Doc Holiday

Home Sweet Home

2012-02-02T06:18:00.000-06:00

As wonderful as it is, to get away on a Vacation, it is always nice to return home to "reality"... A lot of memories were packed into the past week.. Thanks Tom and everyone at CAA Travel for taking care of the details for another fabulous getaway...

The Last Day

2012-01-31T18:12:00.000-06:00

A somber day for the 50 who will be heading home tomorrow morning. The remaining 24 will stay on another week and promised to think about us.... for about 9 seconds.

Some adventurous folks today... a couple went on a turtle release, watched some dolphins and a great snorkel trip. The Gisis... threw caution to the wind and went on a zip line tour... basically hanging from a wire high above the jungle... no thanks!

But, the big news today is a fishing expedition that realized a HUGE fish... A sailfish that measured a whopping 7 feet! and well over 50 pounds... Leo Dale and the group took about a half an hour to haul it in. they also hauled in a Turtle... obviously, they sent the turtle back to the briny deep.

All in all, a great week.... all had a terrific vacation... and in the immortal words of Arnold

Hasta La Vista Baby.... AND I"ll be back!

Monday Monday

2012-01-30T18:32:00.000-06:00

with Harry Dekker from CJNB

Fairly uneventful day today... as you can from the video, which is a view from my lounger..the stage of a vacation when you say to yourself that you should be doing something, and then realize... I am SUPPOSED to be doing nothing!Some did take a trip to Colima... steeped in history, dating back to the 1700s. Churches, old buildings, museums and a Volcano.

Some also took a trip to Barra De Navidad... very neat former Hippy Village from the 70s and alot of 60 year old long hairs still hanging around... far out man.

Very unusual, but we had a sprinkle of rain this morning... not enough to get your breakfast wet, but the locals said it was the first of the year... rain is not expected till late spring. Still went to 30 after the cloud cover went away.

Again, we seem to be eating a little more than usual. A number of years ago, Mexico was not famous for their beef, but in the last few years that seems to have changed significantly... last night was Prime Rib night... and it was Very good.

Other than that, pretty low and slow... walk in the ocean, lay by the pool, jump in the pool, ask Manuel for another cool one, read a while..... then repeat.

view from my lounger

Domingo

2012-01-29T18:05:00.000-06:00

Sunday, a day of rest... that is pretty much what we did today... AFTER more shopping. This time we took the bus into Manzanillo City and roamed around. After all, we just HAD to by some stuff at the craft stores, and more baskets and purses. We also bought some peanuts from a little guy selling them on the street. I would guess that your 9 year old does not sell peanuts on the street. Yes, we tipped him well.

After that, finished my second book... May I recommend, The Second Son, by Charles Sailor... it has been out of print since the late 70s but has recently been released as an ebook. I got it from amazon.com , I think. I recall reading in many years ago and looked for it again for a long time. Very good book

Back to our Vacation. Everyone seems to be having a great time, some folks have been on tours here and there. Other folks, we have not seen.. they must be having fun.

Last night, a great meal at the Japanese restaurant. Tonite is Prime Rib Night at the Buffet.

Year after year, the same Iguana ( at least we think its the same one) hangs around the pool. Some folks a little squeamish when it comes around, but Iggy is fairly harmless.

The sun comes up on another day

2012-01-28T17:36:00.000-06:00

Another good day started out with breakfast... Although we like to go Fancy Gourmet style for supper, with breakfast, I like to keep with the basics... lunch, some nice fish and rice... tonite though, we are off to the Japanese Resaurant... very good.

It is Saturday, so, the market is a must... all kinds of trip folks took the 6 peso bus ride down the road to the market, which is difficult to describe... HUGE... all kinds of neat crafts, blankets, trinkets, food, pirate dvds, souveniers, clothes and you name it.

Then, as we like to do, we walked into the heart of the little town, to mingle amongs the locals... and as we do that, we realize that they are oblivious to any issues involving crime in their country. It is a shame that these fine, hard working, church going family people are painted with the same brush as the small percentage of drug dealing criminals, that give this country a bad name. We all feel nothing less than completely safe and secure, no matter where we go. It is a sad to think that some are aprehensive about coming to Mexico for a vacation. The millions that come here every year, the thousands who live here all winter, know how wonderful the people really are.

Speaking of locals, Roberto has my drink ready, so, bye for now from HOT, sunny Mazanillo.

Friday

2012-01-27T18:34:00.000-06:00

The weather continues to be perfect... not TOO hot. Cool in the morning though. Until the sun comes up, ablut 19 - 20, but by 9:30 or so it is in the mid to upper 20s then settles in at about 29...

Folks are having a great time. Some took in the sunset cruise last nite, said it was breathtaking. Others took tours today... to a turtle sanctuary, some took the city tour others just laid around the beach. great snorkeling in the bay.

Then, the lucky ones like yours truly, got to go shopping for hours and hours and hours... Actually, we found a market that is only here for the month of January. It is an artisan group from Peru, Chili, Brazil and Argentina. Some really neat and unique items.

It is always nice, as we go for walks, to see the locals preparing the food carts and going about their business... a fairly bustling economy here, but the old ways of doing things are still very evident.

Tonite, we dine a the Italian restaurant. If memory serves me, it is quite good.

Again last night, some great entertainment. Some resorts we have been to, use people that clean the pool in the daytime, on stage at night. As I may have mentioned in earlier posts, this resort has a dedicatied team to provide the entertainment. Professional singers and dancers, and a killer band! Very good.

Tomorrow is another day, and we will be going to the big Sabado (Saturday) market. Oh goody, more shopping!

Anyway... having big fun, soaking up the sun in Mazanillo.

Not too many photos today

2012-01-26T18:35:00.001-06:00

Another day... still no clouds... give us a break, we need shade! OK we don't. All is well in Manzannillo, although I do have a travel tip to share.

After a wonderful breakfast (outdoors) a little walk in the ocean, and as well as the usual assortment of fish, I spotted a beautiful sting ray... wallowing in the sand.. as I followed it, it got a little deeper and deeper... pretty soon, I'm up to my waist... no problem, until I remembered that my camera was in my pants pocket! camera + sea water = no pictures today...at least no pictures taken after breakfast.

So, don't go swimming with your camera unless it is water proof.

Other than that, another wonderful day of heat, ocean, pools, food, more food and then some food.

This evening, some folks are going on the sunset cruise, and tomorrow some are going deep sea fishing. I will tell you the ACTUAL size of the fish, if they catch any. When the email the size home, they tend to get a little bigger through the internet.

Anyway, all is well, and we are having a great time.

Bumped into Harry Dekker, morning man at CJNB in North Battleford. He also has a group of sun seekers from the Battlefords area. What he and I did when our paths crossed, will STAY in Mexico.

Buenos Diaz amigos

Day One

2012-01-25T18:44:00.000-06:00

On the first day... all is well. On the plane, slight delay for de icing then south we go. Even though we left 20 minutes late, we picked up time with a tail wind... we also picked up some major turbulence... in fact one of the bumpiest rides any of us can remember. But a nice landing in Mazanillo ( and you know what they say, any landing is a good landing).

Immigration went very well, and through customs and on the bus to the Resort. Major problem, our rooms aren't ready! What shall we do!... so, we had to put on our trunks and lay by the pool, and go for a dip or two, a cerveza or two, some snacks and we managed to wile away the hours just fine.

Some have been here before, and it was a breeze getting back into Vacation mode, others, used their time to walk around the property and get familiar with the lay of the land.

All in all, a great, but long first day.... and we look forward to a fabulous week here at the beautiful Barcelo Karmina Palace....

Oh, weather... yes, we left behind some terrific January temps in Saskatchewan, but when the plane doors open, and the warm Pacific air rushes in, you remember very quickly, that we are very fortunate to be spending time in Paradise...

Well, must go... Hector is making us a Martini, and then off to Supper... Brazilian, we think.... Weight Watchers here we come!

Almost ready to go!!

2012-01-05T18:06:00.001-06:00

Well, the countdown is on... the Tickets have arrived, we have checked our passports and the weather is getting colder... all perfect conditions for our winter getaway to... the beautiful Barcelo Karmina Palace.

Bon Voyage all... hope you are packed... don't forget your passport.... and your sunscreen...

Where to next year?

2011-06-29T05:59:00.002-06:00

Our bags are NEARLY packed... as the cooler weather hits, we are looking forward to our winter getaway to the beautiful Barcelo Karmina Palace in Manzanillo, Mexico. We depart on Jan. 25th

Check it out by looking through last years blog...

Another Great Day

2011-02-28T18:45:00.001-06:00

Today, some folks went on a Turtle sanctuary tour, others to the real Mexico, a visit to a local mountain town, and some of us a trip to Barra de Navidad… stops at banana, mango and papaya plantations along the way.. a visit to the incredible Grand Bay Hotel… ( you need REAL deep pockets to stay there) The washrooms, instead of paper towels or dryers, they had a basket of flowers with crisp white towels in them… use it an toss into the matching laundry basket. Then a boat ride that took us up close to dozens of multi million dollar yachts..(REAL REAL deep pockets to have one of these babies) Then the boat took us to the shopping district of Barra… neat stuff there..then back to have lunch on the shore of a lagoon… Shrimp, etc. then back to the Karmina. Home sweet home… a terrific day.

Check out the Slide Show if you like.

Our trip to Barra

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Low and Slow today

2011-02-27T18:34:00.000-06:00

Low and Slow today.. with a brisk walk on a Sunday morning... some folks went to Mass, that was very good. Jim and Roger had another game of golf. The wager, the winner gets carried up the stairs by the loser... although Jim is about 30 years older.... he had a great round, and up the stairs he came... Good sport Roger!

That's about it for now, .. tomorrow will be a good one... we are off to Barra De Navidad.... a hippie hangout in the 60s and 70s, now an artsy community that has grown into one of the most sought after high end destinations on the Mexican coast.

Saturday means market day

2011-02-26T18:13:00.001-06:00

In these parts, Saturday means a trip to the big flea market.. and big doesn’t quite describe it… HUGE… hot, stuffy, noisy, crowded…. but big fun. We took a dozen or so folks to the bus, paid our 6 pesos, and on to the Directo to the market. Bumping in to some colorful characters along the way.

Tomorrow… another day, and another market… as well, some will take in Mass at the local cathedral (all in Spanish of course)

and here is a shot of what we are forced to wake up to each morning

A great day for golf

2011-02-25T18:57:00.001-06:00

Jim Nicholson and Roger Lemoine shot a round this morning.. .before the real heat set in… Jim tells us that he shot 100… I guess we have to believe him… He DID manage to hit the green on 18 though… well done

Another perfect day

2011-02-25T18:23:00.001-06:00

The comments of “is the weather always like this?” The locals say… sure. Picture perfect every day.

The Pilons and Sandersons soak up some rays.

I took a group of ladies on a tour, a 6 peso tour on a rickety local bus, to downtown Manzanillo for a little shopping… and we didn’t even get lost. But I have nearly had enough shopping.. did I say nearly

The Ulmers took a real tour, and supplied this pix…

We also celebrated an anniversary last night… Frank and Myrna Nagy have been happily married for 49 years… well, HE’S been happy.

Great start for the new crew

2011-02-24T18:00:00.001-06:00

The first full day for the group…Most spent the day just wandering around, getting their bearings…finding a good spot to set up for a beach or pool day. fabulous food and fabulous weather.. brilliant sunshine and 30 degrees… even when I show the photos, our friends here at the resort can’t comprehend snow and a dog race, where we were about 24 hours before coming here.

In sports, what started as an international event came down to a Manitoba – Saskatchewan final… unfortunately, Manitoba won the Beer Drinking Contest.. No, no Prince Albert folks were in the event, but some ARE in training.

The little things really stand out here… simple things like being able to walk on the grass, and eat outdoors.

No, not icebergs and a polar bear.. someone throw him a fish

A Mexican Library

Our Home away from Home

2011-02-24T13:14:00.000-06:00

We have arrived

2011-02-23T18:34:00.000-06:00

A short note to say we have arrived safe and sound... a very smooth sunny ride. Not only was it on time, but early! It really is odd, being back here so soon after our last vacation... the staff remembered us and welcomed us with open arms.... I must have tipped them the last time.

Anyway, another fabulous group of travellers have embarked on a great adventure..

The bags are packed…. AGAIN!

2011-02-22T13:19:00.000-06:00

OK… call us spoiled if you will, as we take off on our second trip to Manzanillo this winter… Sheila and I are delighted to be travelling with another group to the fabulous Barcelo Karmina Palace Resort..

Here we go One More Time!

2011-02-16T06:22:00.004-06:00

Yet another group of sunseekers will be heading south to the beautiful Barcelo Karmina Palace Resort... thanks Tom and everyone at CAA Travel for putting together a second trip after the first one sold out... we depart Feb. 23rd... we will keep you posted.

Home Sweet Home

2011-02-09T22:39:00.001-06:00

Well, here we are... on the warm bus leaving Saskatoon. As wonderful a holiday as it was, there is nothing like the comfort of home... a bus load of folks bring home a tan. The tan will fade, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Winding Down

2011-02-08T18:39:00.001-06:00

Here we are, having a little cocktail before supper.... The Last Supper. Tomorrow, we pack in the morning... do a last minute stroll, maybe some last minute shopping and some hangin around soaking up the sun. We leave for the airport in the early afternoon, for a 4:30 flight back to NORMAL...

All in all, a great experience here at the Barcelo Karmina Palace. The weather has been outstanding every day... More food than humans should consume, and a whole lot of fun.

Thanks Tom and everyone at CAA Travel for putting together another fabulous adventure.

We look forward to the next batch of Funseakers leaving Saskatchewan on February 23rd

The next blog entry will be from the Bus Wednesday night (yes, the bus has wireless)

More Food

2011-02-08T18:30:00.000-06:00

Fishin

2011-02-07T18:13:00.001-06:00

Superbowl Domingo

2011-02-06T17:57:00.000-06:00

We didn't quite know how popular the Superbowl would be here, because the other football (soccer) is so popular, but, party there is... the hotel opened up the ballroom, put in a big screen and laid out typical football food... burgers, hot dogs and tortillas? Lots of fans lined up for the big game... on ESPN Viva... in spanish... with a translator. So much yelling and such that it didn't matter a great deal, but all of the commercials were Mexican ones...

We also walked to the marina to check out a little boat that came in... likely THE largest yacht any of us have ever seen.. huge.

and here is a shot from the tee box of the 18th hole... no surprise that not everyone hits the green

"don't you dare take our picture at the bar!

Photos...not mine

2011-02-05T18:10:00.000-06:00

I was a tad lazy today, and didn't bother to take any pictures, so these are from Mrs. Matheis on her trip to the dig near Colima and her sunset cruise.

Iggy

2011-02-04T18:35:00.000-06:00

Yes, I realize that the Iguana is not a particularily dangerous beast, he was getting a tad close... on the left of the photo is my lounge chair....yikes! my siesta was cut short...

Food!

2011-02-04T18:15:00.000-06:00

Off to town

2011-02-03T18:08:00.001-06:00

For the first time, we woke up to some cloud cover... wierd! Still 27, but clouds, so we decided to get on the Directo..(local bus) with all the locas, paid our 6 pesos and off to downtown Manzanillo. A huge port city... the port employing some 10,000 people!(correction... 30,000) the move 10,000 containers per day. Also, the sailfish capitol of the world...hence to huge statue of a fish... note the size of the people. More shopping and seeing the sights... good fun on a cloudy day... it did clear up and get warm... a good day.

Half Way

2011-02-02T18:38:00.000-06:00

Although it seems like forever, we have only been here a week.... it is at this point, that this lifestyle starts to feel normal... but we realize of course that it is far from it... we are being spoiled rotten... Andrea Boyd and a bunch of folks went on a trip inland to the city of Colima.. famous for its volcano, among other things... and she files this report.....

Greetings from Andrea Boyd.. reporting from Manzanillo, Mexico. Sun, Sea and Cerveza...Today we visited the city of Colima, the capital of the state of Colima and admired the colonial architecture in the centuries old city. We stopped at the Cathedra, The Goverment Palace, the Archelogy Museum. Time for shopping and then to Comala, on of the most beautiful and charming towns in western Mexico. It sits at the bottom of the most active volcanos in the country.. Volcan de Fuego and El Navado. We had lunch at a sidwalk cafe right on the Plaza of Comala. Time for picutres and shopping then home to the resort... a great day discovering the real Mexico... Andrea Boyd... hasta la vista

Happy Tuesday

2011-02-01T18:19:00.001-06:00

Update on the visit by the Governor of Colima...his name is Mario Anguiano Moreno. The reason he is so important, is the fact that he came to power after coming from nothing... born very poor... and is the clear favorite of the people to some day be the President of Mexico... a huge crowd of camera people came up the stairs, so we knew he must be close.. we all stood up to see, and he chose us, a bunch of tourists.. to shake hands with.. quite a thrill

On the subject of thrills, a bunch of folks went zip lining today... you are hooked in to a harness, attatched to a big cable and sent down the mountain... no thanks.. but they did say it was quite a thrill. Our group that went deep sea fishing had a few good bites, but could not land any fish, but did get up close to pod of dolphin... hundreds, and some whales and a giant see turtle. So not a whole loss.

One thing about the Resort, is the entertainment. Usually, the guy that runs the beach vollyball is the same guy that dances in the show, and it is all lip sync... but the show here really is outstanding. An actuall band, live singers and professional dancers... quite good.

Here is an idea for next years calendar.... the Men Of Mexico... this is Mr. January and Mr February.... no??

We are looking forward to Groundhog day, as the Mexican tradition is a little different than ours... if Iggy the Iquana sees his shadow, we get to drink beer all day, so, we will let you know how that works out.

Work work work

2011-01-31T08:28:00.004-06:00

On the air from Manzanillo... why don't i do this all year?

It was great to be on the air this morning... technology is wonderful...

After the broadcast stuff was over, we went for a little walk to ANOTHER market... this time, a smaller artisan market... some really neat stuff.

A few pix of market and the walk

Also, alot of excitement here at the resort... The governor or president of the state, or some very high up official is staying here.. secret service, army folks milling around.. very neat... i tried to take some pictures, but learned very quickly that is was not a good idea... but i sort of took one anyway... hope i dont find out what a Mexican jail is like

Domingo a day of rest

2011-01-30T18:15:00.000-06:00

I am not saying we work too hard, but we did take a day off today... being Sunday... no tours... only a golf game with a few folks. They won't talk about it though... they lost EVERY ball in their golf bag... mostly in the ocean... for everyone else... pool, beach and dos equis... the weather has changed with the tide... for the first few days, the evenings and mornings were quite cool... now, it doesn't cool off much at all... and any sight of a cloud is gone... very nice... 84f Tomorrow, alot of folks are going deep sea fishing... this is either the sailfish, or swordfish capitol of the world.. (can't remember which) good luck fishers... we are also looking forward to our monday morning broadcast...

hasta la vista

Shopping day

2011-01-29T18:16:00.002-06:00

A long walk to the Mercado.. (Market) .. Saturday is a big day for the locals to sell their wares, and we made the 4 mile walk to market.. and it was well worth it...HUGE.. a varied array of merchandise from pirate DVDs, to car parts to an incredible section of fresh fruit and vegetables. So much of the local food purchases are on a daily basis, as refrigeration is not as plentiful as we enjoy. We also finally found Mexican Wrestling masks... a request from the grandkids.

What is especially nice about exploring the real world of the countries we visit, is experiencing the day to day life of the locals... we saw how they display their food (not for the squeamish) and how they live their lives.. very interesting. One of our crew learned about scraping cactus, why they do it we don’t know, as well as behind the scenes making tortillas.

Anyway, another great day topped off with a meal at the Mexican restaurant located on a small peninsula out in the ocean.. very nice atmosphere... we are being spoiled rotten in the food department. Every meal is like eating at Amys EVERY day, three times a day... and no bill when we leave.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and some folks are going to Mass... not hard to find a church in a mostly Catholic country.

Hasta la vista... till manyana

Another great day

2011-01-28T17:45:00.002-06:00

A hotter day today... and a good long walk in the morning to wear off breakfast... we walked down the long driveway from the Karmina to the main street and along it through the markets to the Soriana... a very large Mexican department store.. along the way, alot of street vendors selling food... looked ok, but no thanks...but I'm a chicken..Shorty Hryhor on the other hand ate fried crickets!!

after the walk, we had to rest by the pool, and try our best to keep our fluids up. As previously mentioned, whales are abundant and they were putting on a show in the bay... of course I didn't have may camera with me... lots of other birds and amimals .... including Iguanas by the pool and swans by the bathtub.

Tomorrow it is Sabado (saturday) so we are off to the big flee market... a full shopping report tomorrow. Also, a golf report... I think some folks are going to try to golf in 30 degrees...

Anyway, all is very well... eating too much and enjoying every waking minute.

Day Two

2011-01-27T18:03:00.001-06:00

Breakfast in Manzanillo.... this is what 8:00 am looks like

The second day is always a nice relaxing day... no tours to go on, nothing to do but get familiar with our new surroundings. And our new surroundings are very nice. Great resort... easy to figure out and everyone is pleased as punch to be here... the weather is what you would expect... HOT... but not unbearable hot... actually though, it was quite cool in the early morning. Some resorts have a shortage of loungers, and you need to get up in the wee small hours to reserve a chair...not so here.. no problemo.

Although on vacation, I did have a couple of meetings scheduled today, with the hotel people and the Barcelo IT team, to discuss and set up our broadcast on Monday morning... hope all works out... we have a lady who works here that will be on the air with us... should be fun.

Some tours are planned in the next few days... various folks are doing various things and we will give you a report on how they are doing.

and this is what supper looks like

from Snow to Sand

2011-01-26T18:44:00.002-06:00

first day a great one... not only was our flight on time, it was EARLY! ... So, off we go, into the wild blue yonder. Nice flight, nice meal...then trouble... "we have two movies for your entertainment... The Jonas Brothers in Camp Rock and Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love.... shoot me now... "Sully, put er down in El Paso, I'm gettin off".... so, I went to the old fashioned way to entertain myself... read a book.... on my Ipad.

Then 4 hours and 26 minutes after leaving Saskatoon, we were complaining how hot it was at the Manzanillo airport... how soon we forget.

All got checked in... the Resort is beyond spectacular, and all is well. But enough chit chat... it IS happy hour after all... buenoz noches

Later

Doc Holiday

2011-01-25T17:48:00.002-06:00

“My bags are packed, I’m ready to go//
// cause I’m leavin on a jet plane”

- Peter, Paul and Mary

We are ready to go and go we will, off to the sunny warm Pacific coast in Manzanillo. We will keep you posted.

Another day at the office

2010-12-28T15:45:00.001-06:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Getting Close

2010-11-13T17:01:00.002-06:00

We depart on January 26! We will update the blog on a daily basis... OK NEARLY daily... ok.. once in a while.

Check below for posts from our previous Vacations.

Winding Down

2010-02-03T16:42:00.004-06:00

Well, with only a couple of days left, things are winding down a little... while some folks pose by a rock in their stylish yellow trunks, others a actually doing stuff. Some lazing by the pool, some visiting the port one more time,some feeding the fish.... Joe and Joan sailing and the big news today was the fact that Roger and Mike went fishing and came home with a whopping 27 Yellow Fin Tuna!!
wow... they were a big hit on the beach when they came in. The hotel will cook up a couple, and the rest will go to some local families in the area.

All, though are soaking in the last of the heat, sun, sand and ocean before we head back to reality. The tans will fade, but the memories of a fabulous vacation will live on for a long time to come. Even though this is paradise, we do look forward to home and normal... "please, no more cerveza"

bye for now

A three hour tour

2010-02-02T09:19:00.000-06:00

A few of us went on a boat tour to see the area from the ocean.. very impressive. The three hour tour started as a very interesting history of the area, and ended up with flowing cervesa, and some tunes. Actually big fun. We did make two snorkeling stops at some unused and pristine beaches, that will never be developed, because they are in the national park.

I've been asked... how is the shopping? According to my much better half, very good... whether a trip in to Santa Cruz or La Crucecita, or the strip of little shops across from the resort, OR just lay under your palapa on the beach, and they will come to you. Even the beach vendors around here a very nice, no high pressure... if you don't want anything, just “no thanks” will do... but if you do, and like bartering, it can be a fun experience, and our now veteran shoppers are getting some great deals on jewelery and kids trinkets, cover ups and such.

Today... well we haven't quite decided... I did start my 3rd book, so maybe I will dig into that... such big decisions.

Buenos Diaz

Another beautiful morning

2010-01-31T08:32:00.000-06:00

Some noisy birds woke us up at the crack of dawn... ok, it was 8 oclock... Went for a nice walk near the resort last night... never did make it to the Blues Guitar place, maybe tonite... we came back and enjoyed the Italian restaurant...very good. The service and the staff here is unusually good. They are consistantly polite and helpful. well, off to the beach.. and maybe a trip into Santa Cruz.

Happy Sabado... Saturday

2010-01-30T16:18:00.000-06:00

Another fine day... nothing too out of the ordinary... a big breakfast, nice walk, then hit the beach... read a book, take a swim, have a snooze, and repeat. Oh, and if the lady comes along with a tray of drinks, the neighborly thing to do would be to accept. Gracias

Now it is late afternoon, going to leave the resort and walk through the shops and end up at a place called the Tipsy Blowfish... local hotspot for music... a supposedly world famous blues guitarist appears there from time to time.

temp wise... I have no idea what the temp was today, other than extremely HOT... I guess I better not whine about the heat..

Everyone is having a great time

Later

NH

Adventurous folks

2010-01-29T07:47:00.000-06:00

Some of our group were very adventurous, and explored the jungle and the local falls... a hike up a mountain to a cave takes them to the back of the waterfall. A good trip along the way as well, seeing the sites and how the locals live. On monday, a group of us are going on a big boat to explore the 7 bays that make up the area. Weather has been extremely hot, mid 90s, but today is expected to be around 88

The Food

2010-01-29T07:43:00.000-06:00

The food at this resort is unusually good... not only the food, but the presentation, atmosphere, staff and everything to do with it. Last night we ate at the Japanese restaurant... very good. Did we eat too much? well yes.. there are numerous restaurants, some of which are open air, which is quite nice.

Rush Hour In Mexico

2010-01-29T07:40:00.000-06:00

There´s nothing to do

2010-01-27T08:13:00.000-06:00

How many times have we heard our kids say... “theres nothing to do” well, around here, that is what your supposed to do... nothing. Laze around in the shade of your palapa.. getting up to maybe frolic in the ocean, or one of the six pools... then get interrupted from your reading for Angela to bring you a cool drink. Tough life.... on the subject of books, I am on my second. Now if you do want a little activity, there is plenty.. take a kayak or sailboat for a ride... take a Spanish lesson or practice your archery... go to the gym or take a massage at the world class spa. For folks who like to golf, the beautiful course is right next door... walking distance. A little too hot to golf though. Some are going to the Magic Falls today... a tour that takes you through a cave to get BEHIND a water fall. Some tours of the local coffee plantations... and turtle sanctuary. Some of us are going on the Bay Tour... exploring the 7 bays that make up the area... the tour stops at lagoons for snorkeling or swimming... a stop or two at the undeveloped and empty beaches in the national park and spotting some dolphins, whales and rays. So plenty to do, or nothing to do... personally the later is kind of nice.

Speaking of heat, the forecast is for blue sky and 94.... cooling off to 72 at night.

Just another day in paradise

2010-01-26T07:22:00.000-06:00

Another great day... laying around on the beach... eating way too much and believe it or not, concerned about home and the abundance of snow... sorry about the nasty weather, hope all is well.

Today, we took a 30 peso taxi ride into the town of La Crucecita. Probably one of the nicest and cleanest little Mexican towns we have seen. Very typical, with the town square, skirted with a very nice church. Took a bit of a “coffee” break in the town square, then, walking a block off the beaten path, away from the tourist area to where the locals do their day to day activities... wonderful open air markets of fresh fruit and vegetables... vendors selling tortillas and snacks of some sort. Also, family is very important, and kids are welcome to hang out with the parents, making fun out of whatever is available. By our standards, these people may be very poor, but they are rich in family and children, and those things that really matter.

Very nice to see the way other cultures live.

Some folks went on boat tours to various exotic places... others took pictures of their feet sitting on their lounge chair... but all having a great time.

Bye for now

dont take MY picture

2010-01-24T06:42:00.000-06:00

You know when someone says “don't you dare post that picture” that I have only one choice.... a photo of the golden girls frolicking in the pool.

There are six pools at the resort... all quite large, so never any congestion... infact, even though the hotel is full, there is never a concern about line ups for anything. A very well run hotel. Unfortunately, the food has been superb … I say unfortunately, because one tends to eat just a tad more than usual at a place like this. Everything about Dreams is top drawer... even down to things like a great shower, and one of the most comfortable hotel beds I have ever experienced.

Anyway, kind of a lack luster day yesterday... laid around the beach and did absolutely nothing... then again, that is our job on vacation... today though a walk down the street to some shops and we do a little exploring. In fact, some folks went on a little tour of La Crucecita... the nearby town.

All in all, a wonderful experience..

oh and look at the time... it's happy hour... bye for now.

2010-01-23T07:12:00.005-06:00

Early morning came REAL early. \Our departure from \Prince Albert was a bit earlier because of possible freezing rain in the forecast, so we pulled out of \Tim Hortons at 2:15AM …. as in THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! Made it to Saskatoon, a smooth checkin, a few minute wait, through security and away we go. Some very high clouds made for a bumpy first half of our flight, but we made good time... a 5 hour 20 minute flight.

Not a real big airport in Huatulco, but efficient and we were through customs and on our bus enjoying 32 degree heat. A ONE CORONA ride through the Mexican landscape... past the town of La Crucecita, a very nice golf course and then to our Resort. It was very evident why Dreams is the Number One hotel in the area... it is Spectacular!

Greeted with a cold towel and a drink... and time to drink in the beauty of the resort and ocean in Huatulco. Because we arrived at noon, some rooms not quite ready so we were forced to hang around the restaurants, bars, pool and ocean for an hour... a real struggle.

After we got our rooms, a swim, get cleaned up... the a beautiful supper at Mexican Night, where they spent all day converting the courtyard into a huge outdoor restaurant. Food was incredible, but all we were thinking about, was finishing supper and to bed after a very long first day.

Sleep came very easy, and we look forward to tomorrow..

2010 Here We Come

2009-08-12T18:06:00.004-06:00

A hot new destination this year... On January 22... just a few days, we will board a warm motorcoach to the Saskatoon Airport, then off to the DREAMS RESORT AND SPA in Huatulco, Mexico.

In the meantime, have a look at last years blog.. (start at the bottom and work up)

That's a wrap

2009-02-01T13:13:00.002-06:00

Well, another fabulous vacation comes to an end. A group of tired and tanned sun seakers arrived at Saskatoon airport, after a nice flight from Cancun. Tom Brothwell from CAA Travel was there to meet us, and he brought with him a nice warm motorcoach to escort us back to Prince Albert. All in all, a great two weeks in paradise... at Canada Customs, we claim.. some Mexican trinkets, a tshirt or two and a lifetime of memories. Thanks Tom and everyone at CAA Travel for a great stay in Mexico.

Buenos Diaz

Snorkel Day

2009-01-30T14:40:00.003-06:00

Our friend Jorhe loaded up his boat and took us deep into the ocean for some reef snorkeling. Outstanding experience. Hundreds of colorful fish, stingrays, barracuda and more on the second largest reef in the world. Puerto Morelos Reef is part of a natural park and protected by the government. The pristine clean clear water made for a wonderful experience in some of the best snorkeling waters around. Too bad that none of us had an underwater camera. We also passed a huge yacht that was moored in our marina... the obviously wealthy owner was from Miami... just think you could have a boat just like it for only $10 million and 15,000 a month to run it!

Anyway, another fabulous day in Mexico.... tomorrow we begin to pack for the sad departure and the trip home.

Cliff divers

2009-01-29T16:11:00.004-06:00

While not quite as exciting as the Acapulco cliff divers, the plunge off the tower in our pool is pretty high when you get up on it, so it does take a little courage. Lois, Gaylene Blackman and Dave Hryhor took the plunge today, so I thought I should send along a little video. Other than that, another cloudless day of frollicking in the ocean, reading, a walk on the beach, and several visits from Eduardo, our waiter... Also, a wedding on the beach was nice to watch.

All in all, a wonderful resort and a vacation of a lifetime that will wrap up in a couple of days..

Happy Birthday

2009-01-28T18:29:00.002-06:00

All kinds of birthdays on our crew since we arrived... two last week, and two this week... today, the staff at the hotel brought out champagne and sang to Bev Ladouceur on her 50th. not too unusual, but it was at breakfast at 8 o'clock! Later on someone wrote the obvious in the sand.

Another wonderful day in paradise... the weather has been very nice... yesterday morning, a few clouds and a morning shower sent us to Playa Del Carmen for shopping. We used the extremely efficiant bus service. Gone are the Mexico buses with the locals carrying chickens to market, we were escorted in a huge Mercedes motor coach, complete with wide sreen tv and movies playing. the cost... 180 pesos, or about $1.75...

well, happy hour again! gotta go

Golfing and Fishing

2009-01-26T18:12:00.006-06:00

Our resident golfers took the challenge today and played the famous Greg Norman course in Playa Del Carmen. This is the same course that the PGA Mayakoba Golf Classic will be played on, in two weeks. John Laducer and Ron Simmonds will blog a few pictures from the event in a little while. On the ocean, a whole crew went fishing and out of 6... the ALL caught fish. Mahi Mahi, Mackrell, Hammerjacks and others.. Bob and Judy Tokaruk, Steve and Sandy Fenske, Roger Piche and Mike Mazurak... They say the fishing was fantastic... pictures will follow. For the rest of us, another day on the beach... and we decided to give our new BC friends another chance and another Bocce tournament took place, and once again, we came up just a little short... we actually let them win, because we want inter provincial relations to remain strong...

All for now, it's happy hour so, must go..

a Saskatchewan defeat

2009-01-24T16:14:00.004-06:00

It is with a heavy heart,that I report the finals in the Puerto Morelos Beach Bocce tournament. After a hard fought battle, the very tough B.C. Bocce team defeated Team Sask by a narrow margin.

We can hold our heads high, as these were obviously a professional Beach Bocce team in training for the BC 2010 Olympics. Actually, theywere some very nice folks from Lillooet BC and had they been sober, I think we could have taken them... also today Lois Hryhor got the courage to take the leap off the "tower of terror" into the pool. By the way, the 10 and 12 year old kids do this all day long... a great bunch of fun, and something we have not seen in a resort.

Happy hour is over, time for supper.

Later

Neil H

Xcaret

2009-01-24T06:46:00.004-06:00

Well, yesterday we had a very full day of fun at the eco theme park Xcaret (ish ca ray). A truly remarkable, must see part of the Mayan Riviera. You need a full day to experience all the park has to offer... Underwater rivers, lagoons to relax and swim, swimming with Dolphins and Sharks... yes sharks. Also, an orchid farm, a rotating tower that gives you a view of the entire area, ancient church, mayan ruins, butterfly sanctuary, snorkel tours, giant turtles, amazing aquarium... and on and on and on. But, the highlight is the show in the eveing that wraps up the day. This is one of the most elaborate, professional shows that we have ever seen. Hundreds of professional performers, horses, trained parrots... dancers, singers and musicians that trace the Mayan culture from its beginnings. Horses galloping on stage, a mayan game that is similar to hockey, except instead of a puck, they use a ball of FIRE!... bare feet as well. Anyway, imposible to describe in words or pictures. This is something you must experience. Highly recomended for anyone travelling to this part of the world. Infact, please feel free to post any comments if you have been to Xcaret, and any thoughts or tips you may have.
So, after alot of walking and a full day yesterday, today will be a lazy slug lying on the beach kind of day... beach here is spectacular by the way... and it is calling me, so bye for now.

Good Morning

2009-01-22T16:00:00.002-06:00

Hi again from Mexico

2009-01-21T07:24:00.004-06:00

All is well here in paradise. We are doing the usual, soaking up the sun, eating well and enjoying the surroundings. Yesterday, a walk into Puerto Morelos, and instead of walking back, we found a guy with an old fishing boat, who, for a few pesos, would take us back to the resort by water. That was a hoot.... heavy seas, and a small boat, equals soaking wet... but it was fun. In looking around the boat, though, there was ten of us, and three lifejackets... I had mine picked out, but no need, it was quite safe.... so says Juan the fisherman.

Today could be a trip into Cancun, but we will have to see what the day brings... we do have a plan for Friday though... some of us are going to go to Xcaret... a huge Mayan eco theme park. We have been before, and if you do only one activity in the Mayan Riviera... make it Xcaret... and don't miss the evening show that wraps up the day... it is truly remarkable. More on it after Friday.

Thats all for now.... I have a hammock calling me for my nap time...

Monday in Mexico

2009-01-19T17:20:00.004-06:00

Hi to everyone especially the crew at Conexus CU. It is hot, hot, hot. My name is Andrea Boyd and I am in charge of today's blog.

We went to Puerto Morelos today which was a 25 minute walk along the beach. Very nice little community where we visited a book store and had a beverage in the town square.

It's a tough life, breakfast, lunch, then supper and in between lying in the sun, and again beverages.

We are having a birthday party Wednesday night and will be visiting Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

All for now,

Hasta Luego

another day another reptile

2009-01-19T06:51:00.002-06:00

Although it is not unusual ot bump in to the odd iguana, it is unusual to have a big croc living next door... and it is a big one... 6 to 8 feet. Very safe though... it can not get out of its habitat... we hope.

Well, today is another day... yesterday was spent, for the most part, on the beach... just hangin around after the day of travel. For today, we are off for a walk down the beach to the little town of Puerto Morelos.

We will take a few pictures, try to get the video blogs working, and get back to you later today.

early morning

2009-01-18T07:03:00.002-06:00

We have arrived

2009-01-18T06:17:00.000-06:00

I write this as the sun begins to rise on day 2 of our Vacation. All was fairly smooth on our departure.. the motorcoach deposited us at the airport at about 3:15 and a smooth checkin, and then an on time 757.. all was well until we were about to turn on to the runway, and then the Saskatoon airport authority decided that this would be a good time to scrape the runway... our pilot was not pleased, but there we sat until it was cleaned off. Then in the air and away we go.. great flight, a few bumps over New Orleans, but that was about it. By the way, to see New Orleans from the air is a remarkable site. Anyway, after our delay taking off, we managed to be only 14 minutes late getting to Cancun International... and international is the key word... 20 flights from around the world landed withing about a half an hour... so the immigration procedure and luggage etc was a zoo... thousands of people, but we managed to get to our bus without losing any of our group... at least I think they all made it. In past trips to the Mayan Riviera, we would have a long bus ride to the resort, but this one was only a One Corona trip... about 20 minutes. The resort is as advertised... beautiful... a perfect size, no lineups for anything, no problem finding a spot by the pool or the beach.. Because of our early arrival time at the hotel, some rooms were ready and some were not, so we were forced to lay around on the beach and wait... what a burden. Anyway, all is well here in Mexico... as the saying goes, “what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico” well, nothing has happened... but hopefully we will manage to cause some trouble as time goes on.... I will post a little video, or some photos before the day is done.

Our bags are NEARLY packed!

2008-12-06T22:07:00.012-06:00

Well, here we go again... another Fabulous WARM vacation awaits. The 900CKBI - CAA Travel Prince Albert contingent will be jetting south on Jan 17th (not that far away)... we are off to Puerto Morelos, Mexico. A small Ocean front town just south of Cancun. We will keep you posted. Thanks to daughter Kim, who gave us a little taste of our resort from her recent trip to the area.