Today, Seltzer, Devin and I decided to do a grill and chill sesh today at my casa. Seltzer suggested we make some meatballs, so he and I got after it. We quartered a white onion, crushed 3 cloves of garlic and diced up two jalapenos then tossed them all into the food processor. After it was a good consistency we combined it with around 2 lbs of ground beef, about one and a half teaspoons ground cumin, about the same amount of ground colliander seed, soy sauce, brown sugar and one egg. Then it was on to actually make/roll the meatballs.

While we were busy making the meatballs, Devin got the coals in the grill going and cooked up a cube steak and some RedNeck Prairie Fires (which are awesome jalapeno, cheese sausages) for a little appetizer. Add some white rice with the meatballs and we had one hell of a feast! Since we didn't eat until about 3pm, we were all hungry and it was definitely worth the wait.

The meatballs turned out pretty good, but it was a learning experience. Next time I think they will come out better because there are a few things we want to try differently. Some didn't stay together very well. I think we used to much mixture and not enough "glue"; meaning we only used one egg and for the quantity we were making, one and a half to two eggs would have been better then one. Since we weren't using exact measurements, it might take a few times to perfect, but I think it has some real potential. One other thing we want to change is the amount of jalapenos used. For this attempt we only used two, although next time for the same quantity I would probably use four. All in all though, it was a great grill and chill sesh!

Today we got up a little late, but considering it was our last day and we were just going to fart around, I felt it was okay. We ended up walking downtown this morning because it was so nice out; it was about 27 celcius. We went to LaFe for a very late breakfast, and I decided to have the enchaliadas. The girl that waited on us was not only nice but very beautiful. I really liked one of the songs that was playing on their stereo, since I love Thiervery Corporation and I recognized one of the songs. After she thought I was hitting on her, which I wasn't (this time) she talked to me for a while and mentioned a DJ spinning at a local club that night her and her boyfriend were going to later tonight. At least I snapped a pic of the cover of the album so I could get a copy when I got back to the States.

After a wonderful breakfast/brunch, we wanted down to 28 Norte where we found a great little shop. The guy working in the shop owned the place which isn't common on 5th Ave as most of those guys work for commision. I bought my mom a very nice opal and tazenite ring for Christmas, since we really didn't do any Christmas gifts this year; I negotiated it down to something like $85 USD, which was very cheap for what we got. Personally, I like the shops that are run by the people that own them, they are way less pushy and it's alot easier to make a better deal. I've also learned that you get an extremely better deal if it is their first sale of the day as it seems to be good luck for them or something.

We wandered around a little bit more and Andy picked up the few last things he wanted to get. I had already made all of my purchases, which I think peaved some of the shop owners as I was not interested in all at the "amazing deals" they were offering; oh well. Around 2pm, I hooked us up with a very cheap ride to the airport in Cancun for $400.00 pesos, which is the best price I've found. The guy even has a station wagon so we will have no problem getting all of our shit in there! Today I found the best price for a cab from down town to Playacar / Pakal is on 10th Ave and 2 Norte ($45 pesos, most of the time it's $50.00 pesos). He also agreed to the $400.00 pesos to Cancun where every other taxi I've spoken with quoted $450.00 pesos (roughly $5 difference, but that's an extra tip IMO).

When we got back to the condo it was time for a little R&R, drinks and lots of packing. Time to get all the shit we bought packed in to our bags... good thing I brought an extra, I needed it! I'm still not sure how the Cuban cigars and cigarettes will fair when I get to customs, but we'll see how that works out. Around 4pm, we decided it was time to head back downtown and find some food. Since we had so much time to kill, we decided to walk; it took about 35 minutes to get to La Prilla which is on 5th Ave and 8 Norte. We decided to take 10th Ave down to 8 Norte since we were kind of dodging a guy on 4 Norte and 5th Ave since we made an (as the Mexicans put it) "American promise" to come back but never did. Such is life right? If he wasn't so temerpental maybe I would have told him I decided against making the purchase, but they can be very pushy.

After another amazing margarita at La Prilla (the Gold Margarita is the best; has a shot of Grande Maria on top) we were feeling a bit tipsy and ready to eat. We ended up at the Ula-Gula which is off 10 Horte and 5th Ave across from Haagen Dazs. It's an upstairs restruante and is the best meal we have had. Before today, the best meal we thought we had was at the Glass Bar, but this place is FAR superior. All of the kitchen staff is from Argentina, and the waiters are from Mexico with the exception of the guy who waited on us who is from Isrealel. The service as well as the food was amazing; I HIGHTLY recommend it to anyone visiting the area. If I had another night in Playa, I would go back! I ended up getting the fish of the day, which was a white fish caught off the coast that morning. The food was SO rich I thought I might need a wheelchair to get out of the place!!

Afterwards we went to see Noe, but unfortunately, he wasn't there. I have a feeling he was sick, since he had the sniffles earlier this week. He was a really really nice guy who helped us out a bunch, and didn't feed us to typical bullshit. He is an honest person and I would have loved to see him again before leaving; maybe next time I'm here I will get the chance to thank him. Although, I think he had a severe coke problem. I finally found something for Ellen though in his shop since she was considerate enough to give us a ride to the airport at 6am MST in the morning.

Well, I just got back to the condo and it's time to finish off our booze since we can't take it with us. I will really miss it here and would love to live here, despite the threat of hurricanes. I think the people are a major part of what makes this place so special and I can't wait until I get to visit again. I can't beleive it's been a week already, it feels like I've only been here a short time. Although, it's time to get back to the States and go back to work so we can work the debt off from this trip. We had a budget... but I guess that's for sissies since we all ended up spending SO much more. In the end, I should have quadruapled the budget for coming here and brought severl thousand. I just hope the duty at customs getting back into the States doesn't kill us; but then again, it would be worth it!

This morning was a little rough after toasting off that bottle last night. I wasn't TOO hung over though, but didn't get out of bed until about 8:45am, which was a little late. The bus that we planned the night before to take left at 10am this morning, and there was no way to catch it. We did sort of hustle though after Andy and I finally got up and we were able to catch the 10:20am bus which actually left around 10:35am (thankfully!). The bus ride cost $32.00 pesos per person plus tax which is fairly cheap, and it took roughly an hour. Tulum is about 45 kilometers (my guess) from Playa, but the bus makes two stops.

Once we got to Tulum, we decided to get some lunch and head to the Mayan ruins. Lunch was okay, and in my opinion a little pricey. We decided to walk to the ruins after that, which is less then a kilometer. It was a scorcher out today though, and the trolly for $20.00 pesos didn't seem too bad, although it IS slightly less then a kilometer so we walked. Once we got to the ruins, it was $38.00 pesos per person to get in. That didn't include a tour, and I would recommend against it. It seemed that so many other people were getting tours that we could overhear a lot of the tour guides anyways, so we got a lot of free information!

The ruins were amazing. If you ever come to this area in Mexico, I would say it is a must see, hands down. It's by far the best thing we have done since arriving here and I can't think of anything else that would top it. I really enjoy architecture, specifically when it's ancient. I blows me away to look at some of the structures and think what how they were able to construct it without the use of modern technology. I would also highly recommend taking a swim suit when visiting the ruins as there is the most beatiful beach there. We didn't know about it, but next time I will be sure to come better prepared.

After spending several hours wandering around the ruins, we decided to head back to town and get our bus tickets home. We had some time to kill before the next bus departed, so we grabbed a few beers and relaxed; it was nice to get out of the heat. On my way to buy us tickets home, I found a Collectiva that was getting ready to leave. For only $25.00 pesos, we could catch a direct (no stops) ride back to Playa! That is a WAY better deal then taking Ado. After getting back to Playa which only took about 35 minutes we wandered around some of the less tourist area. BTW, you can catch the Collectiva on 2 Norte and 15th Street, but I have also seen a few on Juarez and 5th Street, although not many. There was quite a few at the other intersection though.

We all really enjoyed our meal at the Glass Bar the other night and figured we had to have it again before we left. Since we only had today and tomorrow, we went for it today. The other day we had no problem getting a table, but tonight everything was reserved and it was not possible to make a reservation for tonight. Not suprising considering that it's the best place we have eaten while staying here. They were extremely nice however and hooked us up with a table either way, with the agreement that we would be out of there before 8:30pm. Since that gave us just under two hours, we went for it and enjoyed another wonderful meal there! If you visit Playa and don't eat there, your really missing out.

Once we finished eating, we headed over to Azurel for a quick night cap before heading home. They have very good margaritas there and I rate them pretty high. Probably the third best one I've had here. The lounge there is quite unique, and definitely has sex appeal. Their lounge is on the second story overlooking 5th Street (on the corner of 10 Norte). The lighting is all ambient using shades of blue and purple. They have a pool and a hot tub, with a glass wall along the edge of the building facing the street so you can look down on the crowded street below. While they have a few tables, the majority of their "tables" are futon style beds and drinks are served on trays. Essentially, people lay in bed by the pool, drinking and smoking while the DJ spins a mix of Mexican and American music. There is also a movie being projected onto the wall behind the pool which adds to the atmosphere. It's definitely a cool place to grab a drink. After a cocktail, it was time to head home and un-wind.

Yesterday we had wanted to go to Cazumel, but we figured that the ferry wouldn't be running with the holiday and all. The wierd thing is that the 24th is when the Mexicans celebrate as opposed to the 25th. Today, everyone was out and busy, trying to make a buck. We caught the ferry to Cazumel at 10am and had made arrangements to go snorkeling at 11am. The ferry ride is about 30 minutes, and I recommend going with the company that has the yellow one (I can't remember what the name of the outfit was). I recommend it because you get to sit outside, as opposed to sitting inside a non-airconditioned cabin.

Once arriving in Cazumel, I was shocked at the devistation from the hurricane. Things are still a mess over there. In fact, I know the ferry and Cazumel only opened to tourists a few weeks ago and was closed at Thanksgiving. Anyways, we got off the ferry, grabbed a quick snack and met up with Alfredo (Freddy!) to go snorkeling. The boat we were on also had a glass bottom so if you didn't want to snorkel you could still enjoy the reef. we were going out with two other groups. One was a family of 4 from Virginia who were extremely nice. The other two were from Europe and were on their honey moon. Mom and Andy decided not to go snorkeling, but I was all for it. Unfortunately, the mask I got was apparently not tight enough and I got a lot of salt water on our first outing.

Freddy's plan was to take us to 2 different reefs, but after the first one, I didn't feel so well from all the salt water I "drank". The water was extremely warm; beautiful colors, it was amazing. Some of the other people we were with got stung by jelly fish, and I saw a few. I fortunately did not get stung, although it wouldn't have been too bad since they were pretty small. The coolest thing I saw was a ray, it looked like it was flying, literally. They are such awesome creatures, and their movements are so fluid. Freddy decided that since it was Christmas he would "break the rules" and take us to a third reef for no charge, which was very nice of him.

The most disappointing thing with the snorkeling however was the lack of coral, fish and well... everything. Unfortunately, the hurricane devistated most of the reefs, washing most of it away. One of the guys on with us had snorkeled in Cazumel about 10 years ago and he said this was like a desert in comparison; it's a shame. For anyone going to this area just for the diving or snorkeling, prepare to be disappointed. While it is beautiful, I wouldn't plan a trip out here for that reason, at least not for a few years. I guess it will take about 20-30 years though before the reefs are back to the way they were before the hurricane, which is sad.

Since most of Cazumel is closed and being rebuilt, there was not much to do. We decided to head back over to the main land. We had the misfortune of not catching the yellow ferry, so we were stuck in the sardine can, ugh. By the time we docked in Playa again, I felt like I was going to get sick. Perhaps I shouldn't have had a few beers before we left! That or they could have actually had some air in that thing, oh well. We decided to pick up some more gifts for the few people that we had left to buy things for and then to dinner. While we were out and about, we met a guy named Noe who owns a nice little shop. We asked him about getting to Tulum, since we wanted to get the opinion of a local, and not someone trying to sell us something. He told us the Ado (bus) or the Collectivo was the best and cheapest way to go. Upon leaving Noe, we went back to Don Emilliones at my request which used to be an Italiano restruante, but is now all Mexican food. It is one of my favorite places to eat and the margaritas are very good.

After dinner we made a few calls at an internet cafe across from Ado (bus station) on Juarez between 5th Street and 10th Street (cheapest place I've found to make an international call). Then we headed home early to drink the bottle of tequilla we had since we can't take an open bottle back to the states with us. Hopefully tomorrow we won't be too hung over so we can get up early.

This morning we got up early and went to the Reef Club to enjoy a private beach. It was very nice out, but very hot; it was close to 30 degress Celcius. We hung out on the beach for about an hour or so and soaked in some sun, then caught a cab to downtown Playa del Carmen. Luis told us the day before that the taxis would quit early around noon, so we figured we would have to walk back to the condo which is a few kilometers from downtown. He must have had the day off, because he gave us the wrong impression and the taxis were running all day. We wasted some time downtown and went back to La Parilla for lunch. It was just as good the second time as it was the first time!

We decided after lunch that we would head home for a short siesta and head back out around 6pm to go to church for Christmas Eve service. Since everyone was off for the holiday, we were unable to have security radio for a taxi, so we ended up walking. The Catholic church is off 15th Street and about 10 Norte (I can't remember exactly), so it wasn't too far; it was about a 30 minute walk. The service started at 8pm and the place was packed! It is the first time I have been in a church in a long time, and being an Athiest I was glad I didn't get stuck with a bolt of lightening! The service lasted a little over an hour and it was interesting to say the least. Growing up Catholic, I understand the typical process, but things were done slightly different here. Most notably and obvious was the service being done in Spanish. That was okay, but the most interesting part was communion. First of all, they don't go pew by pew, they all just get up and rush the priest, very amusing. It was fitting though, since it's just like they drive. Personally, I think it's a better way to go.

After the service, we went to get some dinner. Andy and I had to hold out, since Mom couldn't eat within an hour of communion since that's the "rules". We ate at a Italiano place on the corner of 10 Norte and 5th Street. It was VERY good. Afterwards, we wandered on 5th Street since the streets were filled with people. The interesting thing was the number of Mexicans on the streets on that particular evening. Usually 5th Street is heavily crowded with tourists, but tonight it was mostly Mexican. After a bit we decided to call it a night; a short cab ride and we were back at the condo.