World Kiteboard Competition In Playa

The first PKRA (Professional Kite Riders Association) event of 2008 was held in Playa for the fist time from March 5th through March 9th at Mamita’s Beach. The best kiteboarders in the world were on hand and they put on a great show. A variety of wind and weather conditions made each day a little different. I made it down for a couple of hours each day and I can tell you, these young people are amazing! Both freestyle acrobatics and course racing were on the schedule and front row seating was available to everyone on the beach.

The first day provided warm weather and light but consistent winds that averaged between 10 and 14 knots. These winds were not strong enough for a freestyle event but were good enough for a triangular race course event that began at 2:45 p.m. with an average race time of 15 to 20 minutes per race.

The second day provided enough wind for the freestyle competition to be held and possibly the most noteworthy item was that the 14 year old women’s world champion Gisela Pulido from Spain was disqualified when her kite became entangled with another rider’s kite. This 14 year old young lady cannot be more than 80 pounds soaking wet and believe me she was soaking wet all the time.

Day three brought a lot more wind than day two, averaging between 20 to 25 knots. The wind, along with an unusually strong current made it tricky for the riders to stay upwind. The riders would launch out from the beach but would end up having to come ashore after a couple of minutes and run back up the beach with their kites being controlled in one hand and carrying their board in the other. Some of the women had some help from some of the men riders but the entire ordeal looked absolutely exhausting. The high wind and the rough seas provided many a rough spill for a lot of the riders. I was surprised that a few even got back on their boards.

Day four was spent waiting for the wind to arrive. When it did, it was not suitable for competition because it was blowing offshore instead of onshore and thereby made it difficult for the competition to be held close to the beach because of what they call wind shadows caused by buildings and trees close to the beach. Competition was called off at 4 p.m. and the course racing event finale was scheduled for early Sunday.

The weather deteriorated on day 5 and the sun failed to come out for the first time during the competition. Light, early morning winds gave way to northerly breezes around 10 am and the course racing and the freestyle events were concluded. I really don’t know how it all wrapped up or what the final standings were but I’m told there was $40,000 in prize money to be awarded so I’m sure it was important to the competitors. I just enjoyed the show.

There was another kiteboard competition in Playa a couple of years ago but it was not a World Kitebord event. I enjoyed watching it as well but it didn’t compare t this years event. Even though I know absolutely nothing about this sport it was captivating to watch up close. The riders, the international competition, the camaraderie and enthusiasm of young people engaged in a relatively new sport, the staging area where riders and kites all mix together and even the crowds that gathered to watch made this a really memorable experience for me. The pictures can tell the story of this event much better than I can. I hope they all come back next year and do it again! In the meantime, I'm going to buy a better camera.

Mahi Mahi, Mangos And Marinade

Our son Matt was down recently for a vacation so he and I decided to do a little fishing. For one reason or another, we ended up in Akumal to begin our trip. We had been in Akumal the day before and had talked with Chino, who would be our guide and arranged to go out the next morning at 9 am. Since Chino lives in Playa del Carmen, I suggested that we would just pick him up at 8 am at his house the next day and we would ride down together.

We arrived in Akumal on schedule, picked up a few snacks and headed to the boat. The bay here in Akumal is something to behold on a calm morning. We walked along the bay for about 15 minutes while Chino and our skipper prepared the boat and the equipment. Chino carefully attached steel leaders and fresh bait to each of the four rods we would be using. He also hand sharpened all of the hooks we would need for the day. The boat itself, called a lancha down here, was a small open boat with an equally small canvas cover to provide some shade. The boat was equipped with a 40 horse outboard which proved to be more than adequate. The lancha was spotlessly clean and obviously well maintained. Nonetheless I was pleased to see lifejackets readily accessible all around.

We had agreed to pay $120.00 for a three hour tour, a three hour tour. The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the lancha would be lost, the lancha would be lost. Whoops! Sorry! Too many Gilligans Island reruns. We did in fact however agree to pay $120.00 for a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

Actually the bay was perfectly calm as we slowly motored out and Chino pointed out a few small sea turtles as we headed for open water. We ended up only 3 to 4 miles offshore and within easy sight of land and bobbing along comfortably in 2 to 3 foot swells by that time. There were a few other boats within a mile or two of us but no one seemed to be getting much action. Chino let out our lines and we sat back to enjoy the scenery. After about twenty minutes Matt and I both saw an incredibly fast moving streak of water crossing behind our boat about 30 yards out. The next moment found one of the four rod tips dipping forcefully towards the water and we had a fish on! When fishing for mahi mahi, the bait is actually pulled along the surface of the water in full view of the occupants of the boat. If you are watching carefully, you can often see your fish approach and strike. Matt was first in line for a chance to catch something and after about 30 minutes, Chino hauled aboard a beautiful 20 pound or so mahi mahi much to our delight. After putting out our lines again we had another fish on in fairly short order and this time it was my turn with nearly identical results as the first fish.

We trolled around another hour or so without any more action but Chino did spot two absolutely huge sea turtles which he motored slowly over for us to see. I truly thought as we approached that we were looking at two overturned boats. I had no idea they could grow so large. Unfortunately I did not get my camera in time to get pictures.

Back in Akumal Bay, Chino filleted our fish, packed them in ice and sent us home with enough mahi mahi for eight or nine meals (with guests). We grilled some of our fresh mahi mahi on the barbecue that evening after marinating it for about 30 minutes in the following:

2 large cloves of chopped garlic
1/3 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons of basalmic vinegar
¼ cup of fresh lime juice
¼ cup of orange juice

Mince the garlic, add the other ingredients, mix thoroughly and add the fish. I wouldn’t marinate the fish for more than 30 minutes as the marinade will overpower the fish.

This marinade is great with grilled chicken breasts as well and you can add a minced jalapeño or two if you want it spicy. You can also marinate the chicken for a couple of hours if you like.

I also made a very quick and easy mango avocado salsa for the fish:

1 mango, peeled and diced
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 jalapeño chili finely chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 avocado diced

Mix all the ingredients except the avocado and refrigerate. Add the avocado just before serving. This is a very good and simple salsa.

We had a great fishing trip with great results and the price to me was very reasonable. Chino did a great job. If you would like to go out with him, I’m sure I can get you in touch.

What Is A "Vulcanizadora" Anyway?

Got a flat tire on the Jeep the other day. Not totally flat, just a nail and a steady leak. Actually found a Goodyear store out near the highway after a relatively short search time. Although they informed me they could not repair the tire for safety purposes (I had never heard this before), they would certainly enjoy replacing it with a new one for me. I opted for some air in the tire and a further search for a Vulcanizadora (tire patch repairman). After driving the obligatory time required for searching for new things, people or places, I spotted a large, worn out tractor tire with the word “Vulcanizadora” sloppily hand painted around its circumference in large white letters.

The Vulcanizadoras shop was nothing more than a rundown space located between two other equally ramshackle and non-descript buildings. Pulling into the slip, I observed my ersatz tire technician and what I assumed to be his girlfriend in a somewhat sensual embrace. Neither of them seemed to be overly concerned or pleased about my arrival.

Although I was parked only a few feet away from them, they paid no attention to me whatsoever. As I waited patiently in my car for some form of recognition, their embraces became more arduous and passionate. Feeling uncomfortable as well as somewhat embarrassed but not willing to go in search of another Vulcanizadora, I decided to wait them out. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for me to read my Jeep owners manual while waiting. After five or ten minutes of titillating reading about tire pressures, roof racks and engine capacities, I suddenly felt my car shaking up and down. Okay, get your minds out of the gutter, it was not the Vulcanizadora and his girlfriend although at first, I too wondered. It was the Vulcanizadora and his trusty jack.

Having spotted the leaky tire, he set upon its repair with great vigor, not bothering to consult with me before he began. Using his pneumatic air hammer to remove my lug nuts and tire with one hand and chomping down a sandwich of some sort with the other, he quickly removed the tire and carried it to his workbench, continuing to eat as he worked. I was never able to determine whether the one hand repair job was an effort to impress me, or merely an act of efficiency or multitasking. Not being all that familiar with efficiency or multitasking here, I chose instead to believe it was primarily to demonstrate to his girlfriend that he could change a tire and eat at the same time. Expanding on this theorem, one could assume that he could eat and do other things at the same time as well. The girlfriend did not seem unduly impressed and I noticed she began to apply some additional makeup as he finished up the repair.

The entire repair from start to finish not counting waiting time took only five minutes and cost 50 pesos. There was also no worrisome mention by the Vulcanizadora of any safety factors to consider like I received at the Goodyear store. I liked that. The overall experience was not exactly like Les Schwab Tires back home but not bad for here in Playa and oddly enough, on the whole, rather pleasant. As I backed out of the driveway, the Vulcanizidora grabbed another sandwich in one hand and placed his other arm over his girlfriend's shoulder. She smiled seductively at him and he winked at me and nodded as I drove away.

By the way, Vulcanizadora is now one of my favorite Spanish words and I say it aloud whenever I see it written, especially when I am eating and “Cupcake”, my wife, is with me. However, for some reason, “Vulcanizadora” just doesn’t do the same thing for her that it does for me!

Hurricane Dean, Heard But Not Really Seen

In our latest weather news, hurricane “Dean” passed by about 150 miles to the south of Playa on Tuesday August 21st leaving us with nothing more than high winds and waves and a little rain. In Playa, everything was back to normal in less than 24 hours.
Dean gave the residents and authorities in Playa a good opportunity to see what we all learned from our two female guests “Emily” and “Wilma” in 2005. In general, everything went very calmly and smoothly. Plywood sales were brisk, many businesses remained open until Monday afternoon and the streets were filled with people going about their business as usual until the early evening when a pre-announced curfew when into effect.
For our part, we purchased a Sinaloa style grilled chicken on the corner of CTM and Ave. 30 for Monday’s dinner complete with marinated onions, Mexican rice and a huge stack of fresh corn tortillas. We ate late and played Yahtzee until 10 pm when we decided it was time to turn in. Everything was still very quiet although we had some interesting thunder and lightning which we always enjoy.
Around midnight the wind picked up enough to wake me up and from 2 am to about 6 am it was howling pretty good. It was light enough to see by 6:15 or so and by 8 I was able to go outside. By 9:30 Cupcake was at a doctors appointment on Ave 15.

The waves were pretty large after the storm passed and access to the beach was restricted due to the size and the strong currents but since most businesses remained closed on Tuesday everyone headed to the beach to look at the waves and have lunch.
Our office reopened on Wednesday morning at 9 am and we had two different clients in looking for property before 10 am. “Dean” turned out just to be a break from the routine and of course we are all thankful for that.

Washers?

We have a new Sunday afternoon pastime in Playa that we use to fill in some of our spare time. It’s called Washers. From my limited background investigation, Washers, like many other of our favorite pastimes was created by accident when Jim Bob and Cooter Cratchett of Racoon Flats Tennessee were rebuilding their uncle Leroy’s truck in the front yard and accidentally dropped a few engine nuts and bolts down a rabbit hole underneath the truck. As the story goes, the truck or at least what’s left of it, is still sitting in the front yard surrounded by holes full of uncle Leroy’s truck parts and the entire Cratchett family, except of course for uncle Leroy gather every Sunday to toss in a few more truck parts.

Mrs. Princess, also known as “Cupcake” and I were introduced to the game a short time back by some really nice folks in Paamul who have made a weekly tradition of the game for awhile now. It’s an easy game for just about anyone to learn and to play. Although the game has been somewhat refined over the years it is really just a variation of the Cratchett’s front yard game and we have elevated its stature even a little more now by referring to it as a “sport” rather than a “game”. Additionally, we all like to think that there is a tremendous amount of skill and strategy involved but my personal experience has found that luck and stupidity usually carry the day. In all fairness, I must say that my good friend, Pepe “Listen To Me!!” Rahill, is probably the most skilled player amongst our group at this time. Pepe seems to be keenly aware of this as well and does a magnificent job of being his own personal promoter. With his boundless energy he does a marvelous and endless job of telling anyone within listening range of his elevated expertise and prowess at the “sport”. Pepe generally arrives a little early on game day for light snacks, sandwiches and beverages that have been prepared, packaged and hauled up to our third floor terrace in coolers by his sweet wife Marisol for his convenience. Resting comfortably in his custom folding beach chair which his dear wife Marisol has carried up for him, he prepares his game plan and strategy for the upcoming match. His pre game battle cries and colorful taunts to his opponents are legendary and serve to both intimidate and enrage his opponents and also help to keep the entertainment value at a fever pitch. Otherwise we might all be napping between games. Typical taunts are “Suit up!”, “Prepare to die!” and “I’m going to crush you like a bug!” If we are heading into a playoff round, all of these could be used at once on an opponent with a maniacal laugh thrown in at the end. Really scary stuff.

In all fairness though I must say Pepe has a softer side as well. He is not always only willing but in fact feels obligated to take on the role of trainer and coach for the seemingly less skilled players (which would be the rest of us) and seems to have an endless repertoire of advice regarding playing stance, washer trajectory and scoring tactics. We’re sure lucky to have him around to improve our game. Otherwise we might all be lousy players. His charming wife Marisol is particularly lucky to have him as a full time live in life coach. She has the patience of a saint.

I think it would be safe to say that we play Washers in the most beautiful setting that the game has ever been played in. Our big rooftop solarium overlooks Coco Beach, the Caribbean Sea and the island of Cozumel. A wooden pergola for shade and a constant sea breeze keep us comfortable on even the hottest of afternoons. Lawn chairs and coolers filled with snacks and beverages (beer) keep the contestants happy while waiting for their next match. The game involves any number of two person teams who seem to play an innumerable number of other two member teams in order to eventually arrive at what is called the “playoffs” where everybody plays some more. Keeping track of the players brackets is probably the hardest part of the entire ordeal, I mean game. Fortunately we have Pepe’s intelligent, sweet and sometimes clothespin clad wife Marisol to keep the games moving. You’ll have to come play if you want to get in on the clothespin action.

And maybe what keeps the whole thing going is, we play for money. Well, not really money, but pesos, which are sort of like money but different. They are used in Mexico to buy things but they’re not really like real money. We all use them down here and they seem to work pretty well for both gringos and locals alike. Did I mention they are not like real money though. For some reason pesos and Monopoly money remind me of the same thing. Anyway, it’s a ten peso entry fee and ten pesos a game to the losing team each time they lose. Of course the winning team picks up 10 pesos each time they win or so I’ve been told. At the end of the day and if you’re on Pepe’s team you might split forty or fifty pesos with him which would be enough to buy two beers downtown or three from the little store on the corner. Not bad for an afternoons work but hardly enough to survive on.
If you’re ever in town and want to join us on a Sunday afternoon just come on over. You’ll find us up on the roof. We start at 2 pm sharp and you have to be on time to play. It takes two people to form a team so bring a friend, some pesos and something to drink. Pepe will do all the rest for you.

Waves, Wahoo And Wasabi

The fishing season is heating up in Playa and Cupcake’s sister who was visiting from Oregon wanted to see what it was all about. After a couple days of delay for one reason or another, she and I made it out on the last day of her vacation.

We arranged our trip the night before with Kike and José for 7 o’clock the next morning. Kike keeps his boat just a couple hundred yards up the beach from our house. It’s a typical small fishing boat or lancha, nothing fancy but adequate for a short 4 hour trip. The seats however are hard and unforgiving and there is not much protection from the high waves we experienced. As a result we finished the day a little sore and wet but more than happy with our results.
Cost of the trip was $150 US for four hours. This included some snacks, pop, beer and water, bait, four fishing rods, a skipper and a mate. Everything was on time and we were on the water by 7:10 am. We were looking for dorado (mahi mahi), wahoo and maybe even a marlin or sailfish. I was most interested in the dorado and wahoo for my refrigerator and dinner table. While Kike pointed the boat north towards Xcalacoco, José prepared the 4 rods with fresh bait. Three rods were set up with bait that simply skimmed the surface of the water from 30 to 60 meters behind the boat. These were intended for dorado which are surface feeders and travel in schools. Dorado can swim more than 50 miles per hour and can often be seen approaching at very high speed as they attack the bait. It’s pretty exciting to see, especially if it’s your bait! The fourth rod was set up with a downrigger in hopes of finding a wahoo or two deeper down. Wahoo are solitary fish and are also capable of reaching speeds of over 50 miles per hour. Wahoo and dorado are not only two of the fastest fish in the Caribbean but two of the best tasting as well.

While we were trolling around about two miles offshore in big 6 to 7 foot swells, I noticed a large log with branches drifting about 75 yards away. I casually mentioned it to Kike who immediately headed towards the drifting wood. As we approached the driftwood, Kike and José started talking excitedly in Spanish. Suddenly two, three or maybe all four of our fishing rods were arching towards the water. In the confusion, we came up empty on all but one of our rods but still managed to bring in one dorado. After getting all of our gear under control and back in the water again, we drifted through the same area again and picked up two more dorado at the same time. With three dorado now on board, we went back one final time and pulled in a wahoo from the deeper water. We were more than content with our catch by this time but still trolled for another hour without results before finally pulling in our lines. Kike brought the boat in close to shore and we enjoyed the scenery and shoreline from just a couple of hundred yards out as we covered the 4 mile stretch back to Playa.

While we did not catch a marlin or sailfish, we did see a large sailfish being caught from a larger boat in the area. We watched the last five or ten minutes of the battle complete with the obligatory aerial display provided by the sailfish before it was hoisted aboard.
Back on Coco Beach, José and Kike filleted our catch on the beach. We left them one whole dorado and half of the wahoo and still went home with a dozen or more dinners. Unfortunately Trish, and her friend Margie had to get to the airport in the afternoon and didn’t get to stay for dinner. I have a feeling they’ll be back. After taking them to the airport, Cupcake and I had a quick and simple dinner of fresh wahoo filets with wasabi mayonnaise, white rice and tossed salad. It was great! Wahoo is awesome! Here’s how we did the fish:


1 nice, thick wahoo filet per person
Johnny’s seasoning salt or other
Fresh lime juice
Purple onion coarsely chopped
Butter
Parsley
Make a tin foil pan from aluminum foil. Rub surface with a little salad oil to keep fish from sticking
Place fish filets skin side down on oiled tin foil
Sprinkle filets with Johnny’s
Squeeze a little lime juice on each filet
Put a little of the diced purple onion and parsley on each filet
Top each filet with a couple of slices of butter
Bake the fish uncovered in the oven for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees until just cooked
The wasabi mayonnaise is simple and tasty with the fish. Just mix the desired amount of wasabi paste with mayonnaise until you get the flavor you like. A squeeze or two of fresh lime juice never hurts.

Tulum Or Not Tulum

Tulum or not Tulum. That is the question.
For a growing number of dreamers and investors, Tulum is rapidly becoming the place to do both. While Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras to the north continue to grow at incredible rates, Tulum seems to be just getting into full stride.

Nowadays the Tulum ruins are no longer the only attraction in town although they certainly remain the most well known feature with busloads of visitors arriving daily to view the only major Mayan ruins located directly on the coast of Quintana Roo. However there is more to attract tourists to the area than just Mayan archeology. A growing number of new, small, eco friendly hotels continue to squeeze in among the older, more established hotels along this incredibly beautiful stretch of the Mayan coastline allowing vistors of all types and means to enjoy this still relatively unspoiled piece of Caribbean Paradise. The city of Tulum is actually in the process of rebuilding and expanding itself in anticipation of its future growth.

Indeed, Tulum appears poised to become the next major Mexican vacation destination spot between Cancun and Belize and although the beach front has already been spoken for or has already become exorbitantly expensive for all but a wealthy few, investors of more moderate means are finding excellent opportunities in the purchase of land.

One hectare parcels (just a little more than two acres) of titled land are not only available but in some cases have already been sold and resold at ever increasing prices. While some investors are purchasing property for the long term, others are looking to make a more modest profit and selling off after only a year or so. These hectares of land are destined to become the future location for New Tulum and will eventually be divided into smaller parcels and sold off or developed in a combination of commercial and residential endeavors. Grid maps showing street names and locations are already available allowing investors to get an idea of just what the future holds for the area.

While the general infrastructure of this area may still be a few years away, the value of the land will continue to increase in anticipation of the inevitable future growth. The continued promise of an international airport located on the Coba road west of Tulum remains unconfirmed but will have little bearing on the desirability or growth of the Tulum area.

Tulum may be an excellent opportunity for young investors since they can invest now and wait while the area develops over the next decade or more. Additionally, the entry level price of the land may give younger, first time investors an affordable real estate foothold in the Mexican Caribbean. Prices today and I do mean today start around $150,000 US per hectare. Let’s see where they are next year.

If you don’t want to take a chance on next years prices, let me know and we’ll secure your land today. To email me, click the "Contact Us" tab on the right side of this page.

Weathering Wilma

Just three months after hurricane Emily, hurricane Wilma followed her little sister to Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area on October 21st. While Emily was impressive enough, she was only an overnight guest. Wilma, not to be outdone by her sibling, arrived with luggage and camping equipment and enough destructive force to realign the scenery from Akumal to Cancun and consume the island of Cozumel as an appetizer on her way in. She pounded the area for forty-eight hours before packing up and leaving for Florida.

 During her stay and after her departure, news reports were grim, generally stating that Playa del Carmen was a place of the past, virtually removed from the map and that basic services would not be available for months and the town would need to be completely rebuilt.

 I am pleased to relay that the reports of Playa del Carmen’s demise were greatly exaggerated. As Wilmahightailed it out of town on Sunday, crews were already out in force clearing roadways and downed power lines. Gasoline, which we were told would not be available for an indefinite period of time was available at most of the Pemex stations in Playa on Monday afternoon. Electrical power which was precautionarily turned off by the Municipality on Friday morning at 4am was restored to portions of Playacar, central downtown and 5^th Avenue on Monday evening. Our own home on the north end of town by Coco Beach had power restored at 3:50pm on Tuesday along with gas and water. Restaurants and shops that were not operating by Monday continued to open their doors during the following days. A stroll along 5^th Avenue on Thursday morning found shopkeepers ready, willing and able. Again as with Emily, the resiliency of the Mexican people proved to be quite amazing. Another noteworthy item is that the “red tape” of rebuilding in the US does not seem to apply in Mexico. “If it’s broke, fix it!” seems to be the motto. While we who live here often complain about the crude infrastructure of electricity, gas, water and sewer installations, it also appears that these systems are considerably easier to repair and restore than what we are accustomed to back home.

 

Beaches for the most part are now substantially enhanced. Beachfront hotels indeed have more coral sand than they know what to do with. Shovels and wheelbarrows are busy removing three to four feet of sand from some of the ground floor units. In the area around Coco Beach, the three most popular beach clubs, Mamitas, El Tukan, and Zubul Reef Club are down but not out. Crews are actively removing the rubble and no doubt will have things up and running in the near future. In the meantime, the few remaining tourists can be found lounging comfortably on the beach appearing not to notice the activity of the work crews surrounding them.

Restoration of services was of course of primary concern but it now appears the larger problem may not be lack of services but lack of tourism. Unfortunately, the airport in Cancun which did sustain damage has had its hands full just getting people out of the area who have been stranded since last Thursday. No incoming passengers are allowed at this time. The planes fly in empty and fly out full. Information regarding airport operations is still sketchy but it appears that the control tower was damaged and planes coming in and out need to use visual systems rather than automatic systems to land and take off. This does not please the airlines I’m sure. Also there is no jet fuel available at this time so planes coming in need to have enough fuel onboard to fly out again. Earlier in the week, I had heard that passengers were required to leave luggage behind temporarily due to weight and the temporary absence of electronic security scanning equipment. I don’t know if this was actually the case or not.

The local community depends almost entirely on tourism as it drives not only the lodging and restaurant industry but almost every other aspect of commerce as well in the area. Even a temporary downturn in visitors can have a significant impact on the majority of the local community who rely solely on the income derived from tourism to eat, buy clothing and pay rent and utilities. These ongoing expenses can only be defrayed by tourism dollars.

Structural damage in Playa was largely limited to broken glass and water damage. The use of concrete and steel in the construction process here appears to protect the structural integrity of all buildings in general. Palapa roofs are easily destroyed but are also easily replaced. Many were damaged but many are still intact. Several of the larger commercial buildings out near the highway with sheet metal roofs will need to replace them as well.

A visit to Sam’s Club on Wednesday resulted in US rib eye steaks, fresh pork tenderloin, cheese and other items necessary to replenish our refrigerator. Fresh caught fish was being sold on the street from ice chest coolers mounted on the three wheeled bicycles for 30 pesos per kilo (less than three dollars for 2 ¼ pounds). We had a wonderful dinner at our favorite restaurant “Chicago” on Thursday night where we visited with the owners and our friends, Peter and Dahlia.  A temporary ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted on Friday much to the delight of many.

What Playa really needs now is you! When you get here, you will find Playa ready and waiting. See you soon!

Along Came Emily

First and foremost we and everyone else in Playa made it safely through the storm. Secondly, our home did as well,
however not everyone fared as well in that department. Where we live, our condos came through with flying colors. All condos are completely intact. In very limited instances there was some water seepage through doors and windows but to my knowledge, no physical damage to any contents. The flora and fauna took quite a beating. Some trees are down and almost all of the leaves were stripped from their branches. The remaining ones appear to be falling. I don’t know if they will regrow or die. The pool is fine and should be ready for use by today. It was pea green from all the leaves and branches.

Most of Saturday and Sunday were spent removing patio furniture, plants, rooftop items, etc. Windows
were taped, a limited amount of plywood was put up. The supply of plywood available in town ran out quickly. All doors and windows were secured (completely closed and locked). I removed the internet antenna and the router from the rooftop on Sunday at 1 pm.

There were a few guests here who were trying to get out of Cancun on Sunday. It was their scheduled day of departure anyway. They left early in the morning on Sunday and apparently made their flights okay. The Cancun airport was a madhouse and I did not envy their situation.

Princesa and I accepted an offer from a friend to stay in a 3rd-floor condo in Playacar II on Sunday night. Our main concern was not the integrity of the structure at our place but the potential of a 4-meter storm surge coming in from the beach. (By the way, the storm surge never materialized). Two other owners who were down on vacation stayed put and the last two renters remaining also stayed. Sue and I spent several hours on Sunday morning moving our furniture into the bedrooms or at least further from the windows. Important documents and other paperwork were packed in plastic boxes and put on the upper shelves in the bedroom closets.

Our power went out at 1 pm on Sunday but some units stayed on until around 7 pm Sunday. We left for Playacar around 2 pm but came back around 6 pm to get some groceries we left behind so we could make dinner in Playacar. We were getting cabin fever in the condo we were staying in since it was completely hurricane shuttered. When we drove back the streets were totally deserted including 5^th Avenue. We ended up staying at the condo in Playacar with three other folks. A couple from Indiana who left the Grand Porto Real on the beach and a Judy Shaw from another real estate company in Playa that I had met previously and her two dogs. How we all ended up in the same place I’m not sure but it was nice to have some other folks around. We made dinner and watched the storm progress on TV until the power went out at 7 pm. From here on out it was flashlights and candles.

The winds really began to increase around 9:30. I’m guessing 60 to 70 mph around that time. We stepped outside the front door (which faced to the west) a couple of times for some fresh air.  Around 10:45 the wind was howling pretty good so we all turned in to try and get a little rest. Everyone was exhausted from the stress and strain of getting ready for Emily and the uncertainty of what was yet to come. The condo was hotter than h… by that time and very humid. We tossed and turned, sleeping in our clothes while the winds continued to increase dramatically. By this time I imagine the wind was reaching its maximum velocity near 150 mph. At 12:30 I could no longer lay down. The wind, the lightning and the rattling hurricane shutters had my full attention. The noise was very loud and the different sounds being created were completely different from any I had ever heard before. Lightning bolts without thunder made the rooms light up very eerily every few seconds. I walked out to the living room area with a flashlight and immediately found myself walking in water. I looked up but could not see any water coming through the ceiling. I then heard a creaking and groaning towards the sliding glass doors. These doors were about fourteen feet across in length. When I put the flashlight on the doors I could see the entire frame of the slider moving in the wall and the center of the window was bowing in and out. I went back to the bedrooms and got the others up and we all watched the window from a distance with our flashlights. The place was roaring by now. We decided if the window blew that we would open another window somewhere else to let the air pass through. However, we couldn’t find a window that we could open only partway. We went back to the bedroom to think some more. Suddenly we heard a thud in the living room. Back out with the flashlight to find the middle section of the slider had blown in and was laying on the floor, unbroken. The hurricane shutter on the outside was still intact but now we were getting more wind and water inside. This was our most terrifying moment and the storm was at its peak. With nothing more to do, we went back to the bedrooms and securely closed all doors to wait things out. Around 3 am the wind began to subside back to around 60 or 70 mph. After that we dozed off and on until 6:30. We then went outside to look around and were pretty stunned by what we saw. Trees if not blown down outright, were cut off at about 12 feet high. It was like someone with a huge chainsaw cut them all off at the same level. There were a few cars with fallen trees on them and a few places with some broken windows. The street was fairly flooded and the huge palapa roof at the neighboring hotel was gone. Everywhere, the branches and leaves covered the ground.

Around 7:30, I called Bob at the condos and amazingly got through. He had already done a walkthrough of the property and to my amazement reported preliminarily very little or no damage. We mopped out the condo we had stayed in and headed back to our place around 8:30. It took a while to get there and we had to do a little offroading through Playacar due to all of the downed trees. There was already a substantial workforce throughout Playacar and central Playa clearing roadways and downed power lines.

When we arrived back home, we couldn’t get through the front gate due to the downed trees but the staff was already there in force clearing the way and beginning the cleanup. Pretty impressive since they all had homes and families of their own to think about. Even Jorge and Sergio rolled up their sleeves and went to work. There was a massive amount of cleanup to do and they worked incredibly hard for two days. There is still more to do but what is left is minor.

Donato made it just fine and I believe reopened the restaurant yesterday. He plywooded up completely and pulled a few of his cars up into the dining room seating area and parked them alongside his plywood walls. Clever man that Donato! I talked to him on Monday morning and he said he stayed up until 3 am watching TV with his portable generator. Strange man that Donato!

Power was restored to the condos around 8:30 on Tuesday along with gas and water.

We took quite a few pictures but what you have seen on the TV and internet is probably more enlightening than what we have. I do have some pictures of the condos that may be of interest. When I can, I will upload them to "Ofoto" or “Photo Bucket” for those that are interested or you can see them the next time you’re down.

All in all, things could have been much worse. We were very fortunate considering the force of the storm. Puerto Aventuras was hit very hard.  Sue and I went down yesterday. The damage was more severe than in Playa as they were very close to the eye of Emily. It will take a while for them to get back on their feet.

S and J in D-301 and J and S in E-301, congratulations. You now have ocean views. The huge tree at the Shangri La blocking your view is now a thing of the past. Can’t say for how long but at least for now it looks pretty good.

That’s it for now. Thanks to everyone who sent us your well wishes and prayers. Let us know if you have any questions.