Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The last day of the vacation and Colleen and I can sense a heaviness in the air. Neither of us wants it to end, but at the same time we both realize it cannot go on forever.
We woke early. Going to bed as early as we do lends itself to that. We were stunned to see that pool chairs had "been taken" by people simply putting out flip flops, books, and other minimal items to secure their preferred spot. We decided we too would try this ploy and I ran downstairs with our sunscreen and my unused pair of sandals to mark the two chairs we wanted. The wind promised once again to be howling and we knew we weren't about to try to deal with the sand again.
Since we hadn't had coffee in the room, we chose instead to head to the buffet as quickly as possible. The food at breakfast is without question the best meal served in the buffet. From there it was quickly to the room to change into swim gear and down for some sun by the pool. I will admit that even with SPF 50 on, I still managed to get burnt a bit and Colleen also managed to get cooked in some spots we apparently didn't do a good job of covering. We managed roughly four hours out there until we both felt we were risking a really nasty plane ride tomorrow.
Back to the room and mostly laying around to read books and another nap for Colleen. It was nice and cool in the room and I wasn't about to complain. She awoke and we knew it was time for a quick shower and then down to our last dinner so we could come back and begin packing.
A quick diversion with some thoughts about our new home resort. I have mixed feelings about the value of the all inclusive package. We only had 5 meals away from the resort out of a possible 28 total. Still, I am not sure the quality of the food merited the cost. The bar has a terrible selection of alcohols and few if any that could be classified as premium. The beer selection was one on tap, and one available in the mini bar. Neither of them was what I'd call a good one. The time to be here is critical. The first week was mostly families and was significantly laid back. The second week brought mostly college age guests all aggressive, rowdy, and significantly more rude. Cloth shower curtains are convenient for the hotel because they can be laundered, but can create a significant leak problem in the bathroom. Hot water is not in never ending supply. Just because it didn't rain, didn't mean it was possible to stay on the beach every day. Now, I am not saying these things to be negative. I am excited about the premise of this as our resort of choice. I am just pointing out some things that we'll want to be more prepared for as we return here year after year. Of course, we also have already made plans to use the 35 resort home network for at least one upcoming vacation. That flexibility was definitely one of the selling points we found compelling. The Travel Channel even ranked one of our possible choice among their ten best Mexican Beach Resorts at number 9.
Dinner was supposed to be Italian. It was at least close. We came back to the room and began packing. Sigh. We're going to miss this place and it is of course the end of an era in some respects. One phase of our life is closing as another opens and we have to take pause to consider the significance.
At least we had a good time. It was well worth it and the memories will last a lifetime.
Cheers!
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 18, 2008
Early morning coffee once again woke me up and I let him in the door and Colleen stirred enough for us to decide to stay up. Her appointment at the spa was today at 8 anyway and getting up at 6:30 wasn't too bad anyway. We dressed quickly, I for the gym and her for the spa, and we went to have breakfast. I ate somewhat light as I knew I would be on the treadmill for a good run. I hadn't worked out in a couple of days and was actually looking forward to it.
Colleen wandered off to the spa, and I hit the treadmill. Today was the first run I'd had in a while without any knee pain, without any serious trepidation, and the first time I'd been able to run for 10 minutes at 6.7 miles per hour. In total, I managed 5.84 miles. A small achievement in my life, but it was quite satisfying.
I went to the beach to stake our claim while Colleen whiled away the time at the spa. Unfortunately, today was by far the windiest day since our arrival. Gusts in excess of 25 miles per hour peppered the beach and I battled a constant spray of sand in my eyes and ears and into the case surrounding my iPhone. I managed 35 minutes on the beach before I'd had enough and came up to the room to wait for Colleen. She of course chose to go down to the beach to see where I was and then saw me on our patio overlooking the ocean and came up to see why I wasn't on the beach. I told her I'd go back down if she wanted, but that the wind buffeting me the entire time had taken its toll and I wasn't too keen on a repeat performance.
We did make it to the beach and spent about another hour or so including time in the ocean before she decided the sand in her eyes was too much as well. We went to have lunch and then came back to the room where we mostly sat, napped, and did little.
A brief interlude in all of this was that for some reason our keys ceased to work in the door. Now, I realize that electronic key card keys can and do go bad, but to have had both go out at once seemed odd. I went to the front desk, got a replacement and it didn't work either. The bellman came up, took a key and went to get a replacement and it didn't work. NICE! How were we supposed to get in and out of our room when the only key that worked was a master key?? My only solace in this was that 5 other couples on 3 other floors also reported the same issue to the front desk.
The resort being at the extreme North West side of the island has one drawback. We're really isolated from what little services the island can offer. The one ATM here at the resort was down all day. In this cash driven economy, it posed more than a bit of a problem. We were out of cash, literally down to change, and we didn't even have enough to ride down into town to get more money. So, I dug into the safe and pulled out some good old dollars. We had gotten a few back as change during our shopping, so I could only hope that if we used it to get into town that the ATM there would be open and we'd be able to get enough cash out to get a cab back to the hotel. We got lucky and indeed the ATM there worked. I suspect the one here just ran out of cash again.
Dinner tonight was in town. We chose a pretty popular place named Guido's. They served relatively traditional Italian cuisine in the heart of downtown. We arrived just before the rest of the crowds did. We were not disappointed. They even had Crown Royal in the bar, so I was in heaven.
Back to the room after dinner and a quiet evening. Colleen is fast asleep as I finish this up and we've not put out the early coffee sign intending to sleep in tonight. We'll see. I am sad to see this will be our next to last night, though at the same time, I am pretty much done with the resort and vacation. Sleeping in your own bed is always a better thing.
Cheers!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 17, 2008
Happy Saint Patrick's Day from the island! Somehow, the Internet access changed back and we've now got good solid access. We were awakened again by the early arrival of our coffee and I let him in and this time did stay up. I wasn't as hung over as I had expected to be, which was quite a relief all things considered.
A decent breakfast and then we were heading to the sales team. At least we managed to convince them we would not need the full pitch and work-up. We were even fortunate enough to have the same sales person working up the final deal. In the end, we did decide to bite the bullet and we're now proud members of the Sol Melia Vacation Club. I won't mention the price here, but let's just say we figure we have to base it on 10 years of vacations to pay for itself in the long term. Let's just hope that Haylie likes the beach. ;-)
The reward for signing up was them opening a bottle of champagne. After making the decision to buy, I made the decision to start drinking. I swilled a good bit of the bottle while we signed our life away. It was almost as bad as a home mortgage in that regard. A LOT of paperwork to fill out.
Colleen's day at the spa was sidetracked. The appointment we had set up for 11:30 was being moved by them, though we had no message from anyone at our room that they'd tried to reschedule. So, we decided to move it altogether to tomorrow as noon was a bit later than she wanted to be tied up at the spa.
I changed and headed to park in front of the pool bar. Sitting on a seat in the pool itself, I continued to swill drinks, moving to beer and then a frozen bit they call a "Dirty Monkey." I don't know why, I just liked the sound of it and banana liquor is never a bad taste. We skipped the buffet and opted for the snack bar grill. I had another drink there and realized that I'd probably crossed the line. I was starting to feel quite hammered. Colleen convinced me to go up to the room and pass out. I did and woke up two hours later feeling really rough. I am getting too old to be drinking like that.
The hits just kept on coming. The resort somehow managed to temporarily misplace our laundry and we could not determine why they could not locate it. Fortunately, Colleen called a number that promised service within 15 minutes or they'd credit a night's stay. Sure enough, one call to that number and within that 15 minute window, our laundry appeared! Awesome stuff.
We had booked another dinner at Cafe Paradiso instead of the dinner buffet. We were somewhat disappointed to discover that the menu was identical to our prior dinner there, but we managed to find something worth eating anyway. It was still one of the better dinners we've had here. Of course, I made the poor choice of the mussels, which were distinctly fishier tasting than any I'd eaten at other restaurants or other countries. I guess I'm not as big a fan as I thought.
In the end, we're back in the room and Colleen is reading while I complete the blog. At least we're up past 9 PM tonight.
Cheers!
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 16, 2008
BUSTED! Somehow the hotel found out that their Internet access wasn't locked down and I awoke to no more free Internet access. Oh well. I knew better than to think they wouldn't charge for it and at some point I'll break down and pay the charge, but for now I'll put my thoughts into notepad and then paste them up after the fact.
Today was our day to rent a Jeep and brave the Island's road system. We asked for early morning coffee and it arrived at 6:15 AM. That didn't manage to keep us from going right back to sleep, however, and we weren't up until almost 8 AM when I discovered the Internet had been taken back. That meant our early morning coffee was lukewarm. We managed to drink it anyway. Mexican coffee is still stronger than more American coffee and it tastes pretty good. We went down to have breakfast and then finish up the details on the car.
Once again, this town proves that cash is king and even using a card to avoid carrying cash is not preferred. The car rental company charged a 10% "tax" on rentals that could be avoided by paying cash. So, once again, I ran down to the ATM to take out the 1110 pesos it was going to cost. That included the rental, the extra insurance (I feared that something would happen to the Jeep on the road and was more than willing to pay the extra cost) as well as the tank refill charge so that we didn't have to pay for any gas. Probably a bit more than I should have paid to rent a car for a single day considering I likely could have hassled the vacation sales company into picking up the charge, but we wanted to do it.
We hit the road to San Gervaiso. It is a Mayan ruin here on the Island and there aren't any specific tours that cover it, so we thought we'd find out what it was about. The drive itself wasn't too bad, though the road into the dig itself obviously wasn't well maintained. We arrive and discover that we have to pay two fees. The first of 22 pesos per person covers only the use of the toilets and the access to parking and the shops. We had to pay an additional 37 pesos per person to get into the dig itself. Not like they explained that at all. Anyway, into the ruin we went. It was very interesting, and while we didn't hire a guide, we still got quite a bit out of the ruin. It was crawling with Iguana, and I took a couple of pictures of some of the larger ones.
Out and back onto the road. That's not only a statement of the journey, but one of the island itself. There is one road that crosses from the West side to the East side of Cozumel and one major road that loops around the lower half of the island itself. Of course, exiting the park the view was blocked and I almost got side swiped by a speeding car going the opposite direction, but fortunately, I was able to stop in time.
We drove a bit and I talked Colleen into stopping at a tequila factory. It turns out good tequila is actually only made from Agave cactus, and Agave is really only used to create the sugar component that makes the alcohol. We were unable to get a decent tour as that service isn't available on Sunday, but I was able to get to the store and to sample a new variety of flavored tequilas. In the end, we bought a string of bottles that was one of every flavor they offered and a small bottle of almond tequila, which I chose to keep to drink the remainder of my stay here at the resort. OH IT IS TASTY!
We drove literally until we reached the end of the island on the East Coast and were forced to turn right. There was no other direction. We drove along the road for a bit and saw the signs for Coconuts. This is a spot Colleen found on the Internet at the top of a hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The East side of the Island is an anachronism and a real indication of just how third world Mexico can still be. Most of it has no access to telephones, no access to even electricity. This spot had some degree of electricity, but it had no access to any telephone lines and that meant it could not accept credit cards of any kind. We had a fair amount of cash, fortunately, so I wasn't terribly concerned. We had lunch and I had a couple of drinks. We got some good pictures of a very rough ocean and some of the local color and were on our way once again. Their bar is covered with business cards, shirts, hats, and underwear from visitors, but neither of us had anything we were willing to donate in exchange for a coconuts shirt. In the end, we bought a T-shirt and cap for us to remember the visit.
We drove slowly through a large chunk of beach that was quite evidently where the locals hung out. Cars lined both sides of what is a barely two lane road and we had to deal with traffic coming toward us as well. We got through and back onto a decent stretch of the road. We found Punta Sur, which is a beach right at the tip of the island so part of it faces the Eastern sea and part faces into the Yucutan Peninsula. The Eastern portion is rough waves and very rocky, while the Western side is calm because there are no real incoming tides that can create the kind of waves the open sea produces. On the beach was a bar supposedly frequented by Bob Marley during his heyday and now named Rasta's Bar. This location definitely had no electricity, and they even shipped in ice daily to provide refrigeration. We stopped long enough to have a couple of drinks and to buy a T-shirt. They also provided us a pen to write on their bar itself (most of the surfaces are written on) and I took the opportunity to write "Derek, Colleen and Haylie Botti 16-03-2008" as a reminder that the three of us were there.
Our last stop was Chankanaab. It is supposedly an ecological park but I am not really convinced. Since we couldn't participate in the Dolphin Experience, and neither of us wanted to snorkel, we just settled for a walk around the garden and the simulated archaeological dig. It wound up being pretty over priced for those bits, but we did manage a couple of decent photos.
Back on the road and to the hotel. We are both seriously burnt in a couple of spots and we wanted to call it an early evening. Showers and down to the lobby for a quick drink before the dinner buffet was served. We learned that getting there right at 6 is well worth it as the food selection is much fresher and the chances of getting cut off in line are nonexistent.
Popped into the gift shop to buy some Aloe Vera and then back to the room. Colleen is still up reading as I finish this entry and I am just about out of my Almond Tequila. Tomorrow is back to the sales pitch to find out exactly how expensive a premise the vacation would be and then to the spa for some needed pampering.
Cheers!
Today was our day to rent a Jeep and brave the Island's road system. We asked for early morning coffee and it arrived at 6:15 AM. That didn't manage to keep us from going right back to sleep, however, and we weren't up until almost 8 AM when I discovered the Internet had been taken back. That meant our early morning coffee was lukewarm. We managed to drink it anyway. Mexican coffee is still stronger than more American coffee and it tastes pretty good. We went down to have breakfast and then finish up the details on the car.
Once again, this town proves that cash is king and even using a card to avoid carrying cash is not preferred. The car rental company charged a 10% "tax" on rentals that could be avoided by paying cash. So, once again, I ran down to the ATM to take out the 1110 pesos it was going to cost. That included the rental, the extra insurance (I feared that something would happen to the Jeep on the road and was more than willing to pay the extra cost) as well as the tank refill charge so that we didn't have to pay for any gas. Probably a bit more than I should have paid to rent a car for a single day considering I likely could have hassled the vacation sales company into picking up the charge, but we wanted to do it.
We hit the road to San Gervaiso. It is a Mayan ruin here on the Island and there aren't any specific tours that cover it, so we thought we'd find out what it was about. The drive itself wasn't too bad, though the road into the dig itself obviously wasn't well maintained. We arrive and discover that we have to pay two fees. The first of 22 pesos per person covers only the use of the toilets and the access to parking and the shops. We had to pay an additional 37 pesos per person to get into the dig itself. Not like they explained that at all. Anyway, into the ruin we went. It was very interesting, and while we didn't hire a guide, we still got quite a bit out of the ruin. It was crawling with Iguana, and I took a couple of pictures of some of the larger ones.
Out and back onto the road. That's not only a statement of the journey, but one of the island itself. There is one road that crosses from the West side to the East side of Cozumel and one major road that loops around the lower half of the island itself. Of course, exiting the park the view was blocked and I almost got side swiped by a speeding car going the opposite direction, but fortunately, I was able to stop in time.
We drove a bit and I talked Colleen into stopping at a tequila factory. It turns out good tequila is actually only made from Agave cactus, and Agave is really only used to create the sugar component that makes the alcohol. We were unable to get a decent tour as that service isn't available on Sunday, but I was able to get to the store and to sample a new variety of flavored tequilas. In the end, we bought a string of bottles that was one of every flavor they offered and a small bottle of almond tequila, which I chose to keep to drink the remainder of my stay here at the resort. OH IT IS TASTY!
We drove literally until we reached the end of the island on the East Coast and were forced to turn right. There was no other direction. We drove along the road for a bit and saw the signs for Coconuts. This is a spot Colleen found on the Internet at the top of a hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The East side of the Island is an anachronism and a real indication of just how third world Mexico can still be. Most of it has no access to telephones, no access to even electricity. This spot had some degree of electricity, but it had no access to any telephone lines and that meant it could not accept credit cards of any kind. We had a fair amount of cash, fortunately, so I wasn't terribly concerned. We had lunch and I had a couple of drinks. We got some good pictures of a very rough ocean and some of the local color and were on our way once again. Their bar is covered with business cards, shirts, hats, and underwear from visitors, but neither of us had anything we were willing to donate in exchange for a coconuts shirt. In the end, we bought a T-shirt and cap for us to remember the visit.
We drove slowly through a large chunk of beach that was quite evidently where the locals hung out. Cars lined both sides of what is a barely two lane road and we had to deal with traffic coming toward us as well. We got through and back onto a decent stretch of the road. We found Punta Sur, which is a beach right at the tip of the island so part of it faces the Eastern sea and part faces into the Yucutan Peninsula. The Eastern portion is rough waves and very rocky, while the Western side is calm because there are no real incoming tides that can create the kind of waves the open sea produces. On the beach was a bar supposedly frequented by Bob Marley during his heyday and now named Rasta's Bar. This location definitely had no electricity, and they even shipped in ice daily to provide refrigeration. We stopped long enough to have a couple of drinks and to buy a T-shirt. They also provided us a pen to write on their bar itself (most of the surfaces are written on) and I took the opportunity to write "Derek, Colleen and Haylie Botti 16-03-2008" as a reminder that the three of us were there.
Our last stop was Chankanaab. It is supposedly an ecological park but I am not really convinced. Since we couldn't participate in the Dolphin Experience, and neither of us wanted to snorkel, we just settled for a walk around the garden and the simulated archaeological dig. It wound up being pretty over priced for those bits, but we did manage a couple of decent photos.
Back on the road and to the hotel. We are both seriously burnt in a couple of spots and we wanted to call it an early evening. Showers and down to the lobby for a quick drink before the dinner buffet was served. We learned that getting there right at 6 is well worth it as the food selection is much fresher and the chances of getting cut off in line are nonexistent.
Popped into the gift shop to buy some Aloe Vera and then back to the room. Colleen is still up reading as I finish this entry and I am just about out of my Almond Tequila. Tomorrow is back to the sales pitch to find out exactly how expensive a premise the vacation would be and then to the spa for some needed pampering.
Cheers!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 15, 2008
Today was supposed to be a fairly lazy day. We weren't going to the beach and we had no other plans. I took the opportunity to start the morning with some house keeping. I spoke to the gentleman working the desk for the vacation packages and tried to explain that we were still interested in possibly becoming members, but that we needed to get some insight into some details, most important of which would center around costs. The person of course had expected us to be one of the new arrivals and wanted to give me the full pitch as well as offer me some "fabulous gift" for my time. I wanted none of that and I can assure my readers that I'll squash any attempt at that bull shit on Monday.
From there it was over to the car rental desk. Colleen and I have decided that we'd hire a Jeep convertible for a day on Sunday and I didn't know if the desk would be open or not. The older gentlemen running the car rental at the resort did not quite understand the premise and tried to rent me a Jeep today, but I finally convinced him I was just trying to be expeditious about it. In theory I will have a car ready for us tomorrow at 9 AM.
Today I decided for my work out that I'd actually do a road run. It couldn't be less dangerous than those treadmills with the slipping belts at the gym here on the resort. I dressed and headed toward the road with no real plan other than to run 30 minutes away from the hotel and then turn around and run back. Colleen decided she'd go to the beach while I did my workout. The run was roughly 4 km out and then back. I ran the whole way out in a head wind that was probably 15 to 20 mph. It gusted hard. By the time I reached 30 minutes, I thought I'd barf up a lung. Still, I managed to get it all in and work out 1 hour and 20 minutes. That's my fourth since we got here and I guess that's not too terribly bad while on vacation.
I walked down to the beach to let Colleen know I was back. She and I planned to go into town today and do mostly wandering, shopping, and otherwise dealing with the central Cozumel downtown area. We did some hard negotiating and got quite a few solid bargains. I even purchased a silver necklace and Mayan calendar pendant for me. In the end of course, it was about finishing up our souvenir shopping and getting the items Colleen wanted for her. It was all in cash, as most of the stops we chose had issues with their card machines, or offered a better exchange rate if I paid cash.
Got back to the resort after 5 hours in town. Both of us once again tired, sweaty and burnt. I chose to get a shot of tequila and two beers. I somewhat decided that today would be my most drinking since we arrived. I don't know why, it just seemed to make sense.
Dinner was another of the reservation nights. This time at the grill. We both agreed that if we do purchase the package, we'll avoid the buffet dinner as many times as possible. The food was very good and it far out shined the buffet fare.
I scored two more beers on the way back to the room and was feeling fairly buzzed by the time I started writing this blog. Colleen stayed up to read but in the end still fell asleep before I finished. We're still going to bed before 10 PM. We're OLD!
Cheers!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 14, 2008
Today started really early. We had to set the alarm for 5:30 to be able to meet a cab in front of the hotel at 6:30 so that we could reach the downtown ferry harbor by 6:45. Today was our tour to the ruins at Tulum and that meant a ferry across the the peninsula and a bus to the ruins. EARLY let me tell you. Now, that's somewhat relative. We have been going to bed around 9 or so every day since we got here and that makes getting up early not only possible, but likely. Still, getting up at 5:30 because we had to seems to be harder than by accident.
The ferry is an interesting premise. They run a 25 minute trip every other hour from either side landing in Play del Carmen. It is very heavily used by locals that work on the other side of the channel. It charges 120 pesos for a one way trip. We got a seat at the rear and settled in for the ride.
When we got to the pier, our next phase began. We met the guide who walked us through the town until we reached our first bus. We were told, however, that we'd have to change buses "at the next stop" to reach Tulum. That in itself turned out to be very interesting. The stop was just along the side of the major highway and we just had to step off the bus and wait along a freeway until the next bus arrived. We got lucky and there were enough free seats to allow us to sit together and the bus had a toilet on board, which is important for a pregnant woman.
Tulum starts at the commercial side, which is not at all controlled by the state. It is a tourist quagmire, full of stores waiting to cheat people on a variety of goods and services. One of those is of course the "train" to the site itself. That is 20 pesos one way and you can only purchase tickets at the origin. We chose to walk the 1 kilometer to the site, with the intent of taking the train back only to learn that bit about only buying tickets at the start. BUMMER! Not the best choice for Colleen. At least it means we got a reasonable workout for the day.
Tulum is a very interesting ruin. We were able to walk around a good bit of it and took a variety of pictures. Colleen was glad we made the trip, but also quiet exhausted at the end. We somehow missed the part where we were supposed to stick with our tour guide, we almost didn't get in without having to pay an entrance fee supposedly covered by our tour, and in the end got to wander the dig on our own and not have to listen to the speeches and other rhetoric about the site.
We did some shopping while we were in the main shopping area. Colleen and I drove hard bargains this time around. We refused to take the first price more often than not and managed to secure some pretty good deals. Add in that once again this was a site that wanted to take US Dollars above pesos and then paying them in pesos at a horrible exchange rate, and we scored massive deals.
The bus ride back was horrible. We had to drive all out of the way for each hotel that picked folks up we didn't have to watch. Those of us that came over on the ferry were the last to be dropped off and then once again had to walk back to the ferry pier. Colleen and I were roasted, sweaty, tired and hadn't had any food since breakfast before we saw the ruin.
We got back to town and stopped in Cozumel proper for lunch. One more location that seemed to prefer cash to credit, though they accepted cards. The waiter claimed their machine was down and we'd have to wait as much as an hour to use a card. So, I asked where the closest Santander Serfin ATM was. That's a Mexican bank that Bank of America partners with and we don't pay ATM fees on either side while in Mexico. The waiter gave me directions to the closest ATM, but it wasn't a Santander. I was pretty annoyed because I had to walk a pretty good bit to find the ATM I wanted and there was a 6 deep queue waiting to use the ATM.
Colleen was fading fast and so I convinced her to walk down to the Belgian Chocolate Factory we'd missed the last time we were in town. We purchased a few pieces and the mood picked up quite a bit. A quick cab ride and we were finally back at the hotel.
I discovered that the caste system is apparently alive and well here in Mexico, though I would never have expected it. I was informed that I was just "hotel people" by one of the members of the Sol Melia Vacation Club we're actually considering joining. I provide the link mostly because I am hoping that someone from the site sees the referrer, reads the entry and is shocked to hear that their members speak to guests with that level of disdain. Last I checked, I earned money that was as green as her money was and I probably paid as much if not more for my stay here. I do know that members only get one week and we're here 10 days, so she should besa mi culo and get over herself. I only hope I run into her once more here.
Dinner was supposed to be Asian, but it as most others fell short of expectations. We had one more drink at the bar. Well, I did. I have switched to Canadian Mist and Diet Coke as it at least is a palatable whiskey available here and came back to the room early. Colleen is once again out like a light as I compose this entry.
The wireless at the hotel isn't really supposed to be accessible everywhere in the hotel. There are no mentions of it in any brochure, nor in any of the hotel services books in the room. Still, the Mac managed to find the wireless network for the most part and we've had Internet here in the room at no cost that I believe is really only available for members. It is named the solmelia SMVC network which is the name of the vacation club. Good for us!
Cheers!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 13, 2008
Today was going to be a lazy day. We planned to get up whenever we woke up and then laze around the beach for as long as we thought we could. Well, the baby doesn't let Colleen stay up very late and that means we wake up pretty early as well. We were up just before 7 and at the gym at 7AM right as it opened. Once again, the treadmills were somewhat dangerous, the belts slip pretty badly until you can get it up to speeds I haven't tried to run, so we only managed 30 minutes of workout.
We chose to buy an inflatable raft to use in the ocean. It was only 10 bucks and will carry well on our trip back home. Of course, that meant I got to spend a couple of hours blowing the damned thing up, but still it made for a better day for Colleen and I on the beach.
I grow tired of the lines, the shoving, and the rude behavior around the resort. Buffet style eating means that many people apparently lose their minds and just don't care if they offend. I hope to avoid slapping someone upside the head, but at the same time I make no promises.
We did some kayaking on the waves, and of course, I sang the them to Hawaii 5-0. LOL. It was a big joke and Colleen went with me this time so she laughed as well.
I decided to try parasailing. Now, for someone afraid of heights, that seems an unusual thing to try, but I have wanted to do it since my very first cruise and knew that this would be a reasonable chance. It was 60 USD, but I was able to pay 600 pesos so I got a better deal. Having no option other than pesos is handy because it allows me a better deal as long as I pay cash. It was an amazing experience. A bit spooky at take off and landing, and when the wind whipped me at the end of the rope I thought I might lose it completely. But, the view was spectacular, and the trip was really worth it. I may even do it again if I get the chance.
Colleen and I decided we'd have dinner tonight in the reservations restaurant. Now, first I was concerned, as they claim a dress code and an intent to deny entrance to those that don't meet it. Of course, that's all thrown out the window once the reservation is made. They can let anyone in and we saw people that violated more than one of the things I was concerned about. It was without a doubt the best meal we'd had at the resort since our arrival and restored my faith in the chances that we'd come back to this place.
I broke down and bought a small Cohiba cigar. A real Cuban! I don't smoke many, but it was small enough I felt I might get it smoked instead of throwing most of it out. We also found the replacement to a piece of mantle art Colleen had decided was damaged by being placed on the mantle. It hadn't been, but there was no way I'd convince her otherwise. Still, this bit of ceramic work was an abstract of a husband, wife and baby, and of course it seemed far too symbolic to pass up. We got a pretty good deal at 400 pesos and even convinced them to throw in a necklace that Colleen was looking toward. LOL
Tomorrow is an early day and my wife is dead asleep on the bed as I finish this post. I need to get to bed myself before I wind up grumpy tomorrow. We're catching a ferry early in the morning and going to a mainland Mayan Ruins site. We're pretty excited about it.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 12, 2008
Today started out a bit on the dodgy side. The hotel is a Vacation Club as I indicated yesterday. That meant that at some point they wanted us to listen to the pitch. Now, I don't mind doing those kinds of things, as I am always willing to listen. The problem was that we were told yesterday it would be 45 minutes after a 45 minute breakfast (which we misunderstood and thought was going to be breakfast on our own and then a 45 minute pitch) and it turned out to be a 90 minute pitch. I tried to be nice about it, but as we rapidly approached the 2 hour mark I lost my cool. I told them quite curtly that I might have been interested, but they needed to do a better job of getting to the point as I wasn't going to continue to sit there to listen to the pitch given that we had just paid for this vacation, we'd paid a pretty good sum of money and I wasn't about to spend money on a vacation for next year I didn't know we were going to take. They quickly excused us and called it all done. That wasn't the expected reaction. We might have been interested in the deal, but I wanted to hear how much and they needed to understand that I wasn't about to plop down my credit card to purchase the package less than two days into my vacation. In the end, I felt a bit like an ass, but I really don't care. They needed to understand my position.
Another quick day at the gym. Colleen went with me this time and so I chose to only run for 35 minutes instead of the typical 55. It was nice anyway. I got to run off the anxiety over the sales pitch and felt that I was ready for the beach. We quickly changed and slathered on the SPF 50 sunscreen to head down.
Beach time for me is usually odd in that I am not a strong swimmer, my sinus pressure issues typically mean I can't reach equilibrium to scuba. That means I usually just lay on my back and float like the dead. It was awesome. I did take a stab at kayaking on the ocean, but it was quite tiring and Colleen didn't want to go with me. We did manage three good hours on the beach though.
A quick shower and we decided to catch a cab down to the city center. It was interesting. There were a dozen cruise ships in the harbor, and that meant the shops were full force trying to attract people to their stores. We tried our best to avoid spending anything we didn't want to, as I was stunned to find that most of the stores actually preferred US Dollars to Pesos. The exchange rate is roughly 11 pesos to the dollar and we didn't bring US Dollars, as most travel sites suggest using the local ATM (and Bank of America has a deal with a local bank for no ATM fees and that bank happens to have an ATM here at the hotel) and the local ATM will off course deliver pesos. Oh well. I got my new guitar pin for Cozumel. It was AWESOME! We got some stuff for the family and some stuff for us. We meant to go to a Belgian Chocolatier, but the ships had started sailing and when the ships leave the harbor, most of the stores close. Not like we won't have a chance to get back down there.
We did manage to find a bar I could get Crown Royal. NICE! We also found a tequila store where I purchased a coffee flavored tequila, a citrus tequila and a strawberry tequila. How cool is that? I also bought a bottle of habanero pepper sauce which they sold pretty cheaply. In all, we don't exceed our duty free limit, thankfully. I only wish Colleen would get to sample some, but I suppose soon enough.
The food at the hotel tonight wasn't all that stellar. Colleen was tired and we decided to turn in early.
Cheers!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Babymoon - Cozumel, Mexico, March 11, 2008
So, Colleen and I decided we needed a babymoon. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it represents a vacation taken by an expecting couple just prior to the birth of their first child. It represents the last vacation they'll take together for some time without a child to consider. Colleen found a great destination in Cozumel, and as an all inclusive resort, the Sol Melia Cozumel sounded like a great getaway. We redeemed my American Airlines frequent flier miles so that we didn't have to pay more than tax and TSA fees to fly business class to the resort. Now that means we have to depart at 6 AM Eastern, but we knew it would be worth it.
It turns out that American doesn't consider Mexico International Travel enough. We were unable to get into the Admiral's Club lounge and while I don't really need to get in, I do admit to liking the amenities enough that I wish we could have gotten in. In the end, we didn't care, we just wanted to get to the hotel.
Mexico doesn't adopt Daylight Savings Time. That means that while they technically are on Central Time, they stay on Central Standard Time. That meant we got into Cozumel pretty early considering when the room was supposed to be available. I made the mistake of letting someone at the airport talk us into a too good to be true excursion holiday that wound up being an excuse to sell us their time share. Since we're staying at a hotel with a Vacation Club (semantically different, but technically the same thing) that probably wasn't the best idea. I gave him 200 pesos and considered whether I'd follow through with the remainder of his deposit.
We got to the resort and were told that we'd been sold down the river by the gentleman at the airport. They pushed us into a vacation club discussion here at the resort, and promised to refund the money we'd spent at the airport and provide the same excursion if we listened to their sales pitch instead of the one we'd have to listen to at the airport. WHATEVER! Just let us into the damned room and leave us alone. We paid enough money for this trip for them to back off.
A mostly lazy day. Colleen and I were not impressed with the food selection to this point. We're definitely foodies and the sign of a good vacation for us is an eating experience to remember. They'll definitely have to improve their position if they want us to purchase their crap.
Found that the hotel did not restrict wireless access, though there was nothing stated in the documents to indicate we'd get it for free. Oh well, I'll keep blogging so long as they never figure out I can connect.
Cheers!
It turns out that American doesn't consider Mexico International Travel enough. We were unable to get into the Admiral's Club lounge and while I don't really need to get in, I do admit to liking the amenities enough that I wish we could have gotten in. In the end, we didn't care, we just wanted to get to the hotel.
Mexico doesn't adopt Daylight Savings Time. That means that while they technically are on Central Time, they stay on Central Standard Time. That meant we got into Cozumel pretty early considering when the room was supposed to be available. I made the mistake of letting someone at the airport talk us into a too good to be true excursion holiday that wound up being an excuse to sell us their time share. Since we're staying at a hotel with a Vacation Club (semantically different, but technically the same thing) that probably wasn't the best idea. I gave him 200 pesos and considered whether I'd follow through with the remainder of his deposit.
We got to the resort and were told that we'd been sold down the river by the gentleman at the airport. They pushed us into a vacation club discussion here at the resort, and promised to refund the money we'd spent at the airport and provide the same excursion if we listened to their sales pitch instead of the one we'd have to listen to at the airport. WHATEVER! Just let us into the damned room and leave us alone. We paid enough money for this trip for them to back off.
A mostly lazy day. Colleen and I were not impressed with the food selection to this point. We're definitely foodies and the sign of a good vacation for us is an eating experience to remember. They'll definitely have to improve their position if they want us to purchase their crap.
Found that the hotel did not restrict wireless access, though there was nothing stated in the documents to indicate we'd get it for free. Oh well, I'll keep blogging so long as they never figure out I can connect.
Cheers!