But before I get to today...I should tell you that last night we went out in search of the Reggae/Rock concert but to no avail. The best we could find was some rather sketchy Pirate Cave place that definitely didn't look like it was appropriate for two grandma's from Canada! So....we resigned ourselves to the fact that it was not meant to be and headed back to our hotel. Our luck held out though and at 11:00 on the dot...the show began right across the water from where we're sitting on our balcony and so we had front row seats without having to go out at all! There was a light show in the sky and the music carried across the water just fine. Yep...lucky again!
This morning we were wakened by what sounded like a torrential downpour BUT...there was not a drop of rain anywhere. What we were hearing was the sound of the pool being refilled. I guess last night was the designated night to drain and clean the pool and so this morning the filling began. At first we were upset as we were looking forward to a day of lounging at poolside but it only took a minute for us to realize that this might be a gift in disguise.
We had an early breakfast of cornflakes and banana (thanks to the little fridge in our room and our stop at Super Willy''s Grocery store yesterday) and we were ready to roll.
Today is Sunday and so the perfect day to visit Chetumal (pronounced Chaktemal). Chetumal is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and as it was destroyed for the third and most recent time in 1955 there are no signs of the old colonial buildings that are so common in all the other cities we've visited. When Chetumal was rebuilt after Hurricane Janet in 1955, they constructed the buildings with concrete and materials that would be able to withstand the weather common to this region. It looks like they put a lot of forethought into re-building the city too as there are many public areas along the water and a really lovely malecon (walkway along the water) that goes forever!
We got to explore Chetumal without the busy'ness of weekday traffic and since there are very few tourists in this city...we felt like we had the place to ourselves! From the malecon you look out over the bay and see Belize just across the water. In fact there was a small group of people (about 6) waiting for the fast boat that would take them across the water and into Belize.
Both the malecon and the city are dotted with statues and art pieces that complement the region. From one at the entrance to the city that depicts the Mayan architecture to the fisherman pulling in his net that is set out at the water's edge they were all beautiful. The one that really spoke to us though was the monument that was erected in memory of Hurricane Janet. It is placed in a very large vacant square that is near one of the government buildings. The vastness of the square may lend to the stature of the monument as it is HUGE and POWERFUL in it's impact. We walked around it several times to be able to see all the intricacies that show up with each successive pass. From the soldier pulling someone out of the muddy waters to the sacrificial child Janet is holding and the broken ships to the hands reaching out from under the water it is a moving piece of art.
We even found a drive through Italian Coffee place in Chetumal so....you can see....it was quite a change from the Mexico we've been spending so much time in and yet it was all still very much Mexico and Mexican unlike the cities further north along this coast.
On our way to Chetumal this morning we'd stopped at the side of the highway to purchase some pan de coco (coconut bread) that turned out to be delicious. It was kind of a pastry turnover with coconut inside of it and that held us over until this afternoon on our way home from Chetumal. We were pulling off the highway every time there was another little town just so we could see some of them and to check out their beaches. Speaking of which...there aren't any beaches here that we've seen. I'm sure there are some beautiful little white sand pocket beaches around the lagoon but for the most part it is just the waters edge right up to the land. People either have docks out into the water or enter the water by going from the grass/dirt/rocks/trees into the water. It is much like Okanagan lake in that regard...this water is just a VERY different colour!
Anyway...back to our trip home, one of the little places we pulled into was called Laguna Milagros and there we stumbled upon the Restaurante Brisas del Caribe where we were seated in what appeared to be the best seats in the house. It was an outdoor restaurant and our table was on a platform over the water under a palapa. It was indescribably beautiful! There was music playing in the background and children playing in the water. It looked like the perfect place to have lunch. On the menu they had camarones (shrimp) and so we decided to give it a go and are we glad we did! Lynda had a shrimp cocktail (medium size) and she couldn't finish it there were so many jumbo shrimp in there. I had rice and shrimp cooked with a little tomato and onion and it was amazing! I was able to barely finish my shrimp but that was it for me. We could easily have shared either of those dishes and it would have been more than enough! No matter though...the two huge meals, a michelada (beer with stuff added) for Lynda and a lemonade for me (remember I'm driving) and our bill was still just under $25 CAD! I laugh when I write that I didn't have a drink as I am driving as you can drive up to roadside michelada shops along the highway to get one to go for the road!
Our lunch was perfect but there is a little more to the story of our time in Laguna Milagros too. I parked the car right in front of the restaurant on the grass and there was a little pick up with two young men standing beside the box of the truck right beside us on the passenger side. Friendly Lynda had struck up a conversation with them by the time I got the car parked. She'd noticed that they had four cardboard boxes in the back of their truck that are standard for transporting fighting cocks so she asked the boys if that's what they had in there and without pausing for a second one of the young men had a box open and a rooster in hand so he could show it to her. He was so proud of it. As it turns out the boys had traveled from Palenque, Chiapas and were en route to Cancun where their roosters would be fighting later this afternoon and into the evening. They were confident that all four of theirs would be champions. We wished them luck and gave them the two pan de coco we had leftover from this morning. I hope their roosters do well...that is a very long way to travel to have your rooster die but they have a 50-50 chance that is exactly what will happen!
So...that is what's happened so far today and now that lounge chair truly is calling me so...hasta luego amigos.....
Back at my new favourite place to type this blog....sitting at the little table on our balcony. Just returned from dinner (in our hotel again) where we were one of two tables in the place. We sat outside with the breeze blowing and the stars shining overhead. It is so lovely here - feels just like a vacation. LOL - oh ya...we've arrived at the place in our travels where we've stopped travelling so much and now we're just on a vacation. In fact, just today we realized that we have the same number of days left in our trip as most people have for their entire vacation!
It is so laid back here that it was perfectly okay for us to go down for dinner in our "just out of the shower" attire (I'll leave it to your imagination to come up with just what that is...but I will tell you it is more than a towel!), with wet hair, and flip flops.
This afternoon was spent lounging between sun and shade with the odd dip in the pool thrown in. Made some more headway on our current novels while the warm breezes and the sunshine did their job with the clean laundry that was hanging on our little balcony. (yep...got some laundry done today too) Speaking of pool time...we were surprised to discover that the new pool water was plenty warm. It appears that they pump it right out of the crystal clear cenote that is at the heart of our view. This morning we were disappointed that they were cleaning the pool but tonight we're thankful as we had a great trip and now there is brand new water just for us to swim in.
Tonight after dinner we made arrangements with a friend of our server. He has a boat and at 9:00 tomorrow morning we will meet Giovanni at the Casa del Tortugas to head out on our private two hour tour. Looking out over the water here, there is no doubt at all that we are in for a treat!
Till tomorrow....
L & L
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