Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Another Solo Journey -- October 2007

When I started looking back through old photos, I was a little shocked to find two solo trips in one year.  How'd I get away with that?  Maybe I justified it as a birthday present since I left the day after in October 2007.  

I always suffered from a bit of buyer's remorse on my solo trips and tried to find economical lodging. All that being said, Craig was usually traveling himself.  (I distinctly remember him being in Orlando, Florida on one of those trips.)  In February 2007, I stayed at Plaza Almendras on Hidalgo and never acquired that state of relaxation that I get from staying on the ocean, so after noticing really low seasonal rates at Luna d'Miel on the airport strip, I booked there.

The rooms were very nice, but in need of maintenance.  That and I was the only person staying in the place.  I spent one sleepless night when I couldn't get the back sliding door to latch properly.  After that nightmare, a friend loaned me a broomstick for backup security in the slider track.  The hot water heater also wasn't working, so cold showers became the norm.  And then there were the bugs!  The place had a front door you could walk a dog under, so when I'd return at night and switch on the light, the room was crawling with creatures. I guess the can of Raid on the kitchen counter should have been a clue!


All that being said, the view out the back door was drop dead gorgeous, and the location was seaglass central.  So I could put up with a bit of rusticity.  In the late afternoons after walking home from the beach, I'd relax in the hammock on the back patio listening to the waves.


Sunsets from the front patio were also gorgeous.  The past few years I've noticed the place has new front doors that touch the floor, so I may check it out for future trips.  It's a great Caribbean front location within walking distance of town.


Playa del Sol became my favorite beach spot that trip.  Around the corner on Playa Norte, the beach continued to erode while Sergio's beach continued to expand.

 

Notice how close Buho's is to the edge of the water in this photo.


By 2007, Ixchel II was completed and towered over the cemetery.


Privilege Aluxes hadn't been built yet, so the sand was a wide vacant expanse between Posada del Mar's beach and the Caribbean Queen.


Rosemarie's original Cool was the place to hang out.  


Loved the paint job on this lavanderia back in 2007!



And I loved this shell of a building and decaying door across from Captain Tony's.


La Esperanza had a yellow motif that year.


Elaborate altars were set up on the zocalo to honor loved one's during Day of the Dead.


Petey was holding court at the French Bistro.  That bird always made me a little nervous when my back was to him.


These t-shirts were very much in vogue.  She wears it well.


I spent a lot of time that trip sitting on Juarez with the gang in front of the Fire Opal.  One day this peddler stopped by selling purses.


I kept a friend's bike at Luna d'Miel and rode round the island a few times snapping photos of the views.


The guys sang One Ton Camaro for us at Rolandi's one night.  The going rate was 50 pesos a song.







After living in the Arizona desert for a full year, I was enthralled with the bright colors of this funky Caribbean island and the fresh salt air.  In fact, I'm still enthralled!  Sometimes I wonder why we're still sitting here in Arizona.

Maybe one of these days!




3 comments:

Ann said...

Love the photo at dusk with the wind sock in it! Reading these reports is making me want to book a trip for the fall!

Life's a Beach! said...

Maybe I'll help occupancy numbers on the island. LOL I'm looking forward to June 2 and wishing I could extend that trip!

krisla said...

Have been loving these glimpses back in time..with beach changes, development, paint, etc...
'rusticity'...love it! getting to be less and less of that! -k