Playa del Carmen - Iberostar Paraiso Lindo

October 25 - November 6, 2017

The weather had started to turn, with winds and rains increasing and it seemed like a good time to run away to the almost guaranteed sun and warmth of Mexico (Caribbean side).  So a last minute 10-day trip to Iberostar Paraiso Lindo all-inclusive with my trusty travel companion seemed just the right thing to avoid the blues.  Originally I tried for a more Caribbean location but storms literally blew most of those options away.  The Riviera Maya (near Playa del Carmen) however remained unscathed from the storms so that is where we now sit. 

When I started writing this there were a couple days left before we were to head home to the snow and cold, unprepared to arrive back with only my capris, rain slicker, scarf and airy runners to keep me warm.



So what did we do while away you ask?

Well let me give you some highlights: 

Spa time – completing water circuit, including different hot and cold baths, hot tubs, therapeutic showers, sauna and steam rooms, with fresh pressed juice several times

3:30 pm bingo by the bar - won a medal and water bottle, but souvenir baseball hat eluded us












Tubing along the Lazy River

Wandering throughout the resorts (we had access to the Lindo, Beach, Del Mar and part of the Maya resorts) – by foot, golf cart, bike and train trolley



Bike tour around the resort – at high noon (what were we thinking?)



Walking and relaxing on the beach, including hanging out in the pallapas and sunbeds and reading while Conroy got bashed by the waves. 

Both of us come out happy with this arrangement.

Practising and using my new full-face snorkel mask (love it!)

 



Albatross catamaran and snorkeling tour (to Isla Mujeres and reef nearby)



So many little fishes

 

Isla Mujeres

Scuba lesson, playing Frisbee and just spending time with “pinkie” in the many pools throughout the different resort areas

Fun day at Xplor Adventure Park where we:

Zip lined from 18 different zip lines from 14 different towers (up to 150 feet off the ground and upward of 40kms/hr), through waterfalls and into caves;

Experiencing some amazing views from the top;

Rode amphibious all-terrain vehicles through 8 kms of trails, over swinging bridges, in caves and through the water;

Rafted through underground rivers (single and double rafts);

Swam through caves with stalagmites overhead and generally kept the adrenaline flowing from 9-5 while having our pictures taken from cameras set up throughout the park.


But we also took a couple moments throughout the day to just hang out at the relax zones with fresh pressed juice and goodies and at the full buffet for lunch.

 

 



Trying out all the al la carte restaurants

 

 

Shopping centre and square with old-fashioned carousel and candy bar with fresh chocolate-dipped fruit kabobs, candy and popcorn and fresh crepes and ice cream bar 
(definitely Conroy’s favourite snack place)



Taking in the cheesy evening shows, and a well done one showing different regional dances from throughout Mexico



Mainly we just had a relaxing time with me working on overcoming my underwater fears (taking scuba lesson)and height fears (by literally jumping off the ledge (over and over and over again) at Xplor),

In other words trying things I would previously have avoided, and loving it. 

It's a new century for me and I am doing my best to not let fear stand in my way!

It was a great time away, with wonderful weather (between 25-35 degrees every day) and only two minutes of rain on the way back to the airport.

All in all an all-inclusive success.

Preparing for my next Adventure - Maritimes

I decided to celebrate my 50th birthday I was going to take advantage of Canada's 150th and see more of my own country instead of travelling abroad in 2017.  Me and the old lady are celebrating together!  And just to be clear I am the younger one. 

My first trip was to Yellowknife at the end of March to see the Arora borealis, the Snow King's Winter Festival, the Long John Jamboree including the DeBeers Inspired Ice Carving Competition, the Canadian Champion Dog Derby and (one of the highlights of the trip) dog sledding at Beck's Kennels while staying at a friend's floating B&B on Great Slave Lake in the middle of so much of the action (see separate post re. this short but activity-packed trip).

And now it's just over a week until my next big adventure starts.  What better year than this one, when all the National Parks and Sites are free in celebration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Perfect time for a road trip through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia (including Cape Breton) and Prince Edward Island I say.

Puerto Vallarta - bus adventure

It seems to be becoming a normal process whereby I start a travel blog, have a hard time with Internet connections while away, then update what I did once I get back.  And the same was true on this trip.  There was Internet access but sketchy and not very consistent.  Thus my "after the trip is over" update.

The trip started off slower than expected as you already know from my first Puerto Vallarta (PV) post.  Once we left LAX though it was smooth, albeit snug, sailing for the remainder of the journey.  Arrived on schedule just after lunch on Oct 12th we made our way through the gauntlet past all the time-share salesmen and headed outside the airport.  Boy the heat hits you like someone has thrown a pail of hot water at you.  With sweat dripping places I didn't know I had pores, and the sun gloriously shining in the sky off we went to try and find the local bus stop into town.  An airport crossing guard was helpful and directed us onto the proper bus and off we went.  You really need to be able to read quickly when finding the right bus as they paint all the destination names on the windshield and you have to be able find where you want to go pretty fast or the buses just fly by.

Now this following adventure is dedicated to my father, who explained how very easy it is to take the bus in PV:  You need to imagine first of all though two travel-weary adults who have already slept overnight in the airport; spent the morning on the plane, and by now are covered with a slight glistening of sweat (everywhere).  Let's just say we are probably not looking our best.  Luggage in tow, along with the required 13 pesos (6.5 x2) for the bus fare, I clamored on board.  I paid the fare to our bus driver who I am sure was blind in one eye, and the cataracts in the other one probably render him nowhere near 20/20 vision.....well at least he knew where he was going.  I see some seats a couple rows back and go and sit down expecting my travel companion to be right behind me, but all of a sudden the bus takes off like a bat out of hades and the next thing I see is my travel companion and their rolling luggage literally flying to the back of the bus. Mexicans clearing the way row by row until they reach the back.  I was honestly expecting to see a Loony Tunes exit through the metal back of the bus with only the shape of a person left behind to show proof of their prior existence on the bus journey.  Luckily by grabbing onto the last post they were able to screech to a halt with just a moment to spare.

Due to my pastiness and sweaty gleam it was obvious, even though I was now several rows forward on the bus, that we belonged together and I was offered a seat in the back row - probably a good thing for an easy exit later, but due to the lack of shocks, and the very pot-holed cobble-stoned streets it made for an extremely bouncy, jarring ride.  At one point we even caught air, and I don't mean just a little - I mean luggage and all lifted off.  See the picture above - well those metal seats REALLY hurt when you land again.

Fortunately a mid-30s guy who spoke some English let us know when we were supposed to get off and, after watching other people disembark at previous stops I knew we needed to be ready when the time came, as there is no such thing as "coming to a complete stop" for these bus drivers.  It isn't really a rolling stop either.  More like you just need to be sure you are ready for when the doors open while they are still going mach 10 and prepared so that when they are finally going slow enough you can jump off.  If you had to jump, duck and roll and you wouldn't break anything that is about the speed they slow down to.  Happy to report no humans or luggage were injured in our "departure".

Half way there

It is currently 12:46 a.m. and I am sitting in the LAX airport in terminal 7. The flight changes and delays today (or I guess I should say yesterday) got me into LAX at 9:45 pm instead of 7:38 and by the time I was able to find a place that was still open to eat where I wouldn't have to sell my first born for a really sad looking salad the time had ticked away and suddenly it was 11:30 p.m.  I am now lounging on a lovely bench without armrests and switching between catching a couple minutes sleep here and there while listening to some lovely instrumental music, and jerking awake every time they remind me to keep my luggage under control over the speakers and not carry anyone else's luggage, or packages.  I would say that happens every 10 minutes or so!!!! Ugh. Looks like I will be making up for my lack of sleep tomorrow either on the beach or poolside!

At least they don't appear to be washing the carpets or vacuuming any time soon.  Here's hoping that isn't a four in the morning thing at LAX.

1:37 a.m. update:  I was totally off the mark this morning - it was scheduled floor waxing; who'd thunk it.  And I just discovered that my next flight has been changed to Terminal 8 - guess I know where I am wandering off to once my Net Book is fully charged.

Mexico again - Wedding celebration

Mexico, two times in 6 months, the first time was to relax and refresh and this time is to celebrate!  My long time friend Scott got married in advance back home in Victoria in August and I had the pleasure of being a part of that ceremony; and h e, and the lovely Heather, are now renewing their vows at Vallarta Torre, in Puerto Vallarta Mexico; with about a dozen friends and family there to celebrate with them.

Expecting a great time - sunny, hot (with a few thundershowers thrown in).  Now if only I could get over the cold I picked up a week ago all would be well.  I have been told that if I take Tequila by the spoonful I can honestly consume it as "cough syrup"!  I think I will try the lounger by the pool in the warm sun first before resorting to that method.  Sick or not on the plane I am going, albeit with plenty of Kleenex, cough candies and lozenges to get me through. Oh the things we do for friends!  not like I am getting anything out of the deal spending one week at a lovely beach side timeshare resort - ha, ha, ha!

So this morning things went well - it was a beautiful fall day and all my chores got done.  The groom of this celebratory trip gave me a chauffeur ride to airport and it ended up I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare as my initial flight to San Francisco has been delayed by over two hours...meaning my secondary flight to LAX also had to be changed and I will now hopefully arrive around 9:45 pm.  Looks like the time I have to wait for my final flight to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow morning has now been decreased substantially!

Waiting has begun - YYJ