ok, deep breath... On the first morning of our stay at Hotel Casa Del Balam, T and I had to get an early start as we had a trip to Celestun scheduled. We packed our usual things to prepare for Mother Nature (panchos, mosquito repellent, sunblock, bottled water) and headed down to the restaurant below. Our stay at this hotel included continental breakfast, so I knew if this was a good experience there would be no need to hit the streets of Merida our last two mornings looking for decent grub. If it's included, then I usually have a greater tolerance for less than ideal quality/quantity. They didn't disappoint. We were seated in the patio area surrounded by the veritable forest of large tropical plants, near a bubbling fountain. The light streamed in from the open area above, and it was very pleasant. I guess like most other hotels in the downtown area, this results in a slightly humid atmosphere...but by now we were used to it. For our continental breakfast we were served coffee, juice, sweet rolls and bread with butter, and plates full of slices of different kinds of fruit. I think this included large pieces of papaya, banana, melon, and pineapple. Also, I recall we were provided a spread for the rolls that we thought was papaya-based. Yummy! The waiters came by every so often to make sure our coffee cups were filled. A small set with cream, sugar and sweetner was available. Nothing to sign (that I can recall), and all we had to do when we got up from the table is leave a little something for the waiter. A good, healthy breakfast and we were sold on having our remaining breakfasts in Merida here. There were only a couple of other tables with peeps at breakfast. I don't know why, but we never really saw a whole bunch of vacationers all at the same time/place during our stay except for the dinner at the hotel restaurant the night before. I suppose it was the low season for this part of the world (remembering our conversation with Tony the day before). Right after our long, leisurely breakfast (T complained I ate everything *oink oink*) we slowly wandered to the chairs at the perimeter of the patio facing the entrance of the hotel and sat down to wait for our guide. There is some protection from the elements here, with the upper floors extending into the patio a bit to allow a covered walkway around it. A couple of coffee tables were nearby with several free local tour magazines piled thereon such as "Explore Yucatan" and "Yucatan Today". Excellent resources in English and Spanish with maps, features on local attractions, ads for restaurants/museums/tours/etc. Do not hesitate to grab 'em up. "Yucatan Today" I believe I mentioned earlier also has a website that provided a lot of material for us for our holiday. We sat and read and tried to get familiar with sights we had missed and places we might be able to squeeze into the rest of the vacation. True to form our guide was late again. I made myself stay seated, but looked anxiously at the front entrance and the main desk every couple minutes in case our guide came around asking for us. Eventually he did show, and T and I were pleasantly surprised. It was Gabriel, the tour guide who took us to Uxmal and Kabah during our first full day here. Meri de Merida was our tour provider again. I forgot to mention that when we checked in Ecoturismo Yucatán had an envelope waiting for us at the front desk, with our vouchers for all our tours we purchased through them (including Uxmal/Kabah...too late!). Gabriel asked for the ones for the Celestún tour, which we provided. We were then packed into a van waiting at the curb with two other couples and sped off. Our guide was also our driver just like the last time we used Meri de Merida, and Gabriel followed what appears to be the routine for his tours. Driving south beyond the Merida airport, we pulled over on the shoulder and made his introductions. "Hello, my name is Gabriel. But you can call me Gabe or Gaby..." Etc. etc. Our fellow tour partners today included a senior couple from Mexico city and a young adult pair from Canada. Gabriel explained that that our destination was over an hour drive away. The primary attaction at La Ria de Celestún were the flamingos, which make a home in a lagoon protected from the Gulf of Mexico by a long peninsula. Other wildlife call this sanctuary home including (but not limited to) pelicans, frigate birds, egrets, cormorants, and a variety of herons. Monkeys hide in the trees and the waters host sea turtles and crocodiles. The plan was for us to board a boat and motor around the lagoon to explore a bit and observe the residents in this natural haven. Afterwards, we would be taken to a restaurant on the beach facing the Gulf (meal included). We would be given some time to wander the beach and then the long drive home. I forgot to mention that this tour cost $47.00/per person, which I thought was reasonable. Includes transportation, a multi-lingual guide, access to the reserve, a boat tour, meals at a restaurant. Not bad. Gabriel drove south some more and we passed once again through the small town of Uman. We slowed down again to see the old church built by the Franciscans with stones from the local Mayan temples. The market was busy again with Mayan women in traditional dress. Bicycle-taxis were all over the road. While still in town we took a turn to go due west, towards the Gulf. At this point, I settled down and just stared ahead at the road. Again, you never know when Mother Nature will make an appearance from the jungle so you must be prepared. The last trip out with Gabriel we encountered a road runner streaking across in front of the van. When I was planning for this trip originally I was almost tied between Celestún and Rio Lagartos. All the guides I read and advice I got from veteran travellers to the area indicated that Rio Lagartos to the north and east of Merida had a greater population of flamingos and the trip in general was nicer. Someone actually said it was also closer to Merida, but I couldn't agree with that assertion based on my maps. I realized that our trip occurred between seasons for the flamingos. They tend to migrate between the two preserves; although, each location also had its year-round stalwarts. I was hoping that a whole bunch from Rio Lagartos had already returned to Celestún to welcome us, but nothing was for certain. During the "high" season for the flamingos at Celestún, thousands would pack the lagoon with a mass of pink feathered bodies, and that was what I was still hoping for. Also on this trip, we expected to take a short walk in the park to experience the mangroves up close, perhaps spot some other wildlife, and I think to be shown a fresh-water spring bubbling beneath the surface of the water. There was also a so-called petrified forest in the reserve, which was on the tour. Some tours to Celestún I noticed included longer walks through the bush, and I wasn't certain that was a feature on the tour we purchased. Those "what if" scenarios always pop in my head and I actually was wondering what I would do if we were to encounter a jaguar during our tramp through the brush. Gabriel drove through a couple of small towns on the way again pointing out the nature of the local homes with thatched roofs, ventilated walls, and swinging hammocks instead of beds. Every once in a while we would spot in front of a house the equivalent of a lemonade stand. Locals trying to tap into the tours driving through. Our driver unexpectedly slowed to a stop just in front of one of these, got out, and wandered over to a little old lady and I suppose her daughter at a table by the road. They were slicing up fruit and putting them into plastic sandwich bags. Well, this is exactly what I was hoping for on our last trip out with Gabriel...a stopover in a small town to sample the local wares. I opened the van door and jumped out enthusiastically to see what was available. Gabriel was standing at the table sucking on pieces of orange that had just been sliced. I also saw a small variety of other fruit...including that dragon fruit AKA pitaya, locally. This was our chance! I walked back to T in the van and told her what was available and asked if she wanted anything. The other two couples looked uneasy and not as quick to explore as I was. At that moment I realized one other difference between people on tour in a foreign country. These peeps weren't prepared to let their hair down and just wanted to stick to the itinerary. Gabriel wandered up behind me and offered three plastic bags of sliced citrus fruit to each couple. He said they were fresh sour orange marinated in lime juice. Yum. T and I thanked our guide and dug in while he went back to the vendor to help himself to some more. T was interested in the dragon fruit, so I also returned to the table to get some of that exotic fruit. Only a few pesos, which I had. The interior of the fruit (cut up for me by those ladies) resembled kiwi-fruit and was mixed in lime juice again before it was provided also in a sandwich bag. T and I would savor this while on the road a later on. T had also noticed from the van a large bottle of a dark liquid next to the bowls and baskets of fruit and wondered what it was. Gabriel inquired for me and then said that they were bottles of the local honey. The bees around here collect nectar from the many sour orange trees. Hmmm. I told T about it and she was very interested in making a purchase. Never mind that we could have some issues with U.S. Customs on the way back to the states, but, oh, why not? Back once again to the table. By this time the other two gentlemen on the tour had finally gotten out of the van to explore and were also buying bags of sliced pitaya. I got a price for the honey and bought it. Examining the bottle later I confirmed a suspicion, it was originally a bottle of liquor. Although the label had been taken off, the original cap was still used and it included the image of a bear walking. Looks like it had been a bottle of Oso Negro vodka. Brave brave souls we were buying a local honey stored in a cleaned out bottle of Mexican vodka and expecting to clear U.S. Customs. Alright, everyone packed themselves back in the van and we took off again. I really appreciated this brief stopover and intended to tip Gabriel well once again at the end of the tour. It wasn't long after we continued that we saw a break in the trees to either side of us and we caught sight of a long body of water stretching north to south. Peering to the right over the side of the bridge through the thinning forest I spotted a group of flamingos below standing in the water. Celestún! As we approached the other side of the bridge we noticed a veritable fleet of launches docked near the shore on the left side--the tour boats. Gabriel slowed down and we turned into a drive leading to a building behind the many boats. We all got out of the van and walked to into the shade offered by the building. We were told to wait a little there while Gabriel paid the entrance fee and arranged for a boat tour. There were a couple of small shops near the ticket office and T and I decided we would take a look around once we returned from our trip around the lagoon. Thankfully these appeared not to be the kind of vendors who were aggressive solicitors, so we weren't bothered while we waited. A good sign. Our guide called us all together and told us to follow a man who would be running the boat. We walked along to the docks and followed along to the end of one to our little boat. It was just big enough for our crew totalling eight (Gabriel came along), had small benches on its left and right, and had a shade against the sun. I climbed in first so I could help T get on board. It's a little tricky with a leg in a brace, but with the guides' help and me, she got in safely. We took the front bench on the left to optimize our view during the trip as everyone else climbed aboard and got themselves situated. No seat belts, no lifevests. In a moment the ropes that tie the boat to the dock were off and we motored away slowly. Gabriel explained how at a certain season of the year this lagoon would be filled with thousands upon thousands of flamingos, but around this time we would be treated only to a few hundred at best. The majority were in the Rio Lagartos area right then. We motored under the bridge and approached the group of pink birds we had spotted from the van earlier. They were standing in shallow water apparently just sunning themselves. Or perhaps they were watching us closely as the boat guide cut off the motor and allowed our launch to drift a little. I had read in more than one place how occasionally a boat guide would deliberately drive a boat up close to a crowd of flamingos and scare them to flight. Looks great for camera shots and video and may even earn the driver a big tip, but it doesn't do anything for the frightened birds. If that happens too often eventually the affected flamingos would abandon Celestún and reduce even further the number of sanctuaries it can call home. I was hoping we would not contribute to this problem as the boat drifted closer and closer to this first group. They let us get perhaps ten yards away before they started marching very slowly in the other direction. The sand bar here is fairly long and wide, so they didn't swim or fly off. They just walked through the water eyeing us cautiously. Gabriel tried to point out the difference between the males and the females, but I just didn't see how he was doing it. They all were in slightly different shades of pink. I had the camera out and was snapping pics. The panoramic camera was able to catch the entire line of birds, but without a shade or focus the pics didn't come out all that great. After several long minutes of stares back and forth between humans and birds, the boat guide started up the motor again and slowly (quietly) puttered us away. We passed another line of flamingos before motoring off at a higher pace. Birds were everywhere. Some cormorants were perched on piles rising out from the water. At times it seems they wanted to race us as we continued deeper into the estuary. We saw a frigate bird flying overhead. A great heron launched itself from the shore and flew in a circle around us before heading to the other side of the lagoon. On two separate occasions small flocks of flamingos flew in a line from a distant location to the north heading south along the length of the ria towards the initial group we observed before. We were running low on film, but T grabbed the panoramic camera and took a few shots. Again, no zoom so the pics came out not so hot. Gabriel had the boat shut off the engine at one location near the shore and told us to spot the pelicans. Well, we couldn't see them anywhere. He said to look into the trees more closely and sure enough at least four brown pelicans were perched above us hiding in the foliage. Must admit I've never seen these birds in the trees before...they're usually swimming in the sea or skimming the waves. A pic or two here. Further down the estuary the boat slowed a little for us to peek into a cove where more flamingos were congregated. This must be a nesting area, as most of them were on the shore rather than in the water. Other birds such as egrets and spoonbills lounged nearby. A nice refuge hidden from the open water in the lagoon. The boat was directed into another opening in the shore. This appeared to be a canal of some sort. Manmade or not I couldn't be sure, but the trees were thick overhead as we floated peacefully into the jungle. Gabriel apparently had learned a bird call or two and was whistling out into the trees and listened for a response. Nothing. Either he wasn't convincing enough or somebody was asleep. We took a couple pics here as we experienced the silence in the mangroves. The canal took us on a gradual loop and we wound up back in the lagoon. I was starting to wonder, trapped on the boat, "so what else are we going to do?" Well, again at some point the launch was directed back to shore to a dock extending from the trees. We tied ourselves up alongside and one-by-one climbed up. The dock was the termination point for a long wooden walkway leading from deep within the jungle. T set the pace for a while as we adjusted to the wooden platform. It was raised a couple feet above the water and mangrove roots. There weren't railings along the whole length of the way, so I was a little bit nervous. Instead of lions and tigers and bears, there be jaguars and crocodiles somewhere out there. But we we didn't spot anybody. Must be siesta at that hour. The walkway split in two and here we allowed the other peeps to move on ahead past us here. T and I were slowing everybody down. We were directed to the branch leading to the right and kept exploring. No other tourists were around. In fact, there were no other boats on the lagoon nor any hanging out at the agency building at the entrance to the park. Perhaps everybody else knew that this was the low season for flamingos in Celestún? We walked in the quiet of the mangroves. Gabriel tried to encourage some wildlife chatter and made his whistle again several times, but again no one answered. At length, he called everybody together at one point on the walk and pointed out some ripples concentrated in the shallow water among the roots of the trees. This was one of the freshwater springs that fed the groves. Gabriel said there were several in the area, and that depending on the tide they would be more or less visible. Cool. We kept walking and finally completed a great loop and returned to the branch of walkway heading back to the dock where our boat was waiting. We took our seats and our launch took off. There was no slowing down to observe anything else. It was time for the next part of the tour...lunch! Once we docked, I was so busy helping T off the boat and across the docks that I forgot to tip the boat driver. Am sure that no one else tipped as well. He didn't solicit either, so I suppose this not a common practice expected over here. We were given several minutes to explore the park building and do some shopping at our leisure. T and I wanted to bring back something to commemorate our experience here, so naturally she chose a shot glass to add to our growing collection at home. We purchased T-shirts with images of flamingos for the children and nephew/nieces. As always I was interested in literature about the park we were exploring; however, instead of coffee table books or tourist magazines they only had postcards. I went to the box office where you purchase tickets for the boat rides and they just gave me a brochure that came in five languages or so. Ah, well. Gabriel called everybody together and we loaded up the van to depart the lagoon. Our guide got back on the road and headed west towards the gulf coast. In a very short time we were driving among houses and shops...a town! I don't recall the name of it, but it's definitely within the park and right on the coast. Our van was parked in a small alley and we exited to Gabriel on a short walk to a larger building right up on the beach. As we entered we noticed the restaurant was open to the sea breeze and we were seated at a table along a wall facing the beach. Nice view and the sound of the surf was ever present as we were provided menus. Per the itinerary our menu choices were limited, and T decided upon a fillet of fish prepared a certain way, as well as soup and a dessert. I wanted to be different, as there were some very attractive menu items that weren't among our choices. I picked out (to the best of my memory) a fillet of salmon that was covered with a creamy herb sauce. I remember I very much enjoyed my dish and tried to scoop/sop up as much of the remaining sauce that I could. I had no issues with spending a little extra to "customize" my experience on this tour, especially my lunch. Of course, I had to have a Leon to go with the meal. Sopa de lima was about everyone's soup. As we waited to be served we acquainted ourselves with our fellow tourists. The couple from Mexico City were clearly in their golden years and were on a tour of the Yucatan. They proudly said they were parents of 12 children, all of whom were grown up and independent. I had to congratulate them...what a difficult feat that must have been, and they were still in one piece to enjoy life at this age! I can only hope I have as much vitality (I feel tired every single day, right now). We talked back and forth...them in perfect Spanish, myself in poor-if-not-unintelligible Spanish. The older gentleman and I talked ourselves into ordering a small margarita during the course of the meal and the ladies shared. Not the best margarita, tho. The Canadians were also on a tour of the Yucatan, but somehow managed to forget to include Campeche on their itinerary. T and I then launched into our take on the city and basically explained how that was the highlight of our holiday thus far. Gabriel had disappeared again. I couldn't see him at any of the tables in the large restaurant, even though I really would have liked him to have joined us for conversation. He could have filled us in on many other aspects of the park that we hadn't seen up to that point or answered our many questions...maybe that's why he was absent during lunch, lol. More groups of peeps were showing up and filling up tables around us. As we were working on desserts, a man trudged up from the beach and entered the restaurant. He was loaded with bags and bags of--you guessed it--hammocks. We were the first table next to the wall, so he promptly unloaded his wares to the ground and introduced himself. Gabriel appeared at about the same time, so we had an adequate translator for the exchange. As we had come to expect by now, the vendor began with a speil about the product explaining the different materials used for making hammocks, the different sizes, etc. One thing that was new was his assertion (confirmed by Gabriel) that as hammocks can last for years and years one individual could during their lifetime go through just three hammocks (!!!) Before long we got down to business, but before the vendor could start with an initial quote, Gabriel jumped in and told us all that the matrimonial hammocks were $650 MX each. The salesguy then gave our guide a long sideways look and said that he normally asks for $700 MX per hammock, but since his friend Gabriel had went ahead and said they were $650 MX each he would honor that price for our group. Hmmm. These were sisal hammocks, and the starting asking price was much less than what were quoted at the shop in Merida. All of a sudden, the possibility of getting a hammock increased. T put her bargaining hat on. She told the sales guy that she wanted one for $500 MX. He said that was too low. Then she pressed and offered $1000 MX for two hammocks. He sighed and said that if one other person in our group decided to make a purchase of two hammocks at that price he would agree. The Canadians were already interested in the hammocks and were looking at colors. The Mexican couple were just sitting and enjoying the breeze blowing in from the sea and weren't going to buy anything. After a brief discussion the Canadians assented and would also go for the bargain. We picked out our colors (one bleached white, the other aqua blue) and paid the man for them. After thanking each other for the privilege of doing business, the hammock dude hoisted up his load of wares and walked a few steps to another table and started another demonstration of the product. I paid for my off-menu choices (the drinks also weren't free again) and then asked Gabriel to unlock the van so I could store away the hammocks. He had told us we could walk along the beach at our leisure until the trip home, but I didn't want to worry about lugging these bags. After the Canadians and I stowed our purchases we headed out to the beach, walking through the restaurant to an opening in the wall. We weren't making decent time due to T's leg, but the Canadians were able to make it all the way to a long pier to the south of us and walk to its end. T and I had to satisfy ourselves with just the shoreline near the restaurant. Which wasn't too bad, to be honest. There were picture opportunities, such as small local fishing boats pulled up on the beach or anchored just a few feet offshore. Other small shops and restaurants lined the beach north and south...something I think many peeps would like to see in the Riviera Maya. Mayan-Mexican families walked in the surf with their shoes removed. The water itself does not resemble the turquoise-blue off the coast of the hotel zone in Cancun. It didn't have great waves, but appeared more active and I wondered about the undertow here. To my recollection I didn't see any flags along the shore to warn swimmers, but I also didn't see anyone in the water deeper than their waist. T and I casually looked for shells on the beach (nothing worth keeping) and dropped everything when my watch indicated it was time to get back to the restaurant and find Gabriel. Before long everyone had visited the restrooms, were rounded up by our guide and packed into the van for the drive home. Shortly after we departed the edge of the town we encountered a marshy area of the lagoon with hundreds of dead trees (mangroves?). I asked Gabriel if this was the so-called petrified forest I read about in my prior research and he verified that it was. T was confused and asked if indeed these were petrified trees, but I assured her that they weren't...they're just called that. For a little while we drove through the trees and then were on the road out of the park and departed Celestún. The drive back to Merida was mostly uneventful. We did spot a grey fox darting across the road in front of our vehicle, so fast only a couple of us were quick enough to spot it. Again, as were drove through a couple towns Gabriel pointed out the Mayan-style huts to us. As we crossed over one of Mexico's infamous speed bumps in one town, our guide told us to look at a home on our right where the door was opened wide and we could see a person on siesta swinging in his hammock as he watched a little television on a small table. Apparently we had paused a few seconds too long in front of this hut and the man inside was startled and quickly swung out of his hammock to face us through the open door. Oops! Gabriel sped off immediately and we all chuckled. It had been easy up til that point to consider that everything was "part of the tour", but then it sunk in that this is how and where the local people live their lives in little homes far from the larger cities. Cooling off means opening doors and building huts with spaces between the vertical slats to allow the flow of air. Privacy is compromised as a result, but that doesn't mean google-eyed tourists in passing vans should look into every home with impunity. We were the first couple to be dropped off in front of their hotel. As Gabriel helped T down I had a nice tip waiting for him. Like the first time after our Uxmal/Kabah trip he pocketed it with a "Gracias", but not once up to the moment I passed him some bills did he ever solicit, mention or even imply to anyone on the drive back that tips would be appreciated. Again, I greatly appreciate Gabriel's service and the tour itinerary provided by Meri de Merida. I would not hesitate to use them again if ever we return to Merida. T considered the trip to Celestún the best single experience of our holiday. But if we were ever to consider seeing flamingos again, I would try to do better research and possibly consider the reserves to the north (eg. Rio Lagartos) if the birds were in season there. We stretched our legs after the long van ride and headed back to our room to freshen up. Besides, I was dry (hehehe). It's nice to have a mini-fridge in your room loaded with cold cold sodas, beer and water. Another Leon was down the hatch in short order. T and I had ample time to vegitate and watch something on one of the English-language stations on television before deciding to go hunting for grub. We wanted to try again one of the restaurants in the small plaza next to the Gran Hotel again...perhaps the Main Street restaurant. Walking out and headed south I noticed a restaurant across the street with some tables and chairs set up on a balcony on its a second floor. T was interested, so we crossed the street and approached the entrance to the restaurant. Some wait staff were standing on the sidewalk soliciting patrons to serve and one said that the seats on the second floor were not available and that he could show us a seat at street level inside. T and I looked inside and thought it wasn't exactly happenin' right then, so declined and kept going south. The very last waiter in the group hogging the sidewalk gave us a card/pamphlet advertising live music at the establishment later in the evening. We thanked him and kept walking, but before crossing the street for the next block further down we reconsidered (live music?...sounds nice) and returned to that waiter. He enthusiastically led the way inside and found us a table in the corner of the restaurant near a window to the street. He took our drink orders and left us with menus. Glancing briefly out the window I noticed the original waiter who had hit on us first glaring at T and I for not giving him our business instead. It's too bad this restaurant operates that way, but at least it motivates your waitstaff to solicit more business. Upon further thought this place was probably also known as Ky60, which is a nightclub. I may not recall exactly what we ate, but I think T wanted a break from "local" fare and chose something more familiar from the menu this time. I was more adventurous. While I may not have the best memory when it comes to our holiday grub from this point on, I can say the waiter was interesting. He was a younger fellow and wore glasses. While his English was imperfect it was still better than my Spanish. He liked to chat and before long we learned he originally worked as a waiter in Cancun...I think Casa Rolandi. He said he moved to Merida soon after he got married to be closer to his wife's family. The move was also in part due to the fact that this restaurant in Merida offered more regular and better business (and pay) than the one in Cancun. Sounded also like the Cancun location was more affected by the high and low season for tourists. He wanted something more stable and I don't blame him. Anyways, towards the end of the meal we had to ask when the live music advertised on the handout would start up. Our waiter said that it would be in another hour, and encouraged us to wait (and rack up a higher tab on drinks, of course). We could see the band setting up in an unusual place...above the bar. There was a stage had speakers and other equipment already in place. Some guy pulled out a ladder from behind the bar and leaned it up to reach the platform and start plugging things in, etc. T and I were on vacation and would like to kick back and enjoy some music, but to wait an hour for that to even start?? Eh, nope. We paid for our meal, thanked our waiter and headed back out into the street. Time to do some shopping! Every block around the central zocalo had all kinds of shops to explore and we were interested in getting some momento's for our peeps back at home. Visiting at least three different locations we would up purchasing some t-shirts, bottles of local habanero sauce, a couple of shot glasses, colorful pencils (saying "Merida" on each of 'em), and at least three "six packs" of liquor bottles containing samples of the local spirits including xtabentun. I didn't know how we were going to get those through customs, especially since we still wanted to get the full-sized bottles at wholesale prices direct from the manufacturer the next day on our final tour. Late in the evening T and I staggered back to the hotel and took the elevator up. When we reached our floor and were limping to our room, I heard singing. It was jueves, and tonight there were serenades performed at the university building kitty-corner from our hotel, so I think that's where the music was coming from. T and I stood in the open area between the rooms, on the upper floors of the hotel overlooking the jungle garden in the patio staring at the sparkling city lights while eathereal voices drifted up to us from the concert. For a long moment we listened to a group of Sirens perform and their longing voices so entranced us we almost decided to leave the hotel and attend the concert, but it was getting late and we wanted to be in shape the next morning before our final tour. We returned to our room and with memories of the sweet singing still alive in my head I drifted off to sleep. The next day we would enjoy a different sort of excursion: the Tasting and Gastronomy Tour.
:clap: :clap: Bravo, Michael, Bravo! :clap: :clap: :clap: Glad you got your hammocks, and I'm anxious to see if you got your honey through customs, (and I mean your bottle of honey, not your T!)
At the rate I'm going, we've got three more installments before you hear that part of the story! Oh, and I fully intend update all the TR threads with pics in a while. I already did so for the Uxmal and Kabah threads.
What a great day, Michael..and a great report too!! :clap: :clap: Well worth the wait. Like Janie, I can't wait to hear about how you get all the stuff you bought through Customs.
Love the trip reports.. Must go back and look at pics in the other ones now... Edit: I'll have to do that when I can find them lol...
Part 3 http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26857&highlight=part Part 4 http://www.cancuncare.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27039&highlight=part- Took me a while, but I found them.. Now I shall go look at them lol...
