# [ 2013 + 2014 ] Carribbean Trip Log



## dioxide45

We are just starting out our first trip of 2013 which will take us through New York City for a single night then to Aruba, through Panama City Panama and then to Cancun.

I thought it would be neat to keep a travel log of what we have done and what is to come.

Our first day saw us taking a half day off of work. We have a morning flight today from Columbus and we opted to spend the night at Easton the night before flying out, a large outdoor/indoor mall in Columbus. So yesterday afternoon we watched The Great Gatsby at the AMC 30 here and then ate dinner at Max and Erma's. Gotta love their Garbage Burger.

We have a single day ahead of us in NYC. We fly in to Newark and have to find our way to midtown Manhattan where we have a double deck bus tour booked. We know we won't see even a small fraction of what we could, but the taste of NYC will give us a good idea if we want to come back for a longer trip some day.

Today: New York City tour.
Tomorrow: Off to Aruba


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## GrayFal

I love the NYC HOHO Bus - and what a beautiful day you have for it.

Wear your sunblock and have fun!


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## arubanut

Have a GREAT time!!!


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## dioxide45

*Day 2, 3 & 4*

*Day 2:* We had to be up by 5:30 Friday to get ready to catch our flight out. Our flight on ended up being delayed out of Columbus by about 45 minutes, so that delayed us getting to NYC. We ended up getting to our hotel by about 1:45pm and finally made it to Times Square after a long train ride from Newark Airport and short subway ride from Penn Station by 4:00pm. Enough time to catch one of the last hop on downtown bus tours for our day tour. That tour took almost 3 hours given that much of it was during the Friday afternoon rush. We then got off that, bought a few souvineers and $9 worth of two tiny hot dogs and a soda. What a scam they have going there.

Then about 7:45 we got on the night tour. Both tours were fantastic. We didn't have a chance to get off at any of the stops as this was a tour NYC in 8 hours trip. After the bus tours were over we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square to eat and buy a couple of pins. Plus we needed a visit credit for DWs Pin Collectors Club. At the end of it all we we left downtown Manhattan at 11:52pm and were in bed by about 2:00am after the train ride back and shuttle from EWR.

We would definitely go to New York City again. Best would be to stay downtown if we are willing to fork over the big dollars they want for a nights stay. The commute from Newark is simply too far/long to make it easy to commute in to downtown each day.

*Day 3:* Saturday saw us flying out of Newark headed for Aruba. The flight, other than long was uneventful. After picking up our rental car, we headed out from the airport. Our first stop was Taco Bell. Now some may find that odd, but if you haven't been to a Taco Bell in Aruba, you need to go. They actually still care here about the stuff they make in Taco Bell. Not just slapped together stuff like back in the USA. Most important, they have Fiesta Fries Supreme. Pretty much just like in Canada. We have to go to Taco Bell whenever we visit Canada. 

We then checked in to the Surf Club and were in our room not long after. Went to the pool for about a half hour and then headed to the Superfoods for some groceries. 

*Day 4:* Poor selection of Island Oasis mixers at Superfoods, so we didn't get any of those there and instead went to Ling and Sons this morning to stock up on those. We picked up a bottle of Bacardi at the Duty Free in Newark and were surprised that it cost the same at the duty free at the Aruba airport. However far cheaper than at the grocery stores in Aruba. So it will be piña coladas and Curious George's for us for the next 6 days. Spent some time at the beach for some sun and sand. Headed to dinner shortly at Texas de Brazil.

*Tomorrow*: Some sightseeing and snorkeling around Aruba.


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## dioxide45

*Day 4 and 5*

*Day 4 (continued):* We ate at Texas de Brazil for dinner, we were not impressed. Everything was supposed to be cooked to a medium rare temperature but we found everything much closer to medium well or even well done. We did ask for some filet to be cooked more rare and DWs was better, but the pieces they gave me were almost raw. So it doesn't seem that they cook it on the skewer when you ask for a custom cooking temperature.

*Day 5:* We opted to go snorkeling in the morning. Since there was a lot of clouds we determined that driving around taking photos wasn't idea. My wife wants a nice blue sky of photos if possible. We hit Boca Catalina and jumped in. The water clarity wasn't great, but there were a lot of fish to see and they would come right up to you. It seems they are used to people feeding them while snorkeling. We had a lot of fun and met another group of people there that were also staying at the Surf Club.

In the afternoon we hit the pool and I couldn't keep myself out of the lazy river at the Marriott Surf Club. My wife started to say that I was addicted to the thing, she was right. That lazy river is fantastic.

Dinner was at Blossoms down at the Westin. We opted for the Hibachi and were not disappointed. A great show and the filet was great! Much better than the prior day at Texas de Brazil.

*Today:* Palapa!


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## GregT

Dioxide,

Thanks for posting the log -- it's fun following the adventures of others (in a familiar place) while working away at the office.   Sounds like a great trip thus far -- and not sure what my wife will say when I tell her we have to stop at the Taco Bell.  

Best,

Greg


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## ilene13

Hi Dioxide,
  If you want a very special dinner try getting into either Carte Blanche or Two Fools and a Bull.  They are both incredible restaurants--5 course meals with or without wine pairing.  They only take about 15 patrons a night for a 7-7:30 seating.  You are there until about 11.  They are fantastic.
ilene


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## dioxide45

*Day 6:* This day saw me up fairly early to stand in line to reserve a palapa. I was about 15th in line when I arrived at about 20 minutes till 7 and got one in the sixth row. It wouldn't have been such a bad palapa except that it was behind the Red Sail Sports hut so the view was partially blocked by that. Though it was still pretty good. We used the palapa and turned our card in at about 12:30 to head out on the island. We have decided that we probably wouldn't go to a lot of trouble to reserve a palapa. Just pulling a chair up on the beach, sans palapa, would be fine with us.

We headed out to tour the island, heading for Baby Beach. We got there and DW took many photos. Also stopped at Rogers Beach to take some more. Our return saw us hit a Wenndy's for lunch sat about 3:00pm or so since we hadn't eaten since breakfast and then we wen to the Alto Vista Chapel and stoped at a small graveyard that we had seen a few days earlier.

Here are just a couple of photos:
Graveyard





Rogers Beach


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## dioxide45

*Day 7:* Our morning started out with a timeshare presentation at the Marriott Aruba Ocean Club. The presentation was rather painless and we learned a lot about the island. Our presenter was a certified dive instructor and gave us some tips on places to snorkel. We are also looking at a trip to Curaçao next year and we were asking him about the snorkeling there over Aruba. He indicated that the snorkeling in Curaçao and Bonaire are far better than Aruba. So we are excited about going. He also gave us the names of a couple other snorkeling spots on Aruba that we will try out when we make it back here. The first hour of the presentation was talking about stuff completly unrelated to Marriott pionts, the last haf hour was about the point product.

One bad tip he gave us was that we would be able to traverse the Arikok National Park in a compact rental car. So after thhe presentation, we headed out that way. Even at the visitors center they circle all the placed one can get to with a compact car. So after forking over $20 ($10 per person) we headed out. After navigating our way through about five of the drainage gullies and several bumper scrapes we turned around. They have no business telling people in a compact car that they can get through. These drainage gullies are deep and steep, you really need a Jeep (hey that rhymes  ). So we consider this a $20 lesson learned, rent a Jeep for a day or take a guided tour.

We made it back to the resort earlier than expected and decided to hit the pool and lazy river. I probably floated in that thing for 3 hours, with only one short break. That lazy river is addicting. I know my wife thinks I am addicted to it.

*Today:* More pool and beach and pack to checkout of the Aruba Surf Club on Friday.


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## am1

How long are you staying in Panama?  Not really the Caribbean unless your going to the seaside.


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## dioxide45

am1 said:


> How long are you staying in Panama?  Not really the Caribbean unless your going to the seaside.



We are only in Panama for an overnight layover on our way to Cancun.


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## am1

dioxide45 said:


> We are only in Panama for an overnight layover on our way to Cancun.



There is still a lot you can do in one day there.  Have a great time.


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## dioxide45

*Day 8:* We found ourselves starting out at the Surf Club beach, after a couple hours in the sun we headed to the pool and lazy river where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Pretty uneventful and relaxing day. For dinner we went to La Trattoria El Faro Blanco for dinner. We had made reservations for 6:15pm so we would have a great sunset dinner up by the California Lighthouse. Initially it looked like the sunset would be a dud, but after the sun went down, the sky lit up bright red. It didn't disappoint. We had a great meal too and some great Tiramisu.






*Today:* Heading to the Renaissance Aruba to spend some time on their private island.
*Tomorrow:* Saying goodbye to Aruba, hello to Panama.


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## ilene13

How long are you going to be in Cancun?  Try the following restaurants if you have time:
  Du Mexique-----owner is French and his wife is Mexican.  Exceptional restaurant but you definitely need reservations--only 7 tables.
  John Grey's in Puerto Morales--it's about a 30 minute drive from the hotel zone
   La Habituala Sunset
   Sasi Thai---which this year was much better than Thai Lounge
   Harry's
   La Parilla
Have a great trip


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## dioxide45

*Day 9:* We checked out of the Marriott Aruba Surf Club early to head down to the Renaissance Aruba. Surprisingly they had a room available for us to check in to by 8:30am. Which was great. Of course they have renovations going on here at the moment, so the constant sound of saws and hammers told us why it was available. This was a free stay on a free night certificate and we weren't planning on spending much time in the room during the day anyway, so we were fine with it.

We headed for the water taxi to take us to the Renaissance private island. We had a great time for the few hours we were there, did a little swimming and saw their famous pink flamingos. You can see a picture below. We then returned to the hotel and went shopping in downtown Oranjestad. After that we still had time to kill so we went to see a movie at the cinema at the Rennessance Marketplace. After the movie we ate dinner at The Dutch Pancakehouse. The cinnamon poffertjes were delicous. We also had banana with piña colada crepes.






*Today:* We leave Aruba for Panama City, Panama.
*Tomorrow:* Off to Cancun.


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## GregT

Dioxide,

Thank you for the reports and I'm so pleased that you enjoyed Aruba.  That is really a bad tip about the compact rental car -- we participate in a tour and our tour was in Land Rovers -- that was hairy enough, I can't imagine what they were thinking in letting you go in the rental car.

Rogers Beach looks beautiful (like many Aruban waters)!

Enjoy Cancun and please keep posting.  If I recall correctly, you are staying at Westin Lagunamar, so I will be very curious to hear your summary of the two different locations.

Best,

Greg


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## dioxide45

*Day 10:* We got to sleep in a little this day as our flight out of Aruba to Panama wasn't until 1:30pm. After getting up and getting ready we headed out to fill our rental car up with gas and drop it off at the airport. We realized at the airport in Aruba that we had to go to a completly different section than our last trip. They have a different checkin area for non-USA bound flights. After checking in we headed for our gate.

We met a couple other people there that were headed for Chicago. They were under the impression that the flight was connecting through Panama City Florida. Not sure why, not like Panama City Florida was a major hub for United. They were a little surprised when we told them that no it wasn't Florida, but rather the country of Panama. We boarded our flight and had a short 1.5-2 hour flight to Panama City. 

Our flight in to PTY landed on time but there was a huge line at immigration. I had read online that sometimes immigration at PTY can get backed up. It probably took us an hour or more to get through immigration and customs.

After making it outside our tour driver from My Friend Mario was waiting with a sign with our name on it. I had arranged the tour in advance through e-mail. Our city tour was to include; the Old Panama Ruins, modern part of the city, Amador Causway, and Panama Colonial. Unfortunatly we opted to visit during rainly season, so it was pauring rain by the time we started our tour. We were unable to stop at the ruins but did see them as we were driving my. The modern part of the city is amazing. More sky scrapers than one could possibly count. There are also many times when in the city that you could be led in to thinking that you were in Miami instead of Panama. Some very expensive real estate.

We then moved on to Panama Colonial. We were able to stop here and walk around a little bit as the rain had subsided some. A very buitiful area. We then drove our and back on the Amador Causway. We then got a bonus to the tour where the driver took us over the Cenntenial Bridge that crosses the canal.

After our tour the driver took us to the Hard Rock Megapolis where we were staying the night. We opted to ead dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe which is connected to the hotel via a very large and modern shopping mall.

One thing we were a little surprised about (but shouldn't have been) was that very few Panamaians speak english. We thought that with the large US influence in Panama as well as the fact that Panama uses the US Dollar as their official currency, that english would be spoken mush more widly within the city. Our driver spoke very good english, as well as the bellman and hotel checkin clerk. However, at the cafe and within the hotel Rock Shop, the employees didn't speak english. We managed though and got by fine with our very little knowlege of spanish.

In all we had a great visit to Panama. If we were to return again, it would probably only by for a few days within the city on the same type of extended layover that we did this time.


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## dioxide45

*Day 11:* We had to be up at 4:30am to leave for the airport by 5:30. We had a flight out at 7:52am for Cancun. The flight was rather uneventful. Good to see though that Copa Airlines still provides in flight meals though. Something that is all but forgotten in US airspace.

We landed in Cancun and the wait for immigration here was huge. After getting through immigration we collected one of our three bags. The belt was stopped and we were worried that our other two didn't make it. However the belt ended up starting again and our bags appeared. The wait for customs was very short and were quickly out of the airport and in to our USA Transfers van. After a short stop at Walmart we made it to the Westin Lagunamar.

When we first checked in we were told that our unit was cleaned but required inspection, so it would be 30-40 minutes. We returned 50 minutes later to be told it would be another 20 minutes. 30 minutes later we were told another hour. I get the 4:00pm checkin time, but if the room isn't going to be ready until 4:00 just tell people that, don't jerk them around to try to appease them as it only makes them angry. We weren't the only people getting these same stories and from reviews we have read, it isn't uncommon.

After the last 1 hour story, we decided to go to dinner. Though we though perhaps one last gasp would work as we didn't really want to trek across the street with the couple of bags we had decided to hold on to. Unfortunately the unit they had assigned us in building 6 had maintenance issues and that was apparently why there were issues. We were instead offered a unit in building 14 on the fourth floor. When we saw where it was located, we jumped at it. This is right beside the beach with a great view of the ocean. Pretty good given this is an II exchange. We were able to get in to our room by 2:30 or 3:00pm. This is a great resort, HUGE can be the first word to describe it. 

We then headed out to dinner. After a stop to see our concierge, and to sign up for a timeshare presentation, we ate at La Madonna across the street in the La Isla Shopping Mall. A great meal. Then a little over a hundred dollars later at the fragrance store next door for DW to buy some Cartier fragrance that she found out about from a woman that was in front of us in the immigration line in Panama. We then returned to the room to get some much needed sleep after a long day.

*Today:* Pool and beach.


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## GregT

Dioxide,

Thank you for the notes --- did you want to see Panama, or was it the most convenient routing to get from Aruba to Cancun?   

Just curious...I hope to see the Canal one day on a cruise ship...

Enjoy Lagunamar and please post thoughts -- especially in comparison to Aruba Surf Club.

Best,

Greg


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## dioxide45

GregT said:


> Dioxide,
> 
> Thank you for the notes --- did you want to see Panama, or was it the most convenient routing to get from Aruba to Cancun?
> 
> Just curious...I hope to see the Canal one day on a cruise ship...
> 
> Enjoy Lagunamar and please post thoughts -- especially in comparison to Aruba Surf Club.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Greg



We didn't necessarily have specific plans to go to Panama, but when we saw that the routing from Aruba to Cancun through Panama only cost 10,000 United miles on Copa Airlines, then we opted for the two week stay between Aruba and Cancun. We then noticed that one of the routings through Panama had an overnight layover, getting in at 2:30pm with a morning flight out at 8:00am. So we decided to book the overnight routing and do a one day quick stop in Panama. So it wasn't initially on the plan, but the routing worked out so we had a chance to see something we had never been before. We are very happy we did.

Initial thoughts on Lagunamar compared to Surf Club, is that there really is no comparison. There are about the same number of units, about 450 I think. However, Lagunamar is on a much larger footprint with a much larger ocean frontage. There are 14 buildings here none higher than 7 stories. I think Surf Club has 13 or 14 floors. Three huge pools, one that has the infinity feature. There look to be a few huts (palapas) on the beach, but nothing like in Aruba, there are really very few chairs on the beach by comparison. I think most people hang out in the pools since the water in the sea is much more wild than the very calm waters of Aruba.

There is also a very large shopping center across the street from Lagunamar, within easy walking distance. Much like the high rise hotel area of Aruba. We didn't really walk the shops of the high rise area in Aruba, but from driving through, the La Isla Shopping Mall in Cancun is similar but different. A huge modern shopping area with lots of restaurant and shopping choices. Though it is really a place people get to by walking or taking a bus from the hotel zone hotels. There is no street you drive along, much more like an outdoor mall in the USA. Where the high rise area of Aruba is a street with stores and restaurants. 

We still haven't really checked much or the resort given we are on our first full day, so I will most more thoughts once I have a better feel for the resort.


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## ilene13

You are across the street from La Isla.  Thai Lounge and la Madonna are two good restaurants in that mall.  Most of the others on my list are down the street from you.


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## am1

Visit Panama in October if you want to experience the rainy season.  Up until 2 weeks ago there was electricity rationing due to lack of rain.  

Hardrock hotel is an RCI resort although I have never seen inventory in it.  All Inclusive mandatory resort and who wants that in a city?  It is also a condotel with a lot of people losing money.  Not much to see in the old city except a few ruins. 

Around when Noriega was in power english took a back seat.  It is being taught in schools but the students have to want to learn it to get much out of it.

A lot of people do speak english but they are lawyers, bankers, real estate etc.  Bus drivers, taxists, servers on the most part will not speak english.  It is better for the country this way.  

Before Miami real estate started to come back Panama City was more expensive.  Very little housing bubble because most are cash buyers.  There is a lot more money in Latin America then people think.  

Glad you had a great time.  There is much more to see than the city/canal.  It can be as cheap os expensive as you want.  It is for people wanting to explore.


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## dioxide45

*Day 12:* Today was an easy day, sitting by and in the pool for most of the day. Dinner in the evening outside at Oceano (restaurant in the Westin Lagunamar). Tonight was their Mexican themed dinner bufet which was surprisingly pretty good. Lots of differnent fresh made taco options with plenty of toppings and guacamole. They really should label some of the sauces though based on their heat level. Something was very hot that I put on a couple of the tacos, though I could never figure out for sure what it was because I always put lots of sauces on them all. I think it was either the green sauce or on of the red chili sauces, though it could have very well been all of them. I can handle a little spiciness in my food, but at one point it was very hot.

*Tomorrow:* Early ferry to Isla Mujeres where we will rent a golf cart for the day and tour the island.


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## shagnut

Am  enjoying  your trip  report. I  do the same  thing  at ts4ms under travel  tales. You are welcome to stop by  and read my  blogs and put yours there too.  I  love doing logs because I can relive my  trip.  shaggy


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## dioxide45

*Day 13:* We got up early to take the ferry over to Isla Mujeres. We were taking a ferry from Porto Juarez as they leave earlier from there than they do from the Cancun Hotel Zone. One tip on this is to get to the main street of the hotel zone to catch a bus very early. It seems that the buses to the Porto Juarez ferry dock are very few and far between. We waited between 30-40 minutes for a bus. Of course being constantly approached by people for timeshare tours. Those people were waiting to meet other people that had signed up for a tour but of course were willing to recruit more. A bus finally came through at the same time we considered taking any R-1 bus and then a taxi to the dock. We made it just in the nick of time to catch the 8:30 ferry.

After a short ferry ride we got to the island and rented a golf cart and were headed on our way with our trusty Map Chicks Isla Mujeres golf cart tour map. This map was pretty good, but it is very hard to rely on it for some land marks. We were suppsed to turn right after a certain cafe, but appearently missed it and were in Punta Sur before we knew it. We paid the $30 peso pp to go through the scuplpture garden and pathways at Punta Sur. This was fantastic and well worth the admission.

Durring our stop here it started to rain, it had been threatening up until that point. It rained pretty hard and then slacked off some and never really stopped drizeling for the rest of the day.

After leaving Punta Sur we headed to the Turtle Farm where it cost us another $30 peso pp. We only spent a short time here as we had visited here on our last visit to Isla Mujeres.

We also made some other stops for some general sight seeing and toured pretty much most of the island. We found our way back to the golf cart rental place to drop our cart off and headed back to the ferry. After another ferry ride back to the main land we proceeded to the bus station to ride back to the hotel zone. Of course here there was the same constant nagging, though this time to take a taxi instead. We must have been approached 10 times to ask if we wanted a taxi ride. We only waited about 15 minutes for the bus here. We ere back at the Westin Lagunamar by 3:00pm.

Dinner out was nothing special, Italiano's at La Isla across the street.

*Today:* Our first non-Marriott timeshare presentation at the Westin Lagunamar. We will see how it goes.
*Tomorrow:* Taking a bus to Tulum[/B]


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## Larry

dioxide45 said:


> Initial thoughts on Lagunamar compared to Surf Club, is that there really is no comparison. There are about the same number of units, about 450 I think. However, Lagunamar is on a much larger footprint with a much larger ocean frontage. There are 14 buildings here none higher than 7 stories. I think Surf Club has 13 or 14 floors. Three huge pools, one that has the infinity feature. There look to be a few huts (palapas) on the beach, but nothing like in Aruba, there are really very few chairs on the beach by comparison. I think most people hang out in the pools since the water in the sea is much more wild than the very calm waters of Aruba.
> 
> 
> We still haven't really checked much or the resort given we are on our first full day, so I will most more thoughts once I have a better feel for the resort.



Although there were very few Palapas at Lagunamar we always were able to get one. I thought it would be a real problem because of scarcity of Plapas and the fact that my wife had 3 broken toes and I had to use a wheelchair to  get her down to the beach so we needed a back row Palapa. For those who need wheelchair access they had ramps all over the place at Lagunamar going down to pool area and all the way down to beach.

Surf and Ocean Club has early morning lines to get Plapa's and when we were there I found out the latest to get a Palapa on most days was about 8 AM and on check out days I could get it at as late as 9:30-10.

One more thing although I love the beaches in Aruba the beach at Lagunamar
In November 2012 was much better than the beaches at the Marriotts in Aruba for March 2013. There were tons of rocks, pebbles and shells at The Aruba location making it very difficult getting in and out of the water with waves knocking me down several times and scraping my legs on the rocks. There was also lots of seaweed there during our week to the point were we went to Playa Linda's beach on two ( we also own at Playa Linda so were able to get day passes for towels and chairs on the beach) days where there were very few rocks and much less seaweed. Not sure if it is like this at Marriott Aruba all year or if it was just the week we were there.


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## dioxide45

*Day 14:* We had an 8:30am appointment for our timeshare presentation at the Lagunamar. This was our first experience with a timeshare presentation outside the Marriott system. The presentation was very low pressure, so low in fact that we walked out not even knowing how much it cost to buy a week here or what the first day incentives were. I didn't want to show much interest and was really only interested in knowing how the system worked. I had a little knowledge of the Starwood system from reading here on TUG, but other than that really didn't know much about it. Though I didn't really learn that much more. Though I wasn't sure how the seasons were setup and how the points worked. It does seem like a much simpler point structure than Marriott's current system. We were out in our promised 90 minutes with our $100 voucher.

The rest of the day was uneventful, sat on the beach for a while and then moved to the pool. Burned the back of my knees some, guess I missed there with the sunscreen.

DW wanted dinner at Johnny Rockets at La Isla. We never go unless we are on vacation. The burger was horrible, but the only saving grace was the milkshakes, they were great!


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## dioxide45

*Day 15:* Today was our day to visit Tulum. We had visited before on a cruise excursion but didn't get to see the whole site and wished we had a little more freedom to explore.

Our day started out with us up at 6:00am. We wanted to be sure that we caught the 8:15 ADO bus out of Cancun to the Tulum Archeological Site. We were out of our room at about 6:50am and caught an R-1 bus in the Hotel Zone. We got to the ADO bus station and bought our tickets. If doing this trip, it is important to buy your tickets to the archeological site. You can also buy tickets to the city of Tulum, but would then need to take a taxi back to the site of the ruins.

With tickets in hand we sat and waited for our bus. Now with very litlte knowledge of spanish, it wasn't easy knowing when they began loading for Tulum. Shoot, I think even with good understanding it would be hard. There were some announcements, but they weren't easy to hear. There was no board that indicated which destinations were loading at any given time. We just lined up when a whole bunch of other people did a few minutes before out departure time and it worked. The driver checks your ticket thoroughly, so it would be difficult to get on the wrong bus.

Along the way, our bus stopped at Xplore and Xcaret. So if you were looking to go to either of these parks and wanted to do it on your own for less than some of the excursions, you could use the ADO bus to get there. It appears that most people get off at these two stops as there were only eight of us left on the bus after Xcaret.

I will point out that this trip isn't without its perils. About five minutes after leaving Xcaret our bus blew a tire. So there we were stuck on the side of the road. For this I wouldn't suggest ever doing this if on a cruise excursion. Stick to a guided tour through the ship. Though we knew there was another bus about one hour behind us (they had an 8:15, 9:15 and 10:15 departure) we didn't know if there was room. Though the driver did say in spanish, which a kind gentleman translated for us, that another bus would be along in about 50 minutes. When the other bus arrived, we switched busses and were on our way again. That bus stopped at Xel-Ha (our bus might have too, don't know for sure). We made it to the archeological site about an hour behind schedule. 

The bus drops you off at the site in a place we didn't recognize, so it took us a few minutes to get our bearings. We found our way to the parking lot and market area and then we were good to go. We bought a wristband for the tram that will take you back to the site from the parking area, you can walk but we opted not to. Admission paid we were then in to the site in a few minutes. We explored for about an hour, DW took a lot of photos, and then we started to walk toward the exit when it started to rain. We stopped in one of the tunnels that was also an exit and waited for a few minutes until the rain subsided. We did bring an umbrella with us, but only had one. When the rain slacked off we headed for the back entrance to the site and caught a taxi. It was pauring rain when we got to the taxis and glad we didn't have to wait for one like we had read might happen.

We had read about Ziggy Beach Club in the Map Chicks Riviera Maya map and decided to check it out. The Tulum coast is made up of lots of small beach clubs, cabanas and hotels. Rustic and small, no big hotel chains here. Most places will allow the use of loungers with cunsumption. The taxi ride was a little longer than I had expected, but we got there in about 10 minutes or so.

When we arrived we asked for a seat at their restaurant. they have some chairs on the beach, some others in the sand up away from the beack and some others in a thached hut. We opted for the ones in the sand not on the beach. I ordered three tacos (fish and shrimp). DW who is not as adventurous with food ordered a cheeseburger. The food here was truly great. The tacos were fresh and deliscous, and DW said her hamburger was great also. Tacos were priced anywhere from 25-35 peso each and I think DWs burger was 180 peso. Sodas were 20 peso.

After eating we headed to the beach and found a lounge bed. I walked along the beach some and then layed on the lounge bed. A large matress that was rather comfy. Thhough it was breezy and any time I would lay down sand from my feet would blow up in to my face.

After a while sitting up on the beach I quietly asked DW if this was perhaps a sopless beach, she then proceeded to ask why and I explained. three couple strolling along with the women not wearing tops. She hadn't read anywhere about this. Oh well, it isn't like it isn't anything I haven't seen before. Though they did proceed to eat lunch on the beach at Ziggy's also.

After a while it was time to head out. We had bought our return tickets from Tulum City because we knew we were going to Ziggy Beach Club. So we found a taxi out front and were on our way. We got to Tulum with a few minutes to spare and walked through a few of the shops there. Our departure was at 4:10pm and we were on our way. We made it back to Cancun by about 6:45pm and were back to our hotel shortly after 7:00pm.

We opted to stop and get a to go order for dinner from Duna Sports Bar which is an onsite restaurant at the Westin Lagunamar. We were exhausted and didn't want to leave the room again and wanted to get back there as soon as possible to take a shower and rest.

Overall, there is something to be said for booking an excursion, they pick you up at the hotel door and take you back. You have an english speaking guide if necessary and everything is arranged, no confusion. Still exhausting though. For a family, a guided excursion to any of the Mayan sites is recommended, though if you are a little adventurous and don't mind putting in the extra work, it was a lot of fun going out on our own.

*Today:* Pool again. Perhaps make it to the Hard Rock Hotel and the Cafe to buy some pins.


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## dioxide45

Here is a cost breakdown of our trip for two people to Tulum if anyone is interested, I don't think I would do this trip again from Cancun, but probably would if staying in Playa del Carmen.

Bus from Hotel Zone: 17 peso
ADO roundtrip: 448 peso
Tram at Tulum (optional): 40 peso
Tulum Admission: 114 peso (57 pp)
Taxi to Ziggy Beach Club: 80 peso
Taxi to Tulum Bus Station: 60 peso
Bus to Hotel Zone: 17 peso
Total: 776 peso

Based on the exchange rate I got when I pulled pesos out of the ATM here, it works out to ~$63USD. Not bad and cheaper than an excursion from the hotel would be. Though we wouldn't have had the same experience with an excursion.

For us, lunch at Ziggy Beach Club was 490 peso with beverages (Coke). Though their beer is priced pretty well. You can make this visit as cheap or expensive as you desire.


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## dioxide45

*Some Day 15 Photos*

Tulum










Tacos





Beach at Ziggy Beach Club


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## dioxide45

*Day 16:* This was a rather easy day, just lounging by the pool. We had planned to go to the Hard Rock Hotel and the Cafe to buy some Hard Rock pins, but we didn't make it. A mistake that will prove costly the next day.


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## dioxide45

*Need to finish out the last two days*

It has been a hectic week since getting back, sorry for the delay in finishing this off.

*Day 17:* We needed to pack as we were leaving the next morning at 4:15am to head to the Cancun airport. So we packed up most of our stuff in the morning and headed to the pool. We had some guacamole and chips at the pool, this stuff is great. We were only able to spend about an hour there before the rains came. And the rains sure did come. It poured rain, thunderstorms and all.

This is why not going to the Hard Rock Hotel the day before was a mistake. We decided to try to make it to the hotel since we have previously been to the cafe. We also wanted to go to Cambalache for dinner which is in the same mall as the Hard Rock Cafe. So we set out on our mission. We had some emergency ponchos that we donned and a couple of umbrellas. It wasn't easy but we made it to the bus stop and boarded a bus. We arrived at the hotel and hopped off the bus. Now getting across the street was the challenge. The water was probably 18" deep. Good thing we opted to wear pool flip flops instead of running shoes. Stepping off the curb brought water almost to the knee.

We made it across the street and started to head up to the hotel. Of course it was pouring rain with us in our ponchos and umbrellas. We then had a gate guard chasing us. We couldn't hear or understand him with the rain and our limited Spanish and his lack of English. Apparently the Hard Rock Hotel Cancun is an all inclusive resort, so you can't just walk on to the property. They want a licence and to give you some silly lanyard. It wasn't like we were really going to venture out in the pouring rain to get a few free drinks at the HRH. I finally managed to figure out what the gate guards wanted. My wife had continued walking and here I was at the front gate with my wallet but she somehow had my license in her purse. So the gate guard had to follow me up to where she was to get my license out of her purse. So here we were standing in the rain with flimsy ponchos and lighting rods in our hands in the form of an umbrella with a thunderstorm going on in Cancun while my wife was digging for my license. She was able to find it and we were on our way, though our pants soaked and our hair no much better. The umbrella doesn't do much when it is raining as hard as it was.

Once inside we wandered around to find the Rock Shop to pick up some pins and a magnet. I will have to say that the customer service at the Rock Shop was less than stellar. Some girl standing there cutting an apron out of an old t-shirt or something that was pretty much useless. There was another girl, but she wasn't in much of a hurry but she was the one that ended up ringing us up. Once we had our purchases we made our way outside but instead opted to pay the 130 peso for a taxi back to the Lagunamar instead of try to take the bus. A very good decision.

We never made it to the cafe or Cambalache for dinner. Instead we headed up to the room and I opted to go down to Duna to get carry out again. Good thing I did because the place was a mad house. Getting a table would not be easy and it was very noisy. Though I had to wait a while for our order, it would have been better than trying to eat there. Back to the room to eat and get to bed for an early pickup at 4:15am the next morning.


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## dioxide45

*Day 18*
It was still pouring rain when we got up the next morning for our pickup. We called bell services to come help us with our bags. We discover as we are heading out to our room that all of the buildings at the Lagunamar are connected and hallways covered via the floor we were on. Any likely all the floors. We had always gone down to the first floor to leave and arrive. Knowing this would have made the prior day a little easier. We get down to the lobby and I realize I don't have my watch on and I don't really know where it is. It wasn't anything expensive or special, but I wanted to have it. So I decide to go back to the room to check. I get there and can't find it. It has to be in our bags somewhere, so I head back out of the room.

Navigating the hallway back from our building 14, to the checkin building 5, the power goes out. So there I am in a dark hallway with very little light. Though very quickly I hear the generators kick on and the lights come back on, thank god. I find my way to the elevator and decide to take my chances with it since I can see that it is moving between floors. I get on and thankfully it takes me to the lobby.

We then hop in our van and head to the airport. Many roads are still flooded and one of the main roads heading in to the airport is covered in water, but our driver goes for it anyway and thankfully doesn't stall out. So we made it to the airport and get checked in and head for the gate.

Johnny Rockets opens at 6:30 at the airport and we buy a couple of malts since we only had a couple granola bars back at the room. We then learn that due to the rain there is a problem with the jet-way and they have to move the plan to a different gate. So we head off to the next gate which isn't far away. We end up taking off about a half hour late for Houston.

We had scheduled a nine hour layover in Houston. When we got to immigration and customs the line wasn't too bad. Though it didn't help that they only had two agents for the section we were in, so the line move rather slow. One agent was probably processing people at 10 times the speed of the other one. Of course we ended up getting put in the slow guys line. Though when we made it up to be the next to go through, another agent opened up and we went to him. In all, immigration probably took about 45 minutes.

We picked up our rental car and head for the Hard Rock Cafe. Of course we fell for the toll road spiel and end up paying $10.50 for some pass that covers all tolls that we didn't need because we never went through a toll road. I think we somehow had our GPS set to avoid tolls. Oops. We make it to the Hard Rock Cafe and can't find any parking, but there is valet where it is at. So we fork over $9 for valet. They literally back our car up 25 feet and park it along the curb. We then head in to the Hard Rock to buy pins and magnet and use the restrooms. Back out to tip the valet $1 to pull our car ahead 25 feet. We really could have done that ourselves, we were literally standing beside the car.

We were then on our way. DW wanted to go to Rocky and Maggies, a pet shop owned by the Little Couple that airs on TLC. Traffic on a Sunday at about 11:00am wasn't too bad in Houston, but parking was at a premium at this place, apparently there is a rather popular restaurant near by, but one lap around the block and a spot opens up right in front. So in we go. Buy a couple things and then head out on our way. Wanting to find some BBQ, DW had learned about Harlon's BBD from watching Anderson Cooper Live. So we have the place in our GPS, only when we get there, there is no Harlon's BBQ. I look up another location and we head there, no Harlon's BBQ. Third time is a charm right? Nope, this place doesn't exist. We have been punked. So we opt to return to the airport a little early.

We get to the aiport, get through security and wouldn't you know it. There is a Harlon's BBQ. We opt to eat there, really not that great.

Instead of heading to our gate, DW had some passes for the United Lounge from having the Chase United Explorer Credit Card, so we opt to hit the lounge. So happy we did. It was rather relaxing and we struck up some interesting conversations while waiting the near 4 hours for our flight.

When we leave we head for our gate. I think B85. If you have been to the Huston Airport and fly out of this gate, you realize that it is really something like 20 gates, A through Q. Leaving out of five or six doors. You also have to  walk like a zillion miles to get to it, we were thinning we should have just walked home. Also, the place is a mad house, not an empty seat in the house. So happy we opted for the United lounge. We only had to stand about 15 minutes before our flight started boarding without any real warning and definitely not by zone. They then opt to just tag our rollaboards to gate check, which is fine if we had warning. So we stop just outside the door to pull the camera and other breakables out.

Our flight makes it out and we land pretty much on time in Columbus. Off to the car for the return trip home, hitting a Taco Bell along the way (no comparison to Aruba) and we walk in the door at about 1:00am. So we were up from 3:15am to 1:30am. Up for work at 6:00am that day. Yay.


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## dioxide45

*Summary*

In all, even given the last day glitches, we had a fantastic trip that took up through four countries (including USA) and seven modes of transportation; airplane, taxi, bus, rental car, boat/ferry, golf cart, tram (Tulum).

Would we do it again, probably would. The flight from Aruba to Cancun was easy. Though we probably wouldn't do the overnight layover in Panama and would just opt for the same day layover. With the flight only costing 10,000 United miles it is rather cheap, compared to the $500+ it would have cost us had we paid cash.

We liked Cancun a lot more this time and could see ourselves coming back regularly. The Lagunamar is in a great location and very easy to get to all the shops and restaurants at La Isla across the street. I think though next time we will try to get the Aruba Ocean Club instead of the Surf Club, just for the different experience.


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## shagnut

Thank  you  for the wonderful  trip  report. It  brought  back  so  many  memories. Esp in  Cancun  with all  the rain!!! One  trip a hurricane  was  headed  in  and  it  poured  for  3  straight  days.  Yuck.  Shaggy


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## npey

Great log! Details on trip to Tulum was very informative.
Thanks!


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## topmom101

Thoroughly enjoyed your trip log. Thanks for sharing your travel experience.


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## dioxide45

*Caribbean Trip Log II*

*Day 1:* We just started out on round two. 2014 has us going to Curacao and Cancun back to back.

We stayed the night in Columbus before our trip from CMH to CUR via MIA. Pretty uneventful day. Got our luggage at baggage claim, bought some items at the duty free shop in the Curacao airport and headed through Customs without issue.

We picked up the rental car at Alamo. The only thing to watch out for is a $1000 authorization on your credit card if you decline their CDW coverage. Even if covered my credit card coverage. This was noted on our online reservation, so we were aware. Another important note about the rental car is to make sure the air conditioning works. The first one they gave us was pretty weak. So we asked if we could get a different car. They didn't have any more available in our car class, but gave us a mid size SUV instead. Pretty good deal.

On our way with our GPS hooked up, it led the way directly to the Marriott Curacao. Checked in and got to our room. The room is nothing to brag about, but it is sufficient. The resort, what we saw of it so far, is great.

We had dinner last night at Seabreeze restaurant. It was okay, expensive as is to be expected for resort food. Probably won't go back since we have too much else to see.

Not sure yet what is on tap for today. Will provide the details of our days events later.


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## dioxide45

*Day 2:* We slept in to catch up on some sleep from our early day the day before. Well, DW slept in a lot longer than I did. We didn't get out of the room until close to 12:00pm. We were just going for a drive to check out some of the island and have some lunch. We headed out looking for lunch at Sol Food. A small spot that we didn't have any directions for nor was it in the GPS. I knew it was in Westpunt. So we headed that direction.

For anyone who has been to Aruba, by comparison, Curacao is much larger. It takes a lot longer to get anywhere. But it still isn't huge. It was though probably about a 45 minute drive at least to Westpunt from the Marriott. Not knowing where we were going, we didn't have the easiest time finding Sol Food, but when I realized we had gone too far on the main road and were heading south again, we turned around. Once we got off the main road, it wasn't too hard to find. 

Lunch was excellent with a view of the bay. The restaurant is ver small and sits up on a cliff. I was surprised to see so many sea cliffs here in Curacao. We had a simple pizza for lunch, but it was very tasty and price was extremely reasonable. We then headed back south and stopped at some beaches along the way to find some snorkel spots for another day.

Then on the way back we hit a grocery store for some basic items. No kitchen, but wanted some snacks, water bottles and soda. Then it was back to the hotel where we hit the hot tub and pool.

Last night I had the worst dream. I was dreaming that our vacation was over and the next day was back to work. The whole vacation was a blur and it seemed like it went by so fast. I guess it does when you have only been on it two days so far :rofl:. Hopefully the next night brings better dreams:zzz:


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## dioxide45

*Day 3:* We decided to take an easy day. Went snorkeling down in front of the hotel. Not much to see. We had read reviews where people said the snorkeling in front of the Marriott in Curacao was pretty good. But we sure missed it. Perhaps we weren't in the right place. There is another less protected area that we didn't snorkel through because the water is too rough. So we sure didn't see much. A small crab and a few fish.

We then lounged by the pool for the rest of the day. Not a lot going on, sat in the pool too.

For dinner we had decided to go to El Goucho. This was an adventure. With our map in hand and a GPS as a map only as El Goucho was not a POI in the GPS. We headed out. We started out pretty good but took a wrong turn about 500' too early. So we were lost a little, but did find where the US Consulate was. Also the view and photo op from where we were was pretty good looking down on the city of Willemstad. When we got back on to the main road and found our correct turn, put of luck only, we were on our way again. They don't mark the roads very well here. We had printed directions with street names but only saw one street sign with a street name on it. We kept thinking we had been driving too far on this one road when we finally saw a sign directing us to the restaurant. Thank god for that sign.

We ended up finding the restaurant and had a lovely dinner. The restaurant is located up on a hill that looks down over part of the city with the big industrial stacks off in the distance. The sun was setting behind those stacks.

Getting back to the hotel was much easier as it is in our GPS. So we just needed to tell the GPS we were headed to the Marriott and it led the way. That is perhaps one great thing about it. If we are ever lost, we can probably always use it to get back to the hotel Of course we were driving back for the first time in the dark, which was somewhat a harrowing experience. Willemstad is a very large city. Much more so than Oranjestad in Aruba.

Once back to the hotel, we opted to go to bed instead of hitting the casino. We will try that another day.

Photo of Willemstad from our wrong turn.


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## GrayFal

I recall reading here that the resort you are at is the BEST Marriott in the Caribbean….what do you think?

We stayed at Scrub Island and loved it http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/eisak-scrub-island-resort-spa-and-marina-autograph-collection/ .wondering how this compares?


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## dioxide45

GrayFal said:


> I recall reading here that the resort you are at is the BEST Marriott in the Caribbean….what do you think?
> 
> We stayed at Scrub Island and loved it http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/eisak-scrub-island-resort-spa-and-marina-autograph-collection/ .wondering how this compares?



I beleive that was Jimf41 in this thread that made that claim. It is a very nice resort. We have only been to two Caribbean Marriott's. Aruba and Curacao. Well we did go to the Marriott on Cable Beach (Crystal Palace Casino) when it was still a Marriott back in 1999. So our exposure is pretty limited. We have also been to the JW in Cancun. Though that isn't really the Caribbean.

Comparing the hotel in Curacao to Aruba, I think we still prefer the one in Aruba a little better. They really have very different fees. The beach at the Marriott in Aruba is much more usable. Food prices are pretty much the same. Expensive as to be expected. Though the hotel food does taste pretty good. But w didn't have any complaints about the hotel food at the Marriott in Aruba. The island while still dry and arid, it much different than Aruba. Curacao isn't as centered around tourism. Much more industrial and busier. More traffic and the city of Willemstad is very large contained to Oranjestad. Supposed to have some great snorkeling, which we will try to get to tomorrow.

As for being the best Marriott in the Caribbean. We will see, we still haven't seen them all yet.


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## dioxide45

*Day 4:* We decided to go shopping in Punda which is the main shopping district in downtown Willemstad. We got a downtown map of Willemstad from the front desk and headed out. We parked at the Renaissance hotel which has great free covered parking.

Unfortuatly where we were parked was on the opposite side of the channel from Punda, but they have a great floating foot bridge that they open and close for boat traffic. So we only had to wait a fe minutes for it to reopen before we could head over. Once we got over there, it reminded us of many Caribbean port towns we see on cruises. Though the architecture is very interesting. It is a maze of streets and alleys, so getting lost would be easy, but with a map, you can easily find your way.

We did some shopping, it is mostly jewelry, electronic stores, and touristy stuff. As you would expect in this kind of place. We bought a few things and had lunch (at McDonalds ) and then headed back to the hotel to hang out at the pool. DW wasn't feeling well, so I hung out at the pool while she took a nap back in the room.

Today we are going to try to go out and see the sights. Perhaps go to where they make Blue Curacao for some samples :ignore:.


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## Pens_Fan

Make sure to walk across the floating bridge in Willemstad.

It's especially fun if they detach the one end to let a ship through while you are on the bridge.


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## dioxide45

Pens_Fan said:


> Make sure to walk across the floating bridge in Willemstad.
> 
> It's especially fun if they detach the one end to let a ship through while you are on the bridge.



We did walk across. Though we didn't experience being on the bridge while they were opening it for vessel traffic. It seems like that would be a long wait. Sure hope one wouldn't need a potty break if that happened.


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## dioxide45

*Day 5:* This was a day of some more sight seeing. We headed out to find the gallery of Nena Sanchez in Jan Kok. Along the way we found the Flamingo Area. There were some pink flamingos, though they were quite a distance away from the viewing platform. Not much further beyond the flamingo area on the same road was the gallery. We stopped in to check it out and picked up some reproduction items (prints, postcards, etc) and were on our way.

Our next stop was Porto Marie. A beach area in the vicinity. This was a lovely stop. Though we didn't have swim suits with us so it was just a photo stop for us.

Back to the main road we headed for the Jewish Cemetery. It was certainly not what we were expecting. It is located directly beside the oil refinery. A rather drab and depressing place. And very smelly from the refinery. Though it was very interesting and enlightening in its own right.

We then located Landhuis Chobolobo where they make the famous Curacao Liqueur. If it weren't for our GPS we would not have found it. We were actually already past it when I decided to try to map it in the GPS. It took us directly to it. The distillery was interesting, a quick self guided tour through a small building explaining the history and process of distilling the liqueur.

We then went to lunch at a local Pizzaria called El Forno. Who would have thought of having Blue Cheese on a pizza, but I was pleasantly surprised.

It was back to the hotel to spend the rest of the day by the pool.


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## dioxide45

*Day 6:* Today we were headed out to go snorkeling. We had read about how great the snorkeling was in Curacao and we were disappointed. We headed toward Northpunt and Klein Knip. The water is smooth and just the right depth. Snorkeling out on the left side of the bay near the sea cliffs was spectacular. Lot of sea life, elk horn coral and some sea fans. We snorkeled for about 30-45 minuted and headed back in.

We then drove south a little bit to Jeremi. Another cove beach. We didn't snorkel but went down to the beach and hung out for a little bit. Overall we had a good time.

Headed back to the resort to sit by the pool late in the afternoon. More of that today.


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## wilma

There is very good snorkeling in Westpunt in front of the Kura Hulanda lodge. There is parking and a stairway down to the beach called Alice in wonderland. The dive shop has a dock you can walk out on and jump in the water. There is a buoy and long reef running in front of the resort. We usually stay at Kura Hulanda but have stayed at the Marriott several times after getting bumped off the return flight to miami. The marriott is ok but the beach is much nicer and good diving at kura hulanda.


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## dioxide45

*Day 7:* We spent the morning before heading out to the pool packing. Our trip to Curacao is nearning an end . We then spent the afternoon lounging at or in the pool. Then had dinner at Portofino, an italian restaurant at the Marriott hotel. It was okay, fairly inexpensive as resort food goes.

We then went in the evening to the casino for the first time. We each dropped $5 in the penny slots. I walked out with $0, but DW came out with $25. Though she did put in $6 total. So at the end of it, we were up $15. We sure are high rollers. :rofl:.

*Today:* We are off to Cancun. We fly out at 1:15pm and have a 4.5 hour layover in Panama, then on to Cancun. We won't get in until very late. It will be a long and tiring day.


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## dioxide45

*Day 8:* Flying, flying and more flying. Our plane landed in Cancun early but it took FOREVER for them to delivery the luggage to baggage claim. We ended up getting to the Westin Lagunamar at 11:30. Unpacked and to bed by 1:30. A real long day.


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## GregT

Dioxide,

It sounds like a great trip - where are staying in Cancun? Westin Lagunamar?

Have fun!

Best,

Greg


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## dioxide45

*Day 9:* We got up early to head to Walmart to grab some water and a few snacks along with some breakfast items. We wanted to get back to the resort before our friends were to arrive. They got in at about 11:30am and after getting situated we all headed to the pools The main pool at the Lagunamar is very warm. Pretty much bath water. The other pool is a little cooler. But neither are very refreshing. Perhaps we will have to try the ocean.

For dinner we headed over to La Madonna and had a great meal.


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## dioxide45

GregT said:


> Dioxide,
> 
> It sounds like a great trip - where are staying in Cancun? Westin Lagunamar?
> 
> Have fun!
> 
> Best,
> 
> Greg



Yes, we are staying at the Lagunamar again. We have a 2BR this year. When we came last year we only stayed in a studio. We had a MUCH better view last year. We were in a third floor unit that faced the ocean, this year we are in a second floor away from the ocean with the view blocked by palm trees. Oh well, no big deal. We are in Cancun on vacation and out about the resort and the sites most of the time.

We do love Lagunamar and still want to find a way to come back more often. Though I suppose we are doing well coming two years in a row.


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## dioxide45

*Day 10:* This was a pool day. Not much else.

*Day 11: * Another pool day.

*Day 12: * This was the day we went over to Isla Mujeres. We got up early to catch a R-1 bus to Pto Juarez. We didn't have to wait as long for the bus this year as last year. A bus to Pto Juarez arrived within about 5 minutes. We got to the ferry terminal in plenty of time to catch the 8:30 ferry and were on Isla a little before 9:00am. Picked out a four seater large cart and were on our way.

One of our main goals this time was to do some snorkeling. So we went to Garrafon de Castilla. Paid admission and went snorkeling. There isn't a lot of coral or sea fans here. Though there is plenty of fish. Snorkeling over, we ate lunch at Garrafon de Castilla and then headed out to explore more of the island. Drove around, went to Punta Sur and the Turtle Sanctuary. We then headed back toward the ferry terminal and dropped off our golf cart and were back on the 3:00pm ferry. We got back to the Lagunamar a little before 4:30pm.


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## dioxide45

*Day 13:* Pool, Pool, and more Pool.


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## dioxide45

*Day 14:* More Pool. This was a much more easy going trip to Cancun than last year. Though it did rain for about a half an hour around 1:00pm, as it did the day before. This drove a lot of people from the pool only to return shortly after.

*Day 15: *We had to checkout of the Westin Lagunamar and move to the Marriott Casa Magna. We were able to get some more pool time in at the Casa Magna before the skies opened again. THis time they didn't relent. We ate dinner at Champions at the Marriott.

We had to be up at 2:30am for a 3:30am hotel pickup by USA Transfers. It was still raining from the day before. It seems that this trip ended in much of the same way as it did last year. Though this year the rain wasn't nearly as heavy as 2013.

*Day 16:* Flight home was rather uneventful. We had a 6:00am flight and got home around 4:00pm ET.


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## GregT

dioxide45 said:


> We do love Lagunamar and still want to find a way to come back more often. Though I suppose we are doing well coming two years in a row.



Lagunamar looks like a great property, I hope to visit sometime.  It feels like you did more pool days this year, was that intentional?  (Nothing wrong with pool days, that's the majority of my vacation!)

Did the weather cooperate?

Also, what did you trade to get the Lagunamar?

Welcome back and thanks for the notes!

Best,

Greg


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## pedro47

What a great travel log report; sounds like all went very well.


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## dioxide45

GregT said:


> Lagunamar looks like a great property, I hope to visit sometime.  It feels like you did more pool days this year, was that intentional?  (Nothing wrong with pool days, that's the majority of my vacation!)
> 
> Did the weather cooperate?
> 
> Also, what did you trade to get the Lagunamar?
> 
> Welcome back and thanks for the notes!
> 
> Best,
> 
> Greg



Greg,

The extra pool days were somewhat intentional. We did find ourselves eating at the resort in Cancun more than we expected though. The rain on the last three days caused that. After we got back up after the early afternoon downpours, the others in the group didn't want to trek out. I did go out on the second to last day to El Fish Fritanga for some tacos while everyone else ate at the pool. I got stuck out in the rain though and had to wait it out in a nearby store.


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## dioxide45

Thought I would post a video of our snorkeling in Curacao. I know it has been almost four years, but now just starting to get in to turning all of our raw footage in to videos and posting them online. Enjoy!


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## pedro47

Thanks for sharing your video. We are heading to Curaçao on our Southern Carribean Cruise in April.  Maybe, we need to book a snorkeling excursion. Loved that video.


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## dioxide45

pedro47 said:


> Thanks for sharing your video. We are heading to Curaçao on our Southern Carribean Cruise in April.  Maybe, we need to book a snorkeling excursion. Loved that video.


Personally, I would recommend renting a car and driving to Westpunt. That is the direction of the best beaches and the beaches seen in this video.


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## pedro47

Our time on this island is very limited to rent a car, to drive to the beach , to return the car back to rental site and be back on the cruise ship .


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## dioxide45

pedro47 said:


> Our time on this island is very limited to rent a car, to drive to the beach , to return the car back to rental site and be back on the cruise ship .


What are your arrival and departure times?We often rent cars while in port. It works great and we get to choose where we go. We did this in St Croix in 2014 while on the Celebrity Summit. We have a cruise booked for March 2020 that stop in each of the ABC islands. Pretty stoked as we have yet to get to Bonaire. I will certainly be doing some snorkeling there.


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## pedro47

We are sailing on Celebrity Reflection next month. I am going to read cruise critic for some advice. Thanks dioxide45.


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