I had a great time. The following is a summary of what the 2 of us did over those 10 days. Thanks to V for putting this down on paper -- He was writing some of his friends in an email message. My additions are in
purple. By the way - my first name is Joel -- Here goes ...
Oh, I didn't update you all hum?!
OK, since I have 15 mins. to lab work, I guess I will try and run my typing speed. Forgive me for misspelled words.
Thursday: Joel got in, followed by a whirlwind of showers and dinner before hopping into bed - [It was late before I finally got to sleep -- ].
Friday: We biked into town so Joel can get a hair cut, then went to the student union. But, then he forgot to lock his car, so we had to head back out to the house (45 min biking) and so we stayed around the house, not doing much. Going shopping in the mall, and such. Just taking it easy. We went to a movie... I forget which. Then also headed down to the student union.
Saturday: We got up early and biked downtown to the farmers market to get some cinnamon rolls and fresh strawberries. Then at around
noon we biked out to Warner park to volunteer to serve food at one of the food tents (the event was "Rhythm and Booms" which is fireworks
for all at a 'pre July 4' date). Nothing much till around 5... then the mobs started swarming. Time passed quickly amidst a flurry of brats, hotdogs, hamburgers, and steak sandwiches. At 9 we quit and waited for the fireworks to start. We got to sit in the 'sponsors section' which was about 500 ft from where the fireworks shoot off. After a 20 person wait line for the porta-potty, the fireworks started. GREAT show, complete with ash in the eyes and all. We got
home at around 11:30 or so.
[One of the best fireworks displays I have ever seen -- over 12,000 aerial shots and nearly 200,000 people in the park -- big time for a Wyoming boy]
Sunday: There was a 'brunch' that we went to at one of my friend's
house. Quickly, we took off at 1:30pm to head down to Chicago. Dropped the car off at my brother's then off to the Drake to check in and change. Rushed to Navy Pier just in time for a dinner boat cruise. The sunset was a beautiful scarlet to the dark skyline of the Chicago high-rises. Even though the weather was quite cool, we managed to head outside on to the deck to look at the sunset a few
times. Too soon, the cruise was over and the 'last dance' song came on. It was 'From this moment on' (I think was the title). Seeing the yearning in Joel's eyes, I dragged him out to the dance floor and we danced... :) For the middle 1/3 of the song, I did open my eyes and saw this Latino couple staring at us and whispering, but it only made me smile. I think Joel saw another couple staring at us (and missing a beat too) at the start of the dance, but then I think he ignored them too. After the dance we tried to leave the boat, but Joel bumped into a tray full of glasses on the way out. I think I heard something shattered. So much for a graceful and dignified
exit. :) Too bad though, they started playing the Titanic song as we were leaving. I guess their statement of 'last song' was a hoax.
[I'm so thankful for the dance that night -- it was strange and I did not make a graceful exit (hehe), but something I will always remember. You are so BRAVE V. The cruise/dinner/dance were so romantic. And, the sunset topped it all off.]
Anyway, a mad dash to the Ferris wheel to give us both a few minutes in the freezing wind to calm down after the excitement. Then we walked back to John Handcock tower (right next to the Drake) for a 95th floor cocktail drink. Then we headed back to the hotel.
Monday: We walked along the "Magnificent Mile" down south. Took him to the Chicago River, Tribune Tower, Chicago Sun-Times, etc... Then off to Grant Park, where "Taste of Chicago" was going on (food was horrible). A brief detour to the Chicago Institute of Art (didn't go in, hoping to come back on Tuesday when it's free) then off to the Field Museum... Saw Sue (most complete T-Rex fossil) and Egyptian pyramid and gemstones and a quick rush through plants and shoes and such. Then off, passing Shed Aquarium, to the planetarium. Caught a
trolley ride back up north and went back to the hotel for a brief rest.
[Chicago is a beautiful city.]
We had dinner at an upscale Vietnamese restaurant
[I just love that place] in the center of town (Le Colonial) and then walked up town to the gay neighborhoods. It was a bad idea. Not only was it a horribly long walk, but we also had to pass quite a few housing project buildings. I was honestly ready to die.
[I did get a kick out of our long walk to that section of town -- V was so nervous -- to tell the truth, I was too, but with the two of us together, I felt GREAT.] When we got to the bars at 11, not much
was going on. People were not out and about yet. One bartender even said that "You boys are too early, people don't show up till 2 am!"
Oh well. At least we got to see one bar with a decent amount of eye candy and a bar with strip dancers. Joel was particularly attentive here.
We then headed off to a bathhouse to see what it's like.
Ignoring the trashy details, we left there in quite a rush and not much in the way of 'excitement'. Granted I am speaking for myself.
[See Below]
Tuesday: We got up, checked out and headed to the "old chinatown" for lunch.
[Another GREAT meal] A bit of shopping, picked up the car, then we were off to Evanston. We stayed at Northwestern for the afternoon. I took him
around the campus. Off by the lake, we sat on a rock boulder right by the river for a few hours. Looking at the blue sky, Chicago
in the distance, wind surfers... and chatted a little. After that, we
headed back to Madison.
[Sitting on the waterfront was so romantic.]
Wednesday: We biked to town and Picnic Point. In the evening, we went to concert on the capitol square. Madison puts on the show every summer. Then we rushed home to go see
[The Movie] "Cats and Dogs"... horrible horrible.
[V forgot to mention that I met some of his friends there -- great folks - made me feel at home.]
Thursday: We just stayed in bed, I think.
[Well, just about, but we won't go into details - hehe.] I was so tired! Actually, we did get out of bed for 2.5 hours to get lunch and do laundry. Then at night, we went to a play with Jay and Andy. The play was
good.
[Loved that Play -- was actually 2 plays and two of the greatest guys to have as friends - V is so lucky.]
Friday: We biked into town... went through the University Arboretum... Joel wanted to walk off road and I got 5 mosquito bites.
[Had to see Olin Park - some history there.] Then we headed to get some ice cream... walked back to the park in the back of the store and sat for 45 minutes or so -- discussing what we want to do for our funerals. Very exciting topic. Then off to
the free zoo to check out the bears. After that, we met up with Michelle, Dennis, and Yon for a huge BBQ ribs dinner.
[Some of the friends I met at the concert on the capital square.]
Saturday: We biked into the farmers market again. But then at noon,
we headed home for a nap. Off to the bookstore where Joel could read up some about gay sex and relationships.
[Think V is trying to tell me something.] Then we went to dinner and got some italian ice scream. We also chatted a little about what maybe in the future...
Sunday: We got up and I made him some breakfast while he showered... then he left -- Without saying thank you! Well, maybe he did. :)
[I think V was so tired when I left -- I was trying to hold back some tears and make the get-away quick and dirty. In fact, I made it back home in record time - 15 hours. That return trip convinced me that I can drive it for weekends and still function when I get there (hehe). You may all want to note that his friends in Madison did say he looked very tired -- think I messed up his sleeping schedule.]
That's it... I know I screwed up something. We went to get ice cream twice at lake Wingra, but I don't remember when the first time was... it was a full moon reflecting off the lake too!
Ok, I am CC'ing this to Joel, maybe he can fill you in with more details.
OK, OK, to keep you all from asking here are the trashy details:
The place, Steamworks
[bathhouse], had a gym (no one was using), a huge hot tub, a large steam room, a sauna, a maze of corridors, and lots of little cubicles for rent. All in all, lots of guys running about... mainly wearing just a towel. Basically, it's just a meat blender. As long as he doesn't chase you away, anything goes.
[Now the Steamworks was an interesting place - yes most of the guest were in towels, some were not..... It was an interesting experience. I will say a learning lesson in life.]
Hum... anything else I forgot to mention Joel?
[Comments Above]
V.
Yes, this trip was great -- just putting this on the web makes me misty eyed. I cannot wait till our next adventure. It's not that far off -- :)
To some the rest of the weekend might have seemed boring, but not me. We walked around Madison (State Street), visited a few stores and the farmers market (held ever Saturday during the summer, ate lunch and dinner. I also re-acquainted myself with some of V's friends. On Saturday evening we went to a Play. I did enjoy it!
I took my mountain bike with me on this trip. It makes getting around town easier. Of course, we had to ride home in the dark after the Play.
We rented two movies, one for Saturday evening and one for Sunday.
Monday came all too soon and I took off for that long drive home about 8:30am, after a quick stop at the local bagel shop. V headed to work and I home in the opposite direction. The next time we would visit each other in Las Vegas - at his sisters wedding.
On Saturday, after a trip to the farmers market on the square, and lunch we walked up towards the capital in the rain. That was the first time that I saw him in a different light -- his hair was wet and he looked so CUTE -- I wanted to hug him. Later we took a drive to an outlet mall (30 miles or more East of Madison)and then met up with Jay and Andy for dinner.
On Sunday, V surprised me with a bottle of "champagne" and a picnic overlooking one of the lakes around Madison. We then went for a movie with Jay and Andy and followed that up with Dinner. That evening V and I went for ice cream and later returned home -- candles burning and soft music playing -- sleep followed.
I left Madison on Monday morning - our next trip planned for Thanksgiving week -- this time a whole week -- WOW. I think V has to work some, so maybe I can play housekeeper and maybe cook -- not something I'm good at.
On Saturday we met up with Michelle, Dennis and Jeremy for a trip to dinner in Chinatown and a walk around the crowded stores in downtown Chicago. It had rained that morning, but the sun came out later in the day. Dennis and the group drove down from Madison for some shopping (150 miles or so) and the opportunity to have lunch and dinner out. That evening we visited “Boystown” – the gay section of Chicago and all went to have a drink at two of the gay bars. All too soon it got late and we had to begin our journey home. Dennis dropped us off to pick up V’s car – interestingly we exchanged cars with his brother since they had the need for a larger vehicle while remodelling their home – and proceeded back to Madison. It began to rain and we did not arrive home till around midnight. We were both hungry so we whipped up a little left over turkey and then fell fast asleep.
Sunday was a day to just relax before I had to return to Wyoming. It was off to breakfast – well more like lunch since we got up so late – for the best pancakes in the world. It had turned cold and windy so we walked up to V’s office on the campus to get the latest weather update off the net. No surprise, a big storm was moving into the mid-west and I was likely to hit it on Monday. I just hate to see the week come to an end. But I suppose V can finally get some sleep when I’m gone - - just kidding.
Monday was a day from hell. It started off OK with a weather update from the South Dakota Highway Patrol (with help from V’s sister who had the phone number). I drove to La Crosse with no problems, crossed the Mississippi River, and then on to St Charles, MN. V called me on the cell phone to inform me that it looked like the weather was about to change, and it was. About the time I reached Albert Lea it was snowing – harder and harder. Driving speeds were reduced from 70 to 25 and this lasted to nearly 5:00pm that evening when I only reached the halfway point on the 1000 mile drive – Mitchell, South Dakota. I could no longer see the road. Snowfall was over 15 inches and the winds were reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour. It was time to locate a hotel and just sit back and let it snow. V and I talked more that evening. It was good to get out of the weather.
Tuesday – a day that I was suppose to be at work – improved some, but the roads remained snowpacked until I reached Sheridan. I was tired, but glad I made the trip. Interestingly, my illness symptoms began to return as soon as I saw the Big Horn Mountains from Interstate 90 – about 50 miles east of town. I did sleep well that evening however, but had to use a tranquilizer. You may want to read the daily diary for an update since I returned (below).
It took two hours of riding through the mountains before we emerged at the Resort. Then it was off to get rental skis and then to the slopes. V had forgot his sunglasses and the clouds had cleared making it difficult to see with the reflection off the snow. I had also forgot about what it is like to come from sea level to an altitude of 12,000 feet. Well – V was tired. We made a few runs and actually made it to the top of the mountain. A quick lunch and it was soon time to start down so we could catch the train back to Denver. I won’t mention the steep run we had to make to save walking back to the rental shop. V did fine. That evening even I was exhausted as we headed for McCormicks near Larimar Square. I had reservations for 7:00pm. After that it was home to the motel and bed.
The remainder of the weekend was spent on a trip to Royal Gorge near Colorado Springs, some more skating and attending a play at the Denver Center of Performing Arts. We also managed to get some ice cream near the Cherry Creek Mall – a favorite spot. I dropped V off at the airport around 9:00am on Tuesday and we parted near the security section. I climbed to the second level and waved goodbye as he descended to meet the airport tram. I started home shortly thereafter with a tear in my eye – I had about 500 miles to drive.
The most important part about this whole trip was my further understanding of V. I won’t go into the details, but after returning, I realized how lucky I am. V never gives up on me – even when I feel down he cheers me up. THANKS FOR BEING THERE, FOR BEING MY FRIEND, PARTNER, AND LOVER.
It was a lot of fun. To save a few dollars and jut to do something different we camped in the car. The Smokies were not crowded at that time of the year. The evenings were cool, but the days were warm. We only spent one night in the National Park Campground, but it was a lovely site - close to a roaring stream (Little River). The next day we journey up the mountain on Highway 441. A few stops for a few hikes and we decended to the valley below on the way to my parents home.
I had planned a quick stop over on the way to Florida to see my dad and mother. I can say they truely enjoyed having Vy around. As usual he took over the kitchen thus allowing my mother to sit back and relax. As we departed they both gave Vy a hug. My dad invited him back if he was ever in the neighborhood. From there we headed south to meet up with some of Vy's friends. Again, we opted to camp out at St. George Island State Park. It was fun to swim in the ocean but the mosquitoes at night were something else - hehe.
I'm not going into much detail about the remaining part of our trip, simply because it would take up an extremely large amount of space to say everything good about it. From the Tallahassee area we drove south to Orlando - actually Palm Bay -- to meet Vy's sister. After several days there (with walks along the ocean and shopping for new homes, we continued on to New Orleans. We stayed in a bed and breakfast just a few blocks off the main part of the French Quarter. From New Orleans we traveled north to St Louis where we met another net friend, Gregg. With Gregg, we paid a visit to the Arch before going on to Madison and eventually returning to Sheridan, Wyoming.
Moving to Milwaukee was not easy. I had to sell my existing home in Sheridan and find a new one in Wisconsin. All those parts fell into place and on February 8, 2003 I took up residency in Racine, 23 miles south of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee is a big town for a person who lived most of his working life out West. It's not New York or Atlanta, but it has all the amenities of a larger community. For the next two years Vy and I were able to visit each weekend. Either I traveled to his place in Madison (100 miles to the west) or he came to be with me. My new home was the base for numerous trips exploring this part of the country.
We spent 5 days in Montreal and 2 in Quebec. We flew from Milwaukee to Chicago and then to Canada. I cannot say enough good things about both lodging establishments. The bed and breakfast in Montreal contained nearly 20 different rooms, but still felt like you were staying in someones home. The breakfast was excellent with different types of bread, french toast, eggs, fresh orange juice, bacon, and hot tea or coffee. The B&B was just off the main street of town, but located in a quiet neighborhood. It was less than one block from the subway making travel around Montreal easy.
Quebec was exciting with all the old buildings and gift shops. We arrived via the Canada Railroad. I would highly recommend that you spend more than 2 days in this part of Canada. The evening walks along the water front were fantastic -- the city was alive - many buildings were awash in lighting. We stayed in a family run B&B that was gay friendly. The hosts were terrific and the room was large with furnishing matching the period of the dwelling - over 200 years old.
Door County is the peninsula that juts out the eastern edge of the State of Michigan into Lake Michigan. It's a beautiful, restful spot that we fell in love with. We usually camped in a Peninsula State Park near town of Fish Creek. Every trip was made in late September when the crowds of tourists were at their lowest. This is a popular spot to vacation from Chicago and Milwaukee. The days consisted of walking the shoreline or in one of the many small towns. The evenings were spent around the campfire.
This small park is on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Again, we camped in the park and explored the trails and overlooks during the day. It was great just to get away from the city and to be with Vy.
I decided to make it a long weekend by taking off Monday and Tuesday. I purchased airline tickets for approximately $200 (on sale) providing me transportation from Milwaukee to Roanoke where Vy met me at the airport. My plane departed on Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. It was nice to arrive by noon, but my next trip will be a little later. Getting up at 3 to be at the airport by 4 is crazy - hehe. I will say flying beats driving over 15 hours, however.
We spent the night with Vy's brother and family before departing early Saturday morning to Buffalo, New York. Our intent was to just find a place to relax, enjoy a few sights and spend a little time together. We stayed at Britaly Bed & Breakfast, the home of two great hosts known as Aldo and Graham [ http://www.niagaracentralreservations.com/WCM_2331364/default.asp?AFL_ID=bbcom ]. They have a dog named Rufus. Their home is located north of Niagara Falls on the Canadian side of the Niagara River in the town of Niagara-On-The-Lake. It looks like a typical suburban home on the outside, but the place is very cozy on the inside. Each room is decorated with a theme. We stayed in the English room that overlooked the backyard. All rooms (total of three) are on the 2nd floor. Each morning our hosts provided what you might call a 4 course breakfast, starting with juice, granola and peach muffins, then progressed to a variation on quiche before ending with mixed fresh fruit and yogurt. Coffee and tea were also served at breakfast and was also available earlier in the morning outside our rooms. We chatted with Aldo and and Graham every time we had the opportunity. We felt right at home.
The first evening (Saturday) was spent getting checked in and then returning to Buffalo to meet some other friends from the local area - Doug and Hank. We ended up eating at a small bar/restaurant in the downtown area. We ate rather late since the place was crowded. After dinner we visited a few of the local night spots (bars) and then returned back to the B&B around 1:00AM. We enjoyed our visit.
On Sunday we decided to stay in the local area and visit the town of Niagara-On-The-Lake. It's a small quaint town containing many gift shops, art galleries, and restaurants. It's much classier than the nearby town of Niagara Falls. The area surrounding the town is full of vineyards. We wanted to see what Ice Wine was like so it was off to a few of the wineries for tasting. Ice Wine is very sweet and considered a desert wine. Vy ended up buying a bottle for his family later in the week. It is very expensive for the amount you get.
On Monday we ventured south to Niagara Falls. It's been a long time since I was here and the place has really changed. It is very touristy. It has every place under the sun to take the last few dollars in your wallet. We ended up eating lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then walked along the Niagara River viewing the falls. Later that afternoon we decided to go across to the American side of the river and walk around the adjacent State Park. The weather was cloudy and threatening rain, but the temperatures were not too cold. We walked the entire length of the Park from the American Falls and Visitor Center to Horseshoe Falls and Three Sisters Island. We also made a side visit to Cave of the Winds. Here you take an elevator to the river level and then walk a boardwalk to the base of the American Falls. Management was in the process of disassembling the walkway for the winter so we were not able to go too far. The price was only $3.00 per person. After returning to the surface, we drove back to Buffalo New York to meet a friend - Dennis, who we knew from Madison, Wisconsin. We ate at an Indian Restaurant that evening.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we decided to stay around Niagara-On-The-Lake and just relax. We got up late in the morning, had a good breakfast and then went into town looking for another restaurant to sample. If you are looking for some "hearty fare", Olde Angel Inn Pub & Restaurant is worth the visit. This bar is the oldest operating one of its kind in North America. They have some interesting English food on the menu. That evening we traveled into the nearby town of St. Catherine's (to the west) and ate at the White Oaks Resort and Restaurant. For lunch Wednesday we ate at the Piller Winery [ http://www.peller.com/peller/visit_winery/restaurant.htm ] -- excellent atmosphere and food. Thursday evening we selected the Strewn Winery for another excellent meal. [ http://www.strewnwinery.com/english/home/default.asp ].
On Thursday we awoke to some blowing snow. After a late breakfast we drove into town, did some wine shopping and then ended up at the Riverbend Inn and Vineyard [ http://www.riverbendinn.ca/ ]. It was a very fitting end to a wonderful trip. We had a plane to catch from Buffalo to Chicago that Thursday evening. We arrived back in Chicago at Vy's bothers house for Thanksgiving meal. If only vacations could last longer. I especially needed this one
was not planned way in advance but just a few weeks before our departure. We had a great time and thanks to the internet was able to make the reservations at the last minute. Here is a summary of our stay in Tulum, Mexico. It was written to a friend who is planning a similar trip.
Jo - Finally getting some time to drop you a few lines. I will try to answer your questions from my point of view and experiences in Tulum. We were there a little over a year and 1/2 ago - It was during the July 4th weekend so it was very hot and humid. I suspect you will have cooler temperatures and lower humidity.
GENERAL: I really liked Tulum because it represented more of the Mexican culture than Cancun. We drove through the resorts at Cancun (on the beach) and it seemed more like Miami Florida. I suppose you could isolate yourself there and not really get the feel of Mexico. That being said, Tulum does have some negatives, if you expect standards that you find in the US, they for the most part are not there. The streets are somewhat dirty and litter was everywhere. I have found this common in most places outside the US except for Europe. Nonetheless, the people were very friendly and most of the places we ate at or visited spoke some English. The area along the beach is beautiful. If you have not already checked out TripAdvisor, I would do so:
( http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g150813-Tulum_Yucatan_Peninsula-Vacations.html ). We use it to get a feeling about the area. The forums are great. You can scan them for recent answers to many of your questions. You can get reviews of the hotel and restaurants. We could not travel without it.
GETTING THERE: You most likely have maps of the area, but I've included one (Map Enclosed) showing all the hotel and main points of town. I wanted to see where you were located in relation to where we stayed - that way I could get some kind of an idea of your ability to walk or perhaps ride a bike. We rented a car in Cancun (airport) and kept it for one week. It was rather expensive since I decided to take out the insurance (full coverage). I believe we paid over $300. The car portion was cheap, but I did not want to get into an accident and have to worry about Mexican law. We did look into using a bus, but since we wanted to go inland to visit Chichen Itza (archeological site), and do it on our own (no tour or bus), the decision was easy for us. Having a car gave us options on our schedule. It will most likely be cheaper in the long run than booking some tours for your family to get you to the more remote sites that are worth visiting (see below).
The bus comes into the southern part of Tulum (between Alfa and Jupiter - on the main street). From one part of town to the other is not very long (less than 1/4 mile), but if you have bags it would be more difficult to walk. We always use backpacks so we can travel with ease - never check baggage with the airlines. The main taxi station is more towards the northern part of town (just north of Orion Street). You should be able to call a taxi from the bus station - in fact taxies will be lined up there I bet. Another alternative might be to try and get off the bus just as you enter town at the main shopping center (not sure they will allow this, but we have found it common in many countries). Just as you enter town their is a store (Super Francisco) on your right. It's the best place to buy any food to stock up and keep at your place. We decided to buy an ice chest and kept ice at our cabana since we did not have electric. However, the ice chest was very expensive ($15) for something we would pay $7 for at Wal Mart. You may want to consider bringing a folding cooler instead of buying something there. We of course left our at the Cabana when we flew back to the States. Getting ice was easy, but had to come back to Super Francisco every other day or whenever we passed it while taking other side trips. Ice was a few bucks a bag.
It looks like your place "Papaya Playa" is at the northern end of the beach road. The beach road begins just opposite Super Francisco. If I remember correctly, a paved bike trail exists all along this portion of the road (till you get to the beach itself). It's about 3 km to the beach. Driving the car seemed a little longer than this to me. This bike trail is in the open with no trees so it was very hot during the summer. We did see people riding bikes and even walking, but in limited numbers. Once you get near the beach the road turns south and is very narrow. Traffic was light and I would have no fear about using a bike or walking - you just need to watch out for cars. Our Cabana (Hamaca Loca) (Picture enclosed) was great and it was located near the end of the beach road - almost on the beach. We of course had more distance to travel making the car more worth the cost. I suspect you could have a taxi pick you up and deliver you back and forth to town whenever you wanted to go in However, we found that many of the places along the beach road had their own restaurants. We were able to walk up and down the beach to these places without even going out to the beach road.
FOOD: We ate in town (Tulum) several times during our weeks stay - just for a change of pace. It was also nice to go into town in the evening when the pace of life slowed up - even for the Mexicans. If I remember correctly tips are usually included with the meals as a service charge, but you may want to check - usually about 10%. Several places stood out for us in town:
Don Cafeto's (Great place for grilled meat, seafood and superlimonada (lemon aid) and coconut ice cream stuffed in a coconut shell ). The prices were not too bad - similar to the US in a chain restaurant - maybe a little cheaper. (Pictured enclosed)
Pollos Asados Al Carbion (Chicken stand - It's on the right hand side of the street as you are head south - very cheap ($5.00 for whole chicken with beans, rice and tortillas) and the chicken tasted great - we still remember it - they have little tables inside. You can even pick it up to go) (Picture enclosed).
On the beach we liked the following (Places on the beach cost more - more typical of a good restaurant in downtown Milwaukee):
Las Ranitas (Mexican food - prices a little higher than in town, but great place with cool breezes from the water - located at 9 km on beach road).
Posada Margherita (Great Italian place - loved the fresh pasta and seafood - It's located at 5 1/2 km on beach road).
SECURITY: We had no problems or worries about security, but you don't want to leave anything sitting around. Don't take your eyes off of anything of value. Like most other countries, even in the US, you do have people looking to run off with your things if left unattended. Be careful if riding on a bus - keep in contact with your belongings or make sure they are not accessible to others (locked in the bottom of the bus). Although we did not ride the bus in Mexico - in other countries in Latin America this is a word of caution. Since we had a car, we were very careful about getting gas (also never leave anything of value in the car for even a minute). They will at times not reset the gas pumps when you pull-in for gas. It's the law in Mexico that the driver cannot fill the pumps themselves. You must watch very closely. You can get stuck for an extra $5.00 - $10.00 - It happened to us one time - we caught them and refused to pay - they adjusted it down a few bucks. You are also expected to tip the gas station attendant for filling your pump (of course something we did not do at the station that tried to rip us off).
MONEY: We never get money at home, but plan to exchange some (a small amount - $100 at the airport). We then make a stop at the nearest bank and cash some more after we get to our destination. You can do this easily in Tulum (be careful about the day you arrive - I believe the bank is only open on M-F). Go to HSBC Bank - across the street from the bus station. They are very use to people exchanging money. It's fairly fast and easy, but you can expect some long lines at certain times. The bank is just a whole in the wall building (very small). Other places around town exchanged money, but your exchange rate is never as good as at a bank. I took cash. You could use a credit card. The bank has a separate section with ATM machines. We did use credit cards for the bigger restaurants and some tours we took on the side. Keep in mind that you may need more money if you are going to pay for bus tickets before you get to Tulum.
THINGS TO SEE: We generally don't go for major tours, but spend the time on the beach and just walking around the town and resorts. Here we did take a tour and then managed to see a few archeological sites using the car. I would recommend the following:
Tulum Ruins (Mayan - Great place to explore - These ruins are next to the sea and perched on a cliff. Although we did not swim there, it looked like a great beach below the ruins (Pictures enclosed). They charge a minimal entrance fee ($4-5 dollars per person). It's located about 4 km north of where you will be staying. Go early to avoid the tour groups that arrive on buses from Cancun (between 8-10 am).
Coba Ruins (Mayan) - This is the only place you can climb a pyramid (at least when we were there). It's about 26 miles west of Tulum. Again a minimal fee is charged. You can spend several hours just walking around the trails in the jungle and visiting the old parts of the city. You can also rent bikes here to explore the trails. (Picture enclosed)
Tour of Canal in Sian Ka'an - We used the tour company at this site ( http://www.cesiak.org/alldayde.htm ) for an all day trip along the canals and jungle. They had lunch and also a trip to a cenote. It was about $80/person, but I feel was worth the money. You can buy tickets in Tulum also. We had a good English speaking guide who knew the history of the area and floating the canal was just great on a hot day - one of the best parts of the whole trip. (Picture enclosed)
Chichen Itza - This is the finest of the Mayan archaeological sites. It is now a world class site and worth the visit. I realize this would require you to book a tour or rent your own car for a day or two west of Tulum. It may be possible to take a bus from Tulum also for a day trip. It's about 50-75 miles west (interior of Yucatan). You are so close that it's worth considering. (Picture enclosed).
That is about all from here. Have any specific questions, Yell ! I will be happy to answer.
Joel
As with the other trips we have yet to write much about it. Needless to say we got to see all the sights and had a wonderful time. Pictures have now been uploaded. Our schedule included two destinations, first Rome and the Venice. Rome is so rich in history. What a difference from Paris one year ago (see above). Paris was quiet and relaxed. Rome was fast paced and boisterous. Venice, on the other hand was more laid back, with only walking in the city or transportation on boats. Yes, we had rain during out trip, as can be expected this time of the year, but the reduced crowds make this time a great opportunity to travel. See our photos for more of the trip.
was planned with only two weeks prep. We basically had to decide where to go for our nonrefundable airline tickets. In other words, after loosing about $250 on each ticket we had the remainder to spend on air transportation. Costa Rica was the choice
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