Back to Mexico – Christmas Break 2015

It’s been a year and a half since I’ve been to Mexico.  I spent two weeks on Isla Mujeres in June of 2014 at that time, and was very disappointed in all the changes there.  Between a ton more tourists and increased prices, it just didn’t seem like the same ol’ Isla to me.  While I suppose it’s good for their economy, it made me kind of sad, so I wanted to try something different this time.  I left yesterday and went to Playa del Carmen which is just a stopover point since I arrived in the evening.  I’ve been to PDC  several times before and I’m not a big fan.  It’s too commercial and glitzy for me…I’d rather just have laid back atmosphere and a more true Mexico feel.  PDC is all about shopping and expensive food.  I know there are less expensive family-owned places, but you have to take the time to find them and I never wanted to take that time in Playa del Carmen.  But I diverse…back to my current trip.

Here’s the familiar Best Day people scrambling to help their travelers, who I’ve never had a problem with.  I think they’re trying to get away from “Best Day” and use “BD Travel,” but they’ll always be Best Day to me.  For the life of me, I can’t understand why the airport wouldn’t put some benches out there for the travelers to sit on while they’re waiting for their rides.  And the travel people always have to use the trash cans to set their paperwork on.  It’s been that way for the past 10 years I’ve been traveling there, so I’m thinking it’s not going to change.

When we got going, it was dark, so I couldn’t take any pictures along the way…other than this one.  This is a new feature for the shuttle rides for me…videos of things you can do on the Riviera Maya while you’re on the way to your hotel.

Here was my hotel in PDC…it’s the Hacienda Real Caribe.  The entrance is just a block off of the main strip in PDC so it’s very convenient to everything.  A sign in the lobby said that a regular room was $190 per night, but I got my room for $128 (taxes included) through Booking.com.

It had a very Spanish feel and I wish I could have stayed there longer…well, maybe if it would have been somewhere else besides Playa del Carmen.

It was a totally comfy bed.

With a little balcony outside that faced the street.

Here’s one view…

And here’s the other…

And here’s the bathroom…

I would highly recommend it…I could have stayed there a month or two.

On to Playa del Carmen.  I first went there about seven years ago and thought it was commercial and glitzy at that time.  Now it is doubly so.  They’re building more and more shops and hotels and restaurants and they are very high end.  It’s obvious that they are catering to wealthy people who expect the best.  Here are just a very few…

I don’t know how well these shops do because I hardly saw anyone in them and I didn’t see anyone carrying packages.  But it was just after Christmas, so that could be a reason.  It sure seems to be growing, though.  I was in Las Vegas in October, and it reminded me a little of that.  It’s not my cup of tea, but I guess it’s good for Mexico.

There are also the native merchants who are selling the Mexican wares…

Here’s where I went for dinner.  (This picture was actually taken the next morning because I forgot to get a picture of it that night.)

And I just got the chicken tacos because I wasn’t that hungry.

They were just okay…nothing special at all.  I did like their tortilla chips and salsa, however.

These guys were making the rounds at all the restaurants.  They were actually very good.

After walking around awhile, I decided to treat myself to a Margarita.  Kind of a cute little setting, right??  Pretty candle holder and glass.

The next morning, I had to have my usual first fix of Huevos Motulenos.  They were okay.  I don’t think anyone can beat the ladies at the Loncherias on Isla Mujeres. They are the best.

After breakfast, I realized I hadn’t even seen the beach, so I took a side trip there.

Here’s what I saw when I got to the beach.  Yuck!

And this was the other way…yuck!

I’ve read some posts on Facebook about how the seaweed has been a real problem on the Mexican coasts this year.  I’ve never seen it this bad at Playa del Carmen. They were trying to clean it up, but it looked like a no-win situation.  It is, after all, just nature.

And here’s looking out the window of the ferry to Cozumel.  Adios, Playa del Carmen!  More on that later…stay tuned.