Tonight I decided to finally take a look at the photos from the vacation I took to Playa Del Carmen in September.  I met my mom there for a week stay at Shangri-La Caribe.  It is a quaint resort featuring the cleanest rooms and most friendly staff I have ever come across!  I am already planning on returning to the exact same resort next spring!  I left Ketchum carrying very few electronic devices…among them however, I carried my Canon EOS 5D, Canon 50mm 1.2 lens, Canon 70-200 2.8 lens and my Canon G10 outfitted with an underwater housing unit that Craig Wolfrom so generously let me borrow!

Here’s a look at our palapa:

Here’s the main pool:

Just past the pool is the main bar where I spent many hours playing ping-pong against some of the staff waiters and bartenders

This is the view from our palapa

When we booked the hotel stay, I was really looking forward to hanging out at their bar which features swings…however, since occupancy was so low while we were there, this area of the hotel was closed…

Next spring when I return, I WILL be sitting on a swing, with drink in hand…

The volleyball area was also quiet…but I have a feeling I’ll be playing some ball when I return…

This is mom and I in our individual hammocks on our balcony…

Before we headed out to the beach on our first day…mom stayed very busy blowing up the float she dragged all the way from Atlanta!

Most days, if I wasn’t sitting in the ocean, I was sitting on the comfy chairs on the beach…

Or I was sitting in the pool, reading my book!

I really loved watching the Iguanas!

When presented with an Iguana to hold, I was a bit scared at first…

But it wasn’t so bad

On our third day in Playa, we went on a snorkeling trip.  This is the view of our little resort from the boat:

Jose was our guide during the snorkeling adventure…

A lovely self-portrait, ha!

Toward the end of our tour, Jose swam down to pick up a shell for a souvenir!

Later in the week, mom and I drove south to check out the Mayan ruins of Tulum:

Here’s mom standing in one of the entryways…

We also came across a protected area for Sea Turtle hatching…

It was a HOT day when we visited Tulum…and many of the tourists decided to take a dip in the ocean halfway through…but mom and I had snorkeling on our brains!

On our way back from Tulum, mom and I stopped at a lagoon in Akumal for some snorkeling

During our last day on the beach I attempted to get a shot of the waves breaking…but this was the best shot I got…

Goodbye Playa!  See you next year!