Vacation: Playa Del Carmen

October 13, 2009

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:

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Here’s the main pool:

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

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This is the view from our palapa :)

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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…

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

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

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

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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!

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

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

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I really loved watching the Iguanas!

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

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But it wasn’t so bad :)

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

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Jose was our guide during the snorkeling adventure…

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A lovely self-portrait, ha!

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

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

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Here’s mom standing in one of the entryways…

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

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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!

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

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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…

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Goodbye Playa!  See you next year!

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