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Posted by Barbara on 05/20/03

COZUMEL, PLAYA DEL CARMEN, AND THE MAYAN RIVERIA 

THE PLAN
DAY ONE-  Wed, April 16
Travel to Cancun, take bus to PDC, take ferry to Cozumel, take cab to HSM
It is five blocks north of the square on Calle 10 N.
DAY 2   Thursday, April 17Rent Car
Tour around the island AND PUNTA SUR NATIONAL PARK
DAY 3   Friday, April 18/
Snorkel at Beach Clubs(cabs or car?)
Morning: Playa Plantacar snorkel boat
Afternoon: Play Azul Drift snorkel and Coral Princess Snorkel
DAY 4   Saturday, April 19
CHANKANAABSHOCANOB
Chankanaab opens at 9:00am, that's when most of the beaches open.
Chankanaab Park. Get there early around 9:30 or 10:00 to grab a palapas for shade.
Afternoon?  museum or pee wee golf
The Museo de la Isla De Cozumel
Located on Av Rafael Melgar between Calles 4 and 6 N. It has 4 exhibit halls and tours. It is worth the trip. Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Mini Golf;--We're 3 blocks from the ocean, downtown,look for the huge flagpole on the waterfront... walk directly inland 3 blocks to us! Corner of Calle 1 and 15th Ave
Open Monday - Saturday 10am - 11pm, Sunday 5pm - 11pm Telephone: 87-26570 cost is $5.00
DAY 5   Sunday April 20-Easter
Morning
Dzul Ha (ZOOL Hah) and " the secret snorkel spot" Drift Snorkel

CHURCH-6 PM
I would like to invite everyone to the new english service which meets every Sunday at 6 pm at Museo de la Isla. The service is interdenominational Bible based.It is in english,everyone is welcome.
It starts at 6:00 pm and is one hour.The service is upstairs in the theater. There is also child care and children program .The pastor is Douglas Millar.He an his family have been in Mexico for 5 years .Douglas received his masters degree in theology from Southeastern Seminary and has been active in ministry for 20 years.
Evening after Dinner parade in town.7:30 or 8:00

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PLAYA DEL CARMEN
DAY 6   Monday April 21
TAKE FERRY TO PDC--Try the Costa del Mar next door for breakfast... the chilaquiles are great and fairly inexpensive. We also stop by the Corto Maltes on the southside of Colibri for drinks, before we hit the town for the evening.
DAY 7-Tuesday April 22
Free day to relax
DAY 8   Wednesday April 23
Another free day
DAY 9   Thursday April 24 / rent car
Punta Bete and Puerto Morelos
DAY 10   Friday April 25
Go South to Cabana and check-in.
DAY 11   Saturday April 26.
Go to XCARET   open around 8:00 AM. Shows end around 8:00. Park closes at 10:00.
DAY 12   Sunday April 27
XEL-HA National Park
I would recommend getting there at 8, when the park opens. It gets crowded around 10.
Opens at 8:30-get there when it opens! The least crowded day is Sunday.  Monday is also goodThe park closes at 5:00.Bring repellent.
DAY 13  Monday April 28
AKUMAL(ah-koo-MAHL)
THE PLAN
.You can do Yal-ku in the morning, eat lunch at La Buena Vida and do Half Moon Bay after lunch. Then to Akumal Bay for beers at Lol-ha and then snorkel mid-late afternoon. It will be a full day, but can be done if you only snorkel for about 45 minutes per place.
DAY 14 Tuesday April 29
TOM'S DAY TO PLAN
DAY 15  
TULUM AND BEACHES
DAY 16   Thursday May 1
CENOTE HOPPING
DAY 17   Friday May 2
GO HOME

COZUMEL, PLAYA DEL CARMEN AND MEXICAN RIVIERA
April 16, 2003

Day 1  Wednesday, April 16
Stayed overnight at Days Inn in Tampa so we could catch our 7:00 am flight to Cancun. We left our parked car at the Day’s  Inn for a small fee and caught their van to the airport. We arrived in Cancun in early afternoon. We got the green light which meant we did not need to have our bags inspected. The airport was not very crowded. We proceeded  to the exit and found the Riviera Bus ticket booth  and purchased a round trip ticket. After coming out of the exit we had a long walk to the bus pick-up point. After waiting about 15 minutes, the bus opened their doors for boarding. About 45 minutes later we arrived in Playa del Carman.

A man with a bike took our luggage  to the ferry, as we walked along side. What a fun experience. First he took us to the ticket booth. We asked for tickets for the fast ferry, “Yes, Yes, fast” , they said. We discovered later that it was not the fast ferry but after riding it, we were glad to be on it instead. The top of the ferry was open-air with a roof overhead for shade, while the fast ferry was all enclosed except for a small area in the sun. Both ferries pulled out at the same time but our ferry arrived in Cozumel only 10 minutes tops, after the fast ferry.
We grabbed a taxi to the Hacienda San Miguel and checked in. They welcomed us with a glass of fresh juice and told us that the continental breakfast is complimentary and served at a time of our choice in our rooms. The hotel is small, very clean, quaint and very “Old Mexico”  in style. Our room was located in. a beautiful garden area in an enclosed patio.  The price is only $70.00 a night and it’s only one block  from the main street, close to town but set apart in a quiet area. We are very pleased with our choice of accommodations.  It included a full kitchen, TV,   a dispenser with purified water and air conditioning.
After putting our bags in the room we walked around town , stopping for a drink  and chips and salsa at Palmero’s  an open air restaurant located at the waterfront. After walking around a bit more we had dinner at Casa Denis. It was nothing special.

Day 2 April 17, Thursday
Had a delicious breakfast at the Museum. Tom had a Mexican Omelet and I had French toast that was really wonderful. The fresh squeezed orange juice was  a real treat. It’s upstairs and the view of the water is beautiful.  
We took a cab to Avis located near the cruise ship dock. When they saw the low price we got by buying over the internet we were told that they didn’t have any cars. So, we went to the booth next door and booked with Alamo at a higher price but a good car. We drove to Playacar beach club to sign up for a snorkel tour. They needed four people for a half hour trip for $15.00 each. We waited around for an hour, hoping more people would come. There were quite a few divers but no one came for snorkeling. We didn’t want to waste any more time so we went to Playa Azul. We did a drift snorkel from shore and saw lots of fish.
After buying some refreshments we drove to the Coral Princess hotel. We went through their lobby  to the beach area. I snorkeled for an hour while Tom had a beer and read his book. The snorkeling was wonderful here too.
That evening we went to Prima’s for dinner and had a terrific meal. I had lobster, shrimp, and scallops in a  Fettuccini Alfredo sauce that was so, so  good and Tom loved his Veal Parmesan. We also shared a wonderful Grand Marnier Tiramisu.

Day 3 Friday, April 18
We had the continental breakfast in our room-really good rolls.
We stopped at the grocery store for extra towels and a shirt because none of the clothes we hung in our room, were dry. We then drove around to the other side of the island stopping at Punta Sur and the light house. We bought tickets for the tour. We had the choice of a tour with or without a lagoon boat trip. We decided not to take the lagoon tour because we heard that there isn’t much to see at the lagoon.

We climbed into a modified truck ,filled with seats, for the ride to the lighthouse. The lighthouse was part museum and very well done. Tom climbed to the top of the lighthouse for a wonderful view.  In a while another truck came and drove us down a very long dirt road to the snorkel beach. The beach was very beautiful with nice sand and clear water but the snorkeling was very far out near the reef. We didn’t try to reach it.

On the return trip from the beach, the tour stopped at a crocodile lagoon. The guide whistled and the crocks came for food he fed them. We felt that if you are looking for something to do, Punta Sur is worth visiting but felt our time could have been better spent doing other things.
We were very hungry by the time we left the park so we stopped at Rasta‘s. It’s a fun interesting place with tropical music .  We had the cheeseburger in paradise with fries but didn’t think it was very good.

We continued around the island stopping at Bonita Beach for a swim. It was so beautiful there, with a wide sandy beach. The waves were very mild because the beach is located in a sheltered cove. After our swim we drove on to Chen Rios. We didn’t stop because there was no parking available. There were many  pull-offs spots along the road. You could walk down to the water and have a secluded swimming spot. However, almost everyone  was taken. Many Mexican families were on holiday for Easter and many were having picnics in these areas.
We stopped at Coconuts for drinks and very good Nachos . They have the most beautiful view from a high cliff overlooking the water. We continued around the island and as we neared town we took a small tour of one of the neighborhoods. It is sad to see how little the people have.
That night we had dinner at Los Gavilanes. It’s upstairs and a little off the main part of town. We were the only people eating there. We thought the food was only average. My grilled shrimp were a little overdone.

Day 4 Saturday, April19
Went to  Zermatt’s  bakery for breakfast. We didn’t think much of the sweet rolls and the French Toast was not crisp. We wouldn’t recommend this restaurant/bakery. We took the rental car back to the pier office but they weren’t open so we returned it to the town office. We caught a cab to Chankanaab. This place has really changed since we were there five or so years ago. It’s now seems very Disney-like. It has a beautiful entrance and gardens. We paid the entrance fee of 10.00 each and  went through a turnstile. There were winding paths leading to different areas for each activity offered at the park. We went to the snorkel beach. I enjoyed snorkeling and Tom grabbed a lounge chair under a papaya and relaxed, reading his book. The snorkeling was very good but not as good as years past. We came back to town for lunch and ate at Plaza Leza in the square. It was wonderful! I had chicken tacos and Tom had enchiladas. The food had great presentation and service was wonderful and the food was excellent. It’s located in the town square near Casa Dennis restaurant.

After lunch, we walked to the Miniature Golf and enjoyed a game. It had a nice layout and was very well done and well kept. It was very, very hot out that day. We felt we needed some air conditioning and refreshment so we walked to Senior Frogs for drinks. It was a long walk but worth it. After relaxing for a while we walked the long ways  back to our room for naps. (Also worth the walkJ).
For dinner we tried to find El Capi Navegante but even using the “Can Do Map” we couldn’t find it. So, we went to Guido’s Italian restaurant. It’s on the waterfront near our hotel. We had the garlic bread which was wonderful. It’s like a huge popover. Our meals were only so-so. I had the lasagna which as mostly cheese and pasta. I wasn’t impressed. Tom had a veal dish which was only slightly warm when served. 

We walked down to the square and bought some churros from a little cart. A man was making them right there. They are a wonderful twisted fried dough dipped in cinnamon.

Day 5 April 20 Easter Sunday
We went to Coco’s for breakfast. It’s located on the south end of the plaza, across the street from Prima’s, on 5th Ave. There doesn’t seem to be a sign or at least we couldn’t find it. It’s small and has a big green awning. They only serve breakfast.  I had very good pancakes and Tom had wonderful Mexicana scrambled eggs.

We were off to Dzul Ha and got there by 9:30 and we were the first ones there. We rented a locker. A sign by our table said there was a $15.00 cover charge for using the table. They were not busy all day, so we had the place mostly to ourselves. We walked up the beach towards the north, carrying  our snorkel equipment. We were glad we were wearing shoes because it was rocky and there was a lot of broken glass. We walked a long way and came to a pretty area and took off our shoes and left them by a tree. It was quite rocky but we found a place to go into the water. We did a drift snorkel all the way back to Dzul Ha. It was amazing how soon we were back but it was really fun. We saw lots of fish but the most fish were right in front of Dzul Ha. We saw a huge school, like a large cloud of fish. We swam over to it and the went down so we snorkeled over the top. What an experience! We’ve never seen such a huge school. We also saw lots of large permit fish and a huge green fish we didn’t recognize.  We ordered lunch and had good chimihangas and hamburgers. We stayed all day, just relaxing and snorkeling.

before and it was very reasonable and not crowded. However it was closed so we took a After showers at our hotel, we went to the Museum to use their internet. We had used it tour of the museum instead. It was very interesting. There were several rooms of well done displays with descriptive signs in both English and Spanish. The cost was only $3.00 a person. We were glad we didn’t miss these exhibits.

At 6 PM every Sunday there is an inter-denominational church service on the top floor of the museum. We enjoyed it very much.
We went to Prima’s again for dinner. Tom had a rib eye steak which was wonderful. And I again had the lobster, scallop and shrimp in Alfredo sauce.
We walked down to the square  to watch the Sunday night activities. We enjoyed watching many locals dancing and the band playing.

Day 6 April 21, Monday
We packed and went to breakfast at La Chosa. It was very good and reasonable. We tried to go to the bank. We went to several and each one had long lines. We learned that they had been closed for four days due to the Easter holiday. So we used the ATM and it worked fine.

We relaxed in a coffee shop over a frozen Cappuccino and went back to our hotel to get our luggage. We took a cab to the ferry pier and took the ferry to Playa del Carmen.  Two guys with bicycles rode us and our bags to the Hotel Colibri. It is a very nice hotel with clean rooms. They do not supply water but there is a store across the street that sells it in small bottles and a store about two blocks away that has gallon bottles.

We were in room 7 on the upper level , the room closest to the beach. We could see the beach from our balcony. There were chairs and a hammock on the balcony.

One our first day we had lunch on the beach at the hotel. I had shrimp tacos and they were pretty good. We walked around town, bought some water and went to an internet place. There are internet places on almost every block. The place we liked was a short walk from the Colibri on 10th ave. between Calle 12 and Calle 14, on the west side of the street. In the same plaza there was  also a mini-market for water and other items and a good laundry.
After walking around town for a while a man stopped us to encourage us to eat dinner at his restaurant. This is a very common practice in both Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. His menu look good with lots of fresh fish, so we went in. The place is called La Bomba and it’s just off 5th Ave. We had grouper fillets, Mexican style and grilled. After dinner our waiter asked if we would like Mayan coffee. What a wonderful surprise it was! What a terrific show. Be sure to have it sometime. It’s offered in many restaurants.

There are so many interesting and beautiful tropical restaurants in Playa. We wished we had more time to go to more of them. We ate early around 6 to 6:30 and the restaurants were not at all crowded. We were seated immediately everywhere.

We loved walking around town in the evenings. The streets were full of people and it all seemed very festive. We stopped in one place for a drink. It was beautiful with a huge pool going under it and chairs and tables for dinner or drinks. There were three guys singing Mexican songs and playing instruments. They were very good.

Day 8 April 23, Wednesday
We had breakfast at Don Emilione’s on 5th ave between Calle 2 and Calle 4. It was excellent. Tom had wonderful Mexican eggs and I loved the French toast. I had a strawberry-orange juice that was very good but Tom’s OJ was not good.
We loved sitting at a table near the street and watching the town wake up and the store keepers setting out there goods.
We decided to take a walk on some of the back streets. We went as far as 25th Ave, We needed refreshment so we went to the ferry dock area to buy fruit from the fruit ladies. You get huge cups of sliced fruit for $1.00. You can ask for any fruit combo you want and they make it up for you or you can buy the cups already made. All very tasty and ripe.

We went back to the Colibri to take a snorkel trip we had signed up for. There is a dive shop on the beach next door that has diving and snorkel trips. For $25.00 each they take you out to the reef for well over an hour of snorkeling. It was very wavy, rough snorkeling but we saw lots and lots of fish.

We had lunch at Palapa Hemingways. I had chicken tacos which were just OK. Tom had a good hamburger and fries. It cost around $15.00 including water and a beer.

We had dinner at a grilled chicken place on a back street. It is located between 10th and 15th Calles on 6th Ave. It was good and cheap. Tom had spotted it when we went for a walk that morning. They spoke no English but we pointed to the sign for ¼ pollo and ½ pollo. Then a customer who spoke English came over and offered to help us order our drinks. The owner did manage to tell us that they are open 24 hours a day. It was a fun experience.

Day 8 April 23, Wednesday
We had breakfast at Don Emilione’s on 5th ave between Calle 2 and Calle 4. It was excellent. Tom had wonderful Mexican eggs and I loved the French toast. I had a strawberry-orange juice that was very good but Tom’s OJ was not good.
We loved sitting at a table near the street and watching the town wake up and the store keepers setting out there goods.
We decided to take a walk on some of the back streets. We went as far as 25th Ave, We needed refreshment so we went to the ferry dock area to buy fruit from the fruit ladies. You get huge cups of sliced fruit for $1.00. You can ask for any fruit combo you want and they make it up for you or you can buy the cups already made. All very tasty and ripe.
We went back to the Colibri to take a snorkel trip we had signed up for. There is a dive shop on the beach next door that has diving and snorkel trips. For $25.00 each they take you out to the reef for well over an hour of snorkeling. It was very wavy, rough snorkeling but we saw lots and lots of fish.
We had lunch at Palapa Hemingways. I had chicken tacos which were just OK. Tom had a good hamburger and fries. It cost around $15.00 including water and a beer.
We had dinner at a grilled chicken place on a back street. It is located between 10th and 15th Calles on 6th Ave. It was good and cheap. Tom had spotted it when we went for a walk that morning. They spoke no English but we pointed to the sign for ¼ pollo and ½ pollo. Then a customer who spoke English came over and offered to help us order our drinks. The owner did manage to tell us that they are open 24 hours a day. It was a fun experience.

Day 9 April 24, Thursday
We went to Hot bakery again for breakfast. Tom had a ham and cheese omelet which was kind of dry and I had a cinnamon roll again. Their fresh squeezed OJ is wonderful.
We notice there were many of same people we there eating again as the last time we were there. I wonder if they ate there every day.
We stopped at Thrifty for the car we rented over the internet. They said they didn’t have it in the computer system yet so they didn’t have our car . They called Thrifty in Cancun to bring a car to Playa. We weren’t in a hurry so we went back to the Colibri to get our laundry and dropped it off to be done. We paid only $3.00 for wash, dry and folding a large load. We dropped it off in the morning and it was done by 5:00 that night. Everything in town was open until 9:00 pm so it’s very convenient.

About an hour later our car was ready for us.
It was a compact sized car with A/C and seemed to be in good condition. We rented it for 8 days so we could take it to the casa (house on the beach).
Today we planned a trip north, towards Cancun to Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village. It was very laid back but the beach wasn’t that impressive. We had lunch at Pelicanos, a very nice restaurant, located on the water. To find it, turn right off the entrance road, and go past the park. It’s located on a corner on the left. It was excellent food and we ate outside, overlooking the water. I had excellent grilled shrimp and Tom had wonderful grouper Vera Cruz. After lunch we went down a street to the beach. I tried swimming but there was a lot of sea grass and it went far out into the water so it wasn’t too pleasant. So, we drove back towards PDC stopping at Punta Bete. We took a dirt road quite a ways to find the beach. It was very rocky far out into the water. We walked farther down the shore and saw a beautiful palm filled beach near a resort but we didn’t know if they welcomed guests so we decided to go back to our hotel. The Colibri has a beautiful beach and easy access to water, where the waves were very high. We really had fun at our “own” beach.
We had dinner at La Parrilla located on the corner of 5th ave. and Calle 8. Our table was close to 5th ave. so we could people watch. We had Kabobs and they were wonderful. Several Mariachi bands came by and Tom selected one to play and sing at our table. I loved it.
After dinner we picked up our laundry. It was all neatly folded and packaged. Great to have someone do it for us.
We walked around town and came across a folk dance show setting up in the street. Tom spotted a wine bar near there so we grabbed a table with high stools. We ordered wine and a fancy dessert and watched a great show. This folk team put on several shows that evening in different areas of 5th ave.
Day 10 April 25, Friday
We had breakfast at Café Tropical on 5th avenue. My waffle was only slightly warm but tasted good. Tom had an omelet which he said was very good. We went back to the hotel and packed and left for our casa, stopping at Chaduri for a few supplies. It’s a wonderful big store and in both Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. It is somewhat like a Super Wal-Mart because it has a full grocery and just about everything else you could want. It’s on 307 as you go South out of town.

We rented Casa Nah Uxibal in Solomon Bay for one week. We followed the directions to our casa and turned down a dirt road. This road got rougher and rougher as we drove. Everyday we passed a man or two with a couple of boys working on the road. At the pace they were able to work, without machinery, it will be a while before the road is fixed. As we came to a “T” in the road there was a row of houses lining the beach. We continued on coming across several topes across the road. These were made by taking a thick rope and laying it across the road to slow traffic. We laughed at this because with all the large pot holes it was impossible to go over 5 MPH anyway.
Casa Nah Uxibal is such a cute, little place! . Xavier and Victoria, the care takers, are there to meet us as we drive in. They don’t speak English but we are able to communicate with a few words we all seem to understand. Xavier asked us if we had luggage and we said, “Mucho, Grande” and we all laughed. Xavier took our two huge suitcases on his back and carried them both to our casa. It was amazing because he wasn’t a very big man.
Our casa is so charming! We loved it. The kitchen and dining room is all one room and the bedroom is two steps up  and has a king sized bed with a wonderful firm mattress. There a porch with chairs and a hammock. Also a two person kayak is provided. The kitchen has a blender, coffee maker, coffee grinder, toaster and is very well stocked with basic foods including eggs, coffee, juice, milk  and many other items in the refrigerator. It also has a large dispenser of purified water. The house also came with a dog. Lady was there to greet us each morning and hung around us when we were outside. She was so happy to see us each time we came back home. We felt like she was ours while we were there, except we didn’t have to feed her.J  She actually belongs to Xavier and Victoria.
We decided to go into Tulum to see what was there and order a pizza at La Nave restaurant. The pizza was wonderful, thin crust, with lots of cheese, tomatoes and a little Italian sausage. We haven’t had such good pizza since moving from Chicago six years ago. We stopped at a fruit market, also in Tulum and found some nice looking fruit, although it wasn’t inexpensive. We also stopped at the internet. There were several internet places along the main street.
After getting back to our casa we tried out the kayak and then went snorkeling. The reef was very far out. The kayak would be needed to reach it unless you’re a very strong swimmer. Also sea grass is along all the shore and also goes very far out into the water so swimming isn’t pleasant. We swam out to a few large rocks and a little coral but saw only a few fish.
We went to Casa Cenote for dinner. It was very good. Tom had Monterey Chicken and I had grilled shrimp. We had a beautiful view of the water while we ate, We walked over to the cenote. It was pretty but the water was not clear and didn’t seem very appealing to us.
Day 11 April 26, Saturday
Xcaret
After breakfast at the casa, we went to Xcaret. It was about a half hour drive and is closer to PDC but we wanted to wait for a weekend because we heard it is less crowded then. We got there about 9:00 am.
After buying tickets we entered through the main building in the front of the park. It has locker rooms among other things. We rented a locker and put our snorkel equipment and towel in the locker.  We brought our own towels and snorkel equipment so we didn’t have to rent them. A guide suggested we go to the butterfly exhibit in the morning while they are still active. The butterflies are amazing.
Next we wanted to do the underground river. We returned to the lockers. We put our clothes in the locker and wore our beach shoes and took a towel and fins. They also rent towels near the lockers. You can bring your snorkels and masks but they aren’t really needed because there aren’t many fish in the river. We decided that since we were snorkeling at other places we wouldn’t bother with the snorkeling the underground river. We followed the path to the right to find the entrance to the river. Actually, the entrances to both rivers are right next to each other but we were told that people like to do the underground river most so it gets most crowded. That is why we choose to go there first. As it turned out, that was very good advise.
When we came to the river entrance, they gave us a large tote bag to put our shoes, money, sunglasses and towels and anything else we didn‘t want to bring down the river. The bag is closed and locked and we were told that the bag would be waiting for us when we get out at the end of the river. We then moved on to the next booth and were given a safety vest.
From there we walked down a short path to the beginning of the river.

  The sign at the beginning of the river said the water is 62 degrees but we think it was at least 75 degrees. It’s refreshing but you don’t really feel cold. I was so happy about this because I worried so much about the water being too cold for me. I’m pretty wimpy about cold water. I was reassured by several people on the boards that it wasn’t that cold. I decided to try it and I can’t say how thankful I am for all who encouraged me. No one should miss such a fun and interesting experience. It was awesome and beautiful floating through the caves. I can’t describe how beautiful it was. Because we were there early and on the weekend we were alone most of the time as we floated with the current.
As we came out we were given our bag with our things and walked back to the entrance so we could do the above ground river. We noticed a very large crowd lined up to do the underground river but we had the above ground river completely to ourselves! It was beautiful also. However we were surprised that it also contained many caves. Tom liked this river the best but I preferred the underground river. So, my advise is to make sure you do them both.
We had a great hamburger lunch at La Peninsula. Like it’s name says it’s on the peninsula (letter B on the park map). You can go upstairs and have a wonderful view of the water crashing the rocks or you can sit under a large palapa on the lower level. The hamburgers were the best we had on our trip and the lunch was  $5.50 each and included fries, drinks extra of course.
After lunch we visited the sea turtle exhibit, orchid greenhouse, and mushroom exhibit. The park is beautiful but very spread out. It was very  hot when we were there. We were constantly buying water at 1.30 pesos each for a 12 oz bottle. Wear comfortable shoes.
We were trying to decide what to do next when a guide asked us if we’d like to go on an architectural tour. We agreed and he said ”A tour of two is ready to go now and you’re the two”. And, he laughed. He spoke perfect English and gave us a very interesting tour. We learned so much. It was very worthwhile and it was another highlight to our day.
Make sure you don’t miss this tour.
It was now 5:15, and time for the horse show It was quite good. It only lasted a half hour but it was very entertaining. We were getting tired so we went to the El Gran Tlachco (the theater) so we could sit down and rest and wait for the evening show which was to begin at 7:00. It is a huge place with padded seats with backs so it felt good to sit down. We bought some food at a stand outside the seating area and ate while we were waiting.
The show was spectacular! It began with two types of Mayan ball games. One was played with a ball of fire. I enjoyed both games even though I am not a sports fan. These games were followed by a folk show. It was wonderful and quite long. The costumes were so beautiful and extravagant. There was dance act after dance act with live music and a huge cast that filled the enormous stage below us. It was a fabulous show. It ended at 9:10. The bad part of our day started when we tried to find our car. We had been told where to park and it was quite a distance from the entrance. We searched in the area where we believed it to be parked but all the cars were parked in a maze of circular islands of grass going in every direction. A guide helped us by asking what time we had arrived at the park. He then led us to the area where we found our car. I think we would have been searching for hours. He then hinted that he needed at tip which we were very glad to give to him. We didn’t get back to our house until 10:30, a very long day.
Day 12 April 27, Sunday
Today we went to Xel-Ha. It was located only five minutes from our casa. We chose the All Inclusive plan. It looked like a better deal because it included all the food we could eat, plus drinks and snacks. We paid with Master Card and got a 10% discount on our tickets. We rented a locker in a stand near the Mexico Lindo restaurant. It’s in the middle of the park and near two restaurants so we found it to be a very good location. We also got our towels here. They were included in our AI plan. We were glad to see that they were large and very thick. We wanted to tube down the river so we grabbed our snorkel equipment, which we brought with us because we prefer our own. There is no need to wear anything but a bathing suit and beach shoes. We took our clothes off at our locker and left them there for the day.
Keys are required as a deposit when you get your locker, and snorkel equipment so be sure to bring some along. After renting a locker, we went across the bridge and continued along the path until we saw a tram station. We caught the tram and went to station 5 (river entrance). This is the place to get snorkel equipment, life vest and tubes. They provide a large tote bag so you can put all the items you don’t need while tubing. Put your snorkel and shoes in the tote. It is locked and you are given a number. It will be waiting for you at the end of the river float at station 4.

We floated down the river at a leisurely pace as the river gently carried us. It was a lot of fun. We got out at station 4 and picked up our tote. We returned our tubes. Around noon there was a terrible thunder storm. We were getting hungry so we hurried into the Mexican Lindo Restaurant. We enjoyed an excellent meal with exceptional service. It was fun watching the thunderstorm while we ate. The lights went off as we were eating but there was just enough light to see and it didn’t seem to cause a problem in the kitchen. We had dessert and coffee while we waited for the storm to pass. It lasted about an hour. Many people were leaving the park during this time. We decided to stay, hoping the sky would clear. After finishing our meal, it was still thundering some and the temperature dropped. I had to wrap my towel around me to keep warm. We walked around, visiting some shops and watched the dolphins being fed. After a bit the temperature rose some and I decided to try snorkeling again.
We went over to the swinging bridge. I saw many, many huge Jack fish. I went over to stations 3 and 4 and saw a lot of fish here too, swimming near the rocks.
We had been told to return all our equipment by 5:00. We still had our vests. The park was open until 6:00 so after returning our vests we went for dinner. We had a not so great meal at La Neveria Del Pueblo before leaving the park.
We returned to our casa and rested.
Most every evening Tom and I played a few hands of cards. He taught  me to play gin and beat me almost every game. We also played crazy 8’s and I almost always won at that.

Pictures of our trip to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen
Here's the link.Please copy and paste it.
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b33fed5a84bd 

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