Ocean Maya Royale, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

From last Saturday 'til today, I stayed at the Ocean Maya Royale, an adults only all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen.

Air Canada Vacations had a promotion for an east coast kitchen party for the week with three east coast Canada singers.  They played six times over five days and were excellent!

Sister Sarah and I went along with my pal and colleague, Trudy; Trudy's husband, Barry; and their friends Darlene, Steve and Dan.  In total, there were about 100 of us with the east coast kitchen party, which most flying out of Halifax.

Reception

The lobby

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Friday

When I looked out from my balcony about 9am this morning, there were three monkeys!

One of the workers gave them bananas

On my way to breakfast, I came across a couple coatis having a disagreement.  I had an apple so threw it to the bigger one to distract it.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Thursday

There are lots of critters on this resort.  This morning I came across a big iguana on my way to breakfast.

A nice message on the way to the pool and beach.

I relaxed in a lounger for a while and red.

The beach has been really rough all week so I haven't gone into the ocean.  But it was fairly calm today ... so I went in a couple times (once this morning and again this afternoon).  It was amazing!

More critters!  As I was getting ready to go for supper, there was a deer snacking right under my balcony.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Wednesday

Sister Sarah and I caught a cab from our resort to downtown Playa del Carmen today.

We headed right for the beach.

We wished the beach at our resort was like this

Sister Sarah and I

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Tuesday

I took a long walk along the beach this morning.  There is a lot of seaweed that washes in every day and it's a never ending job for the workers to clean it up.

It was a red-flag day at the beach (so no swimming is recommended because of the rough waters).

I chilled in a lounger by the beach for a while.

Then headed to the pool.  I ran into Sister Sarah, Barry and Trudy.

I had lunch at the buffet restaurant near the pools.  It was good.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Monday

I woke up early and went for a 2km walk.  Then I changed and headed to a chair by the beach and read for a couple hours.

I ran into Sister Sarah and we hung out by the pool for a while.

Sister Sarah

Lunch time!  We ate outside at the restaurant near the pool.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Sunday

I started my day at the pool and Bobby Currie, Damian Follett and Karla Pilgrim, the three singers who are part of our "east coast kitchen party", were playing.

Steve, Darlene and Trudy

On the way back to my room, I came across some strange critters.  These are coatis and there was a couple feeding them and an iguana grapefruit.  I've never seen a coati before.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Saturday

Sister Sarah and I are on our annual sisters week away.  This year we are at a resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Our flights arrived about the same time tonight in Cancun (she flew out of Halifax and I flew out of Toronto).  We are on an Air Canada Vacations trip with an east coast kitchen party theme, with most people coming from Nova Scotia.  My friend and colleague, Trudy, is also with us as her husband, Barry, and their friends, Darlene, Steve and Dan (they all live in Nova Scotia).

There are three singers from eastern Canada with us this week, including Karla Pilgrim.  She entertained us on the bus ride to the resort.

Here are me and Sister Sarah in the lobby bar (which never closes).

We met Glori Ann and Jon at the bar ... they got engaged today and were celebrating.  Congrats!

And so we celebrated with them!