Sandos Resort
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (South of Cancun)
24 March-31 March 2007
Note: The journal this was original written on was ‘lost’ for about three years and not transcribed until April of 2010. The chances of it being made into a TV movie of the week, or getting me that dream job of resort/vacation critic, however, still remain slim.
- The resort name is Sandos- not Sandals. This was not a typo by me, probably a marketing ploy by the resort.
Day 1, Saturday, 24 March
An early flight, we got up at 3am. We had a 6:15 flight on United to Dulles with a connection to Cancun. It was raining as we left the house. Grabbed some breakfast between fights at Dulles,
The onboard movie was ‘Night at the Museum’. We landed in Cancun about 10:30 am local. The airport was very busy we had to wait about 30 minutes for a gate. (This was before the new runway was built at Cancun). The usual long lines at immigration got our bags and cleared customs.
Once we found our shuttle to the resort we were on our way. The Sandos resort is in a gated resort area about 30 miles south of Cancun. The drive took about an hour. This all inclusive resort was gorgeous. We had asked for a beach front room. This meant we were ‘gold’ status. We could care less about the gold status- we just wanted beach front (ok, the other perks were nice- a private lounge and beach area).
We went to the room. A big ‘wow factor’. Once we opened the door we could see all the way through the marble tiled floor to the ocean. We had a nice balcony that overlooked the beach and palapas. After lunch we went down to the beach and sat in the shade. Then a little pre-dinner nap.
Dinner was a special surprise from Heather and Rich. The had arranged for us to have a private dinner on the beach as an anniversary present. Patti had steak and I had lobster. It was a private decorated patio lit with soft lights with our own personal waiter. A nice romantic dinner watching the cruise ships sail by. After dinner we walked around the resort and went to the lobby. The lobby is nicely decorated huge thatched dome about the size of a small airplane hanger. We checked out the ‘Gold” member’s only lounge. There was a help yourself bar. So we helped ourselves.
We watched about 20 minutes of a show then back to the room. Went to bed about 10:30 we had been up for about 22 hours. A long day, but a great start to the trip.
Day 2, Sunday, 25 March
Slept in till 6:50 (8:50 Ohio time). We had coffee on the balcony then went to the buffet for breakfast. They had very good fresh fruit. After breakfast we went to the beach. It was warm and sunny, but a little windy today. We stretched out in some hammocks and read and relaxed. Afterwards we went to the adults only pool.
Laid out in the pool chairs till the sun got to hat then we moved to the shade. Had a few tropical drinks, chatted with a couple from Chicago, had a few more tropical drinks… you see the pattern here. We were drinking Mai Ties. We had about 4 and they never looked the same. I think the bartenders just poured stuff into a glass and passed it out. Well, they all went down easy.
I did see a 3 foot iguana walking next to the pool. Yes, he was real (not a figment of my tropical drinks). After about an hour and a half we went back to the room.
We had a buffet lunch on a veranda. The birds are colorful and quit precocious. If you left your table unattended and had fruit, you could kiss it goodbye… a high-speed jet like bird strike and the fruit was up up and away.
Day 3, Monday, 26 March
Another ‘boring’ start to the day, coffee on the balcony watching the waves and the palm trees sway. After breakfast we headed to our beach palapas in the shade for a morning of intense relaxation.
Later a buffet lunch and we tried out the family pool. Too crowded and too many kids so we went to the adult pool.
We made dinner reservations at the Mexican restaurant the ‘Aztec’. The food was ok. Patti had chicken fajitas and I had tequila grilled shrimp. The dessert was very good it was ice cream in a sugary tortilla drizzled with a strawberry sauce. After dinner we went to the Gold lounge and watched some TV.
After that, we sat in the courtyard and listened to a mariachi band.
Day 4, Tuesday, 27 March
After breakfast we went to our favorite spot on the beach. Patti got a Swedish massage by a Mexican lady. It was an hour long massage and she got worked over pretty good. 70 dollars and it got rid of some arm pain she had been having.
After lunch we went to the lunge for a couple of drinks and a little TV. We chatted with a guy from Canada for a bit then back to the room for a vacation nap. We had a late dinner reservation at the Italian restaurant (9pm). The Italian restaurant was very good. We started with a pre-dinner drink of Champagne with a lime sherbet ball in it- tasty. Actually we had about three each. I could go on and on about the food. The entrees were fantastic only to be topped by desert. Patti had a chocolate cake she said was very good and I had one of my best deserts ever. It was a chocolate covered pear with a pistachio sauce. (Transcribing this down 3 years later… my mouth still waters). Patti and I joked we would come back the next night if just for champagne and dessert.
The show that night was ‘Macho Mexican’ night. They had guests dressed like Mexican bandits. I am sure this would have been deemed racist if done in the States.
Day 5, Wednesday 28 March
We had room service for breakfast. It showed up 15 minutes late. But I guess we are on vacation time. We had cereal, fruit, and sweet rolls. After breakfast we went for a walk up the beach. Sandos is the southern most resort in the gated area of play Del Carmen. We enjoyed the unspoiled beach as we walked along and took some pics.
After the beach walk we though we would jump into the pool just for a second to cool off. Three hours and 4 strawberry daiquiris later we were still there. After a while I started asking for extra shots of Jamaican Appleton rum in the drinks. Drinking doubles and feeling good.
Disclaimer: To any of our Grandkids who may eventually read this- Your Grandmother and I do not endorse any over indulgence in vacation drinking. (unless of course you are over 21, not driving, and buying a round for Grandpa and Grandma too.)
At about 5 pm the beach starts to clear out as it becomes totally shaded. Patti saw a critter she thought was a giant rat. I think it was a Coati. But close enough to a rat for Patti. Hung out in the court yard before dinner and watched a few downpours of rain. steak and peel and eat shrimp that night in the buffet. They probably lost money on me that night.
Day 6, Thursday, 29 March
We spent most of the day on the beach reading, relaxing, having a drink now and then. Every once in a while I went down and jumped into the ocean for a few minutes to cool off.
We went to our spot in the plaza and sat in the shade for a while before heading back to the room. We had dinner at the buffet and checked out the pics in the photo shop. Earlier that week Patti and I had our picture taken holding a couple of parrots named Chocolate and Elmo. We liked the picture and bought it.
Day 7 Friday, 30 March
Our last full day. Always a sad thing.
Unfortunately Patti was sick and we hung out in the room. You should have seen me asking for Imodium from a gift shop clerk. It must have looked like that Pepto Bismol commercial-- hands on stomach, hands on…
Day 8 Saturday, 31 March
Going home. Fortunately Patti’s 24 hour bug had eased up. We checked out of the hotel reluctantly letting them remove our gold arm bands. Patti and I where sharing a shuttle ride with a young guy from NY City. We had barely cleared the resort when our driver got in an accident. He had been playing bumper cars with another taxi. They had literally been side swiping each other. Yes, trading paint and mirrors too. Finally we were pulling over. We were not real happy. It was a stupid thing to do and we had flights to catch.
The driver said he had called for another car. About 15 minutes later a white stretch limo pulled up. It was for Patti, me and our new adopted son from NY City. It was a nice ride. Full bar, lounge. He pulled up to the arrival area at the airport and jumped out to open the door. We were being stared at. I told one tourist who was gawking that (the kid with us) was just back from American Idol. I think she may have believed me.
Long lines to check in. We had lost our ‘son’ for a while. When he returned the lines were even longer and he was heading for the back of the line. Patti saw him and called out, “Son we are over here.” and had him cut into line with us.
Our flight to Dulles was delayed. We got to Dulles late and missed the last flight to Dayton. I assumed US Air would put us in a hotel. I assumed wrong. The best they would do was to get us a discounted rate. We were booked onto a flight for the next morning. Got to the hotel, ordered a pizza then got some sleep.
Day 9, Sunday, 1 April
Were we supposed to be home yesterday? April fools…
Landed in Dayton Sunday morning and picked up the car. Instead of driving home, we drove to my place of work about 45 miles north of Dayton. Patti helped me clean out my office. I emailed a letter of resignation to my boss and the plant manager. This was not an April fools joke. I had already accepted a new job only 2 miles from home. More money, less driving, and a better career opportunity. If I had given notice they would have terminated me, so I terminated them instead.
Later that morning- finally home!
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (South of Cancun)
24 March-31 March 2007
Note: The journal this was original written on was ‘lost’ for about three years and not transcribed until April of 2010. The chances of it being made into a TV movie of the week, or getting me that dream job of resort/vacation critic, however, still remain slim.
- The resort name is Sandos- not Sandals. This was not a typo by me, probably a marketing ploy by the resort.
Day 1, Saturday, 24 March
An early flight, we got up at 3am. We had a 6:15 flight on United to Dulles with a connection to Cancun. It was raining as we left the house. Grabbed some breakfast between fights at Dulles,
The onboard movie was ‘Night at the Museum’. We landed in Cancun about 10:30 am local. The airport was very busy we had to wait about 30 minutes for a gate. (This was before the new runway was built at Cancun). The usual long lines at immigration got our bags and cleared customs.
Once we found our shuttle to the resort we were on our way. The Sandos resort is in a gated resort area about 30 miles south of Cancun. The drive took about an hour. This all inclusive resort was gorgeous. We had asked for a beach front room. This meant we were ‘gold’ status. We could care less about the gold status- we just wanted beach front (ok, the other perks were nice- a private lounge and beach area).
We went to the room. A big ‘wow factor’. Once we opened the door we could see all the way through the marble tiled floor to the ocean. We had a nice balcony that overlooked the beach and palapas. After lunch we went down to the beach and sat in the shade. Then a little pre-dinner nap.
Dinner was a special surprise from Heather and Rich. The had arranged for us to have a private dinner on the beach as an anniversary present. Patti had steak and I had lobster. It was a private decorated patio lit with soft lights with our own personal waiter. A nice romantic dinner watching the cruise ships sail by. After dinner we walked around the resort and went to the lobby. The lobby is nicely decorated huge thatched dome about the size of a small airplane hanger. We checked out the ‘Gold” member’s only lounge. There was a help yourself bar. So we helped ourselves.
We watched about 20 minutes of a show then back to the room. Went to bed about 10:30 we had been up for about 22 hours. A long day, but a great start to the trip.
Day 2, Sunday, 25 March
Slept in till 6:50 (8:50 Ohio time). We had coffee on the balcony then went to the buffet for breakfast. They had very good fresh fruit. After breakfast we went to the beach. It was warm and sunny, but a little windy today. We stretched out in some hammocks and read and relaxed. Afterwards we went to the adults only pool.
Laid out in the pool chairs till the sun got to hat then we moved to the shade. Had a few tropical drinks, chatted with a couple from Chicago, had a few more tropical drinks… you see the pattern here. We were drinking Mai Ties. We had about 4 and they never looked the same. I think the bartenders just poured stuff into a glass and passed it out. Well, they all went down easy.
I did see a 3 foot iguana walking next to the pool. Yes, he was real (not a figment of my tropical drinks). After about an hour and a half we went back to the room.
We had a buffet lunch on a veranda. The birds are colorful and quit precocious. If you left your table unattended and had fruit, you could kiss it goodbye… a high-speed jet like bird strike and the fruit was up up and away.
Day 3, Monday, 26 March
Another ‘boring’ start to the day, coffee on the balcony watching the waves and the palm trees sway. After breakfast we headed to our beach palapas in the shade for a morning of intense relaxation.
Later a buffet lunch and we tried out the family pool. Too crowded and too many kids so we went to the adult pool.
We made dinner reservations at the Mexican restaurant the ‘Aztec’. The food was ok. Patti had chicken fajitas and I had tequila grilled shrimp. The dessert was very good it was ice cream in a sugary tortilla drizzled with a strawberry sauce. After dinner we went to the Gold lounge and watched some TV.
After that, we sat in the courtyard and listened to a mariachi band.
Day 4, Tuesday, 27 March
After breakfast we went to our favorite spot on the beach. Patti got a Swedish massage by a Mexican lady. It was an hour long massage and she got worked over pretty good. 70 dollars and it got rid of some arm pain she had been having.
After lunch we went to the lunge for a couple of drinks and a little TV. We chatted with a guy from Canada for a bit then back to the room for a vacation nap. We had a late dinner reservation at the Italian restaurant (9pm). The Italian restaurant was very good. We started with a pre-dinner drink of Champagne with a lime sherbet ball in it- tasty. Actually we had about three each. I could go on and on about the food. The entrees were fantastic only to be topped by desert. Patti had a chocolate cake she said was very good and I had one of my best deserts ever. It was a chocolate covered pear with a pistachio sauce. (Transcribing this down 3 years later… my mouth still waters). Patti and I joked we would come back the next night if just for champagne and dessert.
The show that night was ‘Macho Mexican’ night. They had guests dressed like Mexican bandits. I am sure this would have been deemed racist if done in the States.
Day 5, Wednesday 28 March
We had room service for breakfast. It showed up 15 minutes late. But I guess we are on vacation time. We had cereal, fruit, and sweet rolls. After breakfast we went for a walk up the beach. Sandos is the southern most resort in the gated area of play Del Carmen. We enjoyed the unspoiled beach as we walked along and took some pics.
After the beach walk we though we would jump into the pool just for a second to cool off. Three hours and 4 strawberry daiquiris later we were still there. After a while I started asking for extra shots of Jamaican Appleton rum in the drinks. Drinking doubles and feeling good.
Disclaimer: To any of our Grandkids who may eventually read this- Your Grandmother and I do not endorse any over indulgence in vacation drinking. (unless of course you are over 21, not driving, and buying a round for Grandpa and Grandma too.)
At about 5 pm the beach starts to clear out as it becomes totally shaded. Patti saw a critter she thought was a giant rat. I think it was a Coati. But close enough to a rat for Patti. Hung out in the court yard before dinner and watched a few downpours of rain. steak and peel and eat shrimp that night in the buffet. They probably lost money on me that night.
Day 6, Thursday, 29 March
We spent most of the day on the beach reading, relaxing, having a drink now and then. Every once in a while I went down and jumped into the ocean for a few minutes to cool off.
We went to our spot in the plaza and sat in the shade for a while before heading back to the room. We had dinner at the buffet and checked out the pics in the photo shop. Earlier that week Patti and I had our picture taken holding a couple of parrots named Chocolate and Elmo. We liked the picture and bought it.
Day 7 Friday, 30 March
Our last full day. Always a sad thing.
Unfortunately Patti was sick and we hung out in the room. You should have seen me asking for Imodium from a gift shop clerk. It must have looked like that Pepto Bismol commercial-- hands on stomach, hands on…
Day 8 Saturday, 31 March
Going home. Fortunately Patti’s 24 hour bug had eased up. We checked out of the hotel reluctantly letting them remove our gold arm bands. Patti and I where sharing a shuttle ride with a young guy from NY City. We had barely cleared the resort when our driver got in an accident. He had been playing bumper cars with another taxi. They had literally been side swiping each other. Yes, trading paint and mirrors too. Finally we were pulling over. We were not real happy. It was a stupid thing to do and we had flights to catch.
The driver said he had called for another car. About 15 minutes later a white stretch limo pulled up. It was for Patti, me and our new adopted son from NY City. It was a nice ride. Full bar, lounge. He pulled up to the arrival area at the airport and jumped out to open the door. We were being stared at. I told one tourist who was gawking that (the kid with us) was just back from American Idol. I think she may have believed me.
Long lines to check in. We had lost our ‘son’ for a while. When he returned the lines were even longer and he was heading for the back of the line. Patti saw him and called out, “Son we are over here.” and had him cut into line with us.
Our flight to Dulles was delayed. We got to Dulles late and missed the last flight to Dayton. I assumed US Air would put us in a hotel. I assumed wrong. The best they would do was to get us a discounted rate. We were booked onto a flight for the next morning. Got to the hotel, ordered a pizza then got some sleep.
Day 9, Sunday, 1 April
Were we supposed to be home yesterday? April fools…
Landed in Dayton Sunday morning and picked up the car. Instead of driving home, we drove to my place of work about 45 miles north of Dayton. Patti helped me clean out my office. I emailed a letter of resignation to my boss and the plant manager. This was not an April fools joke. I had already accepted a new job only 2 miles from home. More money, less driving, and a better career opportunity. If I had given notice they would have terminated me, so I terminated them instead.
Later that morning- finally home!
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