Best Laid Plans

One Sunday in November on lsla Mujeres, we decided to try a different beach club instead of cabbing all the way into El Centro to Playa Norte.  We'd heard a lot about Playa Mexico on our two prior trips, so decided to give it a try.  And besides, we needed the exercise and Sac Bajo would make for a nice long stroll.

I wasn't sure of the exact location on Sac Bajo, but not long after we passed the Turtle Farm and Playa Tiburon, we saw this sign.  Free kayaks and hammocks sounded good, so we turned and walked down the drive towards the water.

 On the way in, we passed this quaint blue door.  

Soon we saw the water and took a seat at a table on the sand.  No one was around, but finally a waiter came over to see what we wanted.  It looked like a very inviting place to spend a Sunday afternoon, but first things first.  We were hungry and decided to order some food before settling into a lounger or hammock.  When we asked for menus, the waiter informed us they did not have food.  Uh what?  Unfortunately, we hadn't come prepared with snacks because I assumed they'd be selling food in exchange for those free chairs and hammocks.  After talking to someone else, the waiter came back and said if we wanted to wait until 2:30 p.m., we could eat from a daytripper buffet, but it was pushing 1 p.m. and we were hungry, so it wasn't going to work.  Bummer!

The hammock looked so inviting, but our stomachs were growling and I'll admit to not being enamored with the thought of the masses that would be arriving soon from Cancun.  All we needed was an order of guacamole or something to tide us over, but there was nothing, so we repacked the beach bag and decided to walk back up the road to try and find some food.

Onward we marched down the hot asphalt road.  We'd never been to Playa Tiburon and were quite thirsty after a few blocks in the hot sun, so we decided to give that one a try.  Walking past the banos at the entrance to the restaurant, the air was consumed by sewer gas fumes.  Yuck.  I was suddenly a little squeamish about ordering anything from the kitchen, but the smell dissipated once we got out onto the sand.  We decided to at least sit down and order something to drink with some sort of appetizer.  A waitress brought us the menu and they had guacamole, so what the heck!  We ordered the guac and chips along with two Coca Lights.

Maybe I should let you guess what comes next.  After about five minutes, the waitress returned with our drinks and handed us the menus again.  We'd have to pick something else because they were all out of guacamole and chips.  Looking around, we were the only customers at the place and my stomach was still a little queasy from the smell of the banos, so we decided to cut our losses and just pay for the drinks. While Craig settled the tab, I snapped a few photos of the beach area and dock.

 

Do rules apply if you can't read Spanish?

Back out on the road, we noticed the view across the waterway to our home for the month.  It's the white building in the distance to the left of the arch with the palapas on the roof.  Did I mention our stomachs were growling howling?  And I'll admit to still being a little disappointed that the afternoon plans in the hammock while Craig kayaked had bit the sand.

Onward and to the south!  Craig grabbed the beach bag and we headed on down the road to the home of the famous Casa del Tikinxik.  Soon, we were sitting in the cool shade under the pavilion at Playa Lancheros.  Goldilocks had finally found her chair and it was juuuuuust right!  To appease our hunger, we decided to go for the full boat order of tik n xik. While I took a short walk with the camera, Craig downed his first beer and ordered another.

I'm glad we finally ended up at Lancheros because we hadn't tasted the tik n xik in a few years.  It was really good!  And people watching is half the fun at Lancheros.  I'll admit to eavesdropping on the couple at the table behind us.  They were on their golf cart day and she was upset with the waiter because he'd substituted a brand of beer that she refused to drink.  Hhhrump!  Sometimes life hands you lemons instead of your preferred limes, but she was having none of that lemonade!

By the time we finished lunch and paid the bill, dark clouds were overhead threatening rain.  We laughed about our original beach day plans and decided to fast walk our way back to the condo.  On the way out, we noticed a large iguana loitering in the wood pile.  He should be happy it's not the home of the famous grilled iguana.  (I've heard it tastes like chicken?)

I guess best laid plans often turn to a couch, a good book, and a nap.