tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41 2009-07-26T20:09:49Z Follow Marga, Mike and our two little girls from beaches to ruins to cenotes. Movable Type 3.34 tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8834 2009-07-25T03:23:45Z 2009-07-26T20:09:49Z

I almost didn't go to the hotel Dolores Alba in Merida due to a couple of negative reviews at tripadvisor.com. One, in particular, claimed that the pool was full of leaves, and if there was something I wanted in a...

marga http://www.marga.org/ negative reviews at tripadvisor.com. One, in particular, claimed that the pool was full of leaves, and if there was something I wanted in a hotel, it was a good pool. But then, someone in the tripadvisor.com fora recommended the hotel, and I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did, as the Dolores Alba is a very nice and comfortable hotel, and we felt very much at home there. The hotel is situated four or five blocks from the main square - not as close as I'd have wanted, but there isn't much you can do about that. It has a small, private, locked parking lot for those who, like us, are driving (and given all the ruins and sites to explore near Merida, it pays to have a car). It also has a restaurant, which we didn't try. The hotel itself is divided in two parts. The older part of the hotel consists of two wings surrounding a central, covered patio (where the table/chairs for the restaurant are located). A newer part is made out of three additional wings surrounding the swimming pool. There are a lot of arches and iron work that help give the place a faux-colonial style. There are some plants around one side of the pool to make it look more tropical. The pool is on the small side, and it's very popular with guests, but it's immaculately clean and my children loved it. My 7-year-old was able to touch bottom in the shallower part, but my 4-year old was not (so she floated around in her life vest). We found the rooms to be quite beautiful. Ours had a very nice tiled floor, darkening windows (you can look out from the inside, but they look like a mirror from the outside) and some stylish features such as gorgeous painted glass night lights. The a/c worked very well, and the room had a TV with cable but no fridge. There was only a shower in the bathroom (I think soap but no other toiletries were provided). My favorite detail from the room were the two rocking chairs placed around a small table by the windows. They were comfortable and just a tad luxurious. Unfortunately the beds were very hard, probably the hardest we experienced in this trip. The hotel has a laundry room with rather big washers and driers. Washing and drying a load will cost your MN$50, including the detergent. There are also drinks for sale at MN$15. As the hotel is downtown there are places were you can buy anything close buy, including a very good bakery 1/2 a block away. There is free wi-fi in the hotel, though the connection is not always great from the bedrooms. In all, we really enjoyed our stay at the Dolores Alba and would stay here again. We made our reservation through their own website. The rate during our stay for a room with two double beds was MN$540. Hotel Dolores Alba Calle 63 No. 464 x 52 y 54 Merida Mexico (52)(999)928-56-50 http://www.doloresalba.com/ ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8833 2009-07-25T02:58:00Z 2009-07-26T20:04:29Z

The hotel Hacienda Sanchez was a surprise; one of the most pleasant surprises we had during our trip to the Yucatan. Finding it was a pain the butt, it's located near the paid (cuota) road to Chichén Itzá while we...

marga http://www.marga.org/ cuota) road to Chichén Itzá while we were arriving to Valladolid from the free road. If you are staying here, just head for the cuota road and you should be able to find it. It's right next door to a large supermarket. The hotel is not really an hacienda - or at least I can't imagine it ever was one. It consists of a 3-story building placed on one side of a central courtyard. One-story suites line the courtyard in two other sides, and the restaurant is in the remaining one. The central courtyard is beautiful, with lovers' benches, manicured patches of grass and flowers and a fountain. The swimming pool to one side is large, refreshing and very clean - it has both an adult and a kids' side (it closes at 8 PM for cleaning). I would have liked to enjoy the courtyard more, but unfortunately there are lots of mosquitoes. Bring repellent! The rooms were fine but nothing special. Two beds, a night table, a desk with a TV, closet and a very powerful a/c (no fridge). They had nice towels and soap and shampoo in the bathroom. There is free wi-fi from the rooms and elsewhere in the hotel. My only complaint about the room (other than the de rigeur hard beds) is that they didn't use a fitted sheet on the mattress, which means that the sheet came out during the night :-( Perhaps the best part about the restaurant was the restaurant. It serves Yucatecan and continental food, but you definitely should go for the former. My pollo pibil was delicious and Mike really enjoyed his longaniza (a specialty of Valladolid). Their licuados and fresh juices were divine. For dessert I had caballeros pobres, or "poor gentlemen" - something I had never tried before. It's basically a type of fried bread with a honey-cinnamon sauce. Very, very good. The prices were ridiculously low, I think that less than US$5 for the main dishes! I should say that I really loved the ambiance in the restaurant. It's in an open building with two rooms opened to each other. One is more or less a lounge area, while the other the dining room proper. Mike said the airy room reminded him of the place where they had the dance in the Zorro movie - indeed, take the chairs and tables away and it'd be a great dance hall. As it's open there is no a/c, but it's kept cool by ceiling fans. The rooms are decorated with hacienda items, guns and paintings. We had breakfast the next day (US$15 more for 4 people if booked at the time of your reservation) and it consisted of eggs or pancakes, served with beans and something else I can't remember, buttered bread, fruit, coffee and juice. Everyone was quite full. What I enjoyed the most, however, was the dedicated, kind and attentive service. Everyone was very polite and eager to help. In all, I wish we would have been able to stay at the Hacienda Sánchez for more than one night, and I wholeheartedly recommend this hotel. We found the cheapest rates for the hotel at http://www.cancun.com/. Hotel Hacienda Sánchez Beginning AV. Zaci-hual Valladolid México 01 (985) 85 6-52-12 01 (985) 85 6-52-14 http://www.haciendasanchez.com.mx/ Marga's Hotel Reviews ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8831 2009-07-24T22:19:22Z 2009-07-24T22:33:13Z

Summary: Modest hotel, but fun and relaxing. We stayed at the Grand Royal Lagoon Hotel (aka el Gran Laguna Real) because it was one of the cheapest hotels I could find in Cancun ­ about US$38 after tax through travelocity.com,...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Summary: Modest hotel, but fun and relaxing. We stayed at the Grand Royal Lagoon Hotel (aka el Gran Laguna Real) because it was one of the cheapest hotels I could find in Cancun ­ about US$38 after tax through travelocity.com, including breakfast for two. There are four of us (two adults and two children), which makes it less than US$10 per person, quite a bargain in my book. http://www.marga.org/fun/travel/hotels/ The hotel is located on the lagoon side of Kukulcan Blvd in the Zona Hotelera. It's right after the golf course, if you are coming from the center of town, on the other side of the boulevard from the Intercontinental hotel. It's probably not a long walk to the beach ­ though you will have to find a place to cross the boulevard and then a walkway to the beach. The lagoon itself is too full of seaweed and refuse (waste water flows to it) to make it swimming-friendly. The hotel is quite small (comparably speaking, given the mega resorts that mostly inhabit Cancun) but comfortable. A few three story buildings surround a rather small, but very clean, pool. It was a perfect size for the kids, however, as they could easily swim across it (Mika by herself, Camila wearing a life jacket). We stayed at the hotel twice, for one night each time. Our first room was, very fortunately, located on the ground floor, a few steps from the pool. The room itself was very modest and pretty dark. It had two double beds, a night table, a large desk, a TV, a mini-fridge and a closet. The room, like the bathroom (shower, not tub), was very clean. The AC was turned on to 16 when we came in, and clearly it had been for a while, as the room was wonderfully cool. It became quite cold at night, however, so I'd recommend turning it to 20 or so before you go to sleep. The beds were quite hard, as were some of the pillows (Mike was not a happy camper when he woke up), but I thought comfortable enough. The only light in the room is a fluorescent bulb on the ceiling, not very strong, which makes reading quite hard. Our second room, also in the first floor, but of another building, was similarly furnished but did not have a refrigerator. It was also smaller. We asked for a change to a room with a fridge, and we got one in the third floor of another building. This room was larger and better lit, but also by a single fluorescent bulb. Whether you get toiletries will depend on the room. Our first one had soap and shampoo, the second one neither, and the third soap and shaving supplies (!?). I'm sure you can ask for whatever is missing. The rooms have a safe in the closets. The grounds of the hotel are pretty small. The pool is centrally located and there are lounge chairs around it. Beyond it, towards the lagoon, there is a restaurant under a palapa, and another palapa with a large table. There are a few hammocks hanging up, and then the dock. We saw our first iguana at said dock. The restaurant serves basic foods at prices that are not outrageous for Cancun. Breakfast includes eggs, fruit, toast, coffee and juice. Grand Royal Lagoon Boulevard Kukulcán Km. 7.5 Zona Hotelera Cancún Mexico +52 998 883 2899 Marga's Hotel Reviews]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8828 2009-07-24T00:39:42Z 2009-07-26T19:57:22Z

The coral reef in front of Puerto Morelos is supposed to be one of the best places to snorkel in the Riviera Maya - so of course, we gave it a try. You can go to the reef from different...

marga http://www.marga.org/ ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8827 2009-07-23T02:50:27Z 2009-07-25T18:55:20Z

The Sandos Caracol resort is a 3-star all inclusive beach resort, neither more or less than that. We went there with almost no expectations, and found it to be a mostly pleasant place to be, with mostly a very cheerful...

marga http://www.marga.org/ How I chose the hotel The Sandos Caracol resort, along with the Viva Wyndham Maya, had the cheapest rates I could find for the two nights in July I was looking for. I figured that it'd be nice to check out a different resort, so I went for the Caracol. Finding the hotel I made the reservations through the Sandos website, which provided me with the wrong address and directions for the hotel. That meant that we spent about an hour driving back and forth around Playa del Carmen, trying to find it. Finally, we ended up at the Sandos Playacar, where a helpful guard told us how to get to the Caracol. Once we knew how to get there, it was relatively easy to do. To find the hotel from the south, drive past Playa del Carmen until you see a sign for the Grand Coral resort, go into this complex and then follow the signs for the Sandos. There are currently no signs for the Sandos on the road. If coming from the north, look for the Grand Coral signs before Playa del Carmen proper. Check In / Out The checking in process was quick and painless. I explained what happened to the receptionist, who was understanding and called the manager, who clearly couldn't care less and did not even offer an apology (much less an upgrade or anything). Ricardo, the receptionist, did put us in a very nice standard (what we've reserved) room, a stone throw away from the pool and the beach. He did, however, passed us on to our “private concierge”, who I expect was meant to try to sell us into a timeshare. She somehow realized that that was not in the cards, so gave us some info about the hotel, offered us a free day at the Sandos Playacar (worth US$90, she said, but the Playacar was only US$20 more a night when I was making reservations), which we declined, and sent us in our way. The Caracol is a "bracelet" hotel, which means you have to wear a bracelet throughout your stay. The check out process was just as painless. I returned my keys and towel cards (make sure to not lose these, there is a US$50 charge for each card that is not returned), got a piece of paper to give to a bell-boy, and that was that. Room The kids and I thought that our room was pretty nice. It wasn't particularly big, but we liked the blue and yellow color combination (being a Cal graduate, maybe I'm biased towards these colors). The room had tiled floors, which we appreciated, a small closet, two queen size beds, a night table, a small dresser with a fridge and a TV, one of those things to put your luggage, and a very small desk. We appreciated the fridge and the fact that the room came with a clock ­ so many rooms in Mexico do not. On the down side, the room had very bad artificial lightening, it'd be a strain to try to read at night. The beds were fairly comfortable, hard, but not the hardest we've encountered in Mexico. The pillows were overstuffed, and not too uncomfortable. The one major problem with the room, however, was the A/C which began leaking our first morning. The maid noticed it and called maintenance; the guy who fixed it made a hack job that barely lasted, and soon it began to leak again. I called again, and within a couple of hours the problem was fixed. Another thing to bear in mind is that the hotel has central air, which means you do not get control of the temperature in your room. The a/c seems to be fixed at about 24C, which we found pleasant. Finally, the hotel provides you with soap and lotion (there is a dispenser in the bathroom), but not with shampoo or other toiletries ­ bring your own. They do give you a bath towel per person, but the towels are old and rough. The same can be said for the hand-towels and wash-cloths. The rooms were quite clean, and the beds were beautifully set with rose petals and a swan-shaped towel, which the kids loved. Grounds The Caracol has an “eco-hotel” theme, which is mostly manifested by a series of water canals surrounded by abundant vegetation and inhabited by various critters. My girls delighted in looking at the fish and turtles from the bridge near the buffet. They loved the iguanas that sunned throughout the result during the warm afternoons, and once my oldest got to see a friendly coati which showed up after dinner. The problem with such an "ecological" landscape, is that all the standing water promotes mosquitoes - and the mosquitoes were insatiable at the Caracol. Be prepared for them and bring plenty of strong repellent. The hotel has a central area with the reception, a bar nearby and areas for tours/time shares. Close to it is the disco, "theater"/sports bar, shopping area, and the restaurant/lounge/central bar area. There are rooms in most directions from this central space - a couple of the other restaurants are at random locations in the property. The hotel counts with four pools, the main one is closest to the beach. There is a bar/snack bar by the pool, and I think another one in the beach. The buildings themselves are all meant to look classy, and are decorated with nice furniture as well as design touches. The whole resort has a designed-community look to it. It is, however, quite comfortable (beyond the mosquitoes). Note that while there are gold carts that can help carry luggage and people around, the hotel can be easily negotiated on foot - it's not that big. Services The hotel does not have wireless internet service, as far as we could ascertain, but you can connect to the internet through their computers for US$5 an hour. I don't know if they offer any other business services - if they do, they're probably pricey. I think there is a gym, and there's definitely a spa (in the central area). We took a look at it and it was quite nice, the large jacuzzi would look inviting were it not for the oppressing heat day and night. Activities There are activities throughout the day, some in the pool, others in the beach and presumably others elsewhere. These include games and classes. I didn't find anything that we could do by ourselves, however. The two pool tables at the sports bar did not have all balls (they were lacking the 8-ball, for instance). Children Activities My kids loved the kids' club, which included standard activities such as making sand castles, playing in the pool and watching movies. When we were there, the teachers were guys - I mention this as some people are less comfortable with male teachers. There is also a different kids activity every night around 7:30 PM. One night it was a kids' disco, another night a piñata (this one was particularly popular). There are a few inflatable swimming toys you can borrow. Shows and Disco We didn't experience either. Pools The Caracol has four pools. The main one is pretty large and it's really two pools connected by a rather wide waterway. There is a shallow kiddie pool at one end and a swim-to-bar on the other end. The bar side was closer to our room and was the least crowded side, so we liked it better. The swimming pool is surrounded by lounge chairs, and there are several palapas with little tables providing shade - still, if you want to make sure you get a chair under one, claim one early. This pool is right near the beach. One of the other pools is for exclusive use of their club people, another one is for adults only and the third one is open. These were standard pools, not very interesting, but very quiet, even during the hottest part of the day. If you are looking for a quiet swim, either is a good bet. Beach The beach in front of the Caracol is your standard white sands - turquoise waters Riviera Maya beach. It's very pretty, of course, but not the prettiest in the area. The beach itself is very crowded with lounge chairs - there is barely any free space. However, the northern side of the beach was not very crowded with people while we were there. Most of the activities happen in the much louder southern side. There are huge sand bags in the ocean, near the beach. I didn't find them unattractive, but they weren't a good source of snorkeling material, unfortunately. They do create a sort of bay in front of the hotel, making the waters quite gentle and ideal for little children. The water in front of the hotel is quite shallow and becomes deeper quite slowly. All in all, I think it's a pretty beach but not spectacular. Parking The parking lot is by the reception, it's small but apparently sufficient. Food Like other all-inclusives, the Caracol has a buffet and a number of reservation-only, a-la-carte restaurants. We were there for only two nights, so we weren't given access to the latter. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the buffet. In general we found the food to be fine. There was a great selection of cooked items, as well as a grill-to-order station. The food follows a nightly theme, the "Mexican" night included dishes from throughout Mexico, including the Yucatan. However, we found most of the food to be rather mild, albeit made with good ingredients. I'd describe the food as "banquet quality", rather than "restaurant buffet quality". The buffet restaurant is large and not air conditioned, it can be a little hot. Drinks We found the drinks to be quite good at the different bars we tried. The banana daiquiris in particular were great. The hotel does use syrups rather than fresh fruits in most instances, however. Staff The staff was quite friendly, and everyone you saw always greeted you. They seemed quite efficient (except for the A/C guy). Guests The clientele seems very international, albeit with an emphasis on Europeans and Americans. Conclusion We liked the Sandos Caracol (specially in retrospect, after staying at the Wyndham) but found it a little bit boring. Still, we appreciated the feeling of semi-emptiness of the place, which might be a temporary thing, however. I think the hotel is a middle class, family hotel, and was a great deal for the price. Sandos Caracol Beach Resort & Spa Playa del Carmen Mexico http://www.sandoshotels.com/en/hotel-caracol-riviera-maya/descripcion.php ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8824 2009-07-22T19:08:14Z 2009-07-25T18:49:51Z

The Viva Wyndham Maya is not the worst hotel I've ever stayed at - that honor goes to a $4 a night Guatemalan hotel, where the cockroaches were so big and so abundant that I had to leave in the...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Sandor Caracol Beach Resort), I wanted to cry. You see, I paid pretty much the same amount for both hotels - and while the Sandos Caracol could be described as the “Target” of the all inclusive resort industry, a solid 3-star resort, the Wyndham is closer to K-Mart or Walmart, or a thrift store for that matter. Indeed, I wondered if that's where they got the furniture which surrounds the pool and pool-bar area. If I was a hotel reviewer (well, I guess I sort of am, as I'm writing this review), I'd give it one star max (it claims it has 3). Now as for the detailed details: Why I chose this hotel I chose the Viva Wyndham Maya because it was the cheapest all inclusive I could get in the Riviera Maya when I made the reservations. I did check out the reviews at tripadvisor.com, and while some expressed problems at the hotel, most of them were very positive. None really explained that this was a low-end hotel Location The hotel is located in Playacar, a newish designed “community” of hotels, condos and time-shares. It's across the street from a shopping area of sorts, which contains a Starbucks, a pharmacy, a travel shop and various stands and shops selling Mexican-looking souvenirs. Playacar is about a 20 minute walk our US$5 taxi ride from Quinta Avenida in Playa del Carmen. The hotel is located at the beach. Check In / Out When we went to check in (mind you, at 2 PM rather than the 3 PM check in time), they only had one person at reception. That meant we had to wait, and the “lobby” is open to the elements (read “hot”) and without seating possibilities. Still, it's all in all not a big deal. However, check in can be very slow for people who arrive at busy times or in groups. The check in was painless enough, but the hotel required that we show them all our passports and entry cards, and they made photocopies of them. Photocopies that they will keep, god knows for how long, for some unknown reason (the receptionist claimed he didn't know why they were doing this, he claimed that it was a policy from Accounting). I am suspicious that the hotel may believe it attracts the sort of clientele that might be willing to steal a pillow or break and ashtray, and Accounting wants to be sure they will be charged for that. Indeed, their hotel policy says that people will be charged for anything they take, which goes contrary to the policy of most nice hotels (those who expect guests to come back). The Viva Wyndham is a “bracelet” hotel. That means that when you check in they put a plastic bracelet around your wrist that you must wear throughout your stay. There is no way to take it off at night or other points, and then put it back again. My bracelet gave me a rash after a couple of days, fortunately one of the guys at the front desk allowed me to remove it and put another one on my other wrist. Unlike other hotels, the front desk staff won't let you check out unless they cut the bracelets from everyone's wrists - again, suggesting that they believe their guests may possibly use their facilities for a little while after check out without paying. *shudder* Rooms The Viva Wyndham Maya has two types of standard rooms, those that have been updated by the adults pool at the front of the hotel, and the “regular” rooms closer to the main pool/beach. We stayed in one of the latter. I did not get the opportunity to see any other rooms, so I can't comment on them. The room we stayed reminded me of those at mom & pop hotels from the 50's. Mind you, the Viva Wyndham Maya is nowhere as old, but I guess all the humidity and lack of upkeep wears down rooms quite quickly. Our room had peeling paint and stained walls and doors. It was simply furnished with two double beds, one night stand, a shelf coming out of the wall, with two drawers underneath it, that served as a stand for the TV and as a desk of sorts, and a chair. There was a closet and a mildewed mirror. The mattresses were put on top of hard surfaces and they were hard, though not as hard as those in other Mexican hotels. The pillows were small and hard, not particularly comfortable, but easily folded for those who sleep that way. I had no problems with the bedding. The bathroom also showed many a sign of aging. It had a bathtub, but the plug was stuck at mid-point, making it impossible to close for a bath or to open completely to avoid the water reaching your ankles when you take a shower. The bar for the toilet paper holder was missing, so the toilet paper was left on a shelf. No big deal, all in all, but another sign that the room was in decay. There was a mini-refrigerator in the room holding 3 drinks when we arrived. Despite the fact that the refrigerator had a weird smell to it, we did ask for it to be filled up five times during the first two days. At the end of the second day, a couple of sodas were added, but no more. The rooms come with a very loud air conditioning system (the plus is that you can set it to the temperature you want and maids don't turn it off when they come clean the room) and a TV. Alas, the AC is so loud that it's hard to hear the latter. It also makes it somewhat difficult to get to sleep. On the plus side, rooms near the beach are also near the “theater” with the nightly entertainment which begins at 9:30 PM, despite the closeness you can't hear a thing over the AC. There were dispensers with hand soap and shampoo in the bathroom, as well as something that could have been shower gel or hair conditioner, we didn't figure out which and just used our own. There was no lotion provided or anything else, though there is a shop where you can buy what you need. In all, we found the room serviceable but depressing. Alas, we wanted to stay close to the pool and beach and that's what we got. Grounds The Viva Wyndham Maya is a relatively small hotel, long and narrow. You can walk from the gate to the beach in about 5=10 minutes. The grounds themselves are manicured and clean, there are palms and native plants as well as grass. The vegetation hides a number of agoutis (cute rodents, about twice the size of a squirrel) as well as the odd iguana. The kids, of course, loved looking for them. The hotel counts with two pools, each with their own bar, as well as a nicer bar in the reception area. The buffet restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, is on top of the reception room. There are also three other restaurants serving Seafood, Mexican and Italian food (we only tried Portofino, the Italian restaurant). Services There is a gym, with a variety of machines, a spa and an internet room with three computers. Internet access is not included, and it's charged at US$5 an hour. There is no wireless anywhere in the hotel (but you can get free wireless at the large McDonalds a few blocks north of the Playacar exit). The hotel provides you with free bicycles (you can take them out for 3 hours between 8 AM and 5 PM), free boogie boards and kayaks, as well as a catamaran (if you know how to use it). Activities There are organized activities throughout the day, they don't vary day by day though there tends to be a daily “tournament” for something or other. Activities include exercise/dance classes and games. There is also a trapeze that children from 4 to 15 can use between 9-11 AM and adults can use from 3-5 PM. There is less of a wait to use this than you would guess. The hotel has an archery range (open for a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon), and bows for both children and adult. Finally, there is one ping-pong table. Children Activities The hotel counts with a kids club that operates between 9:30 AM and 5 PM. The two girls who run it are great with the kids, and my children enjoyed it a lot. There is also a “mini-disco” for kids at 9 PM. As mentioned above, children are allowed to use the trapeze, the archery range and the bicycles (there a couple of small ones for little kids, none with training wheels). There are babysitting services available for US$5 an hour. We didn't use them. Shows There is one daily show at the “theater” (a stage reminiscent of a high school auditorium, with a roof but no walls and cheap plastic chairs) at 9:30 PM. It changes from day to day and is adult-oriented. I didn't see any so I can't comment on them. Disco There is one by the reception area. We didn't go. Pools The Viva Wyndham Maya has two pools. They are both rather small and were very crowded during our stay. You can't really swim in them or play something without bothering other people (not that people were that polite). The water in the general pool was unpleasantly hot. The other pool is for adults only. The large pool has a swim-to bar. If you want to get a lounge chair under the shade, you need to arrive by about 8 AM and reserve it by putting your towel on it. People start doing so about 7-7:30 AM. Beach The beach in front of the Viva Wyndham Maya is just plain beautiful. The sand is white and powdery and the sea has the most amazing blue/turquoise color. A mere postcard could not make it justice. If what you want is to stare at a lovely sea, you could do no better. The beach itself is rather narrow and filled by rather uncomfortable lounge chairs. As with the pool, if you want a lounge chair in the shade, you should come and reserve one by 8 AM. Fortunately, I'm an early riser so this was no problem for me. People seem to be respectful of others' towels. The sea itself is rougher than in other areas, and quickly gets waist-deep, but it's perfectly fine for even young children. The temperature is great, specially in the morning. As with the pool, the beach and the sea are very crowded from late-morning on, if you want to enjoy the sea in peace, come early. There are large rocks under the water, water-shoes are recommended but not essential. There are also sand bags, a few on the beach delimiting the areas for water sports and swimming, and others underwater, where the sea turns deep. We didn't think they were particularly unseemly. Time Share Sales The people selling time-shares (or vacation something or other, they'll never admit they are time-shares) have a desk in the patio area beyond the lobby. However, they swarm around the lobby and lobby bar area and will approach you if you make eye contact (or even if you don't). They are very polite and nice, however, and once they are told that there is no way in hell that you would buy a time share at this hotel because you consider it hell on earth, they'll stop bothering you (but they'll never stop saying hello to you). If you are actually considering doing a time-share presentation for the gifts, be aware that the gifts here are considerably lower than those you can get elsewhere. For example, they could only offer me a $60 discount to Xcaret, while other places can offer you discounts twice as large. Parking The hotel has a very small parking lot by the main entrance gate. We were always able to find parking, however. Food The Viva Wyndham Maya has a buffet, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, a snack bar and three reservation-only a la carte restaurants. In addition, you are welcome to use the dining facilities at the Wyndham's sister hotel, the Viva Wyndham Azteca (located three hotels over, also on the beach), which include its own buffet, as well as three reservation-only restaurants. Buffet Restaurant We had breakfast at the buffet four times, lunch a couple of times, and dinner once. Breakfast included American “favorites” such as pancakes, French toast and freshly-made omelets, as well as Mexican dishes (though few of these). I don't think I was ever able to find any bacon. I found most of the food bland and a waste of calories, but I was satisfied with some banana bread and nutella or cajeta (Mexico's version of dulce de leche). The coffee and tea were somewhat drinkable, and while the juices were the industrial-size cheap bottled type kind, the kids liked them well enough. Lunch was actually OK when we had it. Once we had a breaded pork cutlet, tasteless in itself, but OK with added salt and lemon juice. Another time there was some nice, tender chicken - and yet another a good pork rib. Just don't expect much flavor. Dinner, on the other hand, was atrocious. There were very few choices, and those available did not taste very good. We decided on the BBQ chicken and ribs, and they were so dry as to be inedible. Fortunately we were able to get reservations at the a-la-carte restaurants for the other 3 nights of our stay. A la carte restaurants There are 3 a la carte, reservation-only restaurants at the Viva Wyndham Maya, one serving seafood, another Italian food and another Mexican food. In addition,there are 3 other restaurants (a Mexican one, an Asian one and an Italian one) at the Viva Wyndham Azteca, the Maya's sister hotel a few hundred yards down the beach. So guests have theoretically a choice of 6 restaurants. In reality, it doesn't work like that. The restaurants, by the way, only serve dinner. You can go to the reservation desk every morning from 8 AM onward and make reservations for the restaurants. They will let you make reservations in advance; how many will depend on how many nights you'll be staying (we stayed four, so we could make one reservation in advance). But you can always make a reservation for the same night. Now, which restaurants and times will be open for your reservation seems pretty random. I couldn't make a reservation in advance for the Asian restaurant, but I was able to make it the day of. In any case, this system benefits the early birds who can be there first - which worked out well for me, as I'm an early riser. People start lining up at about 7:40 AM - if you're first or second you should be able to sit in one of the chairs, so it's best to be early and bring a book. Below are quick reviews of the three restaurants we visited: Portofino (Italian @ the Maya), Bamboo (Asian @ the Azteca) and Il Palco (Italian @ the Azteca). Portofino Portofino is an Italian restaurant with a nautical theme. It offers a few salads, two or three soups, a couple of appetizers, some pastas and some main dishes - as well as three deserts. We found it to be good, though not in the least exceptional, and were particularly pleased with the desserts. The kids had pasta (the restaurant made it with just butter & cheese for my 4 yo), and were happy with their dishes. I actually thought their spaghetti carbonara was quite good, even though it lacked bacon. Mike and I had steaks, beautifully presented but a bit tough and bland - but Mexico is not particularly known for its beef. The pasta portions were too big but the entrees were very nicely sized. A tartlet with tropical fruits was delicious, and a passionfruit mousse was surprisingly tasty. Service was good and efficient. Definitely a great improvement over the buffet. Il Palco Il Palco had the nicest dining room of the restaurants we ate at. The smallish dining room was decorated in soft colors with large (art-deco?) paintings that the kids liked. It had the atmosphere of a chic bistro. The menu was Italian / Italian American, which a few salads, several pastas and entrees. The kids and I had pasta, which we found to be good but not special. Mike and Mika liked my carbonara, which I thought was just OK (but it's hard to make good carbonara), and Mika's fetuccini bolognese was fine. Mike thought his chicken breast stuffed with something or other was pretty good. Mika liked my tiramisu dessert (it had quite a mild flavor). Service, once again, was good, and it was a meal several notches above the buffet. Bamboo Bamboo is described by the Wyndham as an "oriental" restaurant - they are seemingly unaware how the word has offensive connotations for Asians and Asian Americans. What it actually is, is a top-notch restaurant serving inventive new-pan Asian cuisine. Despite its tacky 70's inspired Japanese restaurant look, Bamboo could stand alone as an Asian bistro even in a food-mecca-sort-of-city such as San Francisco (or at least the East Bay). Every dish we had was good, inventive, interesting and tasty. The fried spring rolls had wonderfully flaky shells, and a vegetable filling that included black beans and who knows what else - there were distinct Mexican flavors, but it was still an overall Asian dish. The sushi tasted fresh and could have come from any sushi restaurant around. Mika and Camila had the chow mein, thick noodles with either bok choi or spinach strips, carrots and tiny broccoli stems. It had a sweetish sauce that brought everything together. I had the kofta, described in the menu as an Indian dish. The somewhat heavy meatballs (I actually don't remember if they were meat or lamb) might have been Indian, but the sauce was soy-sauce based, also a bit sweet, and delicious. I wasn't as crazy for the brown rice that came with it, but I'm not a big brown rice fan. Mike had the panang chicken, perhaps the least mutated dish of them all. He also enjoyed it. We all had the fried ice cream for desert - the kids weren't crazy about the shell, but I thought it was quite tasty. Service, once again, was perfect. Bamboo is definitely a restaurant I'd go to if it wasn't attached to the hotel - but not, unfortunately, reason enough to go to the Wyndham. Staff The staff of the hotel was friendly but mostly low key. Clientele The Wyndham has a very international clientele, with an emphasis on Latin Americans (mostly Argentinians and Mexicans) and Europeans, we saw relatively few Americans. Conclusion Despite the fact that Mike and I are veteran budget travelers, we did not like the low-end atmosphere and amenities of the Viva Wyndham Maya. We are not likely to stay at an all-inclusive hotel any time soon, but if we did, it would definitely not be at a Wyndham property. Viva Wyndham Maya Playa del Carmen Mexico http://www.vivaresorts.com/all-inclusive/Caribbean/Viva_Wyndham_Maya/index.php An agouti at the hotel grounds: ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8822 2009-07-22T17:39:59Z 2009-07-22T18:09:42Z

Many years ago, when I first went to the Yucatan, I bought myself a couple of Yucatecan hammocks. They were reported to be the most comfortable in the world (albeit by Yucatecan themselves), and indeed I found them very comfortable...

marga http://www.marga.org/ first went to the Yucatan, I bought myself a couple of Yucatecan hammocks. They were reported to be the most comfortable in the world (albeit by Yucatecan themselves), and indeed I found them very comfortable back then. After returning from the trip, I had them in storage for many years (no place to put them) and then, after I bought a house, I hanged them in my patio. The cotton hammock only lasted a couple of years - while cotton is supposed to be more comfortable (I'm not so sure of that myself), it does not wear well under the elements. "Silk", or nylon, is remarkably sturdy - and my nylon hammock lasted for seven years and two small kids, before I needed to replace it. The new hammock, which I bought online, cost me US$85 and was not of the same quality, but still quite comfortable. As I wrote recently, I really love my hammock - but given that they last forever in storage, and that I know that eventually it will wear out, I decided to buy a new one during my recent trip to the Yucatan. I read in several bulletin boards that the best hammocks were to be had at the store outside the prison a few kilometers west of Valladolid - so during our fifth day in the Yucatan, we stopped there on our way from Valladolid to Chichen Itzá. The hammocks here are made by prisoners (who clearly have the time) and they have a tight, double stranded weave. You can compare the weave from the blue and yellow hammocks we bought we that of our regular hammock - which is still of MUCH greater quality than the hammocks you see around the Riviera Maya (which are really badly made and just as expensive). The pictures are not very good, but I will try to replace them with better ones soon (aka, as soon as I get the camera back): New hammocks Old hammock The hammocks are also very heavy. Unfortunately, and we didn't notice this until a few days ago, they are also very smelly. The smell reminds me of rotten cheese, and it smelled out our rental car until we figured out where the smell was coming from. I now have them hanging outside, airing them out - but I've read a suggestion that I soak them in a solution of vinegar and water and then let them dry out in the sun. I'll try that later today and then report back. We paid MN$550 for the yellow hammock and MN$650 for the blue one (that one is for a friend). The color choices were very limited, and I was unhappy with most of them. I did love the yellow one for myself - and I'm hoping my friend will like the blue one. As the hammocks are so big, I couldn't really tell why the blue one was more expensive than the yellow one. The guard said that the prisoners price them and they are not necessarily consistent. The prices are non-negotiable. There are a couple of other stalls selling hammocks by the prison - I didn't stop at them, so I don't know if the hammocks are also made by the prisoners or if they are of similar or even better quality at a better price. You may want to check them out. There is a potential ethical question on whether you'd want to support prisoners who committed heinous crimes (not just robbery, but murder and rape). Personally I think that any attempt at rehabilitation is worthy, and that they shouldn't be punished beyond their prison sentences.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8821 2009-07-22T02:17:13Z 2009-07-25T19:05:47Z

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy Croco Cun Zoo, an animal park located on Highway 307, a few miles north of Puerto Morelos, but unless you have kids with you or you are a kid inside, you...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Croco Cun Zoo, an animal park located on Highway 307, a few miles north of Puerto Morelos, but unless you have kids with you or you are a kid inside, you may not want to spend the US$20 entrance fee (US$12 for kids over 6) to do so. While the zoo it's cool, in my humble opinion, it's not worth such an exorbitant entrance fee. But what do I know? My kids (7 & 4 yo) rated it as their favorite experience of the trip, along with playing with puppies at Ek Balam. Your visit to the zoo consists of a 1.5 hour guided tour of the facilities. They have tours in English and Spanish, but you may have to wait until there are enough people to start a tour (we did the Spanish one to skip the wait). Our tour guide, at least, was very knowledgeable on the animals at the zoo and able to answer all my questions. Signs at the zoo suggest guests tip tour guides - we gave her MN$20. You will also want to buy a bag of food to feed the animals (or rather, one bag per kid you bring along), they are a couple of dollars each. The tour starts with a visit to some parrots - the colorful birds come from all over the continent, one is free but the other ones are in cages. The parrots love to be fed peanuts, make sure you give one to each, as they get jealous!. Next stop are the crocodiles. Here you will find some of the smaller members of the family - babies up to 4-5 years old. It will be just your first opportunity to see them. Croco Cun is very aptly named, they have TONS of crocodiles. If you like to see inert lizards holding still for hours, you will have no better opportunity. And indeed, you will have the opportunity here to walk along a path within the crocodile enclosure, with dozens of seemingly satiated relatively small (as in 1m or so) crocodiles inches away from your ankles. All they'd had to do was to jump and off with your feet, but for some reason they prefer to just stay there completely immobile. Still, it's a cool experience. You will also get to look at a number of snakes, most of them in cages, and hold one or two around your neck. They have iguanas of different colors (you'll get to pet one) and turtles (no petting these, but you can feed them grapes). There are a couple of very cool tigrillos, which were laying in a worrisome small mesh cage, and a deer enclosure. The native deer are pretty short, and impossibly cute. You can feed them local leaves - they'll come to you when you shake them - and they will go crazy over the carrots, sunflower seeds and peanuts in your food bag. I think feeding them (and petting them) is the part the kids enjoyed the most. The part that should be the most fun is the feeding of the monkeys. There are a number of wild and "freed" spider monkeys hanging around the zoo, and they will play for food: grapes, when they are really hungry early in the morning, and bananas later on. Alas, by the time we got there, around 12:30 PM or so, they were fully satiated and they couldn't care less about our food offerings. I think the experience would have been much more rewarding if the monkeys had approached us. So if you go, go before other tourists have had the chance to feed the monkeys. And that's pretty much it. If you go, make SURE you use a lot of mosquito repellent - the mosquitoes are merciless here. You can buy drinks, snacks, ice cream and mosquito repellent at the entrance. In all, it was a nice experience, just too expensive for my taste. Croco Cum Zoo http://www.crococunzoo.com/ ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8820 2009-07-22T00:58:08Z 2009-07-25T19:13:31Z

Summary: The best place in the Riviera to get a pedicure. The Cenote Cristalino is a mom-and-pop operation and one of the best secrets in the Riviera Maya. It's hard to believe that a place like this can exist amidst...

marga http://www.marga.org/ Summary: The best place in the Riviera to get a pedicure. The Cenote Cristalino is a mom-and-pop operation and one of the best secrets in the Riviera Maya. It's hard to believe that a place like this can exist amidst the jungle of cement and fake-jungle that makes up what has come to be called the "Riviera Maya" (and which was simply the "Quintana Roo coast" once upon a time). The place is quite simple, there is a cleared area by the highway where you can park your car (don't expect an actual parking lot, though), a room with a cement patio where you buy your tickets (MN$4 for adults, MN$2 for kids) from a member of the family, and a somewhat rough but mercifully short path to the cenote. The cenote itself is a large pool with water up to the ground, there is a cave on one side, a smaller pool on the other and a 15ft tall wall on the opposite side from the entrance. Kids and would-be-kids delight in jumping in from up there. The water is definitely cool at first, though it becomes impossibly comfortable within a couple of minutes. It's crystal clear, allowing you to see several feet down. Unfortunately there is not that much to see - most of the rocks and floor are covered by soft algae. A few gorgeous blue catfish swim around, but you won't find this a rewarding snorkeling experience. What makes the cenote cristalino so great are the thousands of other little fish that swim in the cenote waters. These long-lost cousins of the spa-popular garra rufa LOVE to eat dead skin, and chomp it off your feet, ankles, lets and even elbows if they can get to it. The results can be amazing, I could barely recognize my feet after a couple of hours at the cenote. I still need a pedicure, but now I won't be too embarrassed to go to the salon. It's also a pretty nice sensation to experience. The fish are very gentle, so much so that you may not feel them at all on your most callused skin, and can be even ticklish. Just putting your feet in the waters and waiting for them to do their job, can be a very relaxing experience. If you want to go, here is some advise: try to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, and not on weekends, as it gets crowded with locals. If you do come in the less hot hours of the day, bring mosquito repellent (just don't apply it to those parts that you want nibbled). The cenote is great for a dip and some water fun as well, it can get deep, so a life vest is recommended for little children and those that aren't strong swimmers. There are no facilities at the cenote, though you can buy snacks and drinks on site. The cenote is located right next to the cenote El Edén and the Cenote Azul, north of Xpu-Ha. If driving south, start paying attention to the sign for the turnoff for the Kantunchi eco-park, the cenotes are almost right after it. There is no road sign per se for the cenotes. This was probably one of my favorite experiences of the whole trip and it's highly recommended. BTW, salons in the US have started to offer this procedure. Alas, expect to pay US$45. ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8819 2009-07-22T00:38:41Z 2009-07-22T00:49:42Z

Well, after two wonderful weeks in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mike, the kids and I are back. Our blogging adventure did not work out as I planned. I couldn't make time during the first ten days or so to blog, and...

marga http://www.marga.org/ tigrillos. But I don't want to let this blog go to waste, so I'm planning to add descriptions and reviews of the different places we went, hotels we stayed at and restaurants we ate at. They won't be of any interest to our friends, of course, but they might be useful to people looking for specific info on such places. As for my daily going ons, you can still find me at voxpublica and facebook.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8817 2009-07-12T22:16:38Z 2009-07-12T22:33:22Z

Last night we had dinner at the restaurant of the Gran Hotel, situated in Plaza Hidalgo. I had often been to Plaza Hidalgo when I was in Merida, eighteen years ago, and remembered that at the time there were restaurants...

Yucatan Parent http://www.marga.org/yucatan/ Gran Hotel, situated in Plaza Hidalgo. I had often been to Plaza Hidalgo when I was in Merida, eighteen years ago, and remembered that at the time there were restaurants located there. I figured, chances are they'd still be there. Indeed, there are two restaurants at the park, the one from the Hotel Caribe and the one from the hotel Merida. They both are quite expensive, IMHO, with dishes hitting and going over MN$100 - but we weren't sure we could do better elsewhere and it was nice to eat at the park (really, a small plaza surrounded on two sides by the hotels and on the other by a church). We decided on the restaurant of the Gran Hotel because in addition to Yucatecan food, they offered pizzas and pastas. We ordered a pizza margarita for the kids, a ham & pineapple one for me (MN$9) and panuchos for Mike. For the uninitiated, panuchos are small fried tortillas filled with black beans and covered with shredded chicken, lettuce and perhaps tomato and avocado. I remembered liking them more than I have in this trip. Mike thought that they were good, but not special. I enjoyed my pizza and the kids seemed to like theirs. The crust was very thin, but the cheese was flavorful and the toppings tasted fresh. Beware that one small pizza is really enough for two - we wasted a lot of food. Drinks were expensive - MN$20-40 for soft drinks, juices and shakes. I had a glass of OJ which was good and Mika liked her watermelon shake. Camila found the lemonade too sour, even after adding quite a bit of sugar, but I enjoyed it. Dinner came to about MN$400 after tip, which I felt was too expensive for the experience, but c'est la vie. Service was quite good, though I'm not sure why the waiter regaled us with stories of his own family. Beware that because you are eating outside, street vendors come from time to time to offer you fans, kids' toys and other things. But I guess that's part of the fun. Gran Hotel - Restaurante Calle 60 No. 496 x 59 & 61 @ Parque Hidalgo (aka Cepeda Peraza) Mérida Mexico]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8816 2009-07-12T20:57:42Z 2009-07-12T22:03:39Z

What a laid back day! Mika and I got up and went to get some pastries, juice and a dress for her at the zocalo. Then we came back, I blogged, the kids swam. The whole family headed to the...

Yucatan Parent http://www.marga.org/yucatan/ What a laid back day! Mika and I got up and went to get some pastries, juice and a dress for her at the zocalo. Then we came back, I blogged, the kids swam. The whole family headed to the zocalo, got a couple of more dresses, watched a kids show (Mika volunteered to participate, she loved it!), had lunch (finally an affordable one!) and returned to the hotel. We went back to the pool, I played with the kids for a while, then Mike did, and now the three of them are laying down on the beds, sleeping. Yep, it's 3:45 and that's it for the day so far. My plans for museums, zoos and all are shot - but hey, they are enjoying themselves :-) tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8811 2009-07-12T17:51:45Z 2009-07-12T20:45:23Z

It's later on Sunday, the kids are playing at the hotel pool with Mike and I have some time to blog before we go shopping and city-exploring. I think I will actually be able to get caught up - at...

Yucatan Parent http://www.marga.org/yucatan/ that hot, Camila and I tired quickly, and decided to go back to the entrance and wait for Mika and Mike. Mika and Mike, meanwhile, explored the rest of the site, climbing every possible structure and having a lot of fun. Their most interesting moment came when they saw two male iguanas bloodily fight each other. It's disturbing how much they enjoyed the whole bloody mess. After Uxmal we meant to stop in Santa Elena for lunch, but couldn't find any suitable restaurant, so we continued on to Kabah, probably the 2nd largest reconstructed Puuc site. It's sad to say that the kids and I stayed at the entrance drinking sodas while Mike explored it by himself - but hey, we are wimps! Mike explored to his heart's content, though, once again climbing whatever could be climbed. We decided to have lunch in Ticul afterwards, at the famed restaurant Los Almendros, known for its Yucatecan cuisine. I had actually eaten there in my last trip (let's repeat again, eighteen years ago) and wanted to relive the experience. Alas, the restaurant had moved since then, and we spent close to an hour looking for it - under the false premise that it would be somewhere near downtown. During our search it started to rain heavily in Ticul - and when I say heavily, I mean heavily, as in trees falling off the ground heavily. We were glad we weren't outside. We finally found the restaurant, coincidentally during a short reprieve, and had a good, but not outstanding, Yucatecan lunch. By the time we finished it was close to 4 PM, too late to make it to the Loltum caves, our next destination. So we headed back to Merida ... and to the hotel pool. We had dinner in Plaza Hidalgo - a square I well remembered from my last trip here eighteen years ago. Back then there were restaurants there, and I could bet there still would be some. And so they were. Very expensive restaurants, but we've found that Mexico, at mid-level traveling, is just as expensive as America. C'est la vie.]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8812 2009-07-12T16:25:16Z 2009-07-12T16:37:36Z

View of the X'Keken cenote in Dzinup. Swimming and exploring around the cenote. One of the formations in the cenote. Another view of the cenote. Mika loved drinking coconut juice, which are sold at stalls for tourists....

Yucatan Parent http://www.marga.org/yucatan/
View of the X'Keken cenote in Dzinup.
Swimming and exploring around the cenote.
One of the formations in the cenote.
Another view of the cenote.
Mika loved drinking coconut juice, which are sold at stalls for tourists. ]]> tag:www.marga.org,2009:/yucatan//41.8810 2009-07-11T14:34:01Z 2009-07-12T16:18:50Z

Kids at Ek Balam before they got hot and tired. Mika and Camila carefully climbed to the top for this view. The highlight of the visit to Ek Balam See above. Mika climbed everything she could. We found this machete...

Yucatan Parent http://www.marga.org/yucatan/
Kids at Ek Balam before they got hot and tired.
Mika and Camila carefully climbed to the top for this view.
The highlight of the visit to Ek Balam
See above.
Mika climbed everything she could.
We found this machete as we left Ek Balam. ]]>