot of time watching the pelicans fly along the beach stalking fish, then diving down for dinner. Initially I did not think they had a high success rate as there were only a few times they showed up with a decent size fish. However, when one dove in within ten feet of me I realized they actually go after the schools of smaller fish, taking in as many as can. After each dive it takes them about 30 seconds before they fly again.

         

Really like this shot of a pelican taking off after a dive.













There are  a few of these iguanas around the resort, although they tend to keep to themselves. A couple of photographers carry two around to try and sell photos to the tourists.

These are called coati, and look like a cross between a racoon and a monkey. There are dozens of these around, and they seem to hang out at the path leading to the adults only section. They are very friendly, but freek out quite a few people  when they come begging for food.

Lots of barracuda here, although I did not actually see one in the water myself. This one was caught by a tiny little girl who wasn't much bigger than the fish she was carrying. Many of the people staying here at Sandos bring their own gear and fish in the surf off the shore just south of the resort. They are quite successful.

And last but not least another shot of my good friend Ballsy, the leader of the pack. This was him saying good bye to me this morning, or at least that's the way I see it.

Hard Days at the Office

Doing nothing is not as easy as people think it is, because in fact, it is not doing nothing, it is doing something you want to do not something you are required to do. So I treat every day as a day on the job, albeit a dream job if only on a two month contract. Terms of employment are not really terms rather ideas, goals are specific but flexible subject to constant change, and there is no penalty for missing deadlines.

My office for three days on my own at Sandos is at the Elite Pool, with a wicker table and chair, a queen size bed, view of the ocean and easy access to buffets, bars and beach. The three Bs if you will.

As opposed to not getting out of bed till 8:30 back in the world, I am up every day at 5:00 to see the sun rise at 6:05, do some stretching and gather the tools of the trade into my beach bag and secure tech bag. I have the pick of any chair, bed or section of sand as I am first up at the resort.

Once I have secured the prime location, I lock up the iPad and camera and head out for a half hour long walk to the south end of the beach, where the main exeercise of the day takes place. A stretching routine, 100 pushups, meditation and quick dip in the Caribbean Sea refreshes me for the walk back. After a cappuccino, and a breakfast of bacon, eggs, melon, pineapple, apple and watermelon I settle in for a quick nap. Once I wake it is into the ocean for a swim, rinse off in the pool. Then the work begins.

One of my objectives for the trip was to finish off a number of songs, that just wouldn't finish. This is the perfect setting to continue that. Since leaving I have in fact completed a number of songs including: Caribbean Morning, I'm Going Home, This Hold You Have On Me; all started before leaving. While watching the water aerobics last week an idea came for a song called Another Middle Age Girl. It came together in a day and could be the best one to date. Close to completion are I Know Why You Cried and Since I Bought My Cowboy Boots.

But the big stickler is one I tried to get ready for Jenny and Jeff's wedding last year, called the Only Girl in The Room, which is very personal, and I keep changing. The title actually came from a meeting at work when we had a boardroom full of male engineers and contractors, and one lone female. The title just jumped at me, and though the song has nothing to do with work, it has been in the progress ever since.

Tomorrow the road trip starts again, back to Belize. There are eleven days left in my journey, and I intend to make the best of it, ending off at Caracol to see the rebirth of the world at the end of the Mayan calendar. What happens next there, that remains to be seen.

Fun With Louie, Karen and Larry

It was nice to get to Sandos and live in luxury after a month of , well, not living in luxury. While I enjoyed every minute (other than the lost debit card incident) it was time to veg for a bit. Having said that, I quickly learned that an all inclusive is no place to spend time alone. Striking up interesting conversations  with people can be done, but they tend to come in pairs, and are mostly looking to relax and drink exotic cocktails. Further, this is the beach and I had been away from home for a month, and all the bikinis were getting a little hard to handle. So thankfully, two days after getting here, the cavalry came in the form of my wife Mary Lou, and our close friends Larry and Karen. I had arranged for transportation to pick them up at the airport (courtesy of Larry) so they could get here quickly and start the vacation right away. Upon landing, they couldn't find the driver, but after asking around they finally found one that said he was their man, and produced the company info to prove it. Turns out that in fact this wasn't the guy, they have multiple credentials and use them to trick people into using them as a driver. Live and learn.

As I probably mentioned before, we met Larry and Karen in Punta Cana three years ago, and struck up an immediate and lasting friendship, and have subsequently traveled with them three times. Finding compatible people to travel with is not really that easy. I have seen and heard of many examples where friendships have ended, or at least cooled, because of what works at home doesn't always work on the road. But for whatever reason, it works well for us. We do the usual stuff together, lying around on  the beach, drinking, conversation, meals and the odd excursion, but also go our own way when we like without anyone getting their nose out of joint.

The weather all week was perfect, the water warm and the food, drinks and company was excellent. Not alot to talk about day to day, but we did have one memorable night on the Town.

On Thursday night we decided to walk up the beach into the town of Playa del Carmen. That is a 40 minute walk along the front of a series of all inclusive resorts and private residences. When we arrived I brought everyone up to the fountain at the top of the street to wash the sand off their feet in the fountain. I had mine all done and my sandals on while the others had their feet in the water, when the security guard walked up and gave us crap for washing our feet in the fountain. He seemed a bit offended we would do this. Ah well. Lesson 2.

One of the reasons we came in was to try the fish spa that we spotted the previous day. This is done by dangling your feet in an aquarium filled with fish, similar to the ones you see eating algae in fish tanks, and letting them go at your feet for fifteen minutes. The fish secreets some sort of enzyme that dissolves dead and damaged skin on your feet, allowing them to digest it and fill their bellies. If there is reincarnation, hope I don't come back as one of those.

Now my daughter won't even let me put my feet anywhere near her, they are so scaled, so I knew the fish were in for a major feast with me. The young lad running the tanks washes your feet with soap and water, and gives you little hospital booties to wear until you start the treatment. As you lower your feet in, the fish attack, and the initial sensation is like having the bottom of your feet tickled. That subsides quickly and while it feels a little wierd, it is no big deal. When your feet come out, there is a significant difference, it appears to work. They apparently have a full body tank as well, but I'd need a little more info on what you wear before getting in and exposing it all to those hungry mouths.

Next we headed to eat at Karen's restaurant, not our Karen's, but that's the actual name of the place. This was where I first ate at the start of my journey, and if you flip to the start of the blog you can get a review. The meals were all excellent and we all left stuffed and satisfied. Now the thing here is I had a 20% off coupon in my back pocket, and forgot all about it, which would have been a $20 savings.

Although we all were tired at that point, I talked the group into going for a drink at the swing bar, after convincing them it was not a swingers bar, or a schwing bar. It was to be a quiet and uneventful way to finish the evening. But alas, that was not the case. Stereotypes are generally the result of the actions of a few, and most people don't fit into these catagories, but, every now an then you actually run into the prototypical stereotype. Well one was sitting at the bar. He was a very loud and obnoxious, and coming from me that says something, shaved head white male with a thick Boston accent, swearing and convincing everyone to take a look at his girlfriends breasts. She in turn was happy to show them off, and in fact pose for pictures. She yelled to everyone that they were real just before pulling down her top. Bet she had second thoughts when she woke up in the morning.

The final part of the night involved us getting scammed, and I will say happily scammed. Along 5th calle, musicians walk from restaurant to restaurant, offering to play a song for a tip. Generally, we just send them along the way. But then we were approached by five young Mexican girls who would sing us a Christmas carol for a tip. You could see the mother watching over them, and you knew that she was going to collect all the money, but the kids were just so darn cute that we  couldn't say no. Each of the girls had a bucket, and we felt compelled to give them all some pesos. This is pure genius, who can say no, and ta boot, you take four times the usual tip.

Fully fed and watered, we took the long walk back along the road and skipped the evening cocktail. Thoroughly enjoyable evening.

The Howlers

This regular interface with Howler monkeys at the Sandos Resort has frankly been one of my favorite experiences of the trip. I had read quite a bit about them based on previous trips here, and seen them in the treetops walking by, but never did I expect to be sitting/standing in the middle of about a dozen members of a howler family.

The first morning of my stay at Sandos, I awoke to a large growl that increased in intensity and lasted about 30 seconds. And when I say loud, I mean loud. Do a quick search on Youtube and you can hear for yourself. After pulling on some pants I headed out to the walkway and there were seven or so monkeys on the railing on the floor above, being fed by a number of people, bananas and apples. After reaching the top of the stairwell I was greeted by the biggest of the group charging right toward me. Since I had not had any previous interaction with them, I took it as a sign of aggression, and stepped back a few paces to show it I was not a threat. After a few times with them, I now realize he was just coming to see if there was any food in hand.

These creatures, which are " black howlers" are considered the gentle group of their species, and it is true. One of the gentlemen who was feeding them remarked that they were like "trained monkeys". My comment was that we are the trained monkeys, they howl, and we come running out of the room to feed them, and they stay only as long as their is something to eat.

The morning after the arrival of ML, L and K, the monkeys again came to our section of the hotel and this time I was ready. With apple in hand I sat on the floor and bit off pieces of the apple, taking turns handing them out. I was absolutely enthralled with this and can understand the gratification people who work with animals feel. This definitely adds a volunteer stint at a wildlife reserve  to my tado list.

On and off during the stay the monkeys return, and each time I go out and feed them, and watch others feed them, there has been no loss of the initial joy and excitement  felt being with them. This morning when handing out a banana and watching them grab and push each other out of the way to get there first, I laughed and thought.." this is proof of evolution. Reminds me exactly of the boys attacking an order of chicken wings at the end of the bar at the  The Lunar Rogue".

The monkeys seem to be fine with human contact, as long as you let them initiate it. They have soft padded hands and long thin nimble fingers that feel like the bottom of a baby's feet. It was a rush standing there holding hands with some of the smaller monkeys as I handed out banana. The entire family travels together, including what looked to be a new born clutching the underside of its mother.

 On a bit of a sad note, a van driving through he resort ran into the howlers crossing the road, and killed one of the younger ones. Apparently the family stayed in the area for about an our not knowing what to do, and howling in grief. Anyone that thinks animals have any less capacity for family and feelings, just doesn't get it.

I have some videos of the time with the monkeys and will post them when home at Christmas.

Sandos Playacar

Sandos Playacar, in Playa del Carmen Mexico is the home base for the vacation package we purchased two years ago. I won´t repeat the story of how we stumbled upon this place here, but if you are interested in it just go back to the April 2010 postings in the other blog on the Blog List at the bottom of this one.

This resort is fantastic from my perspective and just keeps getting better. It consists of three distinct sections; the original section adjacent to the beach that looks very much like many other Caribbean resorts; the Hacienda section which is a series of small buildings of 10 units each with a private pool; and the Riveria or adults only section at the back of the resort which has a sprawling pool, modern large rooms with a jacuzzi, and no kids. Not a whole lot of sense giving a detailed tour of the resort in this blog, as the Sandos web site does it better and prettier. Here is the link:

http://www.sandos.com/hotels/playa-del-carmen/sandos-playacar-beach-resort-spa

 

In our previous three stays, we were in the Riviera section. Because of the distance to the beach, and we are beach people, you have to carry all of your stuff for the day or spend fifteen minutes walking back and forth between your room and beach. This gives a ¨ big resort¨ feel to it, that is not an issue for us, but those who like a smaller venue might feel different. However, this time we booked into the original section right on the beach, and it changed the entire feel of the stay. Forgot something in the room, no problem, take the one minute walk. The Elite Pool, three bars, Elite Lounge, two restaurants, three buffets and Meeting Place are all within a two minute walk. This changed the entire feel, and it is likely that we will stay here in this section whenever we come. Works out nice for when the grand kids come (hint hint).

The beach scene is just fantastic. Much of it was wiped out in a hurricance several years back, but was rebuilt and in my opinion rivals Punta Cana and Varadero. The water is the beautiful turquoise that everyone longs for, and for the walkers, it has miles of sand to travel. The beach itself  is a wide fine coral sand, easy on the feet, and fun for the beach volleyballers, Zumba and all other kind of activities. When the wind is up there are good waves for body surfing though poor swimmers might be intimidated by the pull of the ocean along the beach. Just to the right is a 300 foot long man made reef that is starting to show plant life, but is teeming with many species of  fish.

The food is also most excellent as well. You have your choice of four buffets spread throughout the resort, a couple of snack bars, five a la cart restaurants and a crepe bar at the main lobby. We really only discovered this the last night of Mary Lou, Karen and Larry´s stay, but certainly will not make that mistake on the next trip. My favorite meal this time was at El Gaucho , although for the best overall experience you have to try the Brazilian restaurant and see if you can get through the entire ten courses.

The booze, the booze. Lots of it, and you can find it anywhere on the resort from the time you get up to the time you hit the sack. Bananna Mummas, mohitos, margaritas, wine, beer, scotch...you name it, they got it. For the Elite members, aka black banders, the premium liquors and beer are available.

The other aspect that really is quite neat is the wildlife that is in and around the resort. Cotai, turins, bourrows, lizards, .... and so on, all up close and personal. But the highlight has been the interaction with the howler monkeys, which greet you outside your door most morning looking for bananas and apples. A seprate post will follow on this.

The resort has undergone, and is still in the process, a number of small but impactful changes. Since April they have : expanded the beach bar, added a small buffet at the beach with burgers, fries and the most delicious corn fritters; constructed a new sitting area with couches and tables on the beach; upgraded their internet speed. In process now is construction of a mini beach bar, coffee house in the Hacienda section and a larger and improved Elite Bar. The Sandos group is also expanding the locations to include Cabos San Lucas and Brazil in 2012 and Punta Cana in 2014. Can´t wait.

So, this has been my home away from home for two weeks now, one week on my own, and a week in the middle with Mary Lou and our close friends Larry and Karen . Didn´t think their would be much of interest to report while on a resort, but I was wrong and will follow up with some stories.

Vacation From My Vacation

Guess it is time to get the blog back on track. Have had quite a few emails and messages wondering where I was and what's up. Well, after a hard months work during the first half of my journey, it was time for a break, or a vacation from the vacation if you will. Over the next couple of days things will get updated, and will be back on track by the time I head out on Wednesday.

After three days in Tulum, I packed up the knapsack and headed by bus to Playa del Carmen. It was Wednesday, and although Mary Lou, Larry and Karen were not due to arrive till Sat, at that moment (and all decisions on the journey have been made in the moment) three days in Playa del Carmen  appealed to me more than Tulum. Nothing against Tulum as it is a neat little spot, but I was ready to settle down for a bit. I had emailed  Sandos Playacar Resort to see if I could get in early but was told it was booked up as is often the case around the American Thanksgiving period. However, one of the big lessons learned on he trip so far is that the game always changes when you are face to face, and I felt a little sweet talk would get me in. So, walked over to the bus station, hopped the next available coach and made my way to Sandos.

The next post will provide a good description of the facility, but one important part of my strategy was that we are members of Sandos, and bought a six week per year 25 year package(in anticipation of grand kids) a few years ago. Membership here provides a number of perks and benefits not available to non members. One of the nice ones is a Premium Club where you can check in separate from the rest of the guests, in the comfort of large soft chairs surrounding a bar stocked with premium liquors. So worst outcome would be I would sit around for an hour as I pled my case drinking Sol and tequila, then have to taxi back to a small hotel in Town for a few days. 

However, it was " not a problem Mr Smith" ( was kinda getting used to Big Guy), you can have your room for two weeks. I asked if we were right over the pool and was told " no Mr Smith, you are Oceanside, and will beside the St Thomas's when they arrive". And he was not kidding, we overlooked the beach and ocean, with less than a minute walk to the beach, pool, three bars and buffet. Yippe ki yea. Opened the door to a room with a view and a welcome package of Tequila, Rum, Vodka, Champagne, chocolate dipped strawberries, peanuts and a fridge full of Sol and Dos XX. Some different than the past month.