Category: Mexico Page 4 of 5

With time shares in both Cancun and Mazatlan, Connie and her family spend a minimum of 2 weeks a year in Mexico and many photos and articles will deal with trips to these locations, the Mexican Riviera, Cabo San Lucas, etc.

Playa del Carmen Gives Illusion of Summer for a Few More Days

By Connie Wilson

On November 9, 2015

In Mexico, travel

As part of my birthday cruise in July, I negotiated a week on land, free of charge. I assumed that week would be near the embarcation point (Barcelona), but my husband took the call and selected Playa del Carmen from the list of resorts that RCI would front us a free week on land.

Mayan Palace, Mexican Riviera, largest swimming pool in Latin America.

So, here we are in sunny Mexico, where the preceding 4 days before we landed were rainy. It was extremely humid when we landed and we learned that the inflated price we had paid for transportation to the Mayan Palace outside of Cancun would have been complimentary, had we identified as RCI owners. However, the main point is that we arrived, safe and sound, and spent today (our first full day) lounging poolside in 85+ weather.

Craig lounging poolside at the Mayan Palace.

Last night, on the recommendation of other vacationers, we ate in the Italian restaurant on the grounds. The special was lobster, shrimp and steak, and it was very good. The restaurant was so chilly that my glasses fogged up from the extreme difference in temperature from the heat outside to the A/C inside.

The Italian restaurant within the Mayan Palace.

The pool here is said to be the largest in Latin America, and that is not hard to believe when you walk along it, as it seems close to 2 football fields long. This area has several resorts (The Grand Luxe is another) built up in the same area and, according to those who own time shares, the place has grown by leaps and bounds. The beach here is also very nice, although not as nice, for my tastes, as the white sands of Cancun proper.

Looks almost like a nude pool, but it’s an optical illusion.

It is supposed to stay sunny and warm until Wednesday, so the pool will, no doubt, beckon until then, when a rain shower is predicted and the town of Playa del Carmen may beckon.

Craig figuring the tip after a great dinner.

Of FREE Books NOW & Tarantula Bites Then ?

By Connie Wilson

On April 23, 2015

In Books, Mexico, travel, Uncategorized

This is the day that I remind you of tomorrow’s FREE give-away of the 3rd installment in the Hellfire & Damnation short story series. The KDP (Kindle) give-away is scheduled for April 24, April 25, May 2, 3 and 4th. For more information on the book(s) and for trailers, check at www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com.

While letting readers know about the give-away (again) is one concern, my biggest concern the past week has been my left leg. Something bit me in Mexico. I think it happened on Wednesday and, no, I’m not kidding about the possibility it was a small tarantula, since I had watched the lifeguards at the beach in Cancun cart one off on a stick that was (roughly) the size of your knuckles. I remember that my friend said, “What bit you?” and I nonchalantly said, “I don’t know. I probably ran into something.” The small (about 1 inch) cut was bleeding slightly.

By the next day, I was hot and uncomfortable and sweaty. That was just the prelude to a “fit” of sorts that took place at 4:10 a.m. on Friday. My teeth were chattering so hard that I couldn’t speak and all my muscles became rigid, while my arms and hands resembled the tragic footage of the Saran gas victims in Syria that was shown on “Sixty Minutes” recently. I was absolutely baffled; nothing like this had ever hit me before. My husband said (later), “I thought you were having a stroke.”

Meanwhile, I was blaming it on overly cool air conditioning–which was not really the case and didn’t explain any of the baffling symptoms described above. All day Friday I felt punk, sleeping until almost 3:30 p.m. after trying to get up and get going earlier. I had no appetite and could eat no dinner with the other 3 vacationers.

As we sat there on our last night of vacation, feet propped up on a pillow watching television, my college roommate said, with alarm, “What’s the matter with your leg?” I had not been aware that there was anything the matter with my leg, but I knew I didn’t feel good. When she had me put both feet out, side-by-side, it was obvious that there were two roughly fifty-cent sized red places on my left shin.

Dr. John Rhodes, vacationing with us, came in from the balcony and immediately said (after examining the leg), “You’ve got cellulitis,” which is an infection of the skin that can be caused by insect bites, staph or other bacteria, or even by mersa, the flesh-eating bacteria. The antibiotic I have been taking in 500 mg. dosages 4 times a day since Sunday (the earliest I could get back to the United States and be seen by another doctor to receive a prescription) is designed to protect against nearly every infectious agent, and the leg IS responding, but my need(s) to let the world know a book is free has faded slightly in significance when compared to the thought of intravenous antibiotics in a hospital.

Meanwhile, I’ve provided you with graphic evidence of why you should always travel with Bactine or another antibiotic ointment and use it if you are bitten by some mysterious bug. I wish I had.

Easter Week in Cancun, Mexico

By Connie Wilson

On April 9, 2015

In Mexico, Television, travel

We’re coming to the end of Easter week in Cancun at the Royal Sands. The weather has been lovely and the water warm.

Tomorrow, the men will play golf. Tonight was prime rib night at the Veranda restaurant and it was just as good as prime rib at Short Hills, which is a high standard to meet.

We also dined on traditional Mexican cuisine at Sisal and have taken in the Seafood Surprise (lobster, shrimp, grouper, calamari, scallops) at Captain’s Cove, where we watched both an alligator and a sting ray swim beneath the deck where eleven of us were eating.

Daughter Stacey left today and had to fly back to Chicago with tornadoes and 70 mph winds hammering places like Rochelle, IL, near DeKalb. There were also tornadoes in Iowa, Michigan and other parts of the Midwest.

Sunset in Cabo San Lucas (Sunset Beach)

By Connie Wilson

On January 20, 2014

In Mexico, travel

As soon as we arrived in Cabo San Lucas at the Sunset Beach Resort, we were told to be sure to take in sunset from the hot tub near the Sky Bar Pool.

To get to the Sky Bar Pool—-or anywhere, for that matter, at Sunset Beach—-you take a small golf cart driven by the staff.

No one warned us that the Sky Bar Pool was crowded at all times of day, and, given the crowd there in early afternoon, the entire idea of room in the hot tub at sunset was soon discarded and a plan was formulated to try to film the sun going down.

“It goes down fast!” said the experienced tourists who had witnessed the phenomenon in the past.

So, I set up on a railing of the pool area and waited, and the video above is the result.

Finished two books this week: “Dr. Sleep” (Stephen King) and “Cuckoo’s Calling” (Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rawlings).

Spinner Dolphins Running Off the Coast of Cabo San Lucas on January 13, 2014

By Connie Wilson

On January 18, 2014

In Mexico, travel

Most of the video I took of gray humpback whales and spinner dolphins on Monday looks like it was shot by an 8-year-old. It was so sunny out that I couldn’t tell whether I was getting the dolphins and whales or not.

Even those with eye views said it was hard to tell in the bright sunlight off the Caborey (boat) and, so, you will have to watch through a large amount of shakey footage to see a whale’s tail disappearing. I may post it, but it is going to take over 35 minutes to do so.

Therefore, for the moment, here is the short piece of spinner dolphin footage, running directly in front of the ship. Truly an amazing sight. Because we sat through a “presentation” (which consisted mainly of a tour of the properties at Sunset Beach—see pictures on the Pinterest page for Connie Corcoran Wilson)—we got our tickets for half price, and it included all you can drink and breakfast.

Enjoy!

Dolphins and Whale Watching off the Coast of Cabo San Lucas on January 14, 2014

By Connie Wilson

On January 16, 2014

In Mexico, travel

We went out whale watching on a large boat and it was truly an amazing experience. Not only did we see many whales, but there were entire schools of dolphin(s) that ran right ahead of the boat.

Plus, it was an open bar and breakfast was served.

Beautiful weather here, but it ends day after tomorrow, sadly.

Cabo San Lucas, Sunset Beach Sky Bar, January 5, 2014.

By Connie Wilson

On January 10, 2014

In Mexico, travel

Sky Bar Pool. Cabo San Lucas. Sunset Beach.

I’m going to do my best to post some pictures, although the Internet is very slow here. First, some shots of the amazing Sky Bar Pool that overlooks the ocean and has a bird’s eye view of a gorgeous sunset.

Sunset in Cabo San Lucas.

The view from the hot tub at sunset is truly amazing!

View from our room.

I have so many beautiful shots, but the Internet here is as amazingly slow as that sunset is beautiful

Sunset Beach Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Sky Bar.

Still, a picture IS worth 1,000 words. (Even if it takes a lot longer to load).

Cabo San Lucas on January 3rd and 4th, 2014: Hello Sunshine!

By Connie Wilson

On January 4, 2014

In Mexico, travel

We flew out of O’Hare at 8 a.m. on January 3rd, just ahead of a blizzard that was moving in. The drive up was uneventful, although the I55N portion witnessed the hours of snowing that son Scott had described to us on the phone.
Since he will soon get to experience the weather from our corner of the world and our house, let’s hope that is as bad as it gets, because weathermen were predicting -17 back in the Quad Cities.

Our plane was to leave at 8 a.m. Surprisingly, the plane, itself, would have left on time, but the DOOR FROZE CLOSED! I’m not kidding! We were to leave from Gate H9, but there was a change to K5 when airport personnel could not open the door through which we were to board! We listened to a poor woman from San Francisco, who had traveled to Disneyworld in Florida, describe the night they had just spent on the floor at the airport, since Southwest Airlines told them the soonest they could get out of Florida to fly home to San Francisco was going to be Monday night! (This was Thursday morning!) She said, “It’s a good thing I’m a Chicago Bears fan, because I had to outfit my entire family in Bears hooded sweatshirts. We had no winter clothing with us at all and had to transfer to other airlines and fly through Chicago to get home.” She added that she was expecting to leave at 10 a.m. and arrive in San Francisco at 5 p.m.

We waited around an hour and then boarded, having survived the taxi ride out. Our driver never put on his seat belt, was weaving all over the road, and took a weird route. People were literally honking at him as he nearly sideswiped the wall at one point.

Now, it is Saturday and we have been poolside for 2 days. The weather is very much like Mazatlan’s, with cool nights, but warm enough to lay in the sun by day.

Emerald Bay, Mazatlan, Mexico: January 11, 2012

By Connie Wilson

On January 12, 2012

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Mexico, travel

Sunset, Mazatlan, Emerald Bay.

We’ve been here now since Saturday, and I have learned that it is not a good idea to mix wine, Bloody Marys, octopus, squid, pina coladas and Mexican coffee, which is set on fire tableside and contains tequila, in the same day. I learned this the hard way. (And I don’t even LIKE octopus!)

We finally got on a bus and took it to the OLD Pueblo Bonito location in the town. Where we are, the grounds are beautiful and there are at least 4 places one can dine, so going in to town doesn’t seem essential. Add to that the reports from the locals, who say the cruise ships no longer stop in the port and the Gold Zone, as it is known is “dead.” We were told that on Friday it might have more life, as there might be musicians, so we will go into the marketplace tomorrow, but tonight we will stay here and enjoy Italian night at the restaurant that is the fanciest one.

Of course, Kelly’s Bar is quite interesting, with all of its mounted heads on the wall and its feeling of Early Hemingway.

Sunset in Mazatlan.

There are quite a few ex-government employees here and quite a few retired college professors and quite a few retirees, in general. Yesterday, we met a gentleman (last name: Wee) who taught music at St. Olaf College, but was here with his family to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. He said he was 74. There is also a woman named Mary who taught at Auburn and also a young couple, who left on Wednesday.

We’re watching the New Hampshire primary fall-out on CNN and Fox here and I, in particular, am watching the South Carolina primary with interest.

One of 5 pools.

The Kelly family owns the land on which Emerald Bay sits, courtesy of Irish ancestor John Kelly. All family members have contributed their stuffed heads, some dating back to the fifties, some as recent as 2008.

Sunset in Mazatlan.

Kelly’s Bar within Emerald Bay in Mazatlan, Mexico.

Mounted tiger head on the wall of “Kelly’s” Bar.

A lion-skin within Kelly’s Bar, beneath the piano.

Newest of the 5 pools, near “The Bistro” eatery.

Sunset, Mazatlan, Emerald Bay.

Mazatlan, Mexico: January 10, 2012

By Connie Wilson

On January 10, 2012

In Mexico, travel

Emerald Bay, Mazatlan, Mexico. January 10, 2012.

We’ve been here since January 7th, after a 12-hour flight that saw us turning in at 7:30 p.m.

Not doing much, other than reading Stephen King’s new book (and wondering if he ever read mine that dealt with time travel, “Out of Time.”)

I’ve taken a few pictures of the grounds. There are many more to come. It’s chilly, by my standards, but not THAT chilly when it’s only 45 degrees in Chicago.

Hope all is well at home.

Emerald Bay, Mazatlan, Mexico. January 10, 2012.

Flamingoes and a black swan @ Emerald Bay.