Saturday, March 19th

We had lots of steak and chicken left in the freezer and we’re leaving for Chicago in 4 days. So, what comes to mind when you say steak and chicken in the same sentence? Fajitas, of course. So, we invited about 20 people over. Everyone brought something to finish off the meal. We had barely enough meat even though we started out with 10 chicken breasts and ½ crockpot of steak. The best part was that we had almost no leftovers. Everything was so good from Danny’s homemade salsa to Debbie’s lime squares.
It was a beautiful night on the beach with the full moon shining on the water and lighting up our party on the beach.
I have to give kudos to my husband. We worked together to make the fajitas. I chopped and he cooked the meat and the vegetables on the griddle. I never could have gotten it done in time and/or I would’ve burned something trying to chop and cook at the same time. I’m a lucky woman.

Friday, March 18th

We drove to Puerto Morales with 2 other couples for a lunch on the beach (the restaurant was called “La Playa”) and to see the town. The lunch was marvelous. We chose our own fish from the cooler. A small grouper for me. I was tempted to try something else, but soon there will be no fresh fish for me. So I’d better have fish for just a few more days. Here are a few pictures.





Our new neighbors were here when we got home and some other friends came in off the beach, so we ended up with 13 people sitting around in the font of the palapa enjoying the view and the camaraderie. I really love the people down here. It is so easy to get together with people and so much fun. I‘m glad to be a part of this “community“..

I was coming from the palapa into the trailer part at about midnight and there was a gecko on the wall above the sliding glass door into the trailer. I know that geckos are great for the environment and I really do love them. However, I just had to have a heart to heart with this guy and beg him to please hang on and not drop on my head (or any part of my body) as I had to pass under him to get to my bedroom. I knew I would scream like a girl (which I am) if he did. Besides, he’s the one who usually hangs out on my shower just eyeballing me when I’m naked in the shower. Now he’s hanging out at my bedroom door when I’m gong to bed. What’s up with that? Do I have a gecko admirer? He’d better not try to hitch a ride home in my suitcase.

Wednesday, March 16th

We went to the movies tonight. We chose a movie that was either called “Stone” or “Karma”. I’m not sure. The seats were comfortable and the price was definitely right. $350 pesos for the show - around $3.00. It’s also $450 pesos for popcorn, but I passed on the popcorn because we had just eaten. L
Anyway, it was probably the worst movie I have ever seen. A great cast - Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton.
It was in English with Spanish subtitles. Don’t even rent it from Redbox for 1.00. It’ll probably be up for best supporting actor. Edward Norton was scary good. Still not worth the price.

Wednesday, March 16th

Yesterday I said how I had a freezer full of meat. So what did we do? We went out to dinner with friends. I had suggested Manne’s Biergarten, but friends wanted to go to Mom’s in Playa. I’m so glad we went to Mom’s. It is now one of my very favorites…maybe my favorite. I will definitely take friends to Mom’s when they come down. They have a daily special for $80 pesos (less than $8) - like chicken fried steak, shrimp alfredo. I would definitely be in serious diet trouble if I went there too often. And it has that homemade taste…like from Mom’s kitchen.

Tuesday, March 15th

Our time in Paamul is starting to wind down - only one more week here. And my freezer is still full of meat. So I decided I would make a big crockpot of beef stew and invite some friends for dinner. Friends brought salad and bread and wine. Oh, it made such a wonderful feast, We finished it off with brownies and coconut ice cream drizzled with chocolate. We played cards until “Paamul midnight”, which is 10pm. At Paamul, just like at an RV Park or a campground, there is a quiet time or “noise curfew”.

Monday, March 14th

Just had to add this picture from last night’s dinner at Sur. Only in Mexico can you have a Drugs and Deli store. Be inventive. You make up the ad for it.

Sunday, March 13th

Our soon to be neighbors Jack & Kathy (and adorable 3 year old Emma Sophia) invited a group of Paamulians out to dinner tonight. We all met at Sur, a wonderful restaurant on 5th Avenue. 5th Avenue is the happening place in Playa del Carmen. The street is blocked off, allowing no vehicles. It’s filled with restaurants and shops. Anyway, I digress.

Jack regularly takes clients to Sur and so they know him very well. He started us all out with an appetizer of octopus and tuna. I tried both of them. Everyone raved about them. They just weren’t my thing. I really enjoyed getting a chance to try some really good octopus so I know I’m not crazy about it. Didn’t hate it, just have lots more favorite foods. And honestly, it was hard for me to get past the suckers on the tentacles. How about you?


Pete had a great steak and I had the fish of the day, Grouper. Honestly, I have never found a restaurant that doesn’t have grouper as the catch of the day. I’m not complaining. It’s very good.

And the desserts - crepes and a chocolate torte. Mmmm.

The food WAS WONDERFUl, but honestly, the most enjoyable thing was the friends
And the laughter and good times.


Thanks, Jack & Kathy.

Saturday, March 12th

Pete joined “the inner circle” today. No, it’s not some crazy cult. His buddies have a stone circle on a leather band around their necks. So we attended an art show and bought him his own “inner circle”. We all decided to have ice cream or gelato for dessert. I chose coco Italian gelato - coconut. Yummmmmy. Sometimes this blog does have a food theme, doesn’t it? No wonder it’s so hard to lose weight. I love food.

Speaking of food, what do I miss most from Illinois? It has to be a toss up between Buona Italian Beef Sandwiches and Portillo’s Chopped Salad. What would you miss the most if you were out of town for a couple of months?

Lots of walking on 5th Street. I hope I keep up the walking at home.

Friday, March 11th

It’s Crab Race Night! It’s our last crab race of the season since we’re going to be back in Wheaton when they have the next one. Boo Hoo. We’ll miss Paamul and all of the friends we have made here. But we love our life in Wheaton as well.

After the crab race (we skipped the karaoke), we headed back to our palapa for cards with friends. I love playing cards. We always seem to have so much fun and laugh ourselves silly.

Thursday, March 10th

One of the residents here offers an oil painting class. It’s a 1 day class and is limited to 7 participants. I have never painted with oils. Plus my high school art teacher told my mom, “She HAS no talent.“ End of parent conference. Anyway, Jeannie and I signed up for the class. I ended up painting a decent parrot. Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but decent. Even more important is that I really enjoyed it. Didn’t need to be great at it. Just really enjoyed the day and the relaxation of it. I guess it’s called the Bob Ross painting program. I’ll have to check it out. It might be on PBS.

Wednesday, March 9th

A group of Paamulians waited on the beach in the morning to see the Space Shuttle fly by. However, it took a different route and we all looked like dummies standing there looking at the sky. Or perhaps it was a morning party on the beach.

We went out to Util, an Italian restaurant in Playa del Carmen. I think it was the best lasagna I have ever had. Plenty of meat sauce. Not too much cheese. Just perfect. The restaurant owner is Argentinian. And it was made even more perfect by 3 other wonderful couples from Paamul. We celebrated Debbie’s birthday with a chocolate cake that was oh so good.



We had taped Survivor and watched it when we got home. If you’re not a Survivor fan, ignore the rest of this post. We can’t stand Russell. It was so good to see him go home. And I love it that the guy who manipulates everyone actually cries when he loses. He was/is such a snake. Adios sucka!

Tuesday,March 8th

We got our new loveseat today. Yea!!!! We had ordered it in Dark Blue and it finally came in. It’s perfect in the trailer. Just the right size. The only down side is that I don’t get to stop in to say hi to the very cute, soft spoken Argentinean sales guy. Maybe I need a footstool. Ha.

Today when I was laying on the beach, Dave and Annie Rose (the little fluffy dog) came by. Annie Rose went to visit everyone that was sitting/laying on the beach. When she got to me, she jumped up on my chaise lounge and just snuggled up. It was so cute. There are lots of cute dogs down here. But don't worry, kitties. I love you best. I am NOT bringing a dog home.

Tonight we’re off to Puerto Aventuras to go to dinner. Yes, again. We have a gift certificate that has to be used by Friday (Thank you, Gary and Patti). Invited Springfield Rich and Debbie to join us. Should be a fun time.

Monday, March 7th

Water aerobics in the ocean. The water was perfect. I feel so lucky.

Pete noticed today that I wake up happy here. Maybe it’s the retirement…or maybe it’s the view….or maybe it’s the weather….I vote for a combination of all of them.

I had a taste for Paneras today…soup, to be exact. I suggested we go to El Fagon for ham and bean soup. It’s a traditional Mexican taco place. Don’t like their tacos (the cheese is disgusting), but love their bean soup. We invited others to join us and we ended up with 8 people for dinner. It was so much fun. Sometimes you only like the guy in a couple or the girl in the cuple, but we have 5 couples (at least) that we like the husband and wife and they are so much fun to be around. How great is that?

I’m always one for the desserts, so I offered to buy a dessert pizza at Italianni’s. For the equivalent of $3.25, we got an 8 piece medium chocolate (maybe nutella) pizza. An incredible deal! And yummy, too. I’m gonna do some experimenting at home. Why didn’t I remember to take a picture of it? Guess I’ll just have to order another one. Ha.

Here's a picture, compliments of Patti.

Sunday, March 6th

Rainy day in Paradise. Time for a little TV and reading.

Saturday, March 5th

Did lots of sewing today with Teresa’s borrowed sewing machine. It is an older model. Works quite well. However, it has no reverse. Gosh, how I miss reverse. I made covers for the fan, coffee pot, and water dispenser. (I already made a cover for the TV.)

Everyone in Paamul is invited to a party today. It’s given by two long-time residents - a couple as a celebration of their birthdays and anniversary (3 days in a row). Everyone brings a dish and there is a giant buffet table set up. Beer, pop, and margaritas are provided. Donations are requested at $10 pesos per drink (about $.80). There are a variety of musicians who perform. Each year has a theme. This year’s theme is white so everyone is supposed to dress in white.

Update: What a wonderful party. There were about 120 people there. Talk about a huge buffet! And desserts galore. It was really hard not to overeat.

Friday, March 4th

I heard an “Oh Shit” from Pete as he walked out the back door this morning. Sure enough, there was our snake. Small, but snaky nonetheless. Pete hates snakes.

Internet is still going on and off quite a bit. It’s a pain.

Yup, we definitely have new neighbors. They are a nice couple who work in Playa with an adorable 3 year old girl named Emma Sophia. They decided not to purchase the 2nd palapa, so no guest house.

Now here’s a thought. You can partner on the palapas.
4 partners
$10,000 initial investment each (includes $10,000 for improvements and decorating)
For an additional $5,000 - $8,000 you could have the trailer removed and a 2 bdrm house built there.
13 weeks per year availability
$1500 per year “rent” + maybe $500 per year to maintain the place
Phone, internet, and cable are extra. - maybe $150/month split 4 ways
Less than 50 steps to the beach
Great neighbors across the street (us) and a nice “community” feel
A sliver of ocean view
You don’t pay for electricity, water, sewer, garbage. You only pay for gas.
Here are a couple of pictures.

Thursday, March 3rd

It was a perfect morning for water aerobics in the ocean. The water was calm and warm. It was so nice that no one got out after aerobics. Everyone stayed in the water and just chatted. I’m sure gonna miss this when I’m back in Chicago. Do they have water aerobics in the ocean anywhere else?

A Canadian guy from Playa stopped by to chat. He’s looking at buying an ocean-front palapa and we pointed out which ones (3 of them) are for sale. The one next door to us hasn’t advertised yet, though they are getting it ready to sell. Mr. Playa looked at it and he’s bringing his wife back on Friday morning to look. He’s planning to put in an offer. He’s also thinking about buying the one across the street for $$30,000 as a “guest home” for relatives who come to visit. He said we could use it as a guest home as well. He and Pete got along great right from the start. There’s a reason they call Pete “Sweetie Petey”. He’s a great guy. Perhaps we will have new neighbors.

We caught up on a few weeks of the TV Show Survivor. Love the challenges. Hate the drama. Love Boston Rob. Hate Russell. Brilliant move to vote him off. Hope he permanently goes home. What a sleaze bag he is.

Wednesday, March 2nd

We took Patti and Gary to the airport for their trip home. We’ll miss them, but have great memories of their time here. Go Alice!

A relaxing day with no internet or phone (dang).

Tuesday, March 1st

March, already? Time sure does fly. It is our last day with Patti & Gary. Hung around the house a bit. Then out to dinner at H&C Monterreys for arracherra. It was amazingly good. Patti said it was her favorite food and favorite restaurant. You get your choice of 2 - baked potato, baked onion, or ½ of an avocado. They also served complimentary shots of tequila. (None for me, the designated driver) I’ll post a few pictures of our fun evening.



We stopped at Manne’s for a drink, but they were closed. Then we headed to an underground cave restaurant (Alux) for drinks. It was closed for renovations. We stopped for a chocolate pizza at Italiannis. Pete and I had seen it before, but never tried it. It was so good. Very unique and delicious. Wish I knew how they made it.

Then back home for a rousing game of “99”.

Saturday, February 26th - Monday, February 28th

We got a really nice deal at the all-inclusive Sandos Caracol Playa del Carmen resort just about 20 minutes down the road from us. It was so nice to be pampered and to not have to cook for a few days.

It was billed as a eco-resort. They had donkeys, peacocks, deer, coati, & a bee colony (non-stinging, honey producing). They also had (this is my favorite part) a cat colony. All of the cats are from Coco’s Cat Rescue in Playa. They are all spayed or neutered, receive vet care, and so their numbers are controlled. It was wonderful for me to scratch a few ears and pet them. It made me really really miss my kitties at home.

Our room had a mini fridge that never really worked (that was the only bad part of our trip). We had plush robes, a tray of fresh fruit, bottles of champagne, rum, vodka, and tequila. There were 3 buffets - Mexican, Italian, and International. All were very very good. We also ate at a Brazilian steakhouse. It was yummy, too. But not nearly as good as Sal e Carvaro’s in Downers Grove. It’s one of our favorites. Butterfield School had our end of the year luncheon there. The food was great and they treated us so very well. There were a few cats and raccoons who hung out just outside of the restaurant waiting to be hand-fed. Cool.

We really did miss the wireless internet in the rooms. We had to go to the beach area to get on a computer with internet connection. Welcome to Mexico. We are so used to having Internet access everywhere.

I never ever liked guacamole or avocados. Now I love it. Which will probably turn out to be a bad thing for me. LOL. I have heard that daughter Tanya makes a great guacamole, so I’ll have to tap her skills.