We were headed to the luxury all inclusive Beach Palace Resort. All we had to do was to figure out how to get there!
We enjoyed having a dog around again!
Ruth, saying goodbye to Ghia.
It was 13 kms (8 miles) from Carmen's place to the resort. We walked with our rolling backpacks towards the local bus stop. Taxi's are zipping all over Cancun and they're pretty cheap, but when you're going to the hotel zone you obviously have tourist written all over you and it gets more expensive.
But buses are pretty common too. Just a matter of finding the right one!
When we got to the bus stop, there was a taxi sitting there. As expected, he asked if we needed a ride. I explained where we were going, and said it depended on the price. We really didn't mind taking the bus, but a taxi would certainly be more convenient! He said 75 pesos ($6.50)! I expected it to be double that, but I guess on a Sunday morning the taxi business is slow.
So we hopped in. He was a nice guy, and the price was excellent and we gave him 100 pesos ($8.70).
Refreshing drink as Isis checked us in.
We knew that check in time isn't until 3:00pm, but they hold your bags for you so that you can enjoy the resort for the day. We headed to the buffet for a quick breakfast before going off to explore the resort and see where things are.
First, we went to the top (14th) floor to see the rooftop pool area!
Yup. This is going to be a pretty comfy place!
View from the rooftop swimming pool.
Looking down on the main swimming pool.
There are two of these pools on the rooftop!
The entire perimeter of the roof is walled with glass!
The Cancun hotel zone with the Caribbean Sea on the right and the lagoon on the left. Check out the beautiful turquoise color of the water!
We went and had a look at the other bars and restaurants that are available to us and then decided we were ready for some beach time. We got down there and it was already pretty busy and we didn't think they had enough umbrellas for shade. But as we were looking around, an employee came up to us and asked if we wanted an umbrella. No problem, he said, as he led us to some comfy loungers and went and got one, dug us a hole, and planted it for us.
We watched him, and that's all he does is plant umbrellas for people! Turns out they have lots of umbrellas available!
Ruth looks pretty relaxed, doesn't she??
By 1:30pm it was time for some lunch. You can get snacks at the pool bars, but it was pretty windy and we decided to eat indoors.
Nice view of the sea.
After lunch, it was getting close to 3:00pm so we decided to go see if our room was ready. We had the same girl who had checked us in earlier and Isis remembered our names! Our room was ready...on the 11th floor, facing the lagoon.
Wow. In room hot tub and whirlpool!
Our view. And a sunbed on the balcony!
Open bar in your room, with beer, soft drinks, and juice in the fridge!
Glass of wine?
Ruth was impressed that they had top quality hair dryer and hair straightener in the room. The way we've been traveling, she hasn't used either of those for many months! She mentioned that she's been carrying around a small make up bag during our four months away in Africa and never used it! After some fast free internet and relax time, we got as dressed up as we can get with the clothes we've got and headed down for dinner.
Ready for dinner!
Although there are other sit down restaurants (we'll visit one today!), we again chose the buffet for dinner. We had told guest services about our gluten free diet, and they send an email to the chef, the hostess, and the kitchen staff. Obviously it's difficult to keep track of the dietary needs of some 500 or so guests, so we simply ask the staff if we're unsure if something contains gluten.
Pea soup with fried tortilla strips.
Salad. Did you know that strawberries and cold beets go well together? Who would have thought??
Chef Jose, making beef fajitas for Ruth, and chicken fajitas for Kevin.
Dinner is served!
We wandered up to the rooftop to see the lights. They do have activities at night, but last night was "casino night" and we weren't interested.
Cancun's hotel zone at night.
You've done a nice job of capturing the essence of the place in pictures. The night shot is particularly outstanding.
ReplyDeleteIn some of "those" places, the kitchen staff like to call themselves "chefs", when in fact they're really just "cooks". Chef Jose seems to be the genuine article though, especially judging by the quality of the dishes served. No need to break out the "jerk" sauce to cover up any bad cooking.
Enjoy your day.
Chef vs Cook
DeleteA cook is a person who has perfected a specific set of food preparation skills and a set of knowledge, mostly derived from experience or recipes. He or she remembers recipes or can follow them, and has a repetoire of repeatable, reliable and consistent mechanical abilities in the kitchen.
A chef, on the other hand, is someone who cooks well AND is intimately familiar with the historical, cultural and emotional dimensions of cuisine. That person is likely creative, tries new things, evolves, learns and ultimately make a contribution to the body of culinary wisdom. He or she is passionate and very likely has the heart of an artist
Thanks Bob, we like that night scene picture to. It's hard to tell how they turn out until you actually look at it on the big screen.
DeleteJose definitely seemed to be the real deal and the fajitas were delicious.
A. Thibodeau, thank you for giving us an explanation of the two. From what you are saying, I think I, myself must be a cook with a little bit of chef in me. :)
You have choosen a great way to celebrate your anniversary, you two look just perfect sitting on the sun bed on the 14th floor. Happy Anniversary
ReplyDeleteWe are feeling pretty spoiled here but we are enjoying it and know that when our actual anniversary comes around in May we will be working so this makes up for it!
DeleteHappy Anniversary! Enjoy and celebrate your day!
ReplyDeleteThank you Renate, we are celebrating now but the real anniversary is in May.
DeleteHappy Anniversary!!! Looks like a great way to spend it for sure!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen, we certainly are enjoying our time here and we will have to remember these days when we have our actual anniversary in May.
DeleteThat is my idea of a holiday!
ReplyDeleteFor us, this is great for a little while but we like to have the adventure added in there along with the hiking. For most people this is definitely the way they like to spend a holiday, especially coming from a cold destination.
DeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day, and happy anniversary. Great choice for a special occasion. Hugs & cyber champagne to you both...although that seems redundant with an open bar!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dianne, we have had a great time and will remember it when we are working away in May on the actual day of our anniversary. Never thought to have any champagne, maybe we should have a glass later before we head out to the airport.
DeleteHappy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteThank you Larry!
DeleteYou kids on Spring Break sure look like you're having fun! ;c)
ReplyDeleteWe having been having a fun time for sure. Luckily this resort is not a "young adult" party location. It is fairly busy here at the resort but nothing like that picture Kevin had taken a couple of days ago at the other end of the beach where you could hardly see the beach for all the people.
DeleteWow, that is some way to celebrate thirty years, don't give anyone ideas! Food looks great and I hope there are drinks in the jacuzzi tonight.
ReplyDeleteFood has been wonderful and yes, there were drinks in the jacuzzi!
Deletegreat pics, beautiful place, beautiful people. far cry from your tent on top of a truck isnt it :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you both. Nice that you are celebrating in style. You deserve it.
Wow, that roof top tent seems like ages ago now and yes, this it totally the other end of the spectrum.
DeleteThank you Donna, it is a nice way to celebrate our anniversary and we will look back on it with longing when our actual anniversary date arrives in May and we are hard at work.
Happy anniversary, Kevin and Ruth! Looks like a luxurious place, and food looks fantastic. By the way, I've been following your blog for awhile and have been meaning to ask: How did you find out you were both gluten intolerant? It would seem to be long odds that you'd both have that same "malady", so I was just curious. Do enjoy your remaining days in Cancun!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, thanks for the wishes, we have everything here that we could ask for and the food has been delicious.
DeleteI have been gluten free now for 3 1/2 years and had known something hadn't been right for years but the doctors couldn't find anything wrong. Finally in 2010 I had lost at least 15 pounds in about 3 months and I wasn't even trying to lose weight. I went to the doctor again, tests were done and all came back negative. She suggested that it was possible that I might be gluten intolerant and to try going gluten free for a month or two to see if I noticed a difference with my system. Within 2 weeks I noticed an immediate change and that winter I gained back all my lost weight plus a little more. I have felt great ever since and I also noticed other improvements in things that I had but never thought were related to being gluten intolerant.
Kevin has only been totally gluten free for the last 6 months or so because he noticed that he had a few stomach issues and thought maybe he might be gluten intolerant too. He has noticed a bit of a difference since but is still up in the air as to whether he is or is not gluten free but he does feel it is better for him to eat this way and will continue to do so. Maybe in the summer we will do a proper post on this subject.
That would be great! For most of us, losing weight would be a blessing, not an issue, but I can see where you would be concerned. The one and only one person I know who is totally gluten-intolerant had the exact same problem: losing weight without meaning to. And he was already a bean pole, so this was much more of a concern than it would be with most of us (ahem!) Thanks for the reply!
DeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day and Anniversary, Kevin and Ruth. Your dressed-up look looks pretty darn nice you two. Enjoy some luxury ambience but don't forget about all the rest of that beautiful country, Mexico.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary-Pat, we are certainly enjoying our time here and being spoiled. No worries about us forgetting about the rest of Mexico, you should know us and know how we love the lesser known places in Mexico. That is where our heart is!
DeleteWhat a wonderful way to celebrate you anniversary. A lovely way to make the change from Africa to Sherman.
ReplyDeleteThank you Contessa, it is a special way to celebrate our upcoming anniversary. We have be loving our time here but we are so excited to get back to Sherman.
DeleteSuper picture of you both.
ReplyDeleteThanks Glen and Steve! :-)
Delete