AVENTURA SPA PALACE
PLAYA DEL CARMEN
QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
NOVEMBER 26-30, 2003
THURSDAY

The beach

We were awakened by a call from Guest Services, who had learned we were unhappy with our room. They insisted that they had found a room that we would love. They told us a porter would come in an hour. We packed up once more and called room service for breakfast. Just orange juice, a roll, and coffee. That's all they had. Sobeit. The bellboy came as promised and took us to a room right on the water, near the beach, the pool, the snackbar, the chaises. Finally!

We took our toalla cards (they give you a plastic card which you may exchange for one, and only one, beach towel. When you turn in your towel, you get your card back. Chintzy.) There is no real beach here--the reef comes right up to the shore. So, they've created a quarter-mile long lagoon with sand, kayaks, pedal boats. There are more than enough palapas there, and along the inner pools that wend their way throughout the property. It's amazing how uncrowded things are. But the Royal Hideaway Bay it's not. There are no beach boys to set up your chair and give you three towels. There are no flags to raise when you want a drink, although waitresses circulate frequently among the chairs. There are activities going on every minute. Water aerobics with Octavio was a favorite with Carol, "Geev eet to me bebe, I like it roff!"

Aerobics

My activity for the week is going to be deciding which is best: a margarita, a frozen margarita, a caipirinha, or a daiquiri.

On the chaise

We had lunch at the snack bar, which had a huge buffet of hot and cold foods, some of which were pretty good, along with steaks, chicken, and ribs cooked to order. We spent the rest of the day at the pool, took a nap, and had dinner at Las Ventanas, a very colorful Italian buffet, which wasn't bad.

Dinner

After dinner, there was a show of Mayan folklore, with lots of drumming, whistling, conch blowing, and dancers in costume, renacting a deer hunt.

Mayan night..Mayan dancing

These people preserve the culture of their ancestors, who dressed up in animal skins and hunted with bows and arrows, and played field hockey with their enemies' heads, while mine were busy writing the Talmud.

On to Friday, November 28

Back to Wednesday, November 26

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