Playing In Playa

A brief “Accidental Tourist” excursion to Mexico

2017 was a learning year for this tourist. It began with a thud and ended with a blood clot in my right calf. In between, I ended my connection to the Houston metro, had surgery on my “ring” finger, watched my daughter perform flawlessly in her ballet recital, witness my son graduate from high school and begin college. And I finished the year with my family in Williamsburg, Virginia.

From a traveling standpoint, many of you probably scanned a blog or two of my adventures last year. Some of those were exciting (Belize, Chicago, Cuba), others scary (Sculpture Falls). I’m blessed and thankful for another 365 days around the sun.

I took a break from writing a few months back after beginning a new career endeavour. Several blogs still reside in my mental inbox.

Discount Deals

There’s a travel website called “Escapehouston.com” I use when looking for travel deals. At least 3 times a week, I get notes from them regarding specials on trips. Usually, they’re for places like Auckland, Helsinki, and yes, Cleveland. Interesting, but not exactly on my list of destinations to put out currency for a long weekend. On the other hand, this week they actually have a round trip to San Francisco for $100.00!! The Bay Area is a favorite and that travel special got a second look. Anyway, speaking of a trip for a “Benjamin,” they posted a deal to Cancun for $122.00 round trip. Many of you can waste that kind of cash on the way to the checkout line at Best Buy, Walmart or Amazon. So, why not?

Riviera Maya

I decided early on I didn’t want to stay in Cancun. Hearing that it’s much like Miami, you have to ask “why do I want to go to another international destination that’s similar to a city in the U.S.?” So the search was on for other places within an hour of the international airport. Several towns were on my radar including Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel. I read Tulum may be “too small” and Cozumel appeared to base much of its effort catering to the cruise ship industry doing port calls there. I selected Playa del Carmen, as it appeared to be “not too big or too small.” Next, figuring accommodations and how to get there without spending a ton on ground transfers.

Southwest Hotels, is my current method of choice in selecting accommodations. Here you get to pick a great room, while earning points for future free travel. Kind of a win/win scenario if you think about it. I selected the Reina Roja Hotel, mainly because of the trendy, cool . pictures. No, I do not purchase “as seen on TV” products nor do I own the “Ronco Bassomatic.” More (much more) on this hotel later.

Flying into the second busiest airport in Mexico feels a lot like going to Chicago or Atlanta. The airport is modern, sophisticated, and organized. The Cancun Airport is impressive. As you walk out, the tone begins to change a bit. You start seeing booths selling a plethora of tours. There’s clearly plenty to do. I was looking for the ADO Bus line (the Mexican version of Greyhound). Taking a shuttle to Playa del Carmen is between $50 and $100 dollars, while the ADO Bus is $9 dollars. The bus is fine, thank you. Walking out of the terminal, the climate began to change. Basking in the warm, humid air is what I felt, what I saw on the horizon was capitalism in high gear. In front of me, hundreds of various tour groups trying to get my attention to use their services. What the…? Yeah, these people could see suckers with dollars, yen, euro, and pounds. That’s us, on vacation. The only difference is there’s no decorum here. These people are angling straight for your wallet, but I digress.. I wandered through the throngs of people and their signs and found the location where the bus would pick me up. The ADO buses run every :30 minutes and they run on time. As I checked my phone for the time, the bus pulled up :07 minutes before the hour. They tagged my bag, i walked on the bus and found my “assigned” seat. We were off at the top of the hour, again on time.

The roads between Cancun and Playa del Carmen are very modern. They look much like any highway you’d see in the U.S., just not an interstate. When the speed limit is 75 but you still have stop lights, that says a lot. After :55 minutes, a brief stop, and a scenic drive we arrived in Playa del Carmen. Playa is a large, older city. It is driven by tourism for the most part. The city is the fastest growing in Mexico and is a stop for cruise ships. It’s also a location for television shows in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. In the sports world, the city is also a host for several PGA tournaments.

First Impressions

Getting off the bus, you realize this is a country where bus transportation is far more the norm than driving a car. The bus station was organized chaos! Perhaps 8 buses where parked in a state of loading or unloading, with hundreds of people jammed in fairly tight quarters. But the real fun begins once you leave the front door.

Avenida 5 (Fifth Avenue)

The main tourist engine for Playa is “Aveida 5.” For what feels like miles, you will be yelled at to buy some product or service at least 100 times in a 20-30 minute walk. And, keep in mind nothing is free here, not even directions. I was just trying to get to my hotel and it almost cost me a timeshare visit, $4 dollars, a buffet lunch at an Indian restaurant, a tequila shot (almost did that) and a free cigar. The key, is not acknowledging the vendors. At that point, they figure you to be a local and leave you alone. My camera would give me away no matter what I did or didn’t do. There are drawbacks to being an “Accidental Tourist.” Finally being pointed in the right direction, I began thinking I made the wrong choice on destinations. This place and South Florida had a lot in common. Here, every major designer you’ve ever heard of had a store here. Plus, those seeking prescription drugs could just walk in, pick what you need and stroll on out! I watched several men buying Viagra like vitamins. This could end up being a very long 4 days and 3 nights.

I turn the corner and my hotel is down the street to the right. The Reina Roja is pretty cool. The lobby is a lot like the pictures, modern and fun. The staff is on point and attentive. My room was awesome with a large backlit screen that again, mirrored the web photos. Walking around the hotel, I did notice something I didn’t see. Do you remember the Police Academy scene when the two recruits unwittingly wander into the Blue Oyster Bar? Yeah, that was me at the hotel (except for the dancing). It was cool, just not my thing. Since I don’t hover around the hotel when visiting destinations, I didn’t think much of it.

I wandered out with my camera gear to try to capture sunset photos and sip on a Kentucky based beverage. But, where to go? While being out lost a few hours earlier, I remembered seeing a place called Zenzi’s. It was packed and looked like fun so I wanted to get my bearings before sunset. As this was Sunday late afternoon, they were offering a BBQ buffet. Not much of a buffet person, but I did want to sample what they called BBQ. All around me, people were eating it like it may be their last meal. After eating, lets just say I stayed on the main menu for future dining experiences there. The good news, I met a great couple from Pennsylvania who visited the area yearly and they provided great insight on the things to do and avoid during my visit there.

The sunset photography was amazing, as this night was also a super moon rising to the east. I wasn’t aware of the super moon event and was turned west to capture the sunset. Several other photographers were also there taking pictures and were aware of this upcoming event. I realized this when I turned around and they were facing the opposite direction. The things you learn when you’re not planning every moment of a trip. This was also a time of meeting new people and learning about their world, and this was also my time to mingle a bit. Live music was everywhere tonight, which surprised me a bit because it was Sunday night. I stopped and listened to a group doing Steely Dan cover music. It was also a chance to listen to people from around the world abuzz about their experiences here. To my right was a couple from Berlin, my left an opera singer from Tulsa. Of course, you have to watch the people eating spicy crickets dipped in hot sauce. Good conversations to end the night. Before heading to bed, I asked the hotel front desk person about bus times to Tulum in the morning.

The First Sunrise

The next morning, I woke up catch the sunrise, but was unable to turn on the lights. To conserve energy this hotel has a card system to monitor electricity. When I returned to my room the night before, I removed the card before going to bed. Stumbling around in the dark, it took me a bit to figure this out and then I was on my way. This was a busy day as I planned to visit the Mayan Ruins of Tulum. Wandering the streets of Playa was much different as the tourist crowds were asleep, the restaurants were getting ready for breakfast and the pitchmen weren’t pitching yet! All good for me. I found my spot on the beach, set up my gear and began waiting. The one thing I noticed were the number of people who were sleeping on the beach. Some were tourists, the others were homeless. The picture taking was amazing, of course.

Off to Tulum

I dropped my tripod off at the room and walked back to the ADO bus station to catch the 10am bus to Tulum. Along the way I found the best Mexican coffee at the local 7/11. My attempt at humor. I would never find home brewed coffee on this trip, and lived with that. Central American coffee is legendary and remained a legend. The bus station was again a zoo. Unlike Belize, they don’t speak much english in many of the establishments so I had to rough it. I only hoped I didn’t pay for a ticket to Mexico City, which is a 20 hour ride compared to the :45 minute ride to Tulum. After boarding, the ride was quiet. The buses here are equipped with monitors showing Mexican Telenovela dramas. I admit, it does help pass the time. We did make several stops before arriving at Tulum. The driver let me sit up front beside him, once he realized I was a photographer. The scenery was less than memorable but it was a nice gesture.

Arriving at Tulum was somewhat similar to arriving at a theme park. A few seconds after arriving, you’re surrounded by booths selling various trips and tour packages. Take it from this tourist, if you don’t have a plan already keep on walking. Nothing good is happening here. Then the real trick, the shuttles to the entrance gate. The Tulum National Park offers shuttles to the gate. It’s about a ¼ mile walk. I jumped on but noticed people walking. Then a guy walks by charging you for the ride. Walking is healthy, it’s also free and I put my feet to work and headed to the entrance.

Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city serving as a major port for Cobá, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities here, disrupting the society and eventually causing the city to be abandoned. While small compared to other Mayan sites, this place (along with it being on the Caribbean) is spectacular. It was worth the ride and the heat to see. I’d come back here in a minute! The ride back was uneventful and drifted off to sleep for a bit.

Returning to my room, I grabbed my tripod and headed to the beach to capture the sunset. I found a corner of the Playa del Carmen beach that host the elements needed for “decent” sunset photography photos. I don’t do photography lessons, just know three key elements make for great photography. The best part about this trip, was meeting the couple from Canada also soaking in the sunset. They’d been in Mexico about a week and had spent the previous night sleeping on the beach in the town of Tulum and were heading to Cozumel in the morning. We chatted a bit and then left them alone to watch God’s work in action. There’s was young love, and “three’s a crowd,” unless you’re into that sort of thing. I took my gear back to the room and went searching for dinner. My final full day would be spent on Cozumel. From the beach, you can see the twinkling lights of the island. In a few hours I would see it for myself.

Cozumel

After getting up to capture the sunrise (again), I began preparing for my excursion to Cozumel. Over the past few days, I noticed booths all over the place advertising to ride on one of the 4 ferry services to the island. Some offered open seating, others had a bar, one had live music! It’s less than an hour, and I didnt need any perks. I just wanted to get there. The most expensive ride I found was $40 dollars round trip. Mine: $8 dollars. For me the fun would be at the destination and not the action ride.

After the ferry ride was my only real splurge. While on the boat I read about a destination on the island call “Punta Sur.” Here was an original lighthouse, remote beaches, crocodiles, and very few tourists. This place and another called “Chen Rio” were on the opposite side of the island, away from the Cruise Ships, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Starbucks. It was (and still is untouched). I had to see for myself, but it was 20 miles away. I plunked down $65 dollars for a rental car and was off!

Punta Sur

Slowly leaving the tourist areas, the old Cozumel began to emerge. Occasionally I’d pass a posh resort but actually saw very little for about 30 minutes. Then the signs for Punta Sur just ahead began popping up. At the entrance, I paid the $14 dollars and began the slow drive into the ecopark. Along the way, I’d see Iguanas and crocodile warning signs and the blue ocean to my left. They were around which was kinda creepy but very cool.

After 10 minutes was the first stop, an ecological expanse showing brackish water of the Colombia Lagoon, wildlife and my first encounter (a close encounter) with a crocodile. While standing on a pier taking pictures, the people around me began pointing and saying “croc croc!!” Sure enough, an 8 footer was swimming directly towards the pier. But unless it was an olympic hurdler in his spare time, he/she was no threat. Instead, it swam under the pier to get a break from the sun! Crazy right?

Back in my car I drove toward to the Celarain Lighthouse. Built in 1901, it’s now a part of a nautical museum for the area. Climbing to the top was no joke, but worth all of the 100 tight and narrow steps to get there. The few at the top cannot be adequately described. After crawling back down and purchasing a bottle of water, I drove on. Ahead would be two private beaches and a lagoon tour. I passed on the tour. Arriving at the beaches, I found them to be incredibly untouched by nature. Along this stretch of water, were perhaps 20 people. Everyone around be grabbed their acre and enjoyed the water. The nearby grill supplied all with food and drink. It appeared that all were happy.

Time to leave Punta Sur as I was trying to catch a 4pm ferry back to Playa del Carmen. Driving northeast along the coast became the reason why I want to return to this part of the world. Along this drive, the crashing waves of the ocean was to my right and there’s no development at all, none! Seriously, I stopped nearly a dozen times to take pictures of this incredible untouched place. I’m betting the people who stop here on their cruise ships rarely venture out this far. I could tell those who were just off the ship because they looked stunned to see this raw beauty. This incredible scene of beauty was unfolding in front of me at every turn of the two lane road. The best was still to come as I rounded a curve and saw the destination I was advised to visit called “Chen Rio.”

“Chen Rio”

Considered as one of the few places ideal for swimming, the east side of Cozumel, Playa Chen Rio presents some boulders that form a huge natural pool where lifeguards are always on duty all weekend. A very quiet beach, ideal for those seeking relaxation in full, with family Sunday and therefore full of children and bustle.

Chen Rio “got its original name because a river formerly flowed through this beach over the road cut between the sea and the mangroves, after Hurricane Wilma, the river reappeared, unlike other islands after these attacks decided to fill these spaces, Cozumel was decided to place a drainage system beneath the road to let the river run naturally.

The lush vegetation, between the beach and the bay is ideal if you want to experience the wildlife and watch the beach mixed with. Chen Rio is one of the best beaches in Cozumel on the “other side” of the island.

The drive back to the ferry was uneventful except having to stop to fill the car with gas before turning it in. I’m not sure how much money I gave them. They even got enough money or I helped put one their kids through college. I’ll never know. My hurry to return to Playa was for nothing as the lone thunderstorm of my trip decided to rain of my parade of successful sunset photography shoots.

My night ended with the discovery of a newly opened BBQ restaurant off the beaten path. This comes thanks to my new friends from PA. They asked around and found this place for me. I won’t name the establishment or give them a grade yet as they were just opening. In Texas, this would be gas station BBQ, but there’s potential there.

My last day ended with an uneventful ride to the airport, meeting several San Antonio CPA’s 3-deep into cocktails at the airport and a quiet flight back to Houston. The morning would be a work day and I needed to be sharp. No cocktails for the flight home thank you. The “man” would be calling in the morning and this “Tourist” needed to be sharp.

Don’t forget to tell someone you love them, you might make their day. I love you Maddie!

~Glenn “The Accidental Tourist”