So looking forward to vacation! I'm already mostly packed...just need to pick up hiking shoes for Haleakala and maybe some Keens for the water. FYI, REI is having their Anniversary Sale May 21-31, a perfect time to pick up things on your wish list.
I booked a room at the Hana Kai Maui condos in Hana for our last night in Maui. The web site was easy to navigate and the reservation process easy: filled out a form, submitted it, received a confirmation that same evening. Room rates in Hana are expensive since there are only two major hotels in town, this hotel and the Hotel Hana-Maui. The Hana-Maui is luxurious, commanding 3x the prices of the Hana Kai. I tried to price a room there, but their reservations website wasn't working. That isn't good for business. I looked into other options, like B&B's and private condos through Craiglist, but decided to stick with Hana Kai Maui (even with the high room rate) based on the good reviews on Tripadvisor.
I already secured a rental car through Priceline months ago, a mid-size for $12/day plus taxes. I also like Hotwire, if you don't want to deal with bidding on Priceline. I did not use Hotwire since the price per day was a few dollars more.
Nothing much else planned so far except snorkeling, hiking Haleakala, driving to Hana, otherwise, general "chillaxing" during the week. Jennifer wanted to do a girls' spa day; I won't object. :)
Yesterday, I made plans for July 4th week: Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. The great outdoors. At first, I wanted to go to Paris and London, but with airfare costing close to $2000 per person for the schedule I wanted, it seemed best to stay in the good 'ol US of A. I don't understand why fares are so expensive given the drop in value of the euro and the disruption of travel due to the Iceland volcano. I checked seating charts for the flights (though seating charts aren't truly indicative of the loads) and the planes are only half-full! Oh well. Anyway, I'm looking forward to big skies, moose sightings, Old Faithful and magnificent scenery. I've been to the area before on a bus tour with my family during my early teens, but it'll be a whole different trip with Babe. Sorry Brenda, I'll still pick Wyoming over meeting you in St. Louis this week. :)
It is expensive to fly into airports closer to the parks (Jackson Hole (JAC)/West Yellowstone (WYS)/Bozeman (BZN)), so to save $600 total on airfare, we opted to fly into Salt Lake City and drive the 5.5 hours to Jackson. If time is precious, then it's worth paying the extra money to fly into closer airports. I'm currently researching places to stay in Grand Teton and Yellowstone, so any recommendations are welcome. So far, everything within the parks are sold out except for Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton. I'm hoping for last-minute cancellations.
In addition to Yellowstone, I booked a trip to Las Vegas in August. I received an invitation in the mail from the Wynn resort to spend three nights in the Encore hotel for $349 plus tax, which includes 2 free tickets to Le Reve. I couldn't pass that up...a perfect "champagne wishes on soda pop budget" opportunity! It's almost like they're paying me to stay there. Unfortunately, the invitation is good only once and non-transferable to boot, otherwise I'd tell everyone to book, but there is a "friends and family" promotional code available if you want to stay at the Wynn: $139/night Sunday-Thursday, $199/night Friday-Saturday with the code USHARE2, good until November. I don't know why I got the invitation as I don't have their players card. I used to have a Platinum Total Rewards card with Harrah's properties a couple of years ago, but I doubt the Wynn would be trying to pick up people who couldn't re-qualify last year. I'm happy I got the invite as I've always wanted to stay at the resort. I really like the Wynn breakfast/brunch buffet too. (Dinner buffet is trumped by the Bellagio, followed closely by the Rio Village Seafood Buffet) Now I will get a chance to compare Le Reve to "O". Incidentally, Lady Gaga is in town at the MGM Grand Arena the same weekend. Maybe I'll go if I find someone desperate to get rid of tickets for cheap an hour before the show.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Picacho Peak - May 16, 2010
Even though I do fly, I don't usually go into detail about weekends when I'm hanging out with Babe since we usually chill at home, but this time, we actually ventured out of doors. This calls for a blog entry!
Due to Arizona's budget crisis, the state government decided to shut down many of the state parks this year. Picacho Peak State Park is scheduled to be closed early June and the hike to the top of the peak is one of Babe's favorites, so we made a trip out there.
Picacho means "peak" in Spanish, so the name is redundant. Peak Peak. Haha. It reminds me of the movie "Mickey Blue Eyes" with Hugh Grant and "The La Trattoria".
It took about half an hour to drive there, going through a bunch of small towns. I think time forgot them. I don't know what people do for a living and how they survive. Someone was selling wilting potted plants out of a beat-up white van at the crossroads of two lonely highways. There were dollar stores across the street from each other. A "swap meet" sign stood in the front yard of someone's home, with folding tables littered with assorted knick-knacks, but neither customers nor sellers in sight. Makes you totally grateful for what you have.
We arrive at the perfect time for a hike...at 12pm. In Arizona. Is the hot tea "hot hot hot"? That's okay, we packed a ton of water, Gatorade, and snacks. He got to carry it all. :) Fortunately he did because my stamina isn't as good as his. We had to stop a few times for me to catch my breath. The "Hunter Trail" gains 1780 feet in 2.1 miles...pretty steep. (my calves are still sore as I write this) He thought we'd only make it up to the saddle, halfway to the peak. He underestimated my determination. Plus, I wanted to do the cables. We brought gloves to improve the grip. There were sections that were just crazy as you can see in the pictures. But finishers are rewarded with a 360 degree view of the desert and cactus forest. There weren't too many people on the trail so when we reached the peak, we had it to ourselves. We took a short snack break before heading back down. After coming down the steepest portion of the cables, we ran into a family of four heading up. The children looked to be around 8-10 years old. What troopers! The parents must have no worries. I think most of my friends with kids wouldn't take them on this hike until they were teenagers.
This hike was definitely challenging but lots of fun because of the rock climbing aspects. There were portions that you had to walk on railroad ties. If there wasn't any fencing, you could fall straight down if you weren't careful. Because the trail went uphill and downhill getting to the peak, returning back to the car also required effort. This is why my calves are burning! The cables on this trail makes Half Dome seem elementary (not counting the smooth rock face at Half Dome nor the flimsy cables that want to break away...). It was good experience for when we are climbing Half Dome this Labor Day weekend. Yup, another trip in the works. I secured reservations at Upper Pines plus Half Dome permits. (permits are required for 2010 during the busy summer season) I had to wake up at 7am on the first day of availability to do it, both times interrupting my Saturday morning beauty sleep!
After our hike, I wanted to hug a cactus, so we drove around the park to find a decent looking one with lots of arms. (unfortunately the arms don't show in my picture) It takes years and years to grow an arm. Notice I didn't get super close to it. A bit prickly!
The hike took about three hours (not counting breaks) round trip, which translates to around 1000 calories burned! I was ecstatic. I remembered seeing a McDonald's on the interstate, so we shared a double cheeseburger (that second piece of cheese makes a big difference!) and we each had a regular-sized Oreo McFlurry. McFlurry's have a ton of calories...over 550 for a regular size, ouch! But as everyone says, it tastes great after you've earned it!
Little less than two weeks until Maui! I finally traded a timeshare week yesterday, which is pretty last-minute, even for me. I was holding out for a two- or three-bedroom villa in the new towers at the Marriott Maui Ocean Club with a Saturday check-in to show up in the timeshare exchange database. A two-bedroom did appear, but with a Friday check-in, so I passed on it. I eventually lowered my standards to a one-bedroom villa with Saturday check-in, but nothing. Then yesterday morning, a one-bedroom at the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas appeared but with a Friday check-in. I'm still holding out for a Saturday check-in. I don't bother booking it and it disappears. It shows up again at lunchtime, and I realized that this was the place I really wanted to try out, because I had stayed at the Marriott last time I was in Maui, albeit in the older towers. So I booked it! The Friday night is wasted, but for the last night, I'm planning to book one night in a hotel in Hana, to reduce the pain of the drive. It takes three or more hours to get there from West Maui one way (depending on how many times you stop along the way to take in the scenery). Staying in Hana means the return trip doesn't happen until the next day, plus it allows time to do more sightseeing in the area instead of cutting the day short to do the three hour drive back. So it all worked out in the end. I'm looking forward to experience the Westin "Heavenly Bed and Bath". The beach in front of the resort is supposed to have great snorkeling. I think the property is also near where my friend Jennifer is staying (we are vacationing the same week!). By the way, timesharing is great. I'll blog about how to get the most out of timesharing in the near future.
Due to Arizona's budget crisis, the state government decided to shut down many of the state parks this year. Picacho Peak State Park is scheduled to be closed early June and the hike to the top of the peak is one of Babe's favorites, so we made a trip out there.
Picacho means "peak" in Spanish, so the name is redundant. Peak Peak. Haha. It reminds me of the movie "Mickey Blue Eyes" with Hugh Grant and "The La Trattoria".
It took about half an hour to drive there, going through a bunch of small towns. I think time forgot them. I don't know what people do for a living and how they survive. Someone was selling wilting potted plants out of a beat-up white van at the crossroads of two lonely highways. There were dollar stores across the street from each other. A "swap meet" sign stood in the front yard of someone's home, with folding tables littered with assorted knick-knacks, but neither customers nor sellers in sight. Makes you totally grateful for what you have. We arrive at the perfect time for a hike...at 12pm. In Arizona. Is the hot tea "hot hot hot"? That's okay, we packed a ton of water, Gatorade, and snacks. He got to carry it all. :) Fortunately he did because my stamina isn't as good as his. We had to stop a few times for me to catch my breath. The "Hunter Trail" gains 1780 feet in 2.1 miles...pretty steep. (my calves are still sore as I write this) He thought we'd only make it up to the saddle, halfway to the peak. He underestimated my determination. Plus, I wanted to do the cables. We brought gloves to improve the grip. There were sections that were just crazy as you can see in the pictures. But finishers are rewarded with a 360 degree view of the desert and cactus forest. There weren't too many people on the trail so when we reached the peak, we had it to ourselves. We took a short snack break before heading back down. After coming down the steepest portion of the cables, we ran into a family of four heading up. The children looked to be around 8-10 years old. What troopers! The parents must have no worries. I think most of my friends with kids wouldn't take them on this hike until they were teenagers.
After our hike, I wanted to hug a cactus, so we drove around the park to find a decent looking one with lots of arms. (unfortunately the arms don't show in my picture) It takes years and years to grow an arm. Notice I didn't get super close to it. A bit prickly!
The hike took about three hours (not counting breaks) round trip, which translates to around 1000 calories burned! I was ecstatic. I remembered seeing a McDonald's on the interstate, so we shared a double cheeseburger (that second piece of cheese makes a big difference!) and we each had a regular-sized Oreo McFlurry. McFlurry's have a ton of calories...over 550 for a regular size, ouch! But as everyone says, it tastes great after you've earned it!Little less than two weeks until Maui! I finally traded a timeshare week yesterday, which is pretty last-minute, even for me. I was holding out for a two- or three-bedroom villa in the new towers at the Marriott Maui Ocean Club with a Saturday check-in to show up in the timeshare exchange database. A two-bedroom did appear, but with a Friday check-in, so I passed on it. I eventually lowered my standards to a one-bedroom villa with Saturday check-in, but nothing. Then yesterday morning, a one-bedroom at the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas appeared but with a Friday check-in. I'm still holding out for a Saturday check-in. I don't bother booking it and it disappears. It shows up again at lunchtime, and I realized that this was the place I really wanted to try out, because I had stayed at the Marriott last time I was in Maui, albeit in the older towers. So I booked it! The Friday night is wasted, but for the last night, I'm planning to book one night in a hotel in Hana, to reduce the pain of the drive. It takes three or more hours to get there from West Maui one way (depending on how many times you stop along the way to take in the scenery). Staying in Hana means the return trip doesn't happen until the next day, plus it allows time to do more sightseeing in the area instead of cutting the day short to do the three hour drive back. So it all worked out in the end. I'm looking forward to experience the Westin "Heavenly Bed and Bath". The beach in front of the resort is supposed to have great snorkeling. I think the property is also near where my friend Jennifer is staying (we are vacationing the same week!). By the way, timesharing is great. I'll blog about how to get the most out of timesharing in the near future.
Time Machine: Riviera Maya - Day 3-5, February 14-16, 2010
Warm sun, soft sand, at an adults-only all-inclusive resort with not a care in the world except you and your significant other...a perfect way to spend Valentine's Day. Today started like the day before, with a late start to the morning and brunch at the World Cafe. This time, we dressed in our swimwear with appropriate cover-ups to save a trip back to the room. There were a couple of hours before the buffet closed, so the food was "fresher", with two omelette stations open. I asked for two eggs overeasy, and the cook couldn't understand what I wanted. At first she was going to crack the eggs into a bowl to prepare an omelette (they scramble the eggs by hand, not ladle out Egg Beaters), and I shook my head and pointed at the eggs, and then straight at the pan. Eventually another cook came to help and we figured it out. I tried watermelon juice this time. Of course, I loaded up on papaya!
We decided to hang out on the chaises near the pool to mix things up a bit, but there was not a free space to be found! Though, no one was in the pool. Perhaps the drink service is quicker by the pool versus the beach. We saw employees carrying kabob trays, push taco carts around, and walk around with foam ice chests containing fruit popsicles for the people lounging by the pool...that was a nice touch. We were full from brunch so we did not partake in any of the snacks though a fresh soft taco was tempting. After a few minutes combing the grounds, we found a couple of loungers away from the main pool that had an umbrella for shade, so we relaxed there for a bit. The sun came out that day so it was a bit too warm outside of shade. Babe disappeared for a little while and came back with great news...he found a perfect spot on the beach for us! We pack up and head out there. He wasn't kidding. It was an unobstructed view of the ocean. :)
After resting for a bit, we took a leisurely stroll up and down the beach. The beach in front of our resort is a lot better than in front of neighboring resorts, even though it's all one beach. I think Secrets trucked in a lot of extra soft sand. It felt like walking on concrete in front of the other hotels. We passed by the volleyball court, and people were trying to get us to join in. I was tempted just to be nice and social, but Babe shook his head. I guess it was for the best, as we were on a limited time budget and it was just jungle ball.
When we returned to our stretch of beach, we noticed that there were two employees passing out red roses to the women for Valentine's Day. One of the employees was dressed up like Cupid! We didn't reach our chairs in time to receive a rose, but it was all right, as I didn't have a vase to put it in. Another nice touch by Secrets.
We saw people putting up a wooden structure on the beach, dressed it with gauzy fabric, and set up a circular pub-like table on the sand. I guessed it was a wedding, and I was correct! The wedding party consisted of the happy couple and what looked to be her parents. Now this is what I call a destination wedding, simple and sweet! After they got married by the officiant, the people on the beach clapped. They were served champagne at the table, followed by photographs. The bride stepped into the ocean with her dress on! What was funny was that during the photo session, this old guy insisted on taking a dip in the ocean in the background! The poor photographer had to angle his camera not to have the man show up in the pictures! No one was in the ocean at the time, and of all the places, he had to swim there. I wonder if he knew what was going on?
The sun was starting to reach the horizon, so we headed back to the room to prepare for dinner. There was a long line at the French restaurant (typical Valentine's Day fare) so we ended up trying the Mexican Restaurant "El Patio", which was by far the best restaurant on the trip. Too bad we didn't come here earlier! The food wasn't your usual tacos/enchiladas/burritos. Babe had foie gras for an appetizer and I had a lobster soft taco. His entree was pineapple and suckling pig, a treat for lovers of "pineapple and Canadian bacon" pizza. I had something with mole sauce (I don't remember if it was duck or fish) but it was really delicious. We also had exotic desserts ("foam" and sponge cake), plus the chef sent us a special Valentine's Day dessert which included a small heart-shaped cake and chocolate delicacies. Sorry, I didn't have a camera with me tonight, nor was the lighting good for photos. Too bad this was our last night at Secrets; I wanted to try everything on the menu because of the way it was described. To satisfy your curiosity, I found pictures of the menu here and here, thanks to "Moe's Photos"! I don't know you, but we're both Secrets alumni; thanks Moe! I want to note that we were offered a "Valentine's Day Menu" at the restaurant, and nothing on the menu was even close to their normal fare. Caesar Salad? Regular grilled steak? Creme Brulee? I guess they were preparing themselves for overflow from the French restaurant. I'd rather have their salad with "smoked Mexican grasshopper dressing".
It was our last night, so sad. We really enjoyed being our stay here. Three nights was not enough. I think I could have stayed another two more nights. After dinner, we returned to our room and on the way back, we passed by the open-air auditorium where there was a "Cirque"-type show going on. It sounded like the venue was packed and lots of clapping, so it must have been good. We hardly had time to take in these events. I also heard that on Wednesdays, they offer "Secrets Idol", where the winner receives a free three-night stay back at Secrets! I totally would've tried for it if I was there. So there are things to do if you are so inclined. (besides all-you-can-drink)
The next morning, we checked out and our private transfer back to the airport was close to on-time. We had no problems with the flights, finding adequate overhead bin space for our carry-ons. (I still insisted on being gate lice) We flew into Miami again, and since we had a couple of hours to spare, we grabbed some rolls at Sushi Maki. It was pretty good for what seemed to be a chain. Then the dreaded walk all the way to our 2nd plane. That airport is definitely larger than it seems. We make it back home around 9:30pm. Just enough time to sleep and wake up in time to catch my early morning flight straight to work. :( My life begins and ends at an airport.
In summary, Secrets is a perfect place to stay to spend some quality one-on-one time with your babe. If you're looking for a place that has luxurious accommodations paired with gourmet dining, yet low-key (not snooty!), plus an awesome beach with no crazy drunk people running around, this is it. Just let me know when you want to book and I can make it happen. :)
When we returned to our stretch of beach, we noticed that there were two employees passing out red roses to the women for Valentine's Day. One of the employees was dressed up like Cupid! We didn't reach our chairs in time to receive a rose, but it was all right, as I didn't have a vase to put it in. Another nice touch by Secrets.
The sun was starting to reach the horizon, so we headed back to the room to prepare for dinner. There was a long line at the French restaurant (typical Valentine's Day fare) so we ended up trying the Mexican Restaurant "El Patio", which was by far the best restaurant on the trip. Too bad we didn't come here earlier! The food wasn't your usual tacos/enchiladas/burritos. Babe had foie gras for an appetizer and I had a lobster soft taco. His entree was pineapple and suckling pig, a treat for lovers of "pineapple and Canadian bacon" pizza. I had something with mole sauce (I don't remember if it was duck or fish) but it was really delicious. We also had exotic desserts ("foam" and sponge cake), plus the chef sent us a special Valentine's Day dessert which included a small heart-shaped cake and chocolate delicacies. Sorry, I didn't have a camera with me tonight, nor was the lighting good for photos. Too bad this was our last night at Secrets; I wanted to try everything on the menu because of the way it was described. To satisfy your curiosity, I found pictures of the menu here and here, thanks to "Moe's Photos"! I don't know you, but we're both Secrets alumni; thanks Moe! I want to note that we were offered a "Valentine's Day Menu" at the restaurant, and nothing on the menu was even close to their normal fare. Caesar Salad? Regular grilled steak? Creme Brulee? I guess they were preparing themselves for overflow from the French restaurant. I'd rather have their salad with "smoked Mexican grasshopper dressing".
It was our last night, so sad. We really enjoyed being our stay here. Three nights was not enough. I think I could have stayed another two more nights. After dinner, we returned to our room and on the way back, we passed by the open-air auditorium where there was a "Cirque"-type show going on. It sounded like the venue was packed and lots of clapping, so it must have been good. We hardly had time to take in these events. I also heard that on Wednesdays, they offer "Secrets Idol", where the winner receives a free three-night stay back at Secrets! I totally would've tried for it if I was there. So there are things to do if you are so inclined. (besides all-you-can-drink)
The next morning, we checked out and our private transfer back to the airport was close to on-time. We had no problems with the flights, finding adequate overhead bin space for our carry-ons. (I still insisted on being gate lice) We flew into Miami again, and since we had a couple of hours to spare, we grabbed some rolls at Sushi Maki. It was pretty good for what seemed to be a chain. Then the dreaded walk all the way to our 2nd plane. That airport is definitely larger than it seems. We make it back home around 9:30pm. Just enough time to sleep and wake up in time to catch my early morning flight straight to work. :( My life begins and ends at an airport.
In summary, Secrets is a perfect place to stay to spend some quality one-on-one time with your babe. If you're looking for a place that has luxurious accommodations paired with gourmet dining, yet low-key (not snooty!), plus an awesome beach with no crazy drunk people running around, this is it. Just let me know when you want to book and I can make it happen. :)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time Machine: Riviera Maya - Day 2, February 13, 2010
Another interesting feature of the room is the "Secrets Box". I had heard it mentioned in a review, but I could not understand what it was from the context. Now I know...it's a cabinet built into the wall next to your door, with access from the outside as well as access from the inside via wooden doors. Of course, it can be bolted from inside the room! You open the door and there is a space that is about 1.5'L x 1.5'W x 3'H that you can put stuff in. This is a way to bus any trays/plates/glasses from your room without having anyone come in. People on the outside can open the cabinet and retrieve the items. In fact, I think room service can also drop off food through this "box" so they don't ever have to come in. Since there is no bill or tipping, you don't have to sign anything, so it works out well. We never used the box except the few nights that the employees dropped off daily activity listings, but it's a nice touch if you savor your privacy. I probably should have taken a picture of this.
This morning, my stomach was growling so we decided to hit the World Cafe, which serves food buffet-style. It was still breakfast/brunch time, which I love. I always scout out the buffet first before grabbing food. There were two stations that were preparing eggs/omelettes/waffles to order. There was a whole wall of fruit selections and fruit drinks to choose from. There was the standard hot fare like bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, etc. along with a few Mexican items like fajitas. There was real hot chocolate that you ladle into a rustic hand-made clay mug. The bakery section was abundant with the usual spread of pastries, breads, and bagels. There was a cold salad area including cured meats and cheeses. The selection was very good, even near closing time. I try not to go to buffets when they're about to close, but with the late start of the day, I had no choice. I was still very happy with the selections available. (I didn't have my camera with me since this was an all-inclusive, and no wallets or purses are needed, just the room key!) Since I was in a foreign country, I like to taste unique and local foods. I tried a juice called "jugo verde". I had no idea what was in it, and it definitely wasn't kiwi. I just googled it now and it has all sorts of stuff in it like pineapple, orange, parsley, alfalfa, and celery. Definitely unique! I had my fill of ripe Mexican papaya from the fruit bar, yum! I also tried a guava and a passionfruit. In the hot food section, I found something called Aztec pie that reminded me of lasagna, but layered with tortillas and cut up into diamond-shaped servings. I tried the fresh hot chocolate; I think they used whole milk in it as it was rich, but unfortunately it was on the tepid side as breakfast was winding down. On the other side of the buffet were more fruit juice dispensers. There was tangerine juice, and it tasted fresh-squeezed. Labor definitely must be really cheap. For dessert, I scooped some flan-like item. Wiggly custard desserts aren't my thing, but since I was in Mexico, I had to try the local fare. It was good, but still too wiggly for my taste. After breakfast, we stroll back to the room to change into swimwear to lounge on the beach. Everywhere we go, we hardly see anyone. The restaurant was 1/4 full (it was about end of breakfast though). The stroll from the World Cafe to the room was at least a couple of buildings, and we passed more employees than guests. We didn't hear anyone last night or in the morning. It was almost like the resort was half-deserted, but I heard that it was almost full. Was everyone was locked up in their rooms doing adult activities, or out on excursions, or on the beach? I didn't mind at all...I like being at a quiet resort. It also helped that children under 18 were not allowed.
We noticed that there were cooks whipping up some kind of stir-fry on the beach in a huge wok. I think it must have been 3 feet in diameter. Babe went up to get some. It was some sort of beef stir-fry with bell peppers; it was all right. I went to the restroom and noticed a buffet set up near the pool. There was a huge bowl of guacamole, loaded with chunks of fresh avocado...made possible yet again by cheap labor! I grabbed a big scoopful along with some tortilla chips, and more papaya, yum! When the wind started to pick up and sunlight was diminishing, we headed back to the room to wash up and get ready for dinner.
There were several restaurants on the second floor of the main building: Mexican, Italian, and French. We decided to go to the Italian restaurant Portofino as it had the least wait. The hostess gave us a pager and we went to the bar to get a few drinks. The bar was in the lobby area and there were a lot of people there, but it wasn't terribly crowded or people pushing their way to get drinks. The bartenders filled orders quickly and they didn't water the drinks down. There were munchies such as pretzels, spicy peanuts, and white cheddar Cheez-its (had to control myself here). Twenty minutes later, our pager lights up and we head to Portofino. I would've taken pictures but it was quite dark inside for ambiance and I didn't want to blind everyone with a flash. The most memorable dishes were the duck prosciutto appetizer and tiramisu. The dessert wasn't cut from a pan, but made individually: a miniature coffee ladyfinger on the bottom, topped with a dollop of sweet mascarpone, dusted with cocoa. It was quite tasty and light.
After dinner, we retired for the night. The only activity going on tonight was dancing at the night club. Secrets isn't one of those places with loud music everywhere and multiple events happening at the same time. It's supposed to be a romantic place where you spend one-on-one time with your babe. If you're looking for things to do because you're bored, this isn't the place. Come here if you appreciate soaking in a double jacuzzi tub. :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Time Machine: Riviera Maya - Day 1, February 12, 2010
Time Machine is back!
It was the long President's Day weekend (and Valentine's Day!), a perfect time to get away. Babe and I took Friday off to make it a 4-day weekend. We were headed down to Cancun; more specifically, the Riviera Maya region, which is a bit further south. I had always wanted to try out an all-inclusive resort. I've been on a lot of cruises but they truly aren't all-inclusive, ie. no booze (except the really fancy lines like Silversea). I'm not a big drinker, so I didn't expect to get my money's worth at an all-inclusive, but wanted to get the experience so that I would be more knowledgeable in describing all-inclusive trips to potential clients. :)
Getting to Cancun, I did the unthinkable...I flew American Airlines! I know! How could I be disloyal to United? United's fares to Cancun were over $100 more than AA and I couldn't justify the extra expense, plus I had a 10% off coupon for AA. I also didn't have any CR-1's (confirmed regional upgrades) in my account either, which are good for Mexico. So I betrayed United to save $200+, since I was going to sit in coach anyway.
I have no status on American, so I had to become a "gate louse"! (I explained this in my 2nd blog post, how people vulture around the gate before the boarding process begins) I wanted to make sure we had overhead bin space. Since this was just a long weekend, we only brought carry-ons to avoid paying baggage charges, not only because I wasn't an elite, but I also didn't want to waste time checking in nor waiting for luggage on this short getaway. I also lamented that I could not board early due to non-status...Babe laughed at me. What's worse was we were seated further up front on the airplane, which meant we board late with American's boarding priorities. :( I was getting anxious, a fish out of water. Finally our seating number was called and we board, hoping there will be space, as you know, people do this all the time, the ones that sit in the back put their bags up front so they don't have to lug it all the way back with them. They aren't even worried that someone will take their bag? (it's happened to people) Fortunately, people didn't have too many big carry-ons.
I sat in the middle seat of a 3-seat row as Babe prefers the window. He'd offer to sit in the middle, but it's better for me to lean against him in case I needed to get away from a possible person-of-size/stinky/sleepyhead-bobbing-on-me person in the aisle seat; it'd look funny if it was the other way around, a 6' 1" guy leaning into me, hehe. American's coach seat pitch and legroom wasn't too bad, wasn't far off from United's Economy Plus. Though I have been spoiled by sitting in first class and exit rows, I can occasionally "rough it" in the back. Fortunately, I had no problems with the person in the aisle seat.
Our flight was not direct; we had to go through Miami. I was lucky to have chosen to fly through Miami, not only for the extra miles (Babe complained why we had to fly all the way east and then southwest), but we also avoided the snowstorm that was going on in Dallas (I didn't know it could snow there!) that delayed and/or grounded a lot of flights. Our vacation could've been ruined. Normally I'd pick the most direct route, but the mileage-accumulating side of me saved the day.
Miami airport is bigger than it seems. We had to walk quite a ways to get to our next plane. It felt like we walked for miles. We had enough time to grab a baguette sandwich for lunch before we had to board again. Repeat the gate louse activity. Bin space secured. Sit in middle seat again. Cancun here we come.
I've been to Cancun before, but not to the Riviera Maya. If you're headed to the hotel zone in Cancun, you can pick up a cheap transfer when you arrive at the airport, but it's a longer drive to the hotels in Riviera Maya. I decided to shop around on the internet to find a private car since I didn't want to wait who knows how long before they fill up a shuttle, and didn't want to stop by multiple hotels for drop off, not on Valentine's Day weekend. Of all the websites I scrutinized, along with reading reviews off various boards, I settled on Cancun Transfers. It was very easy to book, prices were reasonable, and I paid with PayPal. You can pay cash when you arrive if you're not thrilled with pre-paying someone in Mexico. They have someone waiting for you when you exit the airport. Note, walk straight out of the airport and don't let people trick you into attending a timeshare presentation. They're hanging out right before the exit doors of the airport, sidling up to you, asking if you want to partake in some free activities or if you need a transfer, and so forth. Just keep walking until you exit. Then look for a guy holding up a sign with your name on it. Our guy received us and called a driver to come pick us up. After a few minutes, he led us to the car - it was a Cadillac Escalade, very cool! Francisco was our driver and we made our way to the hotel within 30 minutes, driving fast, yet still safe. I liked his urgency, as I was excited to get to the hotel. As Francisco was nearing a slower car in the left lane, he'd flash his headlights to warn them he was coming up, and they'd move over. It wasn't aggressive, more like "hey, I'm catching up". Eventually we make it to the hotel area, and he had to drive through two guarded gates where he was questioned about where we were going. The road started getting bumpier as we were approaching private property. The final road to the hotel was well-paved, one-lane, with small turnouts for exiting cars. We get to the hotel, and Babe tipped Francisco $10 and he was wide-eyed and thankful. Babe was happy with the swift transportation too. ;) The bellhops immediately take our carry-ons and give us a tag. They did ask "That's all?", referring to our lack of luggage. I guess they are used to people carrying the kitchen sink with them.
Now which hotel did we go to? Inquiring minds want to know. We were staying at Secrets Maroma Beach. It's exactly like the pictures. Walking into the beautiful lobby, we were directed to two seats in front of a desk (literally a "front desk"!), where the hostess met us, offered us refreshments which we declined, gave us our room information, and took our credit card info. She warned that the charge was in pesos, and not to get a heart attack to see so many zeroes, haha. They also charged USD$350 or so for "incidentals", which she claimed would be removed from the card after the final check-out. I had read in a review that they didn't take off the charge once, but I was hoping it would all work out.
We had a "Junior Suite Tropical View" room. No view of the beach, but that didn't matter, as it was still beautiful to see the trees swaying outside. The room is exactly as pictured on the website. Luxurious king poster bed, flat-screen TV with satellite channels (including Playboy, haha), natural stone everywhere, huge jacuzzi bathtub, double sized shower, and a balcony. Even the toilet paper was dressed. :) There was a minibar with cute little bottles of "Coronitas" (beer), soft drinks in recycled glass bottles, bottled water, fruit juice.
Disclaimer: I didn't take a ton of pictures while on this vacation because it literally looks like the website, and all we did was hang out in the room, eat, or go to the beach. The website didn't have a picture of the toilet paper, so I included one, haha.
We were starving, so we hit the Japanese restaurant as it was the closest to the room. I was hoping to get a seat at the teppanyaki table, but you have to make reservations ahead of time. The people at the teppanyaki table were just having a ball; they must not have a "Benihana" where they live. They were totally entertained by the chef's performance. I just wanted the food. :( We ended up ordering off the regular menu, which was Asian-inspired. The food was okay, nothing special to blog about. Too bad I hadn't chosen the other restaurants instead, as I found out later in the weekend. After dinner, it was time to retire to the room. Today's entry ends here. ;)
It was the long President's Day weekend (and Valentine's Day!), a perfect time to get away. Babe and I took Friday off to make it a 4-day weekend. We were headed down to Cancun; more specifically, the Riviera Maya region, which is a bit further south. I had always wanted to try out an all-inclusive resort. I've been on a lot of cruises but they truly aren't all-inclusive, ie. no booze (except the really fancy lines like Silversea). I'm not a big drinker, so I didn't expect to get my money's worth at an all-inclusive, but wanted to get the experience so that I would be more knowledgeable in describing all-inclusive trips to potential clients. :)
Getting to Cancun, I did the unthinkable...I flew American Airlines! I know! How could I be disloyal to United? United's fares to Cancun were over $100 more than AA and I couldn't justify the extra expense, plus I had a 10% off coupon for AA. I also didn't have any CR-1's (confirmed regional upgrades) in my account either, which are good for Mexico. So I betrayed United to save $200+, since I was going to sit in coach anyway.
I have no status on American, so I had to become a "gate louse"! (I explained this in my 2nd blog post, how people vulture around the gate before the boarding process begins) I wanted to make sure we had overhead bin space. Since this was just a long weekend, we only brought carry-ons to avoid paying baggage charges, not only because I wasn't an elite, but I also didn't want to waste time checking in nor waiting for luggage on this short getaway. I also lamented that I could not board early due to non-status...Babe laughed at me. What's worse was we were seated further up front on the airplane, which meant we board late with American's boarding priorities. :( I was getting anxious, a fish out of water. Finally our seating number was called and we board, hoping there will be space, as you know, people do this all the time, the ones that sit in the back put their bags up front so they don't have to lug it all the way back with them. They aren't even worried that someone will take their bag? (it's happened to people) Fortunately, people didn't have too many big carry-ons.
I sat in the middle seat of a 3-seat row as Babe prefers the window. He'd offer to sit in the middle, but it's better for me to lean against him in case I needed to get away from a possible person-of-size/stinky/sleepyhead-bobbing-on-me person in the aisle seat; it'd look funny if it was the other way around, a 6' 1" guy leaning into me, hehe. American's coach seat pitch and legroom wasn't too bad, wasn't far off from United's Economy Plus. Though I have been spoiled by sitting in first class and exit rows, I can occasionally "rough it" in the back. Fortunately, I had no problems with the person in the aisle seat.
Our flight was not direct; we had to go through Miami. I was lucky to have chosen to fly through Miami, not only for the extra miles (Babe complained why we had to fly all the way east and then southwest), but we also avoided the snowstorm that was going on in Dallas (I didn't know it could snow there!) that delayed and/or grounded a lot of flights. Our vacation could've been ruined. Normally I'd pick the most direct route, but the mileage-accumulating side of me saved the day.
Miami airport is bigger than it seems. We had to walk quite a ways to get to our next plane. It felt like we walked for miles. We had enough time to grab a baguette sandwich for lunch before we had to board again. Repeat the gate louse activity. Bin space secured. Sit in middle seat again. Cancun here we come.
I've been to Cancun before, but not to the Riviera Maya. If you're headed to the hotel zone in Cancun, you can pick up a cheap transfer when you arrive at the airport, but it's a longer drive to the hotels in Riviera Maya. I decided to shop around on the internet to find a private car since I didn't want to wait who knows how long before they fill up a shuttle, and didn't want to stop by multiple hotels for drop off, not on Valentine's Day weekend. Of all the websites I scrutinized, along with reading reviews off various boards, I settled on Cancun Transfers. It was very easy to book, prices were reasonable, and I paid with PayPal. You can pay cash when you arrive if you're not thrilled with pre-paying someone in Mexico. They have someone waiting for you when you exit the airport. Note, walk straight out of the airport and don't let people trick you into attending a timeshare presentation. They're hanging out right before the exit doors of the airport, sidling up to you, asking if you want to partake in some free activities or if you need a transfer, and so forth. Just keep walking until you exit. Then look for a guy holding up a sign with your name on it. Our guy received us and called a driver to come pick us up. After a few minutes, he led us to the car - it was a Cadillac Escalade, very cool! Francisco was our driver and we made our way to the hotel within 30 minutes, driving fast, yet still safe. I liked his urgency, as I was excited to get to the hotel. As Francisco was nearing a slower car in the left lane, he'd flash his headlights to warn them he was coming up, and they'd move over. It wasn't aggressive, more like "hey, I'm catching up". Eventually we make it to the hotel area, and he had to drive through two guarded gates where he was questioned about where we were going. The road started getting bumpier as we were approaching private property. The final road to the hotel was well-paved, one-lane, with small turnouts for exiting cars. We get to the hotel, and Babe tipped Francisco $10 and he was wide-eyed and thankful. Babe was happy with the swift transportation too. ;) The bellhops immediately take our carry-ons and give us a tag. They did ask "That's all?", referring to our lack of luggage. I guess they are used to people carrying the kitchen sink with them.
Now which hotel did we go to? Inquiring minds want to know. We were staying at Secrets Maroma Beach. It's exactly like the pictures. Walking into the beautiful lobby, we were directed to two seats in front of a desk (literally a "front desk"!), where the hostess met us, offered us refreshments which we declined, gave us our room information, and took our credit card info. She warned that the charge was in pesos, and not to get a heart attack to see so many zeroes, haha. They also charged USD$350 or so for "incidentals", which she claimed would be removed from the card after the final check-out. I had read in a review that they didn't take off the charge once, but I was hoping it would all work out.
Disclaimer: I didn't take a ton of pictures while on this vacation because it literally looks like the website, and all we did was hang out in the room, eat, or go to the beach. The website didn't have a picture of the toilet paper, so I included one, haha.
We were starving, so we hit the Japanese restaurant as it was the closest to the room. I was hoping to get a seat at the teppanyaki table, but you have to make reservations ahead of time. The people at the teppanyaki table were just having a ball; they must not have a "Benihana" where they live. They were totally entertained by the chef's performance. I just wanted the food. :( We ended up ordering off the regular menu, which was Asian-inspired. The food was okay, nothing special to blog about. Too bad I hadn't chosen the other restaurants instead, as I found out later in the weekend. After dinner, it was time to retire to the room. Today's entry ends here. ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)