Mayan Riviera

Touchdown!! Hello Mayan Riviera!! We landed on a bright beautiful Tuesday afternoon into the Cancun International airport excited to see what this new area had to offer.  Doug and I had been here about 6 years ago without the kids and so we knew what to expect for the most part, but travelling with the kids is always a very different trip. The area had definitely changed over time, on the much busier side now! Wow!! We had found an incredible deal on a condo rental here and the flights from Mexico City were very inexpensive so we thought we would make our way here and see how it goes.  To be honest, this area is not really what we like in a destination but it does have a few things we wanted to experience that we didn't get to in our other stops.  The area is very commercialized and touristy, Burger King, Starbucks, KFC and McDonalds are everywhere and that is not what we like to experience in a foreign country.  Our challenge for this month is to dig deep, enjoy the local life, the free things to do (tours are too pricey) and to embrace the natural beauty that is here.  Easy enough with a lot of research and we love a challenge!! Life is what you make of it and we will make the most of it!  Our condo we found is called Residencial Bali Villas and Sports Club, it is just outside of Playa del Carmen about 10 min and it is off the highway about 2 km.  We are basically surrounded by the jungle and not much else, we love the place though!  So much to do for the kids, there is a basketball court, soccer field, ping pong, pools, trampoline and a play park.  Not many rentals in here, majority of the people live here year round and are European or Mexican. We made a good find on this one!!

 We spent our first few days here recovering from Mexico City, we had so many busy days there we were tired!  Kids powered through a lot of school work to make up for lost days and we enjoyed our condo and all of its fun.  We taxied in on Thursday to Soriana's for 75 pesos (fair price) to grab a few more groceries and had the unpleasant experience of dealing with jerk taxi drivers again, seems to be a trend here?! We came out of the store looking for a taxi home and we made our way to the line up of taxis at the designated stand.  The first guy took our cart and started to load our bags, Doug told him where we wanted to go and said "75 pesos?" he looks at us and hesitates then he says "no, 100 pesos." We told him we only paid 75 to get there and he shrugs his shoulders and takes our bags out, the jerk move was that he then yelled down to all of the other 10 taxi drivers waiting, telling them not to take us!  Nice.  A family of 5 with a cart full of groceries, he refuses us and then makes sure no one else will help us.  It wasn't about the money, because it actually wasn't a lot of money, not a big deal, but it was the fact we were being gringoed, we knew it, and his response was not very kind.  Not impressed! We walked down the street a bit and found a nice guy who gladly took us home for the fair rate of 75 pesos. This is very different from Huatulco where you never had to worry about being gringoed as prices were set and so cheap.  Here, they look at you and decide what the price will be, our colour of skin hurts us on this side.  Although I might add, we have some pretty nice tans going on;)  The frustrating part on this side is the price is never the same.  At least on 4 occasions now we have paid more to get back from Playa Del Carmen than we did to get there.  If you are close to 5th Avenue (a very tourist street with high end stores) the price is almost double.  They basically throw out a high price and hope you get in.  We have never walked away from so many taxis as we have in this area!  Although, it is still significantly cheaper than renting a car, so the battling with taxi drivers will continue.  So glad Doug has an aggressive negotiating side to him because we have saved a lot of money by not just  accepting the first rate offered to us!!!  That goes for our rentals as well, as we paid less than 40% of the posted nightly rate for this condo!

Friday we made our way into Playa del Carmen to check out the main beach and 5th ave.  The main beach we were dropped off at was called Playa Mamitas, which was beautiful. The sand was so soft, like baby powder and the water was so many shades of blue, so amazing! The beach was incredibly busy though and it definitely wasn't a place where families go. I think we saw about 2 other kids and we saw a lot of nudity!  Haha, quite the party place!  Nice to see none the less, it is all part of the area and it is what it is!  For some reason Doug wants to keep going back to this beach, lol, just kidding!

 We also walked the famous 5th Ave which is known for all of its stores and restaurants.  So much to look at and to take in, we had fun browsing and seeing what was all out there. We had read quite a few reviews that said catching a taxi on 5th is very expensive, our first quote confirmed that so we avoided them and decided to walk down about 8 blocks to the Chedraui, grocery store, to get a few groceries and then a taxi from there.  We only had to walk about a block and clearly had left the touristy area because we were basically the only Caucasians on the street and all of the fancy stores disappeared, but we loved it!  This is what we were looking for and we felt so comfortable amongst it all.  We walked the street checking out a few local stores and browsing the street food carts and vendors. This side of Mexico is what we enjoy and we were very happy to have spent time there, we will be back I'm sure.

 Saturday is a day we were super excited for, it was our day to visit with Misael!  It had been about 3 years since we had seen him last, he was one of the dancers we got to know really well and have stayed in touch with ever since we stayed at Binniguenda in Huatulco. He came to our condo around 11:00 that morning and spent the whole day with us, kids had a blast!  Hours were spent visiting, playing soccer, basketball, ping pong and having some pool fun. He works in the Mayan now as an entertainer at Ocean Riviera Paradise Resort, we hope to make our way there for a day.  It was a great day with a great guy!

We were ready to explore more of the area Tuesday, Rhett had been sick for a few days with a bad head cold so we laid low but he had rested up and we were off.  We walked the 2km out to the hiway and flagged down the local collectivo which a van that runs along the hiway stopping wherever someone needs a ride. The collectivo is an affordable way to make your way in this area, it doesn't leave the hiway ever so once you get off you will need to walk in to your destination, you could taxi but we walk. Puerto Adventuras was our destination that day, it was about a 25 min ride down the hiway and once we got off at the right spot, we did get off once but it was the wrong place but a lady in van got out and called us back, so sweet of her! I'm sure the others in the van had a good chuckle at us! lol

Doug and I had been to the Puerto Adventuras community years ago and we remembered how much we loved it, it is an area of its own with everything you would ever need in the one gated area. There are stores, restaurants, pharmacies, a golf coarse and even a college.  It is about an 1km walk in from the main gate, most people are on golf carts though, the area has many big hotels and condos within it as well. It is very beautiful, secluded and safe in there! We walked around and found ourselves at the Marina where they have the dolphins, sea lions and manatees, you can pay to swim with them but we enjoyed the free show and watching them play once the people left.  There were two younger dolphins playing with balls and we spent so much time there, they were throwing up to the crowd and when you threw them back they chased them. SO COOL!!

While we were at the dolphins I talked to a nice lady (Linda) beside me briefly and she really enjoyed watching the kids. Later that day we were walking on the other side of the Marina and she saw us from her condo, she called us up and we ended up staying there for over an hour. We had a nice visit with her and her friends, enjoyed a drink and the kids swam in their pool to cool off. Such great fellow Canadians, so thankful to have met them that day! Puerto Adventuras is a place we will be back to for sure, it was like a free Seaworld for us, kids had so much fun! We walked and walked that day, probably around 6km by the time we made it home, but it was great way to really see the area!
We have trooper kids I tell you, so proud of how far they push themselves to keep up!!

Bahia de Akumal was our next place we wanted to experience while we were here, it is the beach where we would have the chance to swim with sea turtles.  We had an early morning start on Thursday, we wanted to beat the crowds of people that go there daily for this wonderful and unique experience.  We walked to the hiway and then caught the collectivo to Akumal and from there we walked to the beach area.  We had researched a lot about this day trip and we were warned many times about the many people there trying to sell you tours and life vests.  We also knew you didn't need them to swim out to see the turtles, they were there trying to make money.  We arrived and were asked multiple times to buy, but we just kept on walking with a "no gracias" reply and they were very nice about it.  Once we were on the beach we were stopped and given a long list of rules about the water and the no vest swim area, which they roped off in the water.  Basically they know where the turtles are and try to stop you from going there by saying you need to rent a $20 USD per person vest.  Never used to be that way. We met a few people on the beach and they said what we knew and felt, they can't tell you where to go, its not protected land and open water is public.  Well, that may be true but they sure try!!  We had an amazingly frustrating time out there, we saw a massive turtle just on the other side of the rope quite quickly and then Nate wanted to go in.  He had taken in some water and was getting a headache so we went in but Doug, Rhett and Adison went out further. They saw about 11 more turtles, small huge and some small as well as some fun fish.  While they snorkeled they had a guy in a kayak and another with a rescue ring swimming after them trying to get them to leave. They all came in and then I wanted to go out one more time since I didn't see much so Doug and I went out, I was lucky enough to see a massive stingray right under me and then two more turtles right away, soooo amazing. We weren't the only ones out there rebelling against the cash grab rule but without them we would have more of a positive experience. Oh well, I know they were just doing their jobs and we still was a great time! So thankful to have seen such beautiful wildlife! :)

Decided not to stick around, tours were arriving and hundreds of people were filling the beach and the water. Walked back to the hiway and took the collectivo down a ways and got off at a beach called, Xpu-ha.  It is beautiful area of beach that is between Akumal and Puerto Adventuras and from the hiway you have to walk in about 1km once you pay 40 pesos per person to get in.  Cool thing about this place is that right on the beach is a restaurant and if you eat there during your stay you just take your receipt back to the main gate and they refund you your entrance fee.  I love it, great idea! We had a wonderful meal on the beach and we also got to use there tables, chairs, loungers, bathrooms and hammocks. The sand was incredible, the water was fairly shallow for quite a ways out, the waves were not rough and not too many people.  Right when we were getting ready to leave a band set up on the outdoor patio to play for the afternoon.  We absolutely loved Xpu-ha, we will be heading there again!!

By the time we made it home that day we were tired, we had probably walked a good 5 km and our legs felt it. Plus, we had been in the ocean swimming and snorkelling for quite awhile, but it was all good!! The location of our house this month is out in the middle of nowhere so we are having to walk most of the time. We have the time and the exercise is good for us.  Feels good to challenge ourselves and to feel that burn once we collapse on the couch after walking so far! Haha  I'm sure the kids may have different take on things but I do know it wont hurt them, it makes them stronger.  As we go through this trip we have discovered a lot about ourselves and what we can and can't do. The one thing I know they can be is strong and that makes us proud.  We believe, strong kids turn into strong adults who hopefully will push through the many challenges of life.  I know we can't shelter them forever but as they get older our wish for them is to have the tools and the inner strength to know how to fight back.  Sometimes my inner strength has hurt me in my bull headed ways, but I do know I wouldn't be where I am today without it.  I'm not the same person I used to be and I have used my strength to become who I am now, I want that for my children. Some things in life can never be taken from you and what you possess within, will always be there to guide you.  Our travels to date have really pulled out a different side in all of us and I love that. Continuous growth is so important and we say "bring it on!"
We are all safe, happy and our hearts are full!!

Love from the Steel family!!  XXXXX