We haven’t traveled much in recent times. Our last full week of vacation together was two years ago in France. We have both been looking forward to this trip for months. We traveled to the Riviera Maya nine years ago and staying at an all inclusive on the strip in Cancun. This time we are staying down the coast a little ways near Puerto Morelos, which is about halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The resort is an all inclusive named Azul Sensatori. Our tastes as travelers have matured as we have and we are not sorry to be further away from the spring break atmosphere of Cancun. We exchanged our time share week and scraped up the dough for the all inclusive fee. We rode the airfare rollercoaster most of the summer and finally found a flight a couple of months ago on Continental connecting through Houston that was reasonable.
Saturday morning breaks cold and rainy. Bob and Donna are staying with the kids to make sure everyone gets off to school and work. They drive us down to the airport so we can save the parking expense. This is our first experience flying Continental and we are not disappointed. The departure is smooth and easy. Our connection in Houston goes very smoothly. The airport in Houston seems very empty. We get our immigration and custom forms on the plane to Cancun and are all ready when we touchdown in Mexico.
We get through immigration very quickly and arrive at the luggage carousel only a couple of minutes ahead of our bags. Now comes the gauntlet. The hallway heading out of the airport towards the transportation bays is flanked on both sides by scores of people trying to sell tours. We are roped in by a lady who asks who our transfer is booked with. We tell her Lomas Travel and she shows us a chart and identifies the uniforms we need to look for to make sure we get the right people. She imparts a couple of other useful bits of information, like the current exchange rate, and then goes into her sales pitch. We politely cut her off and inform her we don’t have any plans to leave the resort. She resets her hooks for the next person coming down the hall and we move outside.
In preparation of our trip we almost forgot to book our transfer to the resort. Rhonda had done so just the day before, but failed to get the confirmation e-mail. Thus it is with a little trepidation we approach the Lomas Travel representative. He checks his list and we are not on it. “Uh oh.” we think. He directs us to the Lomas area and runs off to check on things. In a minute or so he is back and has our reservation. We breathe a sigh of relief and wait in the warm weather for the van headed we will ride to the resort. Before too long it arrives and we climb in along with another couple for the twenty minute ride. The drive down the expressway is easy. We get off and go a few miles east toward the shore. There is nothing around except for the resort out on the water. When we pull up to the Azul Sensatori gate a guard checks us in a raises the bar. We have arrived.
We walk in the front door and are greeted with a lovely lobby enveloped in a wonderful aroma. Angel, the bellhop, tagged our bags outside and sent us inside to check in. Since we are traveling on our time share exchange, the reception desk sends us over to the member services area where we will get a personal check-in. Eric, whom Rhonda communicated with prior to the trip, greets us and has us wait a moment on a couch. He comes back with two glasses of a Mexican Brut and sits across the table from us and proceeds to get the paperwork out of the way. Aside from getting us our keys, safe key, and towel cards, he makes us reservations for a tequila tasting, a wine tasting, and dinner at their exclusive restaurant, Le Chique. We agree to attend the Karisma sales pitch on Monday in exchange for a romantic dinner on the beach and additional member discounts. With the formalities out of the way Eric gives our room number to Angel and then escorts us to our room. Along the way he provides an orientation of the resort. He points out the different restaurants, lounges and pools. Once in our room he explains the features. Shortly after Eric leaves Angel arrives with the bags. We have now experienced a little of what will typify the week; excellent, friendly and personal service.
We rehydrate as we unpack as there is plenty of bottled water in the room. Once we are settled we decide to explore the resort and get our bearings. Eric’s orientation was helpful and we have a fair idea of where things are before we start. We take our time looking around. The grounds are lovely and very well kept. Eventually we decide to have dinner at Zocalo, the Mexican restaurant. It has been a long time since breakfast, and lunch wasn’t much more than crackers on the plane. The food is good and not your typical Americanized Mexican fair. After the meal we decide to relax at the Plaza Zocalo. It is an open air lounging area near the restaurant. There is a very large and tall thatched roof over the area which contains swinging chairs, swinging beds, rocking chairs, round beds, and more conventional chairs and tables. There is some yoga type music playing and we settled down on a swinging bed. The temperature, even in the evening, is very mild and comfortable. There is also a constant breeze that has a cooling effect. Between the environment, the food coma and the long day we drift off to sleep.
We are awakened when a small girl cries out. She has spotted a raccoon trying to climb into a nearby garbage can and it has startled her. We watch as the raccoon and its partner in crime manage to navigate the hinged flap and climb into the container. This provides a little amusement, but we are still wiped out from the long day. There is a sing-a-long going on up on the Roof Top Lounge that is rather loud. Since it is close to the Plaza Zocalo, the serene atmosphere that lulled us to sleep is gone. Thus we head back to our room for a proper night’s sleep.
Day 2 – December 4th
We both wake up very early on Sunday. If fact, the sun can’t even be detected. That is what we get for going to bed so early, but we make the best of it. Rhonda puts on some coffee and we head out to the balcony to look at the stars. It is still very windy, and we enjoy the quiet and the sky. As the sun’s glimmer begins to lighten the horizon we resolve to spend the day on the beach. We put on our swimsuits and Packers t-shirts. It is game day after all. We get some games and books together in our beach bag and walk down to the beach. The beach is lined with the conventional lounge chairs, but also has a number of beds. These are king sized with a thatched roof overhead. There are large strips of fabric one three sides of the structure to provide shade and a wind break. We select one about in the middle of the Azul beach near some steps up to the resort and settle in to watch the sunrise.
As the sun begins to top the cloud bank on the horizon we have a proper sunrise. The sky fills with light and not much is heard beyond the wind and the waves. The surf is very rough and is washing up a good deal of seaweed off of the sands flats between the water line and the reef some few hundred yards to the east. A tractor pulling a contraption that scoops up the seaweed and hauls it off comes up the beach. The machine will make several trips up and down the beach during the morning. It is still early yet, but other folks begin to drift down to the beach to claim their beds and other spots for the day. We leave our gear on the bed and walk up to Zavaz, the Caribbean restaurant, which is closest to us. We have nice little breakfast. The yokes of my eggs in my Benedict are extremely dark yellow and rich. There are also some nice tropical fruits available. With the morning repast complete, the beach calls to us. We sit up against the side rails with pillows and towels for support and read and play games. Rhonda declares that she can’t go back without some color, and she moves out into the full sun for a while. We notice four fully equipment and armed soldiers head one way and then the other. We wonder if they are looking for something in particular, or just patrolling. Gilberto is the beach butler and he keeps us well stocked with drinks of various types.
As noon approaches we decide to stretch our legs and walk up the beach to see what we can see in the light of day. During our return trip we pass another couple and the female says to us, “I don’t know you, but I like you.” She is referring to our Packers shirts. We chat for a bit and inquire if they know of a place to watch the game. They are from the neighboring resort to the south and state they believe there is a sports bar there that will be showing all of the games. We thank them for the information and continue on our way. In the early afternoon we share a plate of food from the beach barbeque. The grilled chorizo is particularly good. A few games of Kismet, reading and a nap fill the rest of the early afternoon. About two thirty we decide to give up our beach haven, return our gear to the room and search out the sports bar.
We walk south along to beach until we reach the next resort, Secrets Silver Sands. We wander about asking directions until we find the right place. We know we have arrived when we walk in the room and are greeted by a collective shout from a gathering of Packer fans in the room. The room has large screens spread around the walls and one enormous one on the front wall. The Packer fans are all in the front row and they make space for us. The seating is low and comfy with foot stools. There is a bar on the far side of the room, but it is not open. The Packer game hasn’t started, and Rhonda heads back out to find the nearest open bar. She comes back in the room with a waitress in tow who has a tray full of various beers. Everyone is served just in time for the game to start. No money was asked for, so Silver Sands must be an all inclusive as well and not care about serving non-guests. We have a great time watching the game with the other Packer fans. It seems odd to walk out into the night to find the moonlit ocean afterwards.
We stop for a short nap in the evening breeze at our same beach bed from earlier in the day. Upon awakening we decide to return to the room to try out the hot tub. As the tub begins to fill Rhonda orders up some room service. Once the food arrives we get in the tub and enjoy a late meal. We put some bubble bath in the tub. With the jets the amount of bubbles produced is prodigious. At one point we cannot even see each other. The tub is situated in the room right next to the door to the balcony and below the large picture window. Thus with the door open and the shade up it seems like we are outdoors. Once we are sufficiently pruned we extract ourselves from the warm embrace of the tub. I had ordered a slice of cheesecake with dinner which I left setting next to the hot tub. I now take it up and carry it out to the balcony to enjoy. Mind you, all of this is done in the dark. After a bite or two I notice something on the plate. Taking the plate in the room and turning on the light I can see tiny ants on the plate and cheesecake. Looking around the hot tub I can see the whole colony attacking our leftovers from dinner. I marvel at how quickly they found the vittles and that they are even present here on the fourth floor. We get the leftovers wrapped up on a high table and I mop up the intruders. The battle over we return to the balcony to finish our drinks. The evening is concluded with a viewing of the stars.
Azul Sensatori Observations
During the week we noticed a lot of little items regarding the resort. I thought I would collect those here is one spot rather that scattering them throughout and possibly repeat myself. First let’s talk about the layout of the resort. As we found out, Azul Sensatori was the first resort by Karisma to allow families. The resort was comprised of five main buildings laid out like a capital letter “E” with the gaps facing the sea. The buildings with families are separated from the building with only couples. The adults only and members only pools were located in one half of the “E”, and the family pools in the other. This made it easy to get away from the noise of kids if you chose.
Secondly, we need to mention the staff. They were all very friendly. Everyone would greet you with a smile and a “Hola” or “Buenos Dias” as you passed them by. The staff was also very good at remembering names. After interacting with Ricardo once, he remembered my name the rest of the week. The staff also went out of their way to get you what you wanted. For example, we were at the Wave Lounge playing cards and Rhonda wanted a Captain Morgan and Coke. Antonio said they didn’t have any of that kind of rum at that bar right now, but if she gave him a few minutes he would go get some from the neighboring bar. While Rhonda and I did our best to always use some Spanish with the staff, all were very versed in English and communication was rarely a problem.
The room was well maintained and stocked throughout the week. The room had eight different bottles of water in strategic locations. In the refrigerator, by the coffee maker, at the bedside, and by the bathroom sink. These were restocked every day so you never wanted for bottled water. One morning Rhonda and I observed two housekeepers picking flowers on the grounds. Later in the week we had some blossoms left for us in our room. The employee entrance was behind our building, so we could see the workers coming and going. Most were bused in. There were huge banners with pictures of the hair style and shoes standards hung above the entrance. Banners proclaiming the resort’s shared principals like “teamwork” and “passion” were also hung near the employee entrance.
The resort was kept in spotless condition. The beach was kept free of seaweed and raked around the beds, lounges, and tables. Fallen leave and flower petals were swept off the walks. We saw an employee mopping the outdoor cement walk by the Plaza Zocalo. Sand was kept off the walkways near the beach. Used dishes and drinking vessels were picked up by the next person to walk by. Lastly, the resort never seems crowded. In fact, often times it feels rather empty. While I think they were probably not full, I think the spaciousness of the place helped with that feeling.
Day 3 – December 5th
Monday morning we awake at a more normal time, but still early. As we dress Rhonda notices some small bites on my left leg. They look like mosquito bites, but do not itch. Upon further inspection I find a bevy of them about my body. I find twelve bites on the right leg, twenty-seven on my left leg, and twenty-eight on my left elbow. We make a note to ask and proceed towards breakfast. This morning we eat at Spoons, the largest and least specialized restaurant on the resort. I steer clear of the normal fair and select those items from the copious buffets that look somewhat foreign. I want to try new things, after all. I am not disappointed in my selections, and there is still more to try. That will have to wait for another day.
The rest of the morning will be spent in playing scrabble in some chairs near the Wave Lounge and adult pool. The table we select is next to the palms, and we hear the “What?!” birds doing their thing. We would learn the proper name of the birds later in the week, sanate. Apparently they hold a status in Mexico similar to the startling of the Midwest, or the pigeon of the city. Essentially they are very numerous and an annoyance. Their shrill cry reminds us of Bill Engvall exclaiming “What?!” during one of his comedy routines. It is loud and ascends in a high pitched crescendo. The weather is beautiful, if a little windy. Once the Wave Lounge opens we move our games under their shade providing roof. The bar has a swim up side facing the adult pool, and is open air. Antonio is the waiter and takes good care of us. We knock off a few more games of Kismet before our appointment with the Karisma sales staff at noon.
Rhonda and I have attended a couple of time share sales pitches in the past in exchange for goods or services. The last time we were in Mexico a sales pitch provided our deep sea fishing adventure. This time it will provide a romantic dinner on the beach, phone calls to the states, and discounts on room charges. We figure we can afford ninety minutes for that. While waiting in the first reception area where Margarita verifies our information, we ask her about the bites on my body. After consulting her co-worker for the right word we are informed they are probably sand flea bites. When our pitchman, Jorge, returns he confirms Margarita’s diagnosis. He says they are prevalent in the rainy season. Given our ten hours on the beach yesterday, that makes sense. Our fears about the sales pitch are not founded. The presentation takes only a few minutes more than promised, and it is not high pressure. A majority of the time is spent with Jorge showing us the different member rooms in the members’ only building. When we are presented the final numbers we actual wish we were able take them up on their offer to buy our timeshare and become Karisma vacation club members. It is that good of a deal. We do decline, and they don’t pressure us. We say our goodbyes and schedule our dinner for Thursday night.
We head back to the Plaza Zocalo and camp out on one of the non-swinging beds. We read and play some games. Partway through the afternoon Ricardo, one of the entertainment staff, sets up an easel in the center of the Plaza. He then announces to everyone in the plaza that it is time for our Mexican history lesson. He presents the information in a fun way and we learn a few things. A little while later more folks begin to gather and we notice the staff setting up afternoon tea. After Rhonda finishes her book we nap for a bit. Rhonda wakes up cool so we head back to the room so she can switch to capris.
We head down to the Wave Lounge, it is becoming our hangout of preference. As we step down into the seating area we notice a poker table setup near the bar itself. Another of the resort entertainment staff, Ciara, is seated there along with another couple. They ask if we want to join the game. Only the male of the other couple is playing and we agree to join in. The game is Texas Hold ‘Em, of course. The three of us buy our chips for ten dollars each and play until there is one person left. That person gets the pot. The couple is Jody and Kristina from Nottingham, England. We get a couple of games in before Ciara has to go. She tells us she can leave the table and will come back after the evening show to collect it. Kristina becomes the dealer and we continue to play. As the evening wanes we are first joined by Mustafa from Canada, who likes to be called Mo. Mo is a little more of a serious player, but things are still lively and fun. As more people show up we try to convince them to join the game. Jeff from Alberta joins in the next game. We now number five players. The game starts to get more serious as more players who probably watch a lot of World Series of Poker join in. These are Jeff’s friends from Alberta. Rhonda decides to bow out and help Kristina, who is still dealing, by shuffling the alternate deck between hands. Jeff and his friends are all at the resort for a wedding this coming Friday. We will see them frequently through the rest of the week. Most are rather toasty from a good evening of drinking. Ciara finally returns near midnight and declares she has to take the table, cards and other paraphernalia away. We don’t stay long after she does. Jody is quite done in and the crew from Alberta is getting a little rambunctious. Rhonda and I retreat to our room to finish the day more quietly.
Day 4 – December 6th
Tuesday dawns beautifully. The wind has abated and we consider the options for snorkeling. We turn on the TV long enough to get the weather forecast. There is rain predicted for the later half of the week, but we will ask anyway. We get the snorkel excursion scheduled for Wednesday so if the weather turns bad we have time to reschedule. We walk the grounds of the resort so I can take plenty of photographs. We spend a fair amount of time in the Wave Lounge writing up notes so I can write this blog when we get home. Part of the Alberta crew from the poker game last night are in lounge having drinks. We get to meet the female half of the group. Rhonda and I play some Kismet and another game of scrabble.
After we get done gaming we are still sitting in the lounge and just people watching when Ricardo comes in. He is hosting a “Name That Tune” type game. Instead of a buzzer, you have to yell out “Excelente!” when you have the answer. Rhonda is running next and neck with another fellow in the bar when the five note sequence from Close Encounters of the Third Kind is played. Rhonda yells out “Excelente!” and gives the answer. Ricardo says that her answer is wrong. The other fellow answers 2001: A Space Odyssey and gets the point. Afterwards we talk to Ricardo and he says he just got the answers from Ciara. We are not bent out of shape in anyway, but we just want to make sure Ciara gets her information right. Ricardo says he’ll make it up to us, and we tell him not to worry about it. We spend the rest of the afternoon in the Plaza Zocalo reading.
We head up in the lobby late in the afternoon to attend the tequila tasting. The tasting is being held in the neighboring Karisma resort, Azul Beach. There are two other couples going from our resort and we all pile into the van for the five minute trip. On the drive over we get to talking with Sheila and Marsha, cousins from New York. Once at the tasting we join them at a table in the front. We talk on while we wait for some folks from Azul Beach to show up. Once every one is present the tasting begins with a video explaining the process of producing tequila. During the video the efforts of a fellow named Ricardo Cisneros to raise the quality tequila awareness are highlighted. I only mention this because it is he who is on hand and will teach us how to drink tequila properly. As we learn, good tequila is meant to be sipped, like good rum or whiskey. The stereotype of shooting it with lime and salt is part of what the reeducation he is dedicated to is trying to stamp out. The whole experience is very enjoyable and lo and behold, Rhonda actually enjoys the spirit. Of course, Ricardo has allowed us to sample some of the better tequilas. We are armed with knowledge and a taste for the good stuff. It has been a profitable and well spent hour.
Once we get back to our resort we make a bee-line for the Mojito Bar. I ask for their best reposado. As we had just learned, reposado is a variety of tequila that is has been aged between two months and a year and has a light golden hue to it. They give us both a Mexican sized shot glass full of the golden liquor. We relax and sip a very good tequila while playing a little cribbage. After all of the tequila we decide we had best get some dinner. The restaurant Tapaz is in the main building right across from Mojitos. It was our loose plan to dine there this evening so we walk over. Our day attire is not up to the restaurant dress code, so after only a little debate we head back to the room to change. It was a good decision. Tapaz has a fixed menu of six different small plates. Tuesday night is Asian night, so we order up a bottle of Mexican Viognier and sit back to enjoy. When the first plate comes out we ask for chopsticks. This is apparently an unusual request, and it takes a little while for our waiter to find them. They do arrive and we tuck in. The food is very good except for the beef and pork bites, which are somewhat dry. During the meal a regular storm blows through the area. The rain pounds against the windows and we hear it blowing hard outside. The dinner ends with coffee and some chocolate bites. It has been a very good meal and sized just right. We end the day with a return to the hot tub for some more relaxation and bubbles.
Day 5 – December 7th
It is a rather overcast and rainy Wednesday morning. The wind is calmer, but the clouds persist and rain is coming in scattered showers. We have booked our snorkeling trip for today and will have to check in to make sure it is still happening. The rain seems to have moved off after breakfast and we gather our books and games and head to a bed by the adult pool. We are not there long when the heavens open up with a regular downpour. In a desire to keep our books and games dry, we retreat to our room. Rhonda naps while I finish my book.
We pack a bag for the snorkeling trip to have it ready for later. We amble down to the Wave Lounge to play some cards and try their tequila. They have an even better reposado. We have a nice conversation with Marty and Rose who are an older couple from Saskatchewan also down for the wedding. We make a date for the next day to play cribbage together. I take the games back upstairs and grab our beach bag.
They sky has cleared to a partly cloudy state when we arrive at the meeting point for our snorkeling trip. We are going out with another group of five. They are a family of four and an uncle. The children are a young boy and girl and Rhonda and I wonder if they will hold up through the whole affair. We are led down to the beach at the north end of the resort. When we get down to the shore we can see the sea is lapping the sands like a calm lake. The conditions will be perfect for snorkeling. A small boat that would hold about eight to ten people pulls up to shore and we clamber aboard. We head to the north for a few minutes following the shore. Then about in front of Azul Beach the guide, Roberto, passes out the life vests. He then turns the boats out to sea to approach the reef. A few hundred yards out he ties the boat up to a buoy. Rhonda gets in the water first, which is a very comfortable temperature. I get in after her and Roberto directs us to head towards another float about thirty yards away. He says to wait there while he gets the family together and brings them along.
The water is about six feet deep where we start. The bottom is sandy and covered with the seaweed we saw getting washed up in the rough surf. As we head out to sea the water deepens to about nine feet or more and coral outcroppings begin to appear. While the coral itself is not remarkable, the sea life is. The fish are extremely numerous. Throughout out our fifty minute swim we see a variety of colorful fish. There are many schools of fifty or more fish bobbing in the surf just to the far side of the coral outcroppings. Roberto spots a barracuda and points it out to us. We see two other before we are done. The small kids give up early and the mother stays on the boat with them. Roberto leads us in a large loop around a very large cluster of corals that are teeming with fish. We stay face down in the water the whole time until Roberto guides us back. It has been one of the better snorkeling trips we have made.
Once back at the resort we pick up a drink at the beach bars to wash the salt out of our mouths. We head to the room to get cleaned up for a wine tasting and dinner. We find housekeeping in the room and ask her to come back in an hour so we can get showered and dressed. Time is not a problem and we make it to Mojitos for the wine tasting in time. We set next to Sheila and Marsha from the tequila tasting the day before. The tasting is being run by Oscar Cota, the resort sommelier. We learn a great deal about the wines of Mexico and are somewhat impressed with what they produce. One of the facts we learn is that the Mexican wine industry is extremely small and only produces enough wine to supply the restaurant business. Very little is sold retail. After the tasting we sit and talk with Sheila and Marsha for a long time. Finally we part ways and Rhonda and I head to Siena for dinner.
Siena is the Italian restaurant in the resort. The restaurant is not very full, but there are some noisy kids amongst the patrons. Fortunately the parents get them under control or remove them before we are too far into the meal. With our new found confidence in Mexican wines and Oscar’s extra discount I order up a Mexican Tempranillo to go with our food. The wine is fantastic. The best Tempranillo I have tasted. We share an appetizer and then have our main courses. They are moderate in size, which is good. Rhonda has a very thin and crispy pizza. She doesn’t want to finish the pizza, choosing instead to finish the wine. Figuring it would make a good midnight snack she asks about taking it back to the room. We then learn that there is a rule that doesn’t allow food to be carried out of the restaurant. This seems somewhat odd to us given that room service is available. We sip the rest of our wine in peace, which makes for a wonderful desert.
All the wine and the food has made us sleepy so we wander over to the Plaza Zocalo for an evening nap. As we approach we see that the walkway that passes through the plaza is lined with a dozen or more vendors. They are selling wares off of tables. It looks like what you would see in the market in downtown Cancun or Playa del Carmen. I imagine it is a nod to those folks that want to visit the market but don’t want to leave the resort. Nothing they have is of interest to us, so we lay down for a short nap on one of the beds.
Upon waking we proceed to Wave to see what is happening. The Alberta crowd is there and being very rowdy. We stay for a drink, but decide to beat a retreat for calmer seas. We head up to the Roof Garden Lounge for drink and listen to some music. There is a wedding party there and Singing Time is just still going on. Singing Time is essentially karaoke with a live band. We see a few numbers, none of which impress. The band then starts playing on their own without the benefit of resort guest vocalists. They are quite good, and the guitarist does a particularly good job with a Santana number. Once the band wraps up it is late and we decide to return to the room and call it a day.
Day 6 – December 8th
Thursday dawns with a threat of rain, but it never materializes. The day will eventually clear to a partly cloudy sky as it has done every day. We have nothing planned for the morning other than Rhonda’s desire to get some more sun. Wanting to avoid the sand fleas we claim a bed by the adult pool before breakfast. After the morning repast we settle in. We spend the morning sunning, reading and playing games.
When Wave opens up Salvador comes around to get our drink orders. It is Antonio’s day off. Salvador says he want to know the name of everyone that that he is serving. Not knowing that he means last name so he can address us as Mr. or Mrs. Malake, Rhonda just says “Rhonda”. When he comes back with the drinks he calls Rhonda “Mrs. Rhonda”. We all have a chuckle and get Salvador straightened out. Even though I am full from breakfast and don’t’ ask for anything, Salvador brings me something anyway to help my digestion. Round about one in the afternoon we decide give up our bed and to head to the beach to paint.
Down on the beach near the activities hut is an area for painting ceramics. There is a table full of unpainted pieces and another next to it with paints and brushes. Since we collect masks, Rhonda thought we could paint one up. There is a nice mask with a butterfly motif that would lend itself to being painted. We saw a finished one on the table the day before and it looked great. We pay for the mask and I sit to paint. The fellow we pay is named Domingo. He is working on pieces that guests have already painted. The guest, me in the case, will paint the basic colors in the locations I want them. Domingo then outlines the colors in black to separate them, then adds details and trim in white. The work he does is very talented and he really makes all of the finished pieces look fantastic. Rhonda picks out some fall colors and I go to work. We are joined at the table by an older couple painting for their grandchildren, a mother and daughter each painting their own pieces, and a few others we didn’t talk to. Domingo is engaging and it is from him that we learn the name of the birds we have been making fun of all week, the sanate. At first it sounds like he says “sonata”, but I have him spell the name for me so I get it right. Domingo tells us we can take all of the sanate home that we want. While I paint Rhonda talks to the other guests and Domingo. We take a break part way through to walk down the beach a few dozen yards to get a little barbeque for lunch.
The barbeque has a small eating area between it and the water on the beach. The space is a collection of a couple of dozen picnic tables nestled below some palm trees. There is netting hung from the trees to enclose the entire eating area. This is to keep the sanate from becoming troublesome and overrunning the area. They are scavengers, after all. After a light lunch we head back to the ceramics area to finish painting the mask. I put several coats of each color on to make sure the finished effect will be vibrant and smooth. I finish up close to Domingo’s closing time at four pm. He says he will do the trim tonight and have the glazed and fired mask for us tomorrow.
Rhonda and I have an appointment with Marty and Rose to play cribbage. Rhonda heads to the Wave bar to meet them while I go up to the room to get the board and cards. When I arrive they are not there. We play a couple of games by ourselves when Rose stops in. She says that Marty went out fishing with some of the wedding party and he went down for a nap when they got back. We told her we completely understood and make another appointment for Friday morning before they would have to get ready for the wedding. While we played Rhonda noticed a fellow at the bar observing our game. She asks if he would like to join us and he agrees. His name is Collin, and his wife is Isabelle. She doesn’t know how to play, but joins us at the table. We fetch a toothpick from the bar to break and use as another set of pegs for the third player. Collin and Isabelle are from England and we have a good time playing cards and chatting with them. About seven o’clock we excuse ourselves so we can get dressed for dinner.
Tonight is our romantic dinner. We get showered and dressed up and I actually put on pants and shoes. Rhonda has a nice dress on and dons shoes as well. This is remarkable since we have been barefoot or in sandals all week. We stroll down to Zavaz, the Caribbean restaurant, to check in with the hostess. She gets us a couple of glasses of Brut and we sit and wait to be escorted to the beach. The waiting area is in the center of the restaurant underneath these very clever and pretty shell lights. There are large conch and whelk shells hanging from strings of lights with a bulb placed inside of each. The shells glow and the effect it quite magical. After about five minutes a fellow comes to escort us to our table. We walk down to the south end of the beach. At the bottom of the steps our host asks if we want to exchange our shoes for slippers for walking in the sand. This is a nice touch, but we decline.
There are luminarias lighting the path and several tables spread out on the beach under individual thatched roofs. Each table has fabric walls on two sides of the thatch structure to provide a little privacy. Our table is fifteen to twenty feet from the water. The moon is near full and reflecting magnificently off of the gentle waves that lap the sand with a soft, hypnotic rhythm. There is a candle on the table and small lights strung up in the thatch. The setting is perfect. Our waiter comes down to confirm our selections and to get our drink order. We decide to continue with the champagne. There is some soft music playing and while we wait for the first course to arrive we step out onto the sand under the stars and slow dance. The meal proceeds at a leisurely pace. While the food isn’t as spectacular as the setting, the atmosphere more than makes up for it. For both of us, this dinner next to the waves and under the moon will be one of our fondest memories of a memorable week.
Eventually we have to leave. We pass some time at the Roof Top Lounge. They are hosting a tequila tasting and we stay to try what they have. It is Mexican night in the Roof Top Lounge and some Mexican folk musicians and dancers come on stage to perform. We eventually move to our favorite watering hole, the Wave Bar. We meet Justin there, who is one of the Alberta crew. We talk for a long time while enjoying almond tequila. This is Rhonda’s new favorite sipping drink for the week. It resembles good tequila infused with Amaretto. It goes down very easily and will sneak up on you since it is tequila. Eventually we call it a night and adjourn to the room.
Day 7 – December 9th
We were up rather late the night before and actually sleep until almost eight o’clock. The morning is cloudy but not too windy. We breakfast outdoors on the terrace at Zavaz. During breakfast a gentle rain falls. We think of the wedding our new friends from Canada are attending today and hope the sky clears for them by the afternoon. It has the last two days, so we have no real fears. During breakfast a sanate raids another table on the terrace after the couple eating there leaves and before the wait staff can clear it. When the bird is chased to the nearby palm tree by Rhonda’s clap we actually see it make its “What?!” call. It points its beak straight to the sky, puffs up immensely like it is taking a deep breath, then lets out a loud “What?!” It is quite the windup and probably why you don’t hear the call all the time. Chirping seems like it would be much easier.
After breakfast we walk down to the beach to pick up our mask. It has turned out very well. Domingo has done an excellent job with the outlining and highlighting. We need to get up to the Wave Bar to meet Marty and Rose. They are waiting for us when we get there. We get some drinks and set down to play. Four-player cribbage has a different feel to it when compared to the two, or even three-player varieties. We play the women against the men and find that both Marty and Rose are capable players. Something unusual happens during our games. The gentlemen skunk the ladies twice in a row. One skunk is rare, but back to back even more so. To add to the string the women skunk the men in the next game, making it three skunks in a row. After a couple of hours Marty and Rose need to head back to their room to get ready for the wedding, which is happening today. We say our farewells and part ways.
The sky is still mostly overcast and the breeze feels cool, but we decide to take a walk up the beach anyway. After dropping our mask and the game in our room we strike out north. The sea is fairly calm and few folks are out. Immediately to the north is what looks like a new resort under construction. That is followed by a large empty lot. The beach and water along the empty area are very full of seaweed, so that may be why no one has elected to build there. The next place we run into is a resort named Desire. This is a “clothing optional” resort for adults only. We see a few folks out, but everyone save one person is covered up, just like the sun. The next resort is Azul Beach, where we had our tequila tasting a few days ago. We decide to explore the sister Azul property and see what it is like.
This is a family oriented resort. The beach is nicer, but that is about the only thing we like better. There are more, smaller buildings that are set close together. The whole resort feels more cramped and warren like. There seems to be no good sight lines to the sea except out by the beach. The resort feels crowded as well because the people are pressed in on one another. We are very glad we are staying at Azul Sensatori instead of this location. We get a couple of drinks and sit for a bit while the sun breaks out from behind the clouds. We go down to the beach the try the water. This attempt is quickly aborted as the water does not feel as comfortable as it did during our snorkeling adventure. Instead we dry off and start the walk back down to our resort. Now that the sun is out the folks have come out of the shells and clothing at Desire. One lady has such defined tan lines that it looks like she is wearing a white bikini. It looks rather odd.
When back at our resort we stop at the beach barbeque. I have to get some more of the grilled chorizo, which is wonderful. As we sit and take our small repast we see the wedding party beginning to gather nearby. Their service is going to be held on the beach, and there are sixty or so people in attendance. Before the ceremony gets started in earnest we head back up to Wave. There is a poker game at three being held there and we want to play. Aldo is dealing the game today instead of Ciara. There is a decent sized group and we see Collin and Isabelle from the day before. Once again, he is playing and she is not. The first game winds on for quite a while and gets down to Collin and another lady. She eventually wins. The second game runs fairly long as well and gets down to one other fellow and myself. Since is it getting close to time to get cleaned up and dressed for our dinner I go all-in. My opponent gets a lucky pull and he wins.
Dinner tonight is at Le Chique. It is an adults’ only restaurant that has nothing but good reviews. The menu is fixed and the meals long. That is about all we know about the place. The restaurant is situated between our building and the members’ building. It is round inside and decorated in reds, whites and blacks. There are curtains hung to separate the tables into concentric rings. When being escorted to our table we are first taken into the kitchen. Much of the staff is in culinary school and they are here to learn from the big wig chefs running the kitchen. Our table is on the outside next to one of the windows. While in the kitchen we are given a foamy cucumber martini. We will find out that foam is very big here. Once at our table Miguel introduces himself as our waiter. The meal is going to be comprised of twelve different small plates. We decide to go with the sommelier selection of six different paired wines. Miguel says he will bring the wines in their appropriate spots. Once the wines are selected, the meal begins in earnest.
This dinner at Le Chique has to be the most interestingly presented meal I have had to date. I refer to it as culinary artistry. Everything is presented in unusual and sometimes beautiful ways. A little over halfway through we ask Miguel to give us a little break. While each plate only contains a few bites, they do add up. By the end of the meal we have been through a lot of wine and a lot of different food. Instead of describing each plate in detail, allow me now to highlight a few of the more interesting plates. The sushi plate came with a couple of wavy rice crisps that had various colored dots placed on them. On the plate was also a bowl of bubbles. You dip the crisp in the bubbles and take a bite. It tastes like a spicy tuna roll you would get in a sushi restaurant. A lamb a chipotle dish was served under a dome filled with smoke. One of the desert plates looked like a Scotch-Brite pad setting on the plate next to a champagne glass with soap bubbles everywhere. This was the “Doing the dishes” plate. The scrubby pad was pineapple and lime for the yellow and green, and the white foam was coconut.
After dinner we want one last good tequila and go to Mojito to get it. The Roof Top Lounge, which is attached to Mojito, is hosting the “Dreams” show. It is the resort’s Cirque du Soleil type event. We sit and watch the end of it while sipping our tequila. Afterwards a live band comes and the wedding party gets revved up. Rhonda and I are sitting up front and the dancing starts to take place right in front of us. A slow song comes on, Unchained Melody, and we get up and dance to it. Marty and Rose find us on the dance floor we chat for just a bit. After the slow dance I retake my seat and Rhonda heads in to get an almond tequila. As the music speeds up the wedding party plus a lot of other folks get going and I decide to retreat from the front row to a safer spot. When Rhonda comes out with the drinks I have us lounging on the sidelines where we can people watch. After a while we decide to head back to the room and finish the week a little more quietly.
We create another mountain of bubbles in the hot tub back in the room. We are sipping a couple of tequilas we took to go and relaxing. We take a break from the tub to watch the stars and cool off on the balcony. As we go between the tub and the balcony we reflect on the week we have had. Everything has been nearly perfect. This has been one of the most relaxing weeks we have ever spent. At last we give in to our fatigue and head to bed.
Day 8 – December 10th
Saturday will be a travel day. Our flight is leaving mid-day, se we have time for leisurely breakfast and about an hour of lounging. The ride to the airport is uneventful. The line at the Continental desk is enormous. We begin to wonder if we will make it on time, but things move along briskly. Once we get our bags checked we head for security the line is more modest and we get through fairly quickly. Much like the gift shops you find at ride exits in theme parks, the Cancun airport has a monstrous duty free shop that you have to walk through after security in order to get to your gate. Rhonda and I taste a few tequilas they are offering and decide on a nice reposado to take home with us.
Even though we are leaving Mexico, our minds will stay in Azul Sensatori. Our fond memories of this fantastic trip will keep us warm all through the Midwest winter.
