We went to Playa yesterday for the Jazz Festival. What a treat as I had never been before. Turned off 307 onto Constituyentes and drove almost all the way to the end. Lucked into a convenient parking space in front of Hotel Gran Porto Real. Then we headed south on 5th Av and had a fairly quick meal at the original Babe's. 2nd time this week I ate there. It was a leisurely 10 minute walk to the restaurant. On the way back to the Festival we picked up the pace and it was maybe 12 minutes this time, as Mamitas is about 4 blocks north of Constituyentes. The opening act Sacbe & Luis Conte had just started. There was a nice large stage set up so you watched the show with the sea to the right. A few boats were anchored nearby, presumably to watch from the water. The lights of Cozumel were a nice backdrop. The Sacbe group was very talented and one of its members helped produce the Festival. Hundreds of people were sitting on the sand in a semi orderly manner. I did not see any blankets or anything fancy typical of outdoor concerts in Florida. Even as the show started and even though it was croweded, there was always room for one more. We actually stood in front of the tower where the sound, lighting and video activities were taking place. Every serious music person was there to see George Benson and he did not disappoint the audience. He performed for more than an hour, doing all of his hits of course, and of course ended the show with a choreographed encore performance of what I think may have been his breakout song, "On Broadway," It was all about the music with Benson as he did only the necessary amount of talking. All in all it was a great show. Being tall in Mexico is a great thing as I can usually see over any Mexican who is in front of me. Of course you had the typical jerks who are sitting in the middle of the audience who decide to stand up and dance, thereby blocking the views of those sitting behind them. But it was a very well behaved audience. Restrooms were accessible. Exiting the area was an orderly process. Traffic was manageable. The technical aspects of the show were nearly flawless. There were 2 large monitor screens and 3 cameras shooting. Lighting was more than adequate although a few times the audience was temporarily blinded when the bright lights rotated too far in our direction to suit me. I hope not to miss another Riviera Maya Jazz Festival.
Well janie, you had dinner at Babe's and then dinner with me a couple of nights later. That seems pretty special. Je Je. When I find something I like, I stick with it. Therefore, most of the times I eat there I have the Pad Thai, which I did the last two times.
