Beards in Cancun

You know it's time to shave again when your facial hair is growing its own facial hair. And starting to itch. I'd say I've gone native, but the fact is: beards are not popular here.

And I understand why. To me they just look funny on Mexicans (& maybe that's a compliment). I really can't think of a single Mexican I've seen who I thought would look better with a beard. Think about it. Can you, for example, imagine a Mexican Santa?

Santa Adolpho Ignatio Claus?

Sharks in Cancun?

Search google for Cancun shark attacks & you get a lot of results. A scary lot.

On TripAdvisor's Cancun travel forum, travelers are asking questions and offering advice on topics like "SHARKS??? Any need to worry?".

Well, that depends...

The Skinny on Skinny-Dipping in Cancun

Some of our friends from Hostel Kankun are celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary today! Congratulations Sue & Bob! Actually, I'm calling them Sue & Bob to protect their privacy. You see, as they do every year, they will cap off their celebration by skinny-dipping together at midnight!

A Surprise Visitor...

Today we had a surprise visitor, who dropped by for a chat. The conversation began with Jen exclaiming, "Oh my god! Jay! What is that!" Then, I looked over and saw what looked like a fast moving earthworm cruising along our floor.

I trapped the impostor in a plastic cup (where he is currently resting, curled up on my desk) & took this photo for your enjoyment..

Boy or girl, I'm calling it 'Millie'!

A Wild & Crazy (Hat) Guy!

While Jen & I were cycling along Yaxchilan Avenue (near Uxmal) one day, Jen pointed out a funky mural on a wall beside a restaurant (Los Perricos). We stopped to take a photo...

 

Love thy neighbor, and recycle!

Cancun Toilet Pet Peeves!

Ever since I took my first photograph of a foreign toilet, I thought my curiosity about foreign toilets was strange, until I heard about another tourist who collects toilet paper from every bathroom he visits.

Pay toilet near Coco Bongo in the Hotel Zone

World Cup All-Star Soccer Match -- Mexico vs USA!

Earlier today, America (or should I say Lionel Messi) hammered Mexico in some kind of World Cup All-Stars match here in Cancun. After seeing posters all over town, Jen & I decided we'd try to see the game at the Esadio do Futbol, which lies just a 15 minute bike ride SW of us (on Kabah).

First we visited a ticket agent, who told us that official tickets were at least 1300 pesos, but that the prices were set so poorly that they had sent 90% of theirs back unsold. He advised us to visit the stadium before game time & see of they had reduced their prices.

We did. They hadn't.

Scalpers near the ticket booths, inside the security zone

 

Cycling (& Bike Repairs) in Cancun

Shortly before coming to Mexico, it occurred to me that I should bring my bicycle. It is a full suspension Trek VRX 300 (perfect for Cancun's beat-up streets & jungle terrain).

All geared up for Isla Blanca...

Achoo, Achoo, Achoo...

So the other day, Jen & I were sitting around & I heard an electronic voice saying something like, "Achoo, achoo, achoo..." It really sounded like someone sneezing.

It wasn't. It was just Jen learning Spanish numbers! "Ocho" = the number 8.

Here's the link if anyone is interested.

BTW: the smart phone translation apps are really pretty handy. I'm using the Talking Multi-Language Translator & Dictionary. You speak (or type) to it in English (or Spanish) & it spits out the equivalent in Spanish (or English). It's not perfect, but it's a great way to learn Spanish.

One day in the pet store, an employee used an app to explain something about our pet turtle. But he was typing for an eternity. I wanted to grab his phone, download this app & get him to speak instead, but, of course, I didn't know how to explain...

How do you say "Catch-22" in Spanish??

About Me.. A Slightly Embarrassing Editing Blooper

After I started my blog, Jen suggested that I put more information in my "About" section. Readers might like to know more about me. And strangers who made a "personal" connection would be more likely to come back & read more.

More about me? I like imagination.. & cheese!

New Home for a Grumpy Turtle :)

While shopping yesterday, Jen & I found a new home for our pet turtle!



Grumpy enjoying his new pool

Hostel Kankun & the Smoking Incident

I've written elsewhere about Hostel Kankun & our biggest run-in with the guy who runs it. But I've never written about the Smoking Incident... until now.

Getting Around (& Lost) in Cancun

Cancun is a young city (you can read about its interesting history in a future post). When they laid it out, they did not exactly opt for a NSEW grid.



A typical Cancun neighborhood (near the central bus station)

We Moved into a New Apartment!

After impulsively buying a new puppy, Ramon, our landlord at Hostel Kankun told us we could keep him there, no problem. Unfortunately, over the next couple of weeks, Diablo had a few "accidents" on the hostel roof, on the hostel stairs, in the hostel halls, & in the hostel "lobby." A few times, Ramon found Diablo deposits before we did, because the cleaning staff "accidentally" let him out of our area without telling us.

 

So... last Tuesday night, we came home and, after Jen went ahead while I locked up our bikes, Ramon told me he didn't want "the dog" living in the hostel anymore. "Starting tomorrow." I was shocked. "Ok," was all I could think to say. Later I went down to his office & asked him why. 

Mailing to & from Cancun

Did you ever about the efficiency of the Mexican postal service? Neither did I really (tho I'd have guessed it was run by guys like Cheech & Chong), until I moved to Cancun. Below, I'll describe my limited experiences with the Correos de Mexico...




Te Llega means "We arrived".. Not so fast, Pancho...

Puppies and Fleas and Worms... Oh My!

I've written before about the low prices here in Cancun. This generally also applies to medical expenses (though you should have travel insurance) and veterinary care.

After we brought our new puppy (Diablo) home (see this post for more on that), a couple of days passed uneventfully, by which I mean "as uneventfully as possible for the owners of a new puppy."

Naming Diablo

I've written elsewhere about our border collie puppy Diablo. But I want to dedicate a post to the subject of choosing Diablo's name.

Discovering... Diablo!

"Dogs were very highly regarded in ancient Mexico, but only as a menu item ..."
-- from Carl Franz & Lorena Havens' The People's Guide to Mexico

After flying a large inflatable kite on the beach near Marina Chac Chi one day, I cleaned the kite off in the water & looked for a clean place to roll up my kite. Luckily, there is a large abandoned hotel next door.

Marina Chac Chi Review

Marina Chac Chi is one of my favorite places to visit in Cancun's Hotel Zone.


Hotel Zone KM 3.2
Next to Q-Bay Hotel, Ocean Side
Cancun 77500, Mexico
Tel: 52(998)8495414


Reviews of its tours and fishing are fairly good. And the Marina has a decent pool which visitors can use with the purchase of food/drinks. I was told that there is a minimum order of 100 pesos, but even if you order a single beer, no one will ask you to leave. When it is busy or there is a party going on (which there often is), this is a great place to hang out. 

Big List of Youtube Videos with Spanish Subtitles

I really enjoy watching English programs with Spanish subtitles. It's a great way to learn the language. 

So, collected below is a growing list of Youtube (& other online) videos with Spanish subtitles. I'll add more as I find them.

Enjoy!

Inside The Actors Studio - Danny De Vito
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cgSI0q_yUY&feature=relmfu

Inside The Actors Studio - James Cameron
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8yJ4T-XuRY&feature=relmfu

Inside The Actors Studio - Goldie Hawn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLimfWaxjmA&feature=relmfu

What's so funny about being Mexican?

While looking for an example of a funny Mexican election song this morning, I came across a funny post on yahoo:

"What is a Funny Mexican songs?" - Yahoo! Answers
answers.yahoo.com › ... › Music › Rap and Hip-Hop
4 answers - 23 May 2011

The top answer made me laugh out loud: "Being Mexican is funny enough, you don't need a song to go with it."

How true...

Yep. This incident inspired me to document some of the funny Mexicans that Jen & I have encountered here. It's such a big country, & so many Mexicans are funny in so many ways, that I'm pretty sure this will be the first in a long series... 

How noisy is Cancun?

This morning, I awoke early & went up to our hostel's rooftop patio to watch the sunrise. It was a lovely, peaceful moment, interrupted only by the arrival of another guest, who had been roused by the sound of music blaring from around a corner. It was 7:00 am.

Shortly after returning to our room, I heard more noise outside: this time it was the sound of a bugle call coming from a school about a block away...

The Bleeding Fan...

After moving into our hostel in Cancun, Jen & I were relieved to find that our room was equipped with a fairly powerful fan. It gets hot here & we have no air conditioning, but we find that, with a fan on 24-7, we don't really need A/C.

We don't really need a clothes dryer either.

Drying clothes, hostel style.

This handy, unassuming little appliance has also been the source of much amusement...

More Funny Spanish Language Bloopers

I've written elsewhere about the bloopers I've made while learning Spanish. But I thought I'd post a few funny Spanish bloopers that have happened to other people...


1) Fighting over a bill


Tried to say: We will pay for you (pagamos)                                
Actually said: We will fight you (pegamos)


2) Lord died for a good cause...


Tried to say: The Lord died for your sins (pecados)                     
Actually said: The Lord died for your fish (pescados)


3) I have 4 sisters...


Tried to say: I have 4 sisters and I'm the oldest (meyor)

Actually said:  I have 4 children and I am the best (mejor) 


4) Be careful what you ask for....


Tried to say: I ask (yo pido)                                                             
Actually said: I fart (yo pedo)

The Art of Interpreting Cancun Beach Flags

There are few lifeguards on Cancun beaches. They do, however, post a lot of flags, indicating the danger levels:

Red........ Don't swim.
Yellow.... Be careful.
Green.... No problemo!

Funny thing is, I'm not sure I've ever seen a green flag. I've heard people talk about seeing green flags, in much the same way that people report sightings of the Loch Ness Monster. In particular, green flags have been reported near Club Med (where the beach is sheltered by a natural reef), but it seems that yellow is basically the default color. This makes for an interesting situation.

Domino's for Breakfast, Hostel Style

Jen & I eat a lot of pizza, mostly from the Domino's Pizza Centro just down the road.

Domino's Pizza Centro
(998)884 75 16
Av. Coba No. 43, Cancun Q.Roo 77500

My Top 5 Hostel Bloopers

Not much explanation needed here. Living in a hostel means living with strangers, & living with strangers means living with bloopers!

Here's the list. Enjoy...


1) The Bedroom Break-in


One day, I hung/wrapped a plastic Hawaiian party necklace around part of the deadbolt on the inside of our door. Some time later, I went out, locking the deadbolt behind me.

When I came home, I found that I couldn't open our door. The plastic necklace had become tangled in the bolt, preventing it from sliding open. Oops. Luckily, the door opens out into the hall, meaning that the hinges are accessible from outside the room.

With the help of a neighbor, I used a butcher knife and a hammer to pop the door off its hinges & enter the room.

I removed the necklace & used it to tie a bandana around my makeshift electric tiki torch.

The best part of the story (or the worst) is this:

Though this incident occurred in the middle of the afternoon, despite being on the second floor, directly above the main office, none of the staff heard anything (apparently) or came to investigate. So much for security!

Funny Spanish Sex Bloopers

I recently posted a note about funny Spanish bloopers. I thought I'd write a separate post about funny Spanish sex bloopers, partly to keep the other post family-friendly & also because it's an easy way to generate some extra clicks. Anything with "sex" in the title (& lots of "sex  sex sex" in the body) is bound to attract attention! After all, you're here, right?

You said what?!?

Kicking BUTT at Dubai Palace Casino!

SO, Jen & I just got back from brunch & slots at our favorite casino in Cancun - the Dubai Palace. (I'll review this place soon in a separate post).

Brunch is 75 pesos. And you get 100 pesos in free credits to blow on slots. At least, that's what most people do...

THIS is why we love Shopping in Cancun!

SO, yesterday, after visiting fun (& uber-touristy) Market 28, Jen & I headed to our local supermarket (Chedraui) to do some shopping. We made out like bandits, scoring 6 kaiser buns, a jumbo roll of paper towel, chicken legs, a dog brush, sewing needles, 3 cakes (on sale), a 1kg box of Puffitos cereal & the biggest grapefruit I've ever seen -- all for under $20!


The best part of the trip? Antillano & Karat were doing some in-store marketing & offering free samples. There's nothing unusual about that, right? Except that Antillano & Karat make...


Rum and Vodka!


Jen & I both had vodka & cran-apple (is that still called Killer Koolaid?)... And, of course, we asked one of our fellow revelers to take some pix.

Meson de Tulum Hostel Review

Meson de Tulum is a great hostel. It's use of indigenous wood and its nice swimming pool make it very unique. Jen & I have not stayed here (yet) but have visited a friend (Jean-Francois) who stayed there & seemed to like it. The staff are very friendly. Rates are fair & we were offered a Tahitian-style room for 4500 pesos/month (including drinking water & daily breakfast).

Reviews of the hostel are quite good. On HostelBookers.com:

La Parrilla Restaurant's Festival of Moles

This Wednesday, Jen checked her Facebook & spotted a 2-for-1 deal at our favorite restaurant in Cancun: La Parrilla. They have a Mexican buffet (150 pesos) on weekends & a seafood buffet (170 pesos) on Friday nights & the food is amaaaazing.

The Facebook coupon was a deal was for their "Festival of Moles," which is tastier than it sounds!

Handy Guide to Accessing Cancun Hotel Beaches

Every beach in Mexico is public, but the Hotel Zone, which stretches for doze ns of miles, has only a handful of public access points. Unfortunately, most of the hotels & resorts in the Hotel Zone have high security to discourage locals from trespassing. And who can blame them?

The Ritz Carlton ranks among the best hotels in the world.