St Regis Kanai

We made it to our final resort!! Check-in was easy and our room was ready early. This resort is very spread out but only has about 150 guest rooms. We spent the afternoon at the beach club just lounging in a chair watching the ocean.

 It started getting a little cooler about 5:30 so we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. We decided to try Jack's Club which is the sports bar. It has a menu of pub favorites. We walked in and waited. And waited. About fifteen minutes went by and there wasn't a staff member around. Just us, two televisions, a Foosball table, billiard table and some table games. Finally a supervisor showed up and said "Of course you can order food". But we went with our gut and decided to try the St Regis Bar instead. It was a great choice. There was a great bartender who made us an Elote Old Fashioned and a spicy Horchata cocktail. Both had used roasted corn cobs to enhance the flavor. Both very tasty. We had freshly made guacamole, shrimp aguachile and salmon poke bowl with ponzu. I liked the salmon the best. Thin slices of salmon on top of rice with edamame!! The aquachile was okay but the flavor was mostly just lime juice. It needed more heat or some curry flavor. After our light dinner, the bartender came over and said in honor of Angie's Birthday she'd be getting us a glass of Taittingers champagne!! So delicious!! And then they came out with a chocolate mousse dessert!! 

 Some resorts ask if you're celebrating something. You tell them and they don't ever mention it again. Not here. In addition to this nice surprise, every other waiter we encountered wished Angie a Happy Birthday!! It was a very nice touch.  

After dinner we headed back to the room. Today we will check out the family section of the resort to see how that varies from the adult section, spend more time at the Beach Club where we'll have some lunch. Then we will be back at the St Regis Bar by 6PM to see the champagne bottle sabering. More on that later. Dinner will be at Toro which is their beach side restaurant.

We had another day just relaxing at the pool with a great view of the ocean. Angie read a book and I listened to some podcasts. We swam a little bit in the pool and then sat down for some lunch. The Beach Club menu is heavily focused on seafood. Not a problem for us. We started with the Wellness Salad which was a great mix of quinoa, hearts of palm, arugula, avocado, orange segments and cherry tomatoes. All served with a citrusy vinaigrette. Very good salad but could have used more quinoa. 

 We also had tuna tostada which was thinly sliced tuna along with avocado drizzled with a chili mayonnaise. And then came the tacos!! The highlight was the one called From The Garden. Seared cauliflower, kale and asparagus topped with a matcha sauce!! Also had the octopus and shrimp taco. Octopus was my favorite of those two. A well seasoned marinade and perfect grilling make for a tender octopus. The shrimp one had too much sauce for my taste.  

It was time for a mandatory rest period back in the room. Now getting ready for dinner. But first we will go to the St Regis Bar to see the champagne bottle sabering. Maybe a stop at the Library where they apparently serve chocolate and tea. Then dinner will be at Toro.

Last night in Mexico - for now!!  

We saw the champagne sabering!! 

 Tried some very delicious and smooth Mexican gin (no need for a mixer). They had a delicious amuse bouche at the bar which was a roasted mushroom with rice.  

Dinner was at Toro. Some excellent dishes starting with a Flamed Salmon Roll and Crab Soup. Slightly seared salmon maki was tasty especially with the ponzu dipping sauce. The crab soup was loaded with crabmeat and also had roasted corn and a drizzle of chili oil for some heat. Mains were Cusco Chicken which was a marinated thigh in chifa style. 

 It was a fancier version of Peruvian chicken. I had the catch of the day which was grouper. Perfectly cooked fish which had a delicious adobe sauce that added some heat but not overwhelming. There was also a chayote salad and a grilled avocado with a corn pico de Gallo. Chayote is like a green squash. 

 The dish came with fresh tortillas so you could make your perfect bite. A well composed dish.  

Tomorrow we will be picked up at the resort at 7:55. It's about an hour to CUN. Then we have a non-stop flight to IND at 10:55. It's been a great two weeks in Mexico! More adventures to come in 2024!! But first we will get to spend the longest time at home in about a year. Five weeks in our apartment!! We need some time to unpack some more things. Hang up pictures. All the things you do when you have a place to hang your hat.

Hilton Playa del Carmen

We checked out of the Secrets Tulum at 1PM and then had a nice lunch at Veranda. Some excellent chicken Tikka, fish Tikka, Moroccan meatballs and octopus/shrimp aguachile. Our transfer left the Secrets Tulum at 2:50 . We tried to leave as much sand behind us as possible. We did our best. The drive to Hilton Playa del Carmen was about an hour.  

Check-in was easy and we had our room. We needed to do some laundry to get us through the next five days, so I started organizing that. We had sixteen pieces which ended up being $799 MXN. Comparable pricing to hotels in the United States. There aren't any all-inclusive resorts I've stayed at that have self service laundry. So if you're on an extended trip, you have a few choices. Use the "wash and rinse" method in your hotel, find a laundromat in the area, or do what we've been doing by using the hotels valet laundry service. The last is obviously most convenient. 

A friend of ours who is also a travel advisor from Tampa was joining us at this hotel. Angie and Jenn will have four site inspections on Tuesday. We all had dinner at Pelicanos which is a restaurant right at the beach.  

Today Angie and Jenn will head off for their site inspections at 8:30. 

Yesterday Angie left the resort at 8:30 for four site inspections. I stayed behind this time and explored the resort. The resort has three restaurants open for breakfast. Kalamata is a breakfast buffet with mostly American favorites. I started there and had some Greek yogurt, granola and honey. Maria Petrona has a la carte offerings. I went there for some avocado toast with a side of scrambled eggs. The guacamole was decent. Would have been a better dish if the bread was actually toast. It was served with a "pod" which appeared to be a leaf wrapped around a fig with some additional seeds. A very odd addition which didn't add much to the dish. Pelicanos is another restaurant open for breakfast. We ate here the first night. It's also a la carte and has different offerings than the first two. I didn't try anything from there but maybe will today. 

At 10:45 I headed to the spa for my pedicure. My feet needed it!! Plus they had those special massaging chairs that let you configure them any way you like and adjust the massaging action. A great value for $64 USD plus gratuity. After my pedicure, I stopped by Barefoot which is the poolside restaurant. Other resorts in the Hilton all-inclusive family such as Secrets and Dreams have a Barefoot Grill. At those hotels they serve grilled favorites like burgers, dogs along with pizza and sometimes tacos. Here at the Hilton Barefoot (minus the Grill) offers healthier options such as quinoa bowls salads and wraps. A nice change for something lighter. I had the Barefoot Bowl which was labelled as vegan. It was broccoli , fried tofu, sweet potato, chickpeas, edamame, cucumber and spouts on top of quinoa. Drizzled with a great tamarind and peanut sauce. So tasty!!   

After my snack, I headed to the swim up bar. There were no empty pool loungers to be found, so I grabbed a towel and found a safe spot on the ground along the pool area to put my sandals, sun screen and phone. If there is one thing that resorts should add it's "cubbies" or lockers. Some sort of small storage area for guests that don't need a lounger since they plan to be in the pool the majority of the time. Most resorts (including this one) have a thirty minute lounger rule. If your chair is seen as "unoccupied" for thirty minutes, the staff is supposed to collect your items and store them at the towel station. We even had to sign a T&C regarding this when we checked in. But it isn't being followed by any guest I saw. And it makes it very difficult for the staff to enforce since they are there to provide guests with great service. Makes it awkward when they are asked to be chair monitors. Much of the problem would be resolved if resorts set up additional storage options.   

I needed another snack so I got out of the pool and went back to Barefoot. This time I had the vegetarian wrap. Another great assortment of seasoned grilled vegetables along with panela cheese, which is a dry crumbly cow's milk cheese with a mild flavor. Similar to paneer in Indian cuisine. It was served with a chipotle dipping sauce. Really tasty - and nice grill marks.  

After my snack I couldn't find a pool chair at the main pool so I sat at the quiet pool for about an hour. Then I headed back to the swim up bar since I wanted to watch the Penguin Race!! Guests had to place a kickball between their legs and walk along the winding line of a long cargo rope the staff had placed on the pool deck. It really did make them walk like penguins . Once they got to the end, they had to drop the ball into a pail. Sort of like a chicken laying an egg!! Pretty funny to watch. Guests who made it through the first round, then had the more challenging second round. It was now a ping pong ball with the same rope course. And they had to drop that into a regular sized drinking glass. Good poolside entertainment!!

It was then time for pool volleyball!! It was nice to just have adults playing. We played four games and our team won three of them. It was now time to head back to the room. Angie had returned from her site inspections. Dinner was at Kalamata where they had your starters set up on a large buffet. They had a great salad bar, delicious onion soup along with meats, cheese and pizza. Then you could order your main. I went with chicken parmesan with pesto fettuccine and Angie had spaghetti and meatballs. Both very good!! After dinner we caught the end of the circus show happening in the lobby. 

Today Angie has two more site inspections, including this hotel. I plan to be at the main pool since I have a filming assignment. There will be a foam party at Noon!

Yesterday the resort had a foam party!!! I always find it fascinating how foam changes some people. The resort played the same type of music it has played the last two days. And no one was dancing around the edges of the pool or on the runway. Yet they add lots of foam and suddenly the crowd goes wild with twerking, grinding and general overt frivolity!! Very fun to watch from the sidelines.  

Today we will be checking into the St Regis Kanai resort for our final two nights. This is the first hotel i've stayed at in Mexico that isn't an all inclusive. So it will be interesting to compare to our stays at the other six resorts on this trip.

Secrets Tulum

We arrived at Secrets Tulum about 11:30 and checked in. Our room wasn't ready but we were prepared for that. We had worn out swimming costumes and were going to head to the Secrets Tulum Beach Club !! Unlike most all inclusive resorts, this one isn't located at a beach. So instead they have a beach club about five miles away and use a shuttle to take you there. We dropped off our luggage with the bellman and got on the shuttle.  

The beach club had a nice setup with lots of comfortable seating under shade-producing palms. 

They had a small restaurant and another bar where you could order food. We had some snacks of pizza and wings. Nothing more Mexican than that!! After about an hour at the beach, we took the next shuttle back to the hotel. We had been told our room should be ready by 1:30 but it wasn't. So we headed to one of the poolside restaurants called The Grotto.

 Angie had lobster and caviar flatbread. I had lobster Mac and cheese. Both were pretty decent. 

We also did a bit of exploring around the resort. While this resort isn't on the beach, the designers didn't let that stop them from including sand. And I mean sand everywhere!! The lobby has seating near reception and the Rendezvous lobby bar. And the seats and tables are essentially in sand pits. The Edgewater pool bar, which is in the middle of three pools is on its own island of sand. The chairs around all the pools are in sand. To access the Halftime Sports Bar you have to walk through sand. If you want to rinse your feet or sandals at the foot wash you have to walk through sand. It's everywhere!! I can't imagine why they thought this was a good idea. Make sure you're subscribed to Angie's FB page Trips with Angie since she'll have a full tour coming soon.

We eventually got our room and did a little more exploring of the pools. They have small waterways that connect some of them. That's one way to avoid the sand - temporarily. And all the pool areas are built into and around natural rock formations. So it's definitely got an authentic Tulum vibe. As it got close to sunset we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. No reservations are required at this resort.

 We were headed to Olio which is their Mediterranean restaurant. We had a few starters of Greek Salad, Tuna Tartar and falafel. The salad had a delicious feta cheese that really brought it together since the dressing needed a bit more vinegar. The falafel had great flavor but just weren't crispy. They were more like the texture of a Howard Johnson's croquette. Children of the 1970's might know what I am talking about. The two highlights of the meal were Moroccan stuffed eggplant and Moroccan chermoula fish. The eggplant had a delicious mixture of pumpkin, couscous, tomato and pine nuts along with a cilantro yogurt sauce. 

 The dish was a whole roasted fish that had been stuffed with chermoula.

 I didn't know what this was so I had to look it up. It's similar to the consistency of a chutney, just with warm Moroccan spices of cumin, garlic and coriander. I think it may have had some paprika and saffron as well. Plus some chilis for a bit of heat. Both wonderful dishes!! No dessert.

Today we plan to get some breakfast at the Bluewater Grill. Followed by a little pool time. We'll check out at noon. There is also another restaurant called Veranda that we want to try. Our transfer won't be here until three when we'll head one hour north to Playa del Carmen where we are staying three nights at the Hilton Playa del Carmen.

Hilton Tulum

Yesterday we made it to Hilton Tulum! The layout of this hotel is night and day compared to Dreams Aventuras. Where that was a seven story complex with a small footprint, the Hilton is a large crescent shaped resort on the ocean with rooms spread out over six buildings.

 It also looks like a popular resort for groups. When we walked into the resort there was a large group of about 200 that were checking out. Luckily there was no line for checking in and we had our room quickly. There are two main pools and several other pools near the individual buildings. Plus a kid's club and splash/water park at the far end. You could easily walk to most places at Dreams Aventuras in a few minutes. Our room at Hilton Tulum was a third of a mile from the lobby. They have golf carts if you don't want the added exercise. 

We started with some lunch at Seasalt which has some great views. 

 They had some delicious tuna ceviche and something called prime rib chicharron. Small pieces of prime rib which had been flash fried similar to chicharron. Very tasty!! The guacamole was decent but couldn't compare to what we had at Royalton Chic. Another reason to try all these resorts.  

After lunch we walked to the main pool and got some chairs. The place was empty, apparently just vacated by that large group we saw earlier. According to the activities schedule there was supposed to be a pool party but it wasn't happening today. We learned later that was likely because of a small wedding that was happening near the beach. The main pools also didn't have a swim up bar which we were looking forward to. But there was good bar service at our chairs enjoyed the view but didn't get into the pool. The skies were starting to darken about 5:30 PM with some scattered showers so we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. 

We checked out the lobby bar and had a snack of some really great chicken wings and super crispy truffle fries!! It was really surprising they had this snack menu. We then headed to Maxal for our 8 PM Mexican dinner. They had some really good dishes. The bone marrow was delicious, especially the side dish of roasted mushrooms and huitlacoche, which is a little bit like a truffle. Angie had a very tasty fundido with corn, sausage and more of that huitlacoche!! For mains I had shrimp cilantro and Angie had the Grilled Vegetables from the vegan menu. Those vegetables were the highlight of the meal. 

 They were a little bit spicy but so well seasoned. Too often vegan dishes end up being a "throwaway" meaning they just put some vegetables on a plate and call it a day. Not here. This was a well thought out dish. 

After dinner we headed back to the lobby bar where they had a silent disco. We strapped on our headsets and alternated between the three channels, each with their associated glowing light of red, blue or green. 

It's always fun to watch others dancing together, especially when each person is on a different channel!! Definitely try it if you haven't. Many cruise lines offer this now. I've seen it most on Celebrity.  

Today we'll check out of this resort and head to Secrets Tulum which is about twenty five minutes south. Our transfer comes at 11 AM. Angie is now headed off to finish her filming of the resort. We'll meet up later for breakfast at the buffet.

Dreams Aventuras

Yesterday was our last full day at Dreams Adventuras. This hotel is situated in a section of Riveria Maya with several other shops, restaurants, hotels, private clubs , condos and timeshares. All within walking distance. Which is very unusual to find outside the Hotel Zone. 

The first night we had sushi appetizers at Gohan. We listened to the Mariachi band on the beach. 

Our dinner was Oceana and it was very good. 

 Angie finished up some work in the morning. We then had an opportunity for a site inspection at the family resorts Catalonia Riveria Maya and Catalonia Yucatan Beach.  

We returned back to Dreams about 12:20 and grabbed some lunch at the buffet. They had a decent salad bar as well as some good chicken wings. Surprisingly not many Mexican dishes except for a few ceviches. We went back to the room and I got ready for the pool. Angie had more voiceover work to complete.  

When we checked in on Thursday, there was a large wedding party checking in around the same time. Given that this is a smaller resort, I wondered what impact that would have on the different venues. I quickly found out when I got to the Sugar Reef pool bar. If Wedding Takeover was a reality show, I was making a cameo appearance. I quickly learned that nearly the entire pool was filled with this same wedding party and their guests. I got to meet many of them, including the bride. I wasn't able to narrow down who the groom was but I have my lead suspects. One was the twin brother since he was the only person actively avoiding the bride!! They were a lot of fun to be around. Although some of the guests will be having a hard time making it to today's ceremony. I'm speaking of the other twin, Drew!! He was really enjoying his house tequila shots and chasing those with mimosas. I also talked to another wedding guest from Wisconsin who was a real life version of "90 Day Fiance". He was going to be marrying someone from Venezuela. Although in his case it was 250 days.  

Angie joined me about 4PM, just in time for the "Crazy Game". The entertainment staff set up a series of hoops on one end of the pool. And guests were given Frisbees to try to get a Frisbee to fly through one of them. If successful? They'd win a bottle of rum. No one could do it. Sensing this, the staff started lifting up the hoops to "guide" the Frisbees into the hoops and we had a winner!! They also set up the pool volleyball net. Each of our teams kept trying to get Drew to be on the other team. Let's just say he wasn't playing his best. Although he did manage to score two serving aces!! After volleyball Angie went into the ocean. It was pretty shallow so not the best for swimming.  

After getting ready for dinner, we checked into Portofino (Italian) for our dinner. It was going to be a 30 minute wait so they gave us a pager. This worked out perfectly since we wanted to see the tree lighting in the lobby. Make sure you're following Angie's FB page Trips with Angie since she'll have a resort tour which just may include more about this.  

Dinner was pretty good. Started with a delicious arugula salad with blue cheese and honey mustard. I also tried the roasted tomato soup. This was the lone misstep of the night. The soup had no detectable tomato flavor. I'm not sure what flavor it even has except "earthy smoke". Not pleasant and I didn't finish it. Much better was the pesto fettuccine with duck. While it desperately needed more pesto flavor, the pasta was cooked well and had a creamy, cheesey sauce with shreds of duck. The best dish of the night was chicken rollatini. These were small wheels of Parmesan coated chicken. So crispy and yet the chicken was not overcooked. And served with a savory tomato gravy along with buttery mashed potato with bacon!! A really great dish. No dessert. We headed back to the room since we didn't want to see the evening show. We have been enjoying getting to sleep early.  

Today Angie will complete her filming of that resort and finish up some work. We will try to fit in some pool time before we have lunch at Barefoot Grill which is the beach restaurant with taco, fajitas, pizza, burgers and hot dogs. Yesterday I tried a pork carnita taco with pineapple. Today, I am going to see if they will make me a pork carnita pizza with pineapple. Our transfer will arrive at 1:30 to take us to our next hotel, Hilton Tulum.

Royalton Chic Cancun

Good Morning from the Royalton Chic!!  Waking up to the view and sounds of the ocean is pretty great. Yesterday we checked into the hotel about 3PM and our room was ready.  After a brief rest period, we decided to check out the pool. 

The pool bar closed at 6PM so that was the sign it was time to get ready for dinner. We had reservations at 8PM at Vespa, the Italian restaurant.  We spent some time in the lobby listening to a saxophone player until it was time for our dinner. 

They had a huge menu!!  We elected to get the Polpette (meatballs), Insalata Caprese, Bruschetta and  Insalata Arrosto (mushroom salad).   All were decent. The Polpette was my favorite.  Could have used more pesto on the Caprese.   We each got a pasta dish. I went with the lasagna and Angie got the Penne Salsiccia Funghi.  The lasagna was my favorite.  It could have used a better bechamel and more cheese.  The penne had some good flavor, but was lacking enough "kick" in the tomato sauce. It was a very generic marinara.  My favorite dish of the night was the Berenjena Parmigiana (eggplant). 

 I was expecting thicker slices of eggplant since that is usually how this dish is prepared.  Instead there were thinly sliced ribbons of eggplant that had been lightly breaded and fried. Served with a healthy amount of cheese and sauce.  I don't know how they got the eggplant so thin. Maybe a mandoline?   This may require some research.  Neither of us had dessert.  We had an early start on Tuesday, so we headed back to the room.  

Yesterday after a nice breakfast at the buffet, our transportation arrived to take us on four site inspections. We visited a Hilton.Mar Carlbe, Wyndham Altra, Dreams Sand and the Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres. I loved both the Hilton and the Catalonia. The Catalonia had a really interesting "Fifth Avenue" concept with a centrally located "street" that had most of the restaurant and shops. So many options for lunch including Peruvian food! I liked the Hilton a bit better for the ocean views.  

We returned to the resort about 4:30 and put on our bathing costumes. We were going to check out Level 18 which is the rooftop pool deck. They were having a Foam Toga Party. This area serves as a combination night club/pool party zone.

 It is open to the public (for a charge) and to all guests of the hotel. The difference is that alcoholic drinks you order here aren't part of the all inclusive concept. Unless you are a Diamond Club member which is a special room category.  

When we arrived the foam and togas must have already left since it was pretty quiet. A couple of forty year old men with mullets were twerking. And that's as exciting as it got. We relaxed on some comfortable lounges until 5:20 when it was time for our hydrotherapy appointment in the spa. That was a great experience. A member of the spa staff will take you on a "circuit" of different water and hear therapies. I started with the sauna for ten minutes. Then it was supposed to be the steam room but unfortunately it wasn't working. Then it was off to a cold steam shower. Followed by a hot shower. Followed by the ice bucket challenge!! Then into an area with three separate tubs. One was a warm bubbling hot tub. The other was a cold plunge - probably 6° Celsius. The last was a larger hot tub with a few water massage stations. After five or ten minutes in the hot tub, I'd then take a polar plunge. Very refreshing!!

After about an hour we headed back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Angie finished up some work and I got a snack of chicken wings at the Sports Bar. She met me there when it was time for dinner at 8PM. Tonight was Asian at Chopsticks. They have all small plates so you can try many things. We had short rib pot stickers, crab dumplings, chicken satay, mussels in green curry, a delicious ramen and sea bass. All so tasty!! 

 We were tired after our long day so we headed back to the room. 

Yesterday was our last full day at Royalton Chic. While Angie worked I went to Hacienda for an a.la carte breakfast. They had a beautifully prepared breakfast bowl with fruits, yogurt and seeds. So tasty!! After breakfast I assumed my spot in a comfortable lounger. It was very windy so I didn't venture into the pool. Angie joined me for lunch where we each had very good burgers with caramelized onion. Angie went back to work and I went back to my lounger. I was still a little hungry so I ordered a spicy salami pizza. It was very tasty with large chunks of the capicola. The menu item should have had at least one chili pepper next to it so you knew the spice level!!  

Angie joined me back at the pool at 3:30 and we decided to venture into the water. It wasn't too bad once you got in. About 5 PM we headed back to the room to get ready for the evening. Tonight we had a special dinner at Level 18, the same place we were yesterday for the Foam (or was it Faux) Toga Party. The dinner was only for Diamond Club guests. 

There were four tables of ten guests each. Before dinner, there was a dance performance from some of the resorts entertainment staff. 

 Dinner started with a watermelon salad. The thick slice has been slightly dehydrated to enhance the sweetness. The second course was called a shrimp cream. This was more like a rich smoked tomato soup. Very tasty but I didn't get any shrimp flavor. For the main course, we had lamb ossobuco. This had some great flavors of cinnamon and other spices. It was really delicious with thee mashed potato and roasted carrots. Although it was challenging to eat since you really needed a sharper knife. I thought it was an odd choice for this kind of meal.  

After dinner was the Neon Glow Party. We got great seats and a cocktail. One of the dancers from earlier came over with some glow paint so of course we had to be festive!! They had some amazing fire performances!! The resort put on a really great show. I was sad to see that more guests didn't make the effort to come to the pool deck to see it.  

Today we will have breakfast in Hacienda. Then Angie will finish her filming. Our transfer will be arriving at 1PM to take us to the next hotel Dreams Aventuras which is about a ninety minute drive.

Hilton Cancun

Time to start two weeks in Mexico! Staying in seven resorts and will be visiting eight or nine more.  

We arrived at the Hilton about 3:30. After check-in we needed a little snack so had some very good tacos at Mazal. The Al.Pastor with grilled pineapple was my favorite. Crispy pork with the sweetness of the pineapple for the win!! 

 The shrimp tacos were pretty good as well. And of course every trip to Mexico has to start with a Paloma!! We're here for two nights and then will move to another resort.

We experienced "Grill Night" at the resort. It was defined as a "surf and turf" experience and it didn't disappoint. Seating was Al freso and you received a family style platter of flank steak, strip steak, grilled shrimp, salmon, sea bass and chicken.

 They also had a family style platter of sides including baked potato, mashed potato, broccoli, cauliflower and roasted chickpeas. Usually I am not a fan of Mexican beef however the strip steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and so flavorful. My favorite bite of the night. The flank steak was also very good. The salmon was well cooked with crispy skin. The sea bass wasn't as successful and was mushy. Overall a good meal. And they had a really good red blend from Guadeloupe that went very well with the beef. 

This morning we're relaxing in the room. When we checked in yesterday the front desk provided a complimentary upgrade to a swim out room. We had booked a standard junior suite so it was a very nice surprise. We ordered room service breakfast of waffles, Chilaquiles with salsa roja and fruit. The Chilaquiles were some of the best I've ever had. And considering they were from room service, they had been freshly made since the ships were still crisp. Wonderfully salty cojita cheese crumbles over a sunny side up egg!! So good!!

After our room service breakfast we headed to the activities pool. This pool is where most of the families with children tend to hang out I played some pool volleyball for about an hour. We then headed to the Chill Pool.

 This is a family resort, but the Chill Pool s the closest thing to an adults only area. We had a couple.og cocktails at the pool bar before we decided to get some lunch. We are at Sunan which is an Asian restaurant. We had some delicious smoked ribs and a very good shrimp salad. We also had a teppanyaki stir fry that had a really tasty ginger sauce, although the vegetables were a little al dente for me. 

After lunch Angie took her GoPro into the ocean for a swim. Make sure you're following her FB page Trips with Angie some she will be posting more about the Hilton Cancun resort and the others were visiting this trip. After her swim we decided we needed a mandatory rest period so we headed back to the room. We both napped for about three hours. About 7 PM we got ready for dinner. Tonight we had a reservation at Auma which is a steak and seafood restaurant featuring an open kitchen. But our reservation was at 10PM. So we hung out in the lobby watching the ending of the very thrilling Eagles/Bills game. 

 It was also time for a snack so I ordered a pizza. The lobby has a venue where you can order all kinds of pizza, salads and sandwiches. My pepperoni pizza was made to order and was ready in ten minutes. It was a decent pizza although it needed more sauce.  

We checked in for our reservation and sat down right at 10PM. The menu had some really interesting items. We ordered starters of a wedge salad, an eggplant "stacker" with risotto, clam chowder and onion soup. All very tasty. The eggplant was the most creative and my favorite. Thin roasted eggplant with a creamy vegan risotto along with other roasted vegetables and corn. The wedge was ice cold as it should be with a flavorful blue cheese dressing - maybe a bit too much. The clam chowder was chock full of clams in a creamy broth. It rivaled some of the chowders I've had in Maine. And the onion soup had a rich broth tasting of both onions and beef. And of course swiss cheese. 

For mains we had grilled octopus and grilled tuna.

 Both perfectly prepared. I've rarely been disappointed with the octopus at any Mexican restaurant. The chefs here just seem to know how to prepare it. Both were served with a savory chimichurri. No dessert.

For today's breakfast we went to Mazal, the Mexican restaurant. They had the usual assortment of breakfast favorites plus three cooking stations. One station was making quesadillas with freshly made tortillas. The chef would be forming your tortilla right before grilling. So tasty!! They also had a "make your own" Chilaquiles area. I have never seen that before. Today we will check out of the Hilton Cancun and head to the Royalton Chic which is located in the Hotel Zone. We'll be there for three nights. We will attempt to get some laundry done.

Thanksgiving week in Florida

We spent Thanksgiving week at a rental house in Treasure Island. We had a fun week swimming, filming GoPro videos, dolphin watching, and playing games. 

Rio de Janiero

 We had an amazing city tour of Rio De Janeiro today. We disembarked the ship at "last call" which was 9:45 AM.  We met our tour guide Michael and loaded up his car.  We went to Ipanema Beach, had lunch where the "Girl from Ipanema" song was written, then to Copacabana Beach, then Sugarloaf Mountain for amazing views!!  

 We also stopped off at an impressive Catholic church from the 1970's. It looks like a space capsule and was in fact modeled after the Apollo 13 capsule. 

 Finally a visit to a nearby lookout to see Christ The Redeemer.  Quite a sight even from this distance. We decided not to take the cable car up to the base of the statue since that would have taken three or four hours from start to finish.  

We wanted to see as much as we could of Rio in even hours. It was a great plan since when we were at Sugarloaf we ran into a couple who were in our ship and they had gone to the base. They said it was like being at the Sistene Chapel with crowds.   I've been in that kind of crowd and it's not my favorite.  So this worked out perfectly.  

We got to GIG at 4:45.  Went through security with our carry-ons.  No checked luggage this trip. We quickly found the Star Alliance Lounge.  We knew they had showers and asked for a reservation.  Luckily the lounge was nearly empty and we were shown to our individual shower rooms right away.   That felt good after a rather warm day and 8300 steps.  

Now having some liquid refreshment as we wait for our gate to be announced.  Boarding will be about 9:05 PM.  They have a dinner buffet so maybe and something although we will also have dinner on the plane.  But might want to sleep.  Decisions, decisions

Last Sea Day on the Seabourn Pursuit

Yesterday was our last sea day on Seabourn Pursuit. The ship had a special epicurean cocktail party out on deck including caviar, tuna poke, raclette, several fried favorites and a delicious Bullit Bourbon Sour. 

A good way to end the cruise. We had a nice dinner at The Colonnade with shrimp cocktail, carrot and mushroom soup along with perfectly cooked Dover sole. A nice final dinner. 

Today we sailed and docked in Rio de Janeiro. We'll have breakfast on the ship and then meet a guide we hired to take a tour of the city including seeing the Christ The Redeemer statue. Also will get some lunch. We haven't been in ports long enough to enjoy any of the local Brazilian cuisine, so we will try to take care of that today.  

Our flight from GIG to IAH is at 9:55 PM. Then onto IND after a two hour layover. Rio is two hours ahead of east code time so we may be back at our apartment by Noon on Wednesday. Much better than the 24 hours it took to fly from IND to MAO. It's been an amazing fourteen night trip through Amazonas and the Amazon River and forests. Saw many birds and wildlife. We'll be getting a video and photos that the ship's photographers took.

Natal, Brazil

Yesterday we were in Natal. We docked about 8AM and were off the ship by 8:20 to meet up for our excursion.  We did something a little out of our comfort zone. We headed on a dune buggy tour through the dunes of Natal.  It was a twenty minute ride to where the vehicles were.  We quickly found the light blue buggy that would be ours along with our driver. It was both thrilling to be zooming around the magnificent dunes and then the next minute driving on such beautiful beaches!!  Make sure you're following Angie's FB pages since she'll have some footage of the actual ride using her GoPro. 

We had several stops along the way. One of them was a beach club lagoon where they had some fruit, cold drinks and we were able to swim. The final stop was a beach club where we enjoyed some local beer.  

When we got back to the ship we headed straight to lunch.  It was an Indian themed lunch and they had a decent Tikka Masala.  After our quick lunch, we headed straight to the pool.  It was a popular spot and we chatted with lots of our fellow guests.  Lots of friendly people on this sailing.   With only 170 total passengers it's easy to know everyone. 

At 4:45 they had one of their Seabourn signature events on the aft pool deck.  They brought out caviar, toasts and creme fraiche and the head chef, hotel director and food and beverage manager were serving it to guests.  We decided we were enjoying the pool too much and stayed there past sunset.  As we sailed under and past the bridge, we could see the dunes we had been on just hours before.  When you come to Natal, I highly recommend taking a dune buggy tour.  

Today is our first of three sea days before we arrive in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday which is where we'll have our debarkation. Many passengers are staying on as the ship heads into Antarctica. That's another 21 days of sailing. We met a guest who has been on the ship since he boarded in Bridgetown Barbados and is headed to Antarctica.  He originally was going to get off in Manaus but decided to extend his trip.  Antarctica will have to wait - for now.

Halloween at Sea

Yesterday was the first of three sea days before we arrived at the port of Natal on Friday. While Angie caught up on some work, I spent the morning out at The Patio listening to some podcasts. I watched while Butch setup his Mojito station. He and David (Bar Manager) did a great job. 

Angie joined me for lunch where we each had one of the specials. I had the grilled mahi mahi and she had a ziti dish with spinach and bacon. We stayed out at The Patio all afternoon. We had great seats for the equator crossing ceremony at 3:30. The cruise director was the judge. Several of the expedition crew were mermaids, King Neptune and Queen Neptune. 

And then there were the pollywogs. That's the term used for anyone who is crossing the equator for the first time on a ship. Group by group, guests would be brought up to the judge to face King Neptune and be judged for their crimes. One group was accused of saying they would be at the evening show, but then heading to their cabin by 7:30. Others were accused of being Chair Hogs, throwing their flip flops on a chair at 6AM and not using the chair until after lunch. Of course the rest of us pronounced them all GUILTY!! And their punishment was to kiss the fish!! And then after all the verdicts, they all had to jump into the pool to be "cleansed". I'm not sure if sequins sink or float, but we'll find out on Wednesday.  

After that ceremony we decided to check out tea time in the Constellation Lounge. They had a very good assortment of sweet and savory items along with a choice of about eight different teas.

 All included in the cruise fare. After tea we headed back to the cabin for a mandatory rest period. We both took long naps as we woke up about 7:15. We got ready for dinner and headed to The Club for a sushi appetizer. Then to the Colonnade where they had a Thai dinner. Some great starters of grapefruit, orange and luno crab salad, Thai fish cake and then a well seasoned green curry chicken. All so good!! 

After dinner we headed to the Constellation Lounge for their Halloween Spooktacular. They had three different musical acts performing party favorites. Many guests had bright costumes and most of the crew were made up as zombies. It was a very fun party with lots of good music and dancing. 

 After some time, it was back to the cabin. 

Wednesday is another sea day. Butch will be setting up an Aperol Spritz station. The expedition crew will be available for questions and to help spot any wildlife. Yesterday there was a reported whale sighting. We also have a galley tour at 4PM.