Entrance to the restricted area of beach hotels and resorts
I’m way behind on the travel posts, but decided to skip a few, and tell you about getting dental work done in Mexico. I know, dentistry may not be everyone’s favored topic. August in Cancun may not be the best vacation option either. Yes, it’s hotter than blazes, and the humidity is sky high, but when you need a few crowns, well, it’s worth it. The plus is, there are very few tourists in town.
A small plug for the dentist. This is the third trip for us (over a 15 year period). The savings are enormous and the dental care outstanding. The outfit is called Dentaris, if you find yourself facing horrendously expensive oral care in the USA.
The hotel courtyard is a jungle.
There were coatimundi prints near our door, a family of chachalacas with 3 chicks scratching around in the courtyard, and I found a displaying lizard on a wheelbarrow.
Chachalaca with chick.
Lizard showing off.
Fortunately, the recommended hotel, El Rey del Caribe, is lovely, reasonably priced, and the rooms are all air conditioned. We caught up on a Netflix series during the scorching afternoons and ventured out after the sun went down into the nearby center of Cancun to see the town and find some dinner.
The first night wandering around we stumbled upon the Parque de las Palapas.
The Park is made up of lots of tables under insulated roofs which help mitigate the heat during the day. There are rows of food vendors along one edge with very reasonable prices and portions. A large open area fills with parents and children driving all manner of child-sized vehicles, and a big stage hosting local acts on Sunday night.
Children having a grand time driving the vehicle of their choice.
One of a number of acts on the park stage
Walking from the hotel we passed several streets radiating out from the park. On some the noise from competing venues was deafening, but the one we liked was much more subdued.
Colorful Cancun at night
These guys were here every evening
Carousel for the youngsters…
…and a bar for the older children.
Venturing out during the day for a few hours to get out of the hotel we found there were some people out and about.
Beating the heat.
Pride in the Aztec heritage
Rebar sticking out of unfinished buildings seems the prevalent style everywhere south of the border, not just Mexico
Street scene featuring a tenacious cactus
Flame trees or Royal Poincianas brighten street medians. They are native to Madagascar, but have naturalized in other tropical regions around the world.
Some evenings we avoided the hustle and bustle of the park for quieter restaurants.
On Sunday nights the city center comes alive with a good sound system blasting out dance music. Locals come out to enjoy each other’s company and dance the hours away. Remember it’s still about 80 degrees, but that doesn’t deter these happy dancers.
The city center before the sun goes down.
The variety of ages, outfits, and dance moves are captivating
The colors and enthusiasm are mesmerizing
This guy really had the moves
All ages, shapes, and sizes are represented at this dance extravaganza
During the week, we caught a bus at the nearby bus depot to Playa del Carmen. From there, a ferry took us to Cozumel, an island off the coast. For two nights we stayed at an AirBnB in the now large and busy main city. Craig had fond memories of the uncrowded, laid-back island from 50 years ago. We searched for those memories on a drive around the island. There were forbidding karst cliffs, rock iguanas, lovely sea vistas and a couple of snorkeling stops. Sadly, all my photos of the island are gone except for the underwater ones taken with my inadequate Fuji camera. Alas, I don’t know how I managed to delete every single photo from Cozumel, the most picturesque part of the trip.
At Money Bar beach, we found the most fish. There is a concrete rubble pile that acts as a fake reef. So many colorful fish were taking advantage of its protection.
Schools of fish hide at the fake reef at Money Bar beach
Many species swim together
The next day we drove out to Bahia las Uvas, a lovely beach with gradual drop-off. No reef, but schools of fish swimming around. We are easily entertained as we seldom get to see underwater wonders.
Large starfish on a sandy bottom
At Bahia las Uvas shallow water allows snorkelers to swim way out looking for fish.
There were schools of these beautiful blue fish
That’s it for now. There are a couple more blogs in the queue, but it will take me a while to put them together… a summer trip to several Balkan nations, and a camping/leafing tour of southwestern Colorado. I hope all are surviving these trying times. Keep in touch.