Spain and Mexico 2021-22

Our First Stop - Pedregalejo (Malaga, Spain)

After flying from LA to Amsterdam, we disembarked and found our way to the gate of our next flight - to Malaga. The plan was to meet Meredith and Freya at the gate and fly to Malaga together. They were running late due to very long lines at the KLM counters.

But in the nick of time, we spotted Freya zooming around the corner.

We spent the first several nights in a smaller condo in a suburb of Malaga called Pedregalejo. We saw some very beautiful sunsets.

This was a dramatic start to the day with this beautiful sunrise.  

Meredith did a lot of cooking (vegan) - it all tasted wonderfully.

On one of the days, Meredith suggested we go for a morning hike up the hillside. Hard work but very good views.

After our stay in Pedregalejo, we got a taxi ride to Nerja, where we had stayed in 2019. We had booked the same Airbnb condo. Elliot and Isla were on their way from Amsterdam and would join us here for the rest of stay in Spain. 

We played lots of games with Isla and Freya, read stories, did crafts and went to the beach.

Lunch at a local fish restaurant.

Isla tried out a boogie board. At first a little leery of it, she quickly realized how much fun it was. Then it was hard to get her to go home!

 

Then it came time for New Year's. Meredith and Elliot went out and bought new year's trinkets and came up with several appropriate activities for the festive night. We all had a great time but none of us made it to the bewitching hour of seeing the Times Square ball drop. 

Freya and Isla buried in sand. 

After two weeks it was time for Diane and George to go home - well, sort of...Cancun.

We first flew to LAX, spent the night at an airport hotel, and in morning flew to Cancun to spend a little time in the warm Yucatan weather.  By the afternoon, we were sitting on our balcony, looking out at the ocean.

We met up with our Alabama friends, Cherie and Terry, and had several breakfasts and dinners with them. They are part of that rare Alabama breed of southern Democrats. We had lots of fun and enlightening conversations. Hopefully, we'll see them at the resort again next year should the stars align properly.

Diane and George celebrating their 45th anniversary at Da Vinci's restaurant.

After a week at the Omni, we were planning on flying home Saturday evening. But fate had different plans for us - Diane tested positive for COVID. We had to divert to Plan B. Since we couldn't fly home, we rented a car and drove to Puerto Morelos, a small fishing village just south of Cancun.

In Puerto Morelos we found a quiet and verdant guesthouse (Layla's) across from the beach in a quiet area of town. After a week in Cancun, it was a lovely change of pace and setting. Layla's is an eco-friendly place and has a very good vegan/vegetarian restaurant where we ate both evenings.

On one of the nights we had dinner with Claudia, a very nice staff member from the Omni who we've gotten to know over the years. She and her partner, Nino, live in P.M. 

We woke up early on the third morning and decided to get tested again. Diane felt fine and so did George. We walked over to a testing site and paid our $50 (for two tests). After ten minutes the results came back. NEGATIVO! Yeah! 

We hurried back to our room to see if we could change our flight reservations to fly that evening - we got lucky; there were a few seats left. We changed our car rental and by midnight of that same day we were back in Shell Beach. 

Yucatán - 2020

Cancun

On our annual trek of the Yucatán, we usually stay one week at the Omni Resort in Cancun and another week exploring a new area of the Yucatán. Keeping to our tradition, this year we first visited the Omni and afterwards spent nearly a week in the south, near the Belize border.

Waking up in the morning to sunrise is always special at the Omni. 

Although the resort has several restaurants that offer breakfast, we favored the beachside cafe. 

Part our the day is spent under a palapa reading and enjoying the warm Caribbean water. 

Going back to the same resort year after year has its advantages - we were pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of bubbly and sweet treats in the room on one of the afternoons.  



On one of the evenings, they hosted a special and elaborate dinner on the beach. 

Staying in shape at the resort is easy - if you come early in the morning, you have a pool like the one above, all to yourself to lap swim. They also have a gym that we utilize in the afternoons.



One of the locals enjoying a morning on the beach. 



After a week of being pampered, were ready to begin exploring the southern part of Quintana Roo. We rented a car and drove south to Mahahual, a trip of about 4 1/2 hours.  



Mahahual is a sleepy town along a stretch of beach. We stayed at a small hotel, the Balamku Inn, outside of town, on a bumpy, dirt road. By happenstance, the inn was managed by a friendly Dutch lady.



The main drag of Mahahual consists of small shops and hotels, while the beach side mostly has restaurants and bars.



We had great chicken tacos and ceviche (raw fish, octopus cured in citrus juices and spices) at one of the beachfront restaurants. With an ice cold Bohemia beer, there's little that can beat it.  



Above is the dirt road in front of the Balamku Inn. 



Although the Balamku Inn offered a delicious breakfast, they served no other meals. Fortunately, our Dutch hostess directed us to a restaurant nearby, the Travel In', run by her husband. Good food and reasonably priced wine.



After several days in Mahahual, we drove westward to Bacalar, a small town along Bacalar Lake. The narrow but long lake is a bright blue and turquoise color. 



I got up one morning before breakfast and was treated to an impressive sunrise.



Lengthy docks are needed at the lake due to its shallowness.






Although we had a traditional Mexican lunch at a mom & pop restaurant, we opted for a place nearby our hotel called Rapsodians for dinner. It's a vegan restaurant that offers very tasty meals. 



We decided to spend the last night of our trip a little closer to the airport in the coastal town of Playa del Carmen. But along the way there, we stopped in Tulum. The main part of town is right along the highway, but most hotels and restaurants are by the beach, along a tree-lined street.   




Our balcony had a peek of the ocean, but you had to look hard. We had breakfast on the balcony, then packed our bags and returned the car at the airport. Another adventure in the Yucatán had concluded.

2018 - Last Trips of the Year

Amsterdam 

In late November, we made a quick trip to Amsterdam, hoping not to encounter the approaching winter weather. As it turned out, we had relatively good weather for the two weeks we were there.

For the most part, we hung out with Meredith and Elliot, and helped out with Isla and Freya. Even though it hadn't been long since we last saw them, lots of growth and changes were evident, particularly with Freya.

Freya is six months old. She's quick to smile and very inquisitive.

Isla loves to help out in the kitchen. She cuts up vegetables and above is helping mom with a cake.

Isla loves to draw and is learning to write. You can speak to her in Dutch or English - she speaks both.

Mexico

After being in Amsterdam for a little over two weeks, we flew back to Los Angeles, stayed overnight near LAX, and the following day flew to Cancun. From the cool weather of Amsterdam to 80 degree weather was a welcome change.

We come to the Yucatan nearly every year. The first week we stay at the Omni and manage to do very little, while the other week we use to explore this beautiful and wild peninsula.

View from our balcony.

The sunrise brings early morning spectators to the beachfront. 

After our week at the Omni, we were ready to make a move. We had heard from other folks about an interesting island with lots of nature with a laid-back lifestyle. We needed to investigate. 

We took the city bus from the Omni into Cancun's bus depot, known as the ADO. From there, we bought tickets on a long range bus and headed to Chiquila, a drive of about three hours. From Chiquila it was a twenty minute ferry ride to reach Isla Holbox.  

The small town in Holbox looks very Caribbean. 

Brightly painted storefronts and no paved streets. Only delivery cars, golf carts and bikes are allowed on the streets. 

The water was warm and shallow. 

Evening sunsets brought the crowds from nearby hotels.

One of the two main thoroughfares in town.

We had hoped for some really special tacos at this small stand but we were disappointed. Very mediocre.

The town has a number of whimsical and colorful murals done by various artists.

Although there are a number of restaurants and bars, you don't come here for the nightlife.

A children's Christmas program at the town's amphitheater was cute and entertaining.

After our stay at Isla Holbox, we took the ferry back to Chiquila. This time, instead of taking the bus, we found a shuttle service that turned out to be quicker and cheaper. 

Once in Cancun, we headed to our jungle hideaway hotel (in the middle of Cancun) where we've stayed a number of times. It's relaxing and close to the bus station where we needed to be in the morning to go to the airport. It was time to say "Adios" to Cancun.