Playa Del Carmen

Unfortunately, I left Ambergris Caye almost as soon as I got there. Ambergris has plenty to offer, but I was pushed on both by the rain that fell through the day and the prospect of playing with family in Playa Del Carmen. So, I jumped on an island hopper plane and landed in Corozal in the early afternoon. I met two Brits on the plane who were going straight to the Mexican border by shuttle, then hiring a taxi for the 300km ride to Playa. We split the fares, which saved over two hours and only added about $15 to my travel costs.

I met two women from OK Centre at the border, and they were so nice! We joked about how people from the Okanagan have a bit of a Fargo accent, which was corroborated on both of our trips by people asking if we were from Minnesota. They were destined for Cancún, and I wish I could have joined them, to share travel stories. Instead, it was me and the two Brits careening down the highway at 120 in a Hyundai. They weren't all that chatty, because one had a birthday the night before and both were a bit green around the gills.

I treated myself to a nice hotel here in Playa ($45USD), mostly because I could not find the hostel! Then I found a phone and called Alex, and I arranged to stop by the resort. After dinner (along with two Coronas and four margaritas), I was sweet-talking my way past the front desk of Riu Playacar. Four 'fortified' (made double-strength by the complimentary wet bar in the room) pina coladas later, it was 3:30AM. I hopped off the balcony, and flagged a taxi back home. Despite the nice hotel, the walls still spun when I flopped on the bed. Seems like no matter how much you spend, you can't buy your way out of the spins.

Thunderstorms threatened to spoil the finale of Carnaval last night, but held off until today. The Carnaval parade passed right by the hostel last night (my second night here), so we had a great view of the procession filled with costumes and dancing. I met a couple of other travellers for dinner and drinks, and then we headed over to catch the open-air concert in the city square.

The rain is now coming down in sheets here in Playa Del Carmen, with about an inch of water covering the main shopping area of 5th Street. People are running for cover in all directions, and the café I am sitting in is receiving a bit of flooding! Cheers come from the bar across the street whenever the intensity of the rain increases. I am holed up here, waiting for it to abate so I can collect my bag from the hostel and possibly spend a few days with Pam, Alex, and Sonja at the resort.