Ancient Mayan ruins highlight our last day in Mexico

We ended our week’s stay at the El Dorado Casitas Royale in Rivieras Maya with an enjoyable excursion to ancient Mayan ruins in Tulum, about an hour away.

Like most of the week, we had glorious weather which made for great viewing and photography and a pleasant bus ride.

This was our second visit to this famous architectural site but we learned a lot more with the help of a knowledgeable tour guide.

Our outing also included a stop at a cenote (see-note-a), an aquifer with significance to the ancient Mayans. The cenote is one of thousands in Mexico where a pool of water was formed from underground seepage.

We ended the day with a second visit to the culinary theatre at Fuentes, featuring Mexican dishes. The guests were guided through the exquisite five-course meal by a live chef and sommelier.

This has been an amazing experience and we look forward to coming again.

Thanks for following our travels through this blog.

Resort pays attention to detail in every area

Our memories of the El Dorado Casitas Royale Resort in Riviera Maya will last a lifetime. By far, this is the most comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable resort vacation we have ever had.

Of course, we still have another full day ahead of us, but we already feel overwhelmed by the variety of experiences we have had in just a few days.

As we began today, we had breakfast in the popular Cocotal restaurant. As we left the restaurant, we encountered a group of Mayan elders who offered to perform a morning ceremony for us. Happily we accepted and joined in honoring the four sacred directions. Cintra took part in an additional purification ritual.

We enjoyed another aqua gym that doubled as fun in the pool and much needed exercise for my knee.

We ended the day with another great dining experience in the popular Italian restaurant followed later in the evening with a lively musical concert and breathtaking circus in the main stage.

As we wandered through this massive resort over the past few days, it was striking to note that much of it is tropical forest. The resort buildings are nestled among an expanse of coconut and other tropical vegetation. The villas are along one mile of beach front on the Caribbean Sea.

The resort property in fact occupies some 450 acres of forest, the size of a small town. What’s more amazing is the meticulous care that is taken of every part of the property.

As we walk through the grounds or simply relax outdoors, it is always noticeable that workers are watchful for leaves and branches that are out of place or sand that drifted on the walking paths.

The resort is heavily committed to environmental protection and preservation of green spaces. Even more, it operates a massive greenhouse where it grows all its fruits and vegetables that are served in the restaurants on site.

The Eldorado includes luxurious presidential suites, adult casitas villas and a property for families. We occupied a fully equipped villa in the adult casitas.

The landscaping of the El Dorado is spectacular with tasteful blends of greenery, walkways, pools, fountains, lawn decorations and hedges. To add to the aesthetic advantage of the property is the extraordinary architecture utilizing modern design elements combined with traditional hacienda decor.

There definitely are many reasons to feel at home in this beautiful resort and even more to return someday.

Remarriage by Mayan rites

On vacations like this, you never know what might happen next. Like suddenly finding yourself being remarried by Mayan rites.

Yes. We were about to enter a Mexican Fiesta, when at the entrance to the hall, a Mayan “elder” invited us to a special ceremony that he said will renew our marriage. Curious, we accepted, were asked to hold hands, close our eyes, while he and another leader chanted and said words we didn’t understand. With our eyes closed, he circled us and smudged us. After the five-minute ritual, he blessed us and asked us to choose a gem stone each and told us the significance of the colors of our stones to our marriage.

The Mayan welcome was part of numerous displays and sales booths in front of the hall where the stage show was to be held. We were early, so we seated ourselves in a strategic location.

Shortly afterwards, we were asked to help ourselves to the buffet. We were among the first to scout the food and it was the most amazing Mexican food choices one could ever see.

It was a surprising and overwhelming end to another wonderful day in the El Dorado Casita Royale in Riviera Maya.

The earlier part of the day was spent joining the aqua gym classs in the large pool followed by back massages in the resort spa. Cintra has made progress in reading a novel to pass the time.

It turned out to be a windy day, but it was still good enough to sit in the beach hut and enjoy the view of the Caribbean sea.

Once again, it was a day full of memories from a spectacular sunrise, to a Mayan ritual, to great food and Mexican music, dancers and a 16-piece Mariachi band.

Buenas Noches.

The theatre of Mexican cuisine

Warm temperatures, brilliant sunshine, a gentle tropical breeze over the Caribbean sea all made for another enchanting day in Riviera Maya.

Our third full day at the Mexican resort provided more opportunities to relax, walk around the complex and enjoy the food and drinks that seem to be everywhere.

Cintra discovered the tequila tasting on the beach and took advantage of this special Mexican experience. She enjoyed it mostly for its educational aspect such as learning about the types of tequila, and the varieties of fruits and mixes that go without. She also discovered tequila cream, another alternative to Bailey’s.

The other memorable event for the day that we happily shared was the Mexican food show, TV style. Not only was this informative and entertaining, it offered an absolutely tasty five course meal, complete with wine pairing. Cintra said she liked the food a lot more than the wines that were selected.

This theatrical dinner, featuring a professional chef and sommelier, seemed to be one of the most popular attractions in the resort. It is one of the few places requiring reservations.

We are feeling reasonably well, including my traces of a cold and moving a bit slowly with my new knee.

More tomorrow.

Day starts wet and ends with dinner on the beach

A thatched-covered hut with a spacious mattress and pillow, and located on the beach across from our room, turned out to be our alternate home for our vacation here in Riviera Maya.

The resort has dozens of these sheds all along the beach, along with scores of chaise lounges, for the comfort of guests.

So much of the day was spent in our personal shed relaxing and enjoying the sights and sounds of the Caribbean Sea.

It was an unusual a start of the day as it was wet from an overnight downpour. The clouds were dark and threatening and the forecast called for showers.

It slowly cleared up, the skies became sunny, and we hurried over and staked our spot for the day.

We made excellent picks for breakfast and lunch restaurants and enjoyed exquisite cuisine at both locations. The special activity for the day was aqua exercise that I looked forward to especially for my knee. It was a lot of fun as we both took advantage of this session with a professional trainer.

We continued our quiet afternoon and ended the day with the resort’s signature romantic dinner on the beach. The combination of elegant ambience in a hut on the beach, a perfect dinner companion, delicious food, impeccable service and live saxophone music, made for a memorable experience.

Given the enchanting evening, one might overlook for a moment the rest of the complex, if not North America, was focused on a historic championship football game. We thought we’d catch the last quarter on TV when we returned to our room, but the TV signal was lost. It still turned out to be a great day for the Eagles and for us.

Bye for now. Moses and Cintra

A day of relaxation in Eldorado resort

As we continued to familiarize ourselves with this sprawling resort complex, more and more of the guests we meet confirm that this is their favorite vacation getaway. Some have been here annually for up to eight years.

That is not likely to influence us to do the same, but we are appreciating just some of what appeals to visitors.

Obviously, the climate is the big factor for most resorts, especially in tropical destinations. Then the always green, lush, vegetation.

Resorts like the Eldorado Casitas Royale offer a wide range of internal attractions as well as facilitate external excursions to showcase the life, culture and history of the country. We do not expect to do much by way of excursions on this vacation.

One of the appealing aspects of the resort is the comfort of the suites, with conveniences like inside and outside showers, double sinks, and private jacuzzi, and a porch with a day bed. Our room is literally feet from one of dozens of swimming pools and swim-up bars.

Today, we spent planning our week, relaxing on the pool side chaise lounges and beachside beds, dipping in the pool and enjoying the cuisine of paella on the beach side for lunch and fine dining in one of their popular restaurants.

We expect more of this pattern for the rest of the week. Although Sunday, instead if whooping it up at a big Super Bowl barbecue, we will enjoy a quiet romantic dinner on the beach.

BTW,I saw it is -41 with the wind chill back home.

Gotta go shovel some sand.

Riviera Maya promises exciting week

In just a few hours of being in El Dorado Casitas Royale Resort in Mexico, we are already in awe of the breathtaking experiences in store for us in the next seven days.

It was a long, tiring flight from Regina, to Calgary and finally to Cancun, and suffering with a lingering flu, but connections and the transportation were so smooth and trouble-free that it took much of the stress of travel and illness away.

We have just settled into one of our most amazing suites in this massive resort complex on the edge of the Caribbean Sea. It would be too much to describe the comforts of this space, except to say it will be hard readjusting to our regular lives in a few days.

We started our Eldorado experience by hopping on the resort shuttle to savor the famed D’Italia Casitas for supper, and it did not disappoint.

We look forward to plotting the details of our busy week to make the best of this second phase of our winter vacation.

Thanks for taking the time to follow our travels.

From hydrotherapy to ackee and guavas

A day that starts with a tour of a country estate, shifts to a sushi lunch, transforms to hydrotherapy treatment and ends with Italian fine dining, sounds like a good way to end a Jamaican vacation.

The resort bills the excursion today as Sun Valley Plantation. It was hard to know what to expect, but once the one-hour bus ride got us there, it felt like we were in the heart of Jamaica.

The primary purpose the trip was to introduce visitors to a sampling of Jamaican fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers and other vegetation.

We were thoroughly impressed and fascinated, even though we were familiar with many of the sights on the estate.

What made it even more enjoyable was the humble, simple, genuine style of Lorna, the owner and guide. Her son, Bryan, was equally kind and friendly.

We had known many of the fruits and vegetables, but found they are known by different names in Jamaica.

Cintra and I fulfilled one of our fondest wishes at the plantation and that was to drink a fresh green coconut right out of the coconut and scoop the delicate soft jelly with the spoon cut from the shell.

After the most informative tour of the property, Lorna and Bryan treated us with slices of mango, guava, sugar cane, Otaheite apple (known in Trinidad as pommerac), coconut, fried plantain and fried breadfruit and servings of guava juice and ginger beer. I am sure the other visitors were delighted - we were ecstatic.

We returned to the hotel and prepared for an afternoon at the spa. Cintra indulged in hydrotherapy and massage and I opted for hydrotherapy only.

Our evening was spent revisiting the Gondola Italian restaurant with Friends to enjoy some of the selections we missed the first time.

We started our packing in the morning and are ready to begin our return journey to Regina tomorrow.

We’re glad you came along with us.

We invite you to view a Photobucket album of our Jamaican vacation at: http://s210.photobucket.com/user/mkanhai_photos/library/

A YouTube video of Cintra climbing Dunn’s River Falls is at: https://youtu.be/ezaRSYUPYSI

Yaaman.

Moses and Cintra

Peace, love and respect

Peace, love and respect

There is much to learn and experience in Jamaica. One of the surprising lessons is the Jamaican secret handshake.

You grasp each other’s right hand by the fingers with thumbs upright. Next you flick each other’s thumbs rapidly three times one for peace, one for love and one for respect.

That pretty much sums up the warmth of the people we have met.

Today was a good day to slow down and soak in the sun, dip in the beach and interact with guests and resort staff.

Our meals today ranged from a Jamaican breakfast in the beachside seafood restaurant, to barbecue jerk chicken on the beach for lunch and a “romantic dinner” of surf and turf elegantly served on the beach.

It is unusual to enjoy a special dinner within a few feet of the water with only the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore. There were 10 tables of couples enjoying their special evening.

Main feature of the night’s entertainment was a steel band of young pan players and dancers.

We are grateful for another day of memories to last a lifetime.

Yaaman!

Adventure of a Lifetime

Highlight of our third full day in Ocho Rios was a visit to one of the island’s most popular attractions, Dunn’s River Falls.

Many countries have falls and rapids, but not many have made a major tourist destination of the opportunity to climb up the falls itself. That means climbing on large, uneven, slippery rocks against a heavy flow of water rushing down in the opposite direction.

It is difficult, and definitely unwise and unsafe, for a climber to tackle the falls unaccompanied. So the process requires that climbers form a chain and negotiate the falls as a team.

Having said that, Cintra was the willing waterfall climber, while I chose to use the dry path up the mountain. I enjoyed the convenience of a solid, well-built staircase that followed the path of the falls.

That worked for me, especially since my recent knee surgery wouldn’t allow me to withstand the grueling demands of rock climbing up a waterfall.

Being on the dry path also meant I could record the adventure in photos and videos. Please visit this link for a YouTube video of the climb: https://youtu.be/ezaRSYUPYSI.

The weather was ideal for this outdoor excursion during our one-week stay in Ocho Rios. The warm temperatures and bright sunlight were ideal for the waterfall adventure and the ride on the catamaran by Jamaica Tours.

A catamaran ride on the island is more than transportation; it is a party. The vessel bounces not only with the pulsating movements of the waves, but the rhythm of Reggae, rock and disco music.

The day was too beautiful not to finish it off back at the hotel with a dip in the ocean and relaxing with friends on the beach chairs.

We enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner and relaxed in the hotel lobby listening to the evening’s entertainer singing favorite oldies songs.

Thanks for coming along on our holiday with us.

Moses and Cintra

People Make the Difference

Despite postponing a trip to Jamaica for many years, we have no doubt it is one of the best decisions we’ve made to come to this island this winter.

We are fortunate to be in a resort with just about anything we could hope for, and surrounded by interesting attractions, and finally enjoying ideal weather, but the advantage that impresses us most is the people.

Today was a perfect example as we enjoyed impeccable service from staff in the restaurants, bars, information desks and just about everywhere else.

We had our usual breakfast in the main buffet, continuing to seek out tropical favorites. We are seeing familiar fruits but called by different names.

Today’s highlight was a trip to Mystic Mountain, just on the other side of the Bay. We could see it from our hotel, and were able to have a spectacular view of the hotel from atop the mountain. We met a couple from Philadelphia yesterday’s on the catamaran cruise, and found we were on the mountain trip today.

Having company made the trip so much more enjoyable. On arrival at the base of the mountain, we took cable cars to ride through the lush tropical rain forest to the top.

Once there, we enjoyed entertainment by drummers and dancers, views a hummingbird sanctuary and took a dip in the pool.

The panoramic view of the town, the ocean and the hotel complex was most fascinating.

For the more adventurous guests, there was the opportunity to return to the bottom of the mountain by bobsled or zip line. We chose the cable car.

Upon returning to the hotel site, we had our first experience with the beach in Ocho Rios Bay. We also checked out a couple of swimming pools.

We enjoyed an Asian supper in Momo’s before closing a full day with a thrilling magic show on the main theatre.

We are looking forward to another day of hospitality, adventure and relaxation.

Moses and Cintra

I Can See Clearly Now

Jamaica vacation

After days of rain in Jamaica, it was fitting that the crew on the catamaran today entertained guests on the sunset cruise with Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now, the Rain Is Gone. Ironically, this is the song in 1972 that helped make the Reggae beat popular worldwide.

This was our first excursion of our stay in Moon Palace Resort, Ocho Rios, Jamaica. It was well worth it, even if was just to soak in the sun and warmth and get in the party mood.

The crew of the catamaran were just as enthusiastic about partying to Reggae music as they were to serving the tourists. They also ensured that everyone took the floating class on saying the famous local phrase “Yeah Mon!”

The first part of the day was spent in a marketing meeting that we agreed to attend in order to be eligible for free tickets to a popular attraction.

We then enjoyed a curried goat lunch, rested and got ready for the Sunset Cruise.

Our evening ended with a delightful dinner in the signature restaurant called Gondola, where they specialize in Italian cruise.

We continue to be impressed with the friendliness and hospitality of all the Resort staff.

Yeah Mon.

First day in Ocho Rios spent indoors

Inclement weather in Jamaica gave us a chance to plan our week in Ocho Rios and familiarize ourselves with the Resort.

After a late arrival Thursday, we had a much needed rest and looked forward to absorbing all that Moon Palace had to offer.

We woke up on our first full day to realize our room allowed us an almost bird’s eye view of the entire complex, including the full length of Ocho Rios Bay. We could scan the site from our perch and see the level of activity outdoors, including how many people were using the beach or pools or hot tubs. The view overlooked the popular Dolphin Cove where guests can swim with the friendly purpoises.

Our first stop was with our tour director to plan our week and select our excursions and dinner reservations.

Next we enjoyed our first Jamaica breakfast by sampling much of the eclectic delights, including some tropical surprises like fried plantains, soussop and pommerac (known here as Jamaica apple).

Hoping the rain and cloudy conditions would end, we took the opportunity to get to know the numerous facilities in the complex.

All seemed to go smoothly until we started receiving messages via Facebook that our part of the island was faced with a major crisis. St. James parish, which includes Montego Bay, was the scene of an outburst of crime and the Prime Minister issued a State of of Emergency.

We were not directly affected, but the perception from Canadian media coverage was that everyone on the island was at risk. We therefore talked to the tour director and were assured about the resort’s security measures. Also we were told the centre of the problem was some distance away.

Feeling more at ease, we walked outside a bit when the rain subsided for awhile and retuned indoors to acquaint ourselves withe the coffee bar, sushi bar and other tempting pit stops.

We ended the day with an entertaining and tasty teppanyaki meal in the popular Asian restaurant.

We are preparing to take our chances with our second full day that promises to be a continuation of the rainy weather.

None of this is taking away from our chance to rest, relax and breathe in tropical air.

Stay tuned.

Moses and Cintra.

What Took You So Long?

Jamaica vacation

Arriving in Jamaica at dusk may have kept us from enjoying the exotic tropical surroundings, but it seemed to help us focus on the warmth and hospitality of the people.

Almost everyone, from Grace the wheelchair porter, to the bus operator, to the hotel clerk to the servers, greeted us with their cheerful welcome. Most wanted to chat and one server asked the typical question, “Is this your first time in Jamaica?” followed almost naturally with, “What took you so long to get here?”

This was unlike the hospitality we have experienced in any other tourist destination we have visited in recent years.

My first thought was that almost everyone associated with tourism here takes hospitality very seriously and is a natural ambassador for the country.

All of this seemed to overcome the exhaustion we felt after being on the move for more than 14 hours, or the pounding rain on the drive to the hotel, or the gridlock due to a traffic problem.

We arrived at Moon Palace Resort in Ocho Rios tired and hungry, but buoyed by the pleasant conversations with the hosts at every point. Even if we did not see the promised beauty of Ocho Rios Bay on our first evening, it gave us something to which we could look forward.

It also helped us almost gasp in awe of the beauty of the Resort on the inside. And we were left with a sense of anticipation to absorb the many other attractions in this exciting part of Jamaica.

We look forward to sharing some of our experiences with you in the next few days.

Moses and Cintra Kanhai