Iberostar Parisio Lindo- Cancun (Riveria Maya) 2-9 July 2012

2 July- Monday.

Off we go. Patti and I left that house at 5am. Thanks to Jason for the drop off at the Dayton airport. While checking in with US Airways they offered us what seemed to be about a 75% discount on first class upgrades for the Philly to Cancun leg of the trip. It did come with free baggage, drinks, and a meal. The cost was $450. We did opt to take it. Later on I started thinking… “Was that $450 for the two of us or $450 each? I guess we will see when we get our credit card statement.

We departed Dayton on time and made the connection to Cancun in Philly. I had been worried about the Dayton flight because it did not have a very performance history. Patti and I were row one in our first class section to Cancun. The extra leg and elbow room was nice- as was the pre take off Canadian club and coke. Lunch was not bad for Airline food either; they served us enchiladas, rice and black beans. Later, a warm wash cloth to freshen up with.

We landed a few minutes early at the Cancun airport. You gotta love the fact that the Corona banner still adorns the control tower. Patti and I were the first ones off the plane. Yeah, I know we all landed at the same time. Immigration and customs went fast enough. It did seem a little busy to me for a Monday. But we did land at about the same time as a group of five other flights from the US. The aggressive reps near the airport exit were even more aggressive than previous visits. We didn’t stop to listen to their time share pitch and that got them a little cranky. We just exited the building and found our shuttle rep. We had Best Day ground transportation for the first time and they did just fine. It was a 30 minute ride south to the resort. We were booked into The Iberostar Parisio Lindo. The Lindo was the center resort of five in the complex.

Rich, Heather, Payton and Alyssa were waiting in the lobby. They had got to the resort about an hour ahead of us. We had about an hour wait till 3pm- check in time. The lobby bar was serving. They have Don Julio tequila chilled in the lobby bar. We visited with the family, checked in and got a golf cart ride with the porter to our room.

We were in building 55 which is the building closest to the restaurants and furthest from the beach. We use the pool more than the beach so this was not an issue for us. We had a second floor room overlooking the lazy river. It was humid not being beach front. With the AC maxed and the ceiling fan on high it was ok. It took a few phone calls to get a mini fridge that worked, but that was our only maintenance issue the entire week.

We took an afternoon naps and we all met later for dinner at the main buffet. The buffet had plenty of choices. If you can’t find something you like, you aren’t looking. The buffet food quality was resort average. This was the only time we used the buffet for dinner. We did notice a decreased level of service for the buffet for breakfast or lunch service. They seemed understaffed. Sometimes you could not get seated or get a drink refill. Just an observation. Tired, we called it a day.

3 July- Tuesday.

 I woke up at 6:40 am (7:40 am for my Ohio body clock). There was a coffee maker and associated supplies in the room- coffee, tea, several types of sugar, but oddly nothing to stir with. I used the end of my toothbrush. Back to the main buffet for breakfast. They had cook to order eggs and omelets, pancakes, waffles, fruit, cereal etc. the usual stuff. The fresh fruit was very good. After breakfast we went to the pool near the swim up bar.

We got to the pool area around 9:30 am and found six chairs together under the palaypas. We never had to get up early to go reserve a seat. The pool was nice and big; the water temp was probably in the upper 80s. The pool area (and the entire resort) was nicely landscaped with plants, water features, islands and stonework. We got a few tropical drinks from the swim up bar and got our vacation on.

Later we went to check out the beach. There is a mangrove area that separates the beach from the rest of the resort. There is a deck walkway to get you there. It is a very large resort but you could walk from reception to the beach in about 10 minutes. From the pool it was about a 3 minute walk. The beach was one of the nicest resort beaches we have been to. It was very large and had plenty of chairs. There is a snack bar and beach bar for service. On the deck to the beach you will usually see families of Coatis looking for a handout. There are friendly, but that does not mean you should try and pet them they have been known to nip if you get into their ‘personal space’.

We went to the buffet near the pool for lunch. Afterwards we went to the ice cream shop above the swim up bar. The key lime sherbet was pretty good. Patti and I tried out the Lazy river. We grabbed a float and we floated the 1/10th mile circuit. It was ok.

Later that day following an afternoon siesta… Patti and I went to the theater bar and had a pre dinner drink. We saw part of a kids fashion show the staff was putting on using the kids at the resort.

We went to the Italian restaurant for dinner that night. Heather was able to make all the dinner reservations through her concierge linking the rooms. They gave a reservation ticket we took to dinner. I had read reviews that suggested you make all reservations in advance. This was not necessary. Choosing an entrée? I could not make up my mind between the lobster medallions or the filet mignon so I ordered both. Patti had the filet and tortellini.

4 July- Wednesday

Woke up about 7;30 and read my Kindle on the balcony with a cup of coffee. Patti joined me about 8:30. At breakfast Patti went healthy with fruit, I went tasty with scrambled eggs w/mushrooms.

We went to the pool and walked around the perimeter of the pool. That was quite a walk. The section next to the waterfall is slightly cooler due to the falls and all the water jets spraying from the side. After lunch we had a drink at the wave pool beach bar. We never tried the wave pool. I guess it ran for about 15 minutes every hour. They would announce the wave cycle with a short siren blast.

 Dinner that night was at the Brazilian restaurant. It was at a different resort on the complex- the Del Mar. we were able to get a shuttle ride from our lobby. They had a wide variety of appetizers. The smoked salmon was very good. I tried the caviar, but I have never developed a taste for it. The meal was wonderful. It consisted of courses of meat on a skewer- definitely Brazilian style. We had side dishes of baked potato and corn on the cob. I lost track, but there were at least 6-7 courses of meat. I was almost too full for desert. They key word there being ‘almost’. This was our favorite of all the a la carte restaurants.

We went back to the room and watched a little TV before going to sleep. We could always find something in English.

5 July- Thursday

 This morning I went to our travel rep and confirmed our shuttle ride back to the airport. The rep asked if I had forgot about seeing them the afternoon that we got there. I gave my usual response, “No, I just came when I felt like it.” I don’t book side excursions. He was friendly though.

Today was a little overcast and cooler. Patti and I spent a few hours at the swim up bar. The entertainment staff was performing poolside. After a few Blue Hawaiians I found I can sing along to “I’m Sexy and I Know it.”… I'm in a speedo' tryn' to tan my butt cheeks…” Just to be clear I was NOT wearing a speedo.

That night we went to the Hiramisu for dinner- Japanese prepared tableside at the Beach Resort next door to us. It was a 5 minute walk. It was a good show watching the chef go through his moves chopping, dicing, and flipping. Add some flames for effect. The food was very good. We were at a table of ten. The folks to my left were French Canadian. They were friendly and we talked politics and US/Canadian relations. I think we were all good ambassadors.

The resort guest list: About 45% US and Canadian, 30 % Mexican and South American and 25% British and European.

6 July- Friday

 Friday started out as usual, coffee, buffet, pool. Heather and family met up with us around 11 am. Patti read her Kindle poolside and I went down to the beach with the family for a swim. On the boardwalk back from the pool I saw a guy trying to hit a Coati with a baby stroller. I raised my voice and told him ‘No’. We did not speak the same language but I guess when I used the word ‘Polizia’ it translated well enough.

Some of the reviews I had read mentioned issues with Mosquitoes/bugs. I was never bit once, nor was Rich. Oddly it was the females of our group the insects found more tasty. Some Deep Woods Off and an anti-itch stick would be a good idea to take.

 7 July- Saturday

 It had rained during the night and was again cooler and a little less humid. We had breakfast with the family at the buffet and hung out in the waterfall area of the pool. We tossed around a football, visited and relaxed.

For dinner Saturday Rich and Heather had booked a dinner for the two of them at one of the Gourmet restaurants. Patti and I took Payton and Alyssa to the Mexican restaurant. Secret tip: One of the best places in the complex to get a lobster tail is at the Mexican restaurant. We had a great server. He introduced himself as “I’m Freddy, don’t call me Fred.” We all had our pictures taken wearing sombreros by Freddy, don’t call me Fred. I think somewhere in the small print it does require a sombrero picture.

Heather and Rich met us all there and we walked up to the reception area to check out the vendors. The vendors are there to sell but they are not overly pushy. You can talk them down on prices.

8 July- Sunday

A lazy day. Our last full day. We had room service for lunch. For a resort that bills itself as a 4.5 they had an extremely limited room service menu. Food quality was ok, just not much of a selection as compared to other Cancun area resorts that we have been to.

Dinner was at the La Marina seafood resort across the pool on the Maya side. I got the surf and turf. The sirloin was very tender. The lobster was ok, but better at the Mexican. The big plus here was the appetizer bar- shrimp, crab and many other tasty treats. Back to the room to pack.

9 July- Monday

Time to go home. We were mostly packed the night before. Woke up around 8 am and had one last coffee on the balcony. I had called the night before to arrange for porter service for the bags at 9:50. We finally left the room at 10:10 with our bags ourselves- no porters. Check out went well. We had one last drink from the lobby bar while we waited for our shuttle to the Airport.

Travel tip: At the Airport I flagged over an airport porter to take our bags in. This turned out to be a very good idea. He not only took our bags in, he took us to a kiosk, printed off our boarding passes, and by-passing the lines- he walked us right up to bag drop off. He earned his tip. I Ignored the looks from other travelers in line.

We had time for one of our Cancun airport departure rituals- some table side fresh made guacamole at Margaritaville. Our US Airways flight got off on time. We flew coach this time and did not have an upgrade… oh well, back to the real world.

We landed in Philly and cleared customs and immigration quickly. There were quit a few unhappy grumpy Government workers there. I think they needed vacations. We had to recheck with TSA to make our connection. The TSA folks were friendly and even apologized when the computer randomly selected me for a hand swab test. I am guessing they were checking for residue that ‘bad people’ might use. I told Patti they were really checking to see if I washed my hands after leaving the men’s room.

We took the bus shuttle to terminal F (under construction) to our connection to Dayton. Under construction meant not much of a selection for dinner. The flight to Dayton boarded on time then we sat on the tarmac for about 45 minutes. We were told it was the Philly airport rush hour. 9:30 pm was their busy time? Really? We got home around midnight. Thanks to Josh for the ride home.

My star ratings:
Overall: 4.5
Value: 4
Rooms: 4
A la Carte restaurants: 5
Buffets: 3.5
Drinks: 4.5
Overall service: 4.5
 Housekeeping: 4 (Note: Why replace one washcloth but not both? Did not replace  toilet paper a few days. Just observations, not major.)
Landscaping and appearance: 5+
Beach: 5
Pool: 5
Wifi: 0 (No free wifi… come on!)

Fiesta Americana Condessa- March 2011

Fiesta Americana Condesa
Cancun
3/22/11 to 3/29/11

Day 1
3/22/11 Tuesday

The alarm was set for 3 am. Leaving for vacation makes that a little easier to take. Josh gave us a ride to the Dayton airport. We flew Delta to Detroit for a connection to Cancun. Since we booked last minute our travel agent had to get a little creative with the connections.. We left late from Dayton because our flight attendant overslept but still got into Detroit a few minutes early. The flight was only about 36 minutes. The layover in Detroit was 3 ½ hours but technology helped pass the time- between the laptop and kindle we were able to occupy the time.

The flight to Cancun took about 3 hours. We landed about noon and zipped through customs and immigration -the advantages of traveling to Cancun on a weekday vs. weekend. Our bags were already there. They made the earlier flight. Our Delta shuttle van was outside and we arrived at the resort about 1pm. We were disappointed our room was not ready. Check in was 3pm but in the past at all the other resorts we have gone to the room was always ready. No big deal, we went to a buffet lunch and then got acquainted with the lobby bar.

We had some ‘Delta vacation dollars’ we could use for some various perks. We did opt for a room upgrade. We ended up on the beach with a 2 room suite with a Jacuzzi on the balcony. Our room was still not actually ready at 3pm so we sat on the balcony and enjoyed the view while housekeeping finished getting it ready. The room has free Wi-Fi and I had the lap top on the internet in minutes. The room safe was also large enough to store the laptop in when we were not in the room.

Technology has made it a smaller world. I fired off a message to Jason asking him to water the house plants. The weather on day one- about 80 degrees, sunny and breezy. We were tired from a long day and ordered room service for dinner. The room had a table and chairs and they sat it up just like it was in one of the resort restaurants- complete with centerpiece.

Tired, we called it a night at 10:30 pm (12:30 am in Ohio).


Day 2
3/23/11 Wednesday

I woke up at 6:15 local. My body clock seldom changes even on vacation. I felt like I had slept in. I checked out the coffee maker in the rom. Thanks to the upgrade we did not get a coffee maker, we got an espresso maker. Yuck. We never used it. It was a 5 minute round trip morning walk for a couple of cups of coffee. After our coffee on the balcony we went to the buffet near our building the Moon Tower. The breakfast buffet was fine. Resort average, no complaints. They had cook-to-order omelets and most anything you could think to have. The fresh fruit was really good. Patti had strawberry juice. We were there at 8:30 am, what I would call ‘breakfast prime time’. There were plenty of tables, great service and no waiting even for the omelet I ordered.

We went to a Palapa near the beach and read and watched the waves. Most of the beach was red flagged for heavy surf. I walked out about thigh high deep. There were yellow flagged areas bordering the resort you could swim/wade in the ocean at. We tried a couple of the ‘Miami Vice’ tropical drinks we had heard about. They were cold and frozen, but way to sweet for either one of us.

We then went to the upper pool. It was a little cool at first but you would quickly get used to it. Patti and I stopped by the Lobby bar. Bartender Manu took good care of us. I had some blue Agave tequila. Several actually, and put a hurting on some Canadian club and coke. I was 0 and 4 with bar games against Manu. We were tipping and the drinks kept getting stronger. We meet Tammy and Will from Pittsburg and they became our vacation buddies.

Back to the room for a nap. Afterwards we did some reading on the balcony. We had dinner at the main buffet. The selection is ok, but they could use a few more choices. The food quality was good.

The resort is one of the older ones but is still in good shape. It is very nicely landscaped. There is a lush tropical atrium in each tower that is 7 stories tall with creeks running through them.

Day 3
3/24/11 Thursday

I forced myself to stay in bed till 6:15. Got up and relaxed on the balcony reading and watching the ocean. Strenuous, I know. Even at 6:15 I am up to late to catch a sunrise over the ocean. But I’m sure not going to set an alarm to get up any earlier.

We had room service for breakfast. The ham and cheese omelets were very good. I think room service food quality is actually a notch up from the buffet. We went down to the palapas and sat under the shade for a while. Before noon though, we were hot and moved to the upper pool. The pool is a little cool getting in but we got adjusted quickly. We found out the upper pool is slightly heated. The key word there being ‘slightly’.

Usually by now we would have been best friends with the swim up bar staff. But the water in the lower pool was colder and we had very good pool side waiter service. (we never did use the swim up bar). We had a couple of chairs under some palms and with the shade and breeze it was much cooler than the beach. A sunny day, warm and humid about 84 degrees. Even with sun screen we were getting plenty of sun.

We went to the Tex-Mex beach buffet for lunch. It was ok, again could have used a few more choices. Not a big complaint just an observation. Back to the room for the afternoon nap/read on the balcony routine.

We went to the Mexican restaurant for dinner. For the appetizer Patti had taqitos and I had a crab quesadilla. My salad course was shaped chilled cream corn topped with bacon. It was very good. My entrée was shredded BBQ duck with onions and cilantro with tortillas, also good.

A late movie on HBO then lights out.

Day 4
3/25/11 Friday

Our 34th Anniversary! After the buffet we went to our beach spot. The waves had calmed some so I went out into the ocean for a bit. The waves were still strong. The water temp was about the same as the pool, maybe slightly warmer. Got a couple of cheese burgers from a carry out window near the beach. They were very good.

For our anniversary dinner we had decided to go to the Italian restaurant on the resort. The ‘Rosato’ had a 90 minute wait. We used the wait time wisely and had a few drinks with Tammy and Will at the lobby bar. Patti also met a lady from the Cleveland area who worked for the gas company. Patti did a little networking for Heather.

The Italian dinner was outstanding. It seems like the best Italian restaurants we have been to have been in Mexico. Maybe we could get outstanding Mexican in Italy. When I went to check us in at the Italian restaurant there was a guy throwing a fit over complying with the dress code. Yeah the dress code was harsh- you had to wear pants and a shirt with a collar. He was wearing a t-shirt. He was throwing a fit because he was from Italy, “I’m Italian. This is an Italian restaurant. The dress code does not apply to me.” Really?

I had eggplant parmesan for an appetizer and Patti had layered tomatoes and cheese. We shared a pasta lasagna course for two that rocked. For entrées Patti had beef tips in sauce over a potato type cake. I had bacon wrapped grilled shrimp . Our taste buds were doing back flips. The desert was a sampler plate of various treats including crème brulee. Since it was our anniversary that also brought out a small chocolate cake with a misspelled ‘Happy Aniversary’ iced on it. A thoughtful gesture.


Day 5
3/26/11 Saturday

I slept in till 7:15! Oh no, I am sleeping away the vacation! I was a little late to reserve a palaypa so I reserved a shady spot at the upper pool. A new routine, lasting rest of the vacation. We had breakfast at the main buffet, food quality was better than beachside.

Went to the pool and visited with Tammy and Will. It was their last day. The pool had warmed up a bit. We enjoyed walking around with a drink in our hand. For lunch I tried the little seaside seafood place ‘La Cervicheria’. I had read prior to coming that they had good fish tacos and they were excellent. They also had a very good made to order shrimp cocktail with a chunk of avocado garnish. Patti had chicken strips and quesadilla from the take out window.

Vacations being hard work, we continued the tradition of the afternoon siesta. After the nap I was updating my journal when a felt a rain drop. It was followed by 3 more. I looked up- a rogue cloud. That was the extent of the afternoon shower.

Service at the resort has been outstanding. We heard from a bartender that with tips they make about 22 dollars a day for an 11 hour day- Two dollars an hour. He said it was good money. The only service at the resort maybe lacking is housekeeping. It was inconsistent. Some days they did not come, other days no water. You could call and get water sent up. No major complaint, again just an observation. Service at the pool, bar and restaurant were very good.

My star ratings- 1 being bad, 5 being outstanding
Overall: 4
Value: 5
Landscaping: 5
Pool: 3.5
Beach: 3.5
Room service: 4
Buffets: 3.5
Mexican restaurant: 3
Italian restaurant: 5
Seafood restaurant: 5
Coffee bar: 4
Front desk: 3 (were not entirely truthful on the cost of an upgrade)
Housekeeping: 3

Day 6
3/27/11 Sunday

We had a little excitement this morning. We were in the living room and both heard dripping. I went into the bedroom and saw a small puddle by the door. I looked up and saw that water was dripping from an air conditioning panel. I called the front desk:

Dan: Yes, this is Mister XXXX in 410. We have a water leak.
Desk: No problem sir. Would you like 1 bottle or 2?
Dan: No bottles. Water is leaking… we need maintenance.
Desk: Oh, please do not be afraid we will fix it.

They finally got the message.. To funny. It took two trips but they were responsive and got it taken care of.

Today was a rerun of yesterday- buffet, pool, buffet, nap. That night we sat in the lobby bar for a drink and listened to the entertainment staff host music trivia. We got an ice cream cone from the coffee bar and headed back to the room.

Day 7
3/28/11 Monday

The last full day. We had a leisurely morning in the room, coffee on the balcony. We went to the main buffet for breakfast. Then to the upper pool. (our most recent routine). It seemed every day the upper pool was a degree or two warmer. Slightly cool still, but it only took a minute to get used to it.

Read, relaxed, had a few drinks. Back to the room around 1 pm. We took an afternoon siesta. I went down and reconfirmed our flights and pick up times for tomorrow- no changes. We ended up skipping lunch and used the Jacuzzi one last time on the balcony.

We were mostly packed before dinner. We went to the main buffet again. This time they also had an Asian buffet since they had just started remodeling the Asian restaurant. After dinner we went to the coffee shop in the lobby for coffee and ice cream.

Spent a few minutes in the gift shop, not a great selection or prices but we did get some coasters. Every night there is entertainment in the theater but we usually did not go. This night was a Michael Jackson tribute. It was about 45 minutes long and was not bad. We then headed back to the room to finish up packing.


Day 8
3/29/11 Tuesday
Trip home

Had a wake up call for 6 am and we were in the lobby in the lobby by 6:40 to check out. Carlos had told us an aprox. cost for our upgrade. He was off by about 160 dollars. We did not figure that out till we got home. Our shuttle was on time at 7am. Check in at the airport went smoothly. We had breakfast at the airport and Patti bought a few birthday presents for some coworkers in the gift shops.

It was a 2 hour flight to Atlanta we had a 2 hour layover. Most of that was taken up by immigration and customs. Very slow this trip. I think the must have had about 6 international flights land about the same time. By the time we got to the gate for the Delta flight we only had to wait 20 minutes to board.

A 1 hour flight and landed in Dayton at about 6pm. Josh and Ashley met us in front of package claim. Got home and got mostly unpacked. We had Taco Bell for dinner. Hey, we didn’t have tacos the entire time we were in Mexico.

It was 86 degrees the day we left Cancun, we had snow flurries the day after getting home. A good time and good value.

Moon Palace Resort, Cancun July 2010

Moon Palace Resort, Cancun Mexico
7/4/10 to 7/11/10


Day 1, Sunday, 4 Jul 2010

Off to Mexico. An early rise, but not as early as on some vacation departure days. Thanks to Jason for a 5:30 am drop off at the airport. Our 7 am Delta flight to Atlanta left on time. We met up with Heather, Rich and kids at terminal E for our connection to Cancun. Delta had overbooked our 10:55 am flight and offered us seats on a 9:40 am flight if we wanted to go early (we could have gone on the original flight). They said they would try and get our bags switched if we took it. They were smiling when they made their baggage-switch statement. They probably had their fingers crossed behind their back too.

We scurried off to the other gate. The flight from Atlanta to Cancun was only about 2 hours. We went through immigration then to baggage claim. ‘Surprisingly’, our bags did not make the early flight. We waited in baggage claim an hour for our bags to come in on the original flight. They did. Oh well, we tried.

Cleared customs then got or shuttle van to the resort. Moon Palace is only about 7 miles from the airport. Again, we had an all inclusive package. Food and all drinks including the alcoholic kind were included. The van was just our family. Patti and I were dropped of at the southern most part of the resort the Grand section. Heather and Rich were at the northern most section ‘Sunrise’. Patti and I had an ocean view room. Check in was nice. After stepping off the van were given icy chilled wash clothes to cool off with. Nice. Checking in with the Concierge- they gave Patti a flower and both of us a Pina Colada. Nice. The resort is huge and they have shuttle buses that make the rounds every few minutes. The longest we waited was 15 minutes. Average wait was about 5 minutes.

Our room was nice. The AC was definitely doing the job. The room had a great view of the ocean. We were on the second floor about 80 feet from the water’s edge. Love the sound of the waves. There was an in room Jacuzzi that had a view of the ocean. The balcony was only large enough for 2 chairs and a small table. But I guess if that is my only complaint I should shut up.

After unpacking we ordered room service for lunch. It took about 35minues. Not bad for a resort this size. After lunch Patti and I walked down to the beach then checked out the pool area in or section.

Later that evening we took the shuttle bus over to the Sunrise section and dinner with the family at a buffet there.




Day 2, Monday July 5th

Got up at 7:30 (8:30 Ohio time). We had coffee on the balcony and watched the beach sweeper work it’s way down the beach scooping up seaweed. It looked like a corn harvester. It would scoop it up in the front and shake out the strained sand in the back.

Room service for breakfast. Steak and eggs was an unusual option for a room service menu but was ok with me. At about 9:00 am we headed out to the closest pool. The bar looked like it was open. It was. Banana Daiquiris with a little extra Appleton Jamaican rum drizzled on top. We met our newest favorite bartender Vincente. He took good care of us. Heather, Rich and kids showed up there about 11:30. They liked our pool area better than theirs.

Vincente asked us our names. We told him that at the last resort we were at they called us ‘Party’ (Patti) and ‘Julio’ (Dan) because they could not get our real names right. He had no trouble pronouncing our real names but he called us Party and Julio anyway. Patti and Alysa had their pictures taken with a spider monkey. There were several iguanas hanging out around the pool. They probably were there on a vacation package plan too.

Back to the room around 2 pm and ordered room service for lunch (getting spoiled). Patti took a nap and I did some reading on the balcony. The weather so far has been sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon. Temps in the 90s.

We took the shuttle to the Nizuc (middle section) for dinner. It started to rain. We meet the family there and went to the Brazilian restaurant. The theme here was meat. Meat served tableside on metal skewers sliced onto you plate. How could you go wrong with meat on a stick? The meat courses were:

1. Sausage (linguisa)
2. Flank steak
3. Pork Loin
4. Top Sirloin
5. Lamb
6. Veal
7. Roast Turkey breast
8. Bacon slab

After a slice of each I was stuffed. We sat at the lobby for a bit then called it a night.

Day 3, Tuesday July 6th.

FOX TV- Weather news: A tropical depression forms right over the Yucatan peninsula (Cancun).

Well that sucks.

A rainy day mostly. At least it formed on us and was moving away. Patti and I went to the breakfast buffet in our section. The food was resort average I guess. They did have a cook to order omelets. The fresh fruit was good. Waiter service was outstanding they anticipate your every need. If they see you with cereal a spoon is placed next to you before you even realize you need it. If you get up from the table for something they swoop in, position your chair and refold your napkin. I am not exaggerating.

After breakfast I was standing outside the door waiting for Patti while she used the ladies room. One of the waiters came outside. He thought I was looking for the men’s room which was on the other side of the restaurant. He was going to lead me to it. They do not point or tell you how to get somewhere- they take you to it. This place is all about superior service.

Since it was raining (damn tropical depression) Patti and I headed back to the room for the time being. The family showed up about noon. It had temporarily stopped raining. We headed down to the pool area. Vincente told us he would be at the larger pool area. Unknown to us, we had been at the smaller of the 2 pool areas in our section the day before. The Olympic area had 3 pools, including a swim up bar. Wade ups allowed. There was a BBQ hut for lunch time food. Almost as soon as we got to the pool area the rain started back up. We sat under the bar Palapa with our newest bestest buddy Vincente the bartender. I asked what time the BBQ hut opened for lunch. Instead of answering, they got me a menu and brought the food to us there. (again, the service).

Even though it was raining mostly, we made the best of it. Rich, the kids and I played bocce ball and then I played a game of chess with Rich. The game board was actually 20 foot square section of the pool area. The chess pieces were each about 2 feet tall. I did win. Sweet revenge for all the times Rich has beat my butt at pool.

While I was playing chess with Rich Patti was talking with Vincente and during the conversation and mentioned what a fan I was of Corona beer and showed him my hat (bottle opener built into the bill… cool I know), and my Corona t-shirt. Unknown to me, he told her he would have a surprise for me the next day.

Dinner was at the Mexican restaurant in the Nizac section. It was an hour wait, but drinking Blue Hawaiians in the lobby lounge made the time pass easily. The food was good- 5 courses outstanding soup. We could not make it to dessert and had to surrender. Back to the room and we watched a late movie. Got our fingers crossed for better weather for tomorrow.


Day 4, Wednesday, July 7th

I woke up early at about 6 am. I peeked outside- no rain! I ended up getting out of bed at 6:45 and read on the balcony. The sun was peeking out. Watching the sun rise over the palm tree next to the building was not a bad way to start the day. Patti woke up at 7:30 and we had coffee and enjoyed our ocean. It was ours, at least for a week.

We went to the Buffett again for breakfast again. I liked their Caribbean style spicy sausage but did not care for the Mexican style. The Mexican sausage was too much like a hot dog. I don’t want hot dogs with my eggs.

After eating Patti said we need to stop over at the restaurant bar area because that’s where Vincente was working today. When he saw us he smiled and turned to the bar fridge and removed a 6 pack of Corona. He had purchased it off the resort at his own expense as a gift for me. The beer on the resort was Dos Equis (Which is pretty good) but they did not have Corona. I was very touched by his gesture. I am sure my tip covered his cost. But I honestly don’t think that’s why he did it. Service. This is what he was talking to Patti about the day before when I was playing chess in the rain with Rich.

After breakfast we went to our pool area. Minutes later the family showed up. Our pool side waiter was Louis and he was almost as good as Vincente. Our glasses rarely got bellow half full. The sun played hid and seek for a bit then it was sunny for the rest of the day.

Late afternoon we went back to the room. We watched an Adam Sandler movie on TV. The company that was handling our airport transfers called. They want to meet with you on the day you get there under the premise that you need to immediately schedule your return trip to the airport on your departure day. What they really want to do is sell you some side trips. I always ignore that request. But it was now midweek so I went and scheduled. He said, “Did you forget to come see me?” “No, I decided I would come and see you when I was ready.”

We had dinner at the La Traotti Italian restaurant at the golf course. This restaurant also had just under an hour wait and was a little difficult to get to because of the shuttle system. We hoped it would be worth it. It was, It really was. I had a salmon tartar appetizer, a spicy penne for the pasta course and Patti and I both had Filet Mignon for the main course. The filet was exception, probably the nest I have ever had. We chose cream brule for dessert. It fell short of what a real cream brule should have been (really, it was more of a flan) but it did not take away from an overall fantastic meal.

On the shuttle ride to the restaurant our shuttle driver told us the ghost story. It seems that workers sometimes see the ghost of a Mayan Princess who was executed by a Mayan priest- so the story goes. We did not see the ghost. On the shuttle ride back from the restaurant the driver was just supposed to take us to the shuttle bus stop. He ended up driving us all the way to our room. Again with the service (and of course he got a nice tip). On the way he told us the story and showed us where the Producer from the TV show survivor dumped his wife’s body after killing her. It was in the same section Patti and I were staying. I guess he bought his way out of Mexican prison- too bad.



Day 5, Thursday, July 8th

Heather and family were going zip lining and boating today so Patti and I were on our own. We got room service for breakfast. Patti had waffles and I had eggs rancheros- fried eggs on tortillas with black beans. The weather today partly cloudy but with the usual 90 degree temps.

Went to the pool. Louis or pool waiter again did well. At lunch I asked for Nachos. He did not bring me the regular plate. He had them add grilled chicken breast and jalapenos. Can I take these guys home with me?

A relaxing day not too much to write about. Room service for dinner.



Day 6 Friday, July 9th

I woke up early again at 6:15… I am not sleeping away vacation I guess. I think my body clock is still set on Ohio time. But the older I get the earlier I usually get up. I vaguely remember those 20 something years- sleeping till noon on a Saturday. Anyway, back to the vacation.

The sun was rising over the ocean and the reflections danced and twinkled. There was no breeze and the resort was quiet. It was nice just to enjoy the moment. Soon though, the golf carts carrying resort workers were zooming along.

We went to the buffet for breakfast then back to the room to change for the pool. Patti and I had some fold up pool floats we had packed. We started the day by just lazily floating and working on the tans. Heather and crew showed up about 11:30 am.

Patti and I ordered Turkey sandwiches for lunch. We loved the convenience of the pool side grill. It was nice not having to change out of swimsuits. That afternoon Patti and I tried out our in room Jacuzzi. It faced the windows and had a nice view of the ocean. I did not realize until I was standing naked opening the curtains, that it also slightly faced our neighbor’s balcony. When I opened the curtains the neighbors who were on the balcony looked over. Their scenic view was now included me. They were only there one night. I may have scared them off. Maybe I should have smiled and waved,

We went with the family to an Asian restaurant for dinner that night. This yet another of the 14 different restaurants we could choose from. They had a really good spring roll appetizer. The entrees were ok- the desserts were fantastic. They had a fried tempura banana that made your tongue do back flips.


Heather and rich showed us their rooms on the Sunrise section. Oddly there was a bit of an ocean smell that hung over their area that we did not have in the Grand section. After the tour of their rooms we visited and listened to music in the sunrise lobby.


Day 7, Saturday, July 10th

Probably the best day so far weather-wise. Only a few wispy mare’s tails for clouds. We were both wanted only a light breakfast so we had cereal and fruit at the buffet.

Off to ‘our’ pool. Patti and I usually stared our pool days by walking the length of the pools. The pools were large. The family showed up at their usual time of about 11:30. Our last day turned out to not be much of a drinking day. Mostly just read and ‘chill-axed’ in the pool chairs. Patti and I both had nice tans.

We got up to head back to the room about 3 pm. Louis say us getting ready to leave and hurried over. He wanted to make sure he had our real names (not just Julio and Party). He said that when we return on a future vacation he would make us a special dinner. I think he meant it.

On our walk pack to the room Patti and I stopped at our VIP beach area. It had cabanas to sit in. Patti sat down and I decided to jump into the ocean for a minute. It ended up being about 20 seconds. The water was warm but I received a sting from a jelly fish as soon as I stepped in. I had some fast reflexes for an old chubby go and pulled back quick. It only stung for about 10 minutes. Patti say that the beach was red flagged. She said, “I bet that is for jelly fish.” It was. Jelly fish in the VIP area? It was probably a VIP jelly fish.

As part of that VIP package Patti and I did get a candlelight dinner. We waited till the last night to use it. The dinner was on a 2nd floor terrace overlooking the ocean great view. Champaign and appetizers to start then a minor roadblock when they brought the menu. The selections were seafood. Patti is not a seafood person so we decided we would enjoy the view and a glass or two of the Champaign and hit a different restaurant. When the manager found out were trying to leave (we had thanked them, it was not their fault) he would not have it. He had a steak and baked potato brought up from the restaurant downstairs. What can you say expect again with the service. The bartender working the terrace that evening was our buddy Vincente. After the meal he made Patti and I a couple of special after dinner aperitifs. They contained about 4 liquors layered in an oversized shot glass. You down it. The last layer to hit your throat is chocolate…tasty. We had our picture taken with Vincente behind the bar. I think we were all a little misty eyed as we said our good byes.


Day 8, Sunday July 11

Checked out with the concierge at 8:00 am. They cut off our wrist bands. How final is that? Had some coffee and fruit in the lounge and waited for our shuttle. We went to the Sunrise side and picked up Heather, Rich, and kids and then off to the Airport. Check in at security went ok.

Took off at 10:00 am. It was a little under 2 hours to Atlanta. We said our goodbyes to the family on the airport train. Patti and I had lunch at Chilies then caught our 1 hour flight to Dayton at 5 pm. Josh and Ashley picked us up at the Airport… home sweet home. But it does not take long to be ready to go again.