Punta Mita - Day 4: Departure

And the vacation comes to an end...main realization? We don't take enough photos unless we are blogging in real time! Case in point -- here's the only photo we have of our lounging area from the entire 4 days. 

I realize the view looks not so amazing, but the short wall there is actually the overflow/edge wall outside the infinity pool...made it more secluded that we couldn't actually "see" people in the pool, though maybe that's why these spots were always free - probably parents would want to keep an eye on their younger kids more.  Meanwhile if I start drowning I'm definitely shooting for the twins to come save me.

So thoughts on the vacation:

- Four days was a nice length of time. Kids not feeling super anxious about homework piling up. Adults not feeling like it will take days to overcome emails that were missed. Could we have taken another day? Sure, but I'm not sure it would have added that much unless we went all the way up to a week. 

- We did not explore Punta de Mita enough to really do the area justice. The resort was very secluded feeling for sure. The beach was not crowded, the sand was really beautiful, apparently there was a nature preserve all around us...but we really didn't enjoy much of that. Though maybe being able to stare at the ocean and hear the waves crashing at all hours is an unspoken and subconscious plus that I'm overlooking. 

- I don't think the resort is worth $1000/night (which apparently it retails for at times). But there were some small touches that made it clear they did care more about service than the average high end chain. For example -- they folded up all of our clothes at turn-down, they put little fruit/umbrellas garnishes on the made-to-order smoothies, and they brought you bottled water at the pool in buckets of ice. I would return at the rates that we paid for sure. 

- We should plan just one major excursion for these short trips, otherwise we end up feeling rushed and we don't get to enjoy the resort's own offerings. Like we totally missed the sunset traditional cleansing ceremony which sounded a bit hokey but also potentially quite cool...and I only learned on the last day that the guided bike ride with photo stops was on a shaded path! Reiya has been asking to do more biking so that was a definite miss. 

- The twins' Spanish abilities are impressive...they just so rarely choose to use them. Next time we return to Mexico, we will have to figure out more incentives for Spanish conversation starting...

- Oddly whenever we had a chance to use pesos instead of dollars, the pesos price was better. Sometimes just marginally but sometimes quite significantly. Maybe a sign of high exchange rate fluctuation? 

- We will have to try Mexico again in the "winter" when the days are less hot to see if the water is still as warm. Figure out when that perfect time is when the water is still retaining the heat of the summer but the air has lost some of that incessant humidity.  Or...if such a perfect balance cannot be met, look for hotels that heat their pools more. 😊 

- I very much preferred the a la carte food experience to our previous all inclusive mexico experiences. Quality over quantity! (Yes, this is also just me admitting that I have no self-control/willpower when the food and drinks are free). 

- We should get the twins enrolled with Global Entry. Would have done their interviews up on arrival but the crew of people waiting was pretty long and we were anxious to get home. Maybe one day we will make a trip to SFO just to do the interviews...

I could keep going, but it's getting late and alas, it's back to a world of not-enough-sleep and too many work emails again. Final shot of the trip (yes, we took so few photos I felt compelled to snap one of Ian waiting outside the baggage claim).

Until next time!

Punta Mita - Day 3: Horses by the Beach

It's our last full day today -- the sadness of a short vacation! Once again, enjoyed that 8-hour long sleep and leisurely breakfast. We've pretty much staked out our "spot" at the pool now, an area of 8 loungers with shade -- we start the day in the right group of 4 and then move to the left 4 as the sun shifts.  I'm reading "Outlive" on this vacation -- not sure when I'll actually get around to finishing it once we go back to California, but at least for now, doing a lot of learning about all the ways we are slowly and fastly dying.  If nothing else, it is a fairly effective way to avoid getting too lazy and overeating on vacation! I am making my 10,000+ steps each day at least!

We technically had booked a snorkel/boating adventure for the day but I cancelled it a few days before we left for the vacation.  With only 4 days/3 nights, it seemed like a bit too much. I can say now that was a great call.  With age, I am really embracing "slower" travel. 

So today's big highlight was the trip out to Vista Paraiso for a sunset horseback ride. Punta Mita has had a few really lovely sunsets.

Pretty nice family shot!

Some solo action shots for the crew:

The twins were particularly happy with this excursion because of how exciting the ride was allowed to be (ie, they let everyone get up to a trot whenever we felt like it...which meant the twins were trotting a LOT) and they even took us on controlled cantors at the end!

(I may have put the video on time lapse mode by mistake...but doesn't she look like she's speeding?!? I know we only did it for a few seconds, but have to say that cantor-ing hurts a lot less than trotting...)

Punta Mita - Day 2: Games & Turtles!

The one thing I really appreciate about vacations these days -- the sleep. I somehow never manage to crack even 7 hours of sleep at home, but on vacation, I routinely make it to 8 hours. I can't tell if that's because there's less distractions, or just the psychology of being on vacation, but it's so refreshing.  

Today the only item on our agenda wasn't until 6:30PM, so after a very late breakfast (buffet gets decent marks, not as amazing as some of the other places we've stayed in Mexico, but had a fresh fruit smoothie bar, a quesadilla station, and very soft breads and pastries), we explored the hotel game room. Surprisingly well-laid out -- Ian and I played a couple games of shuffleboard and pool while the twins explored the video game corner - there was some racing game and some fashion runway game that appeared to be very enthralling. 

And then it was back to the pool! Today we decided to give the water slide in the kids pool a whirl. Not exactly water park level, but impressive for a hotel pool. Ian and I both went down it several more times than we expected to. The twins also declared this pool the fanciest one we've been to because of the family infinity pool. I guess normally those are reserved for the adult pools? Or (more likely), we normally pack our vacations with so many activities that we don't actually hang out at the pool much.

One thing we noticed today, the resort seems to have a few resident hawks that it deploys every morning to keep the seagulls away from the property. It was pretty neat watching them get so close to us while they were doing their rounds up in the sky. This is the second time I've heard of a resort having hawks around to keep other scavenger-type birds away from guests...seems like a trend...hopefully an eco-friendly one? 

Ian would like to give the Conrad high marks for their pool margherita pizza -- it appeared to be done in a real stone oven and had fresh basil and juicy tomatoes. Okay, so it's not exactly authentic Mexican cuisine...but the twins concurred that it hit the spot after exerting all those calories lying around on lounge chairs. 

The real highlight of the day though was our evening private turtle release! I could list a bunch of facts here about how the turtles all return to the place where they are released to lay eggs, or about how the survival rate of turtles is so small so conservation efforts are critical to this endangered species' survival, but honestly Google would probably do a better job of that than I would. Instead, I'll just note that it was really cool. The turtles were so tiny! And there is something really...fulfilling? peaceful? magical?...about watching these day-old turtles slowly figure out where the ocean was and make their way towards it. And watching the waves come and swallow them up and take them out into the sea. 

Stay alive turtles! 

Belize: Final Thoughts

Final adventure: getting to the San Pedro flight -- another two passenger charter flight.

Can you see the twinkle of "scared we will die but yay isn't this exciting" in my eyes? Okay, maybe this is also me STILL not knowing where the camera is on the pixel phones. I am always staring off the side like an unhinged person.

Luckily, the plane trip was smooth and uneventful. We were at the airport, through check-in, customs/immigration, and to the gate within 15 minutes. 

Concluding thoughts/tips from this trip:

A/C in Belize is CRITICAL.  And Mosquitos are SERIOUS.

The jungle portion, while nice and unique and I'm glad we did it, is not something I would return to I think. Matachica, or San Pedro island generally I suppose, would be a place I'd consider returning to...though...I feel like there must be other places in Central America or the Caribbean that has better beaches and water/reefs that are just as clear for snorkeling.  Though I did like how Belize was not as "American-ized" as some of the Caribbean places we've visited on cruises. 

Thoughts on Matachica itself: I hear it's the only adults only resort in the island, which was a nice vibe for quiet pool time.  Things I would call out: the water from the sink and showers smells really really bad. Ian was convinced brushing his teeth gave him an upset stomach. I definitely had a little nauseated when brushing once or twice because of the awful stench. The shower also couldn't be anything but hot or very hot. Which is better than only being cold or very cold, but sometimes a refreshing not so hot shower would have been nice. On the plus side, Wi-Fi was decent, beds were comfortable, AC was powerful, pastries were really good, snorkeling and kayaks were very good. Guides and bartending staff were very good. I specify them because...the front desk gals and housekeeping service was a bit more mixed. Sheets and pillowcases were noticeably stained (to begin with, and because of that, I also noticed they were never changed in our 4 night stay), and the front desk gals didn't offer me Belizean chocolate bars when we departed, even though I saw they gave them to the other guests when they left. Did we not book enough excursions? Asked for the complimentary shuttles too much? Unclear, but I didn't like the disparate treatment! 

San Pedro: it is still a fairly poor/undeveloped country at large. The entire island is tourism driven -- even if you aren't in tourism yourself, you are indirectly supporting tourism. I can see why covid hit the island so hard.  It reminded me, with the litter, dusty-ness, construction everywhere, of China from when I was younger, so there was a slight feeling of nostalgia for me personally.  Belize is clearly working on modernizing as well -- bringing electricity and paved roads to more of the undeveloped rural regions, for example. If we came back, I'd probably check out the southern areas or maybe even Caye Caulker. Time it with the whale sharks and the manatees. 

I way overpacked for the jungle because of the fact that I ended up wearing the most light and yet still ankle-wrist-neck covered outfit I had every single day. I did make good use of almost all of my resort wear in Matachica though, as well as all four of the swimsuits. 

The July/August time frame was a good time to visit I thought, not that much rain really, but still in the "rainy" season so not very many people. Prices were also lower as a result. 

It was noticeable to me that in Costa Rica, we ran into a lot of families who came back year after year

..whereas almost everyone we ran into here said it was also their first time in Belize. Which I think is insightful -- again, it was a great trip and very enjoyable, but while I'm already planning our return to Costa Rica, I don't think I have the same urge for Belize. I guess more of a "once in a lifetime" place! 😉 

And with that, Ming and Ian out -- until our next travel adventure!

Belize - Day 8: "Secret" Beach & Kayaking

Last full day in Belize, so we figured we had to go check out the Secret Beach. Which truly, is probably the best known attraction on the island -- so clearly not much of a secret. 

Again, Matachica was kind enough to offer a free car shuttle over to the beach, which was amazing because the potholes truly were gigantic. 

Our driver said some people have even died in accidents with their golf carts (though excessive alcohol may have been involved in most of those instances).

After only 15 min or so (another pro of the shuttle: you go faster in a car than by golf cart!), we arrived at the beach. Somehow, our driver managed to cut off the sign in every shot. Gemini apparently can't help us recreate the last letter yet. 

Secret Beach, lest this last photo mislead you, is NOT actually miles and miles of white sand beaches and crystal waters. It is more like a ton of calm, shallow blue green water occupied by a string of bars and restaurants. Not exactly the "stroll along for sunset walks" type place. More the "sit at the tables in the water and listen to music while drinking a beer" type place.  

When in Rome...

But a few hours of that was enough for us. Plus, we had to get back to the resort to finally check out a couple kayaks for the Mexico Rocks reef. I was very worried about my kayaking abilities (the last time Ian and I went together, I tipped it while getting in), but the resort assured me the water depth was only about 4 feet, so I bravely ventured in.

Good thing I did, because it was actually really fun! The water was much more clear, the coral reef was much more colorful and the fish were much more varied. Our driver later explained this is probably what most of Hol Chan was like back in the day as well...before tourists overran it and the coral started getting damaged. I could see what he meant because of you weren't an experienced snorkeler, it would have been very easy to damage the reef environment given how shallow it was. Luckily, from all the scuba dives we've done, I'm very good at the, wait for a wave, hold your breath, float higher, get pushed over the coral safely routine. 

This being our final night, we decided to eat at the resort restaurant, which can't be beat for convenience and ambiance. Wrong side of the island for sunset, but still a nice rainbow sky.

The food was good, though I think I'd probably go back to the place down the beach given the choice, BUT, I realized they would let me order the double chocolate cookies from the snorkel trip! They remained as amazing as I remembered. 

And with that, last day in Belize was over! Tomorrow we fly home. 😢 

Belize - Day 7: Eating & Shopping San Pedro

Thanks to my meticulous reading of the resort website, I realized that instead of paying for a taxi or piloting our own golf cart through what we've heard is truly dangerous-sized potholes (true story, another couple at the resort today told us they got into an accident where they actually flipped into a lagoon and the wife went flying into the water! Yeah definitely not for me!), we can catch the same water boats transfers with other resort guests who are headed to or back from the airport for free! Faster, more enjoyable, less work, and free? Um, yes please!

Btw, we were sharing the boat transfer with another couple from NY, the husband was also a long term Googler who recently left to start his own company -- and small world time -- they had run into the couple celebrating their anniversary from our plane ride at their previous resort!! Ah serendipity. 

So, onto our self created food tour! First stop in San Pedro: famous Elvi's kitchen (pronounced Elvis, by everyone it seems). We only had the street corn. Tasty, but I've had better -- but the fact that it was a restaurant where the floors were beach sand? That was worth experiencing. 

Next stop: papusas at Waruguma. It was HOT in San Pedro today. Like Texas in summer, sweat everywhere even after just 3 minutes in the street hot. So the 5 minute walk to our second stop had Ian pooped already. 

He liked the lobster papusa -- said it tasted like a lobster quesadilla -- I thought it was okay...but needed more seasoning. 

Next stop: El Fogon, recommended by both our server at Chan Chich and the host of the Captain's table last night -- didn't get a photo of the food, but we tried the chicken salbutes. Very nice! Sort of like a tostada. The server warned me the jalapeno dip was very spicy. My takeaway is that my spice tolerance must be improving. 

But then we went to what was hands down our favorite of the food tour: Sun Up fast food. For fried chicken and chow mien -- the Belizien Chinese food! I quickly talked up the owner in Mandarin as our Chan Chich waiters had recommended and it totally worked. He not only gave us a free drink but also had us sample these Hong Kong style cakes that his wife had made that morning -- Ian's favorite food item of the day. This is their very very low key, counter takeout only fried chicken shop. They do not kid around on the fried chicken. It is fried as a whole bird and then chopped up. Very very tasty. And only $7 for the whole box with chow mien!

We stopped at the Belize Chocolate Company for a chocolate milkshake after this but forgot to take a photo. It wasn't our favorite. Too ice-y. 

Ian dipping his toes into the water while we wait for the new guests to arrive on our return boat shuttle back to the resort. 

Animal pic of the day: clear translucent like crabs! So cute, no?

I forgot to mention that in between all the food, we may have done some souvenir shopping as well. I actually wanted to buy a pair of mahogany folding chairs but Ian rightly pointed out that they were expensive and not that comfortable and most importantly, we really didn't have a good porch for them to live on. Fine. I still managed to end the day with several parcels though. 😊 

After such an action packed day, it was pool time again, capped off that night with a sit at the resort dock on some very comfy padded chairs, staring off into the dark ocean with a drink and some fantastic star gazing. Matachica really knows how to get you into an island relaxation state of mind!

Belize - Day 6: Sharks!

Today is our only excursion day for the island portion of our vacation -- we booked a 1pm snorkeling tour to see the Belizean reef and then a 6:30 Captain's Table dinner at our resort. But since everything was an afternoon event, the morning was spent lounging around. 

The snorkeling tour was with one other family -- foursome traveling from Switzerland, the two daughters were 23 and 26 though, but they seem to have an annual summer 3 week vacation tradition -- I could get behind that! We spent a good bit of the boat ride discussing their favorite travel locations, particularly for the "kids" -- top answers: Africa for the animals, Egypt nile cruise, and Iceland. 

The water in Belize is mostly notable for how ridiculously warm it is. Like it's almost TOO hot when you're wearing rashguards. The marine life at Hol Chan was as impressive as expected -- we saw turtles, sting rays, lots of barracuda, several sharks, and a high number of bigger fish schools. We had a guide with us which was nice because he would point out things that we might otherwise miss. He was an amazing free diver -- he could hold his breath and dive 10+ feet down going through caves and such. At one point he even went into a cave that was long enough that I actually had a couple moments of panic on what we would do if he didn't make it back up before he ran out of breath! The water visibility was pretty good -- I would say farther than Hawaii actually, which is notable because there was actually a good bit of sand swirling around. 

After the first Hol Chan stop, we headed to "Shark Alley" which seems entirely human-created. The number of boats parked in that area chumming for the sharks was considerable. Yet, even with the undeniably tourist-showiness, I have to admit it was still pretty cool to swim in such close quarters with some LARGE sharks. I could really see them up close -- to me, biggest realization was that Disney's Nemo sharks are actually a pretty accurate depiction of how they look! 😆 

I realized only after we pulled away that we should have taken some photos, even if from the boat so you could see the size of the sharks, but alas. Here's a photo of me thoroughly enjoying the post snorkel double chocolate cookies though!

We got back around 4, which gave us some time before dinner -- perfect for pool lounging. I used to like the Chan Chich pool better but today realized that by afternoon, our pool actually gets pretty good shade and it has these cool in water loungers! Reminded me of the lounge beds at the hot springs in Costa Rica, but the water/air here is nicer and interesting birds fly overhead more. 

Dinner tonight was a 6 course tasting carefully constructed to take us through the history of Belize, highlighting dishes from different ethnic groups/cultures. I won't do a good job remembering all of the descriptions given, but because we took a very small number of photos today, you're getting shots of all the food!

This was the second dish -- it's a chicken tamale again! Obviously no bones in this one, but actually pretty similar in taste and texture to the one we got at the roadside stand when we first landed in Belize.

This was my favorite dish of the evening -- stone crab and shrimp and fried plantains in a really tasty chive and cream soup. Maybe it's the fact that it has crab? Or that it was the first dish? But it was the one I enjoyed the most.

This was actually the last main dish: BBQ pork ribs. Very tender, easily fell off the bones, kind of an asian-influenced sweet/sour sauce. 

I think the fourth dish? A freshly caught ceviche dish with yucca chips and a sweet potato mash. Having now tried shrimp, beef, and fish ceviche here in Belize, I have decided I don't dislike ceviche, but also hard for me to get super excited about any ceviche dish. I liked the yucca chips more here.

I think this was the third dish -- a piece of battered fried fish on top and a rice croquette on the bottom. It was tasty, but not the most memorable for me. 

And to top it all off at the end -- a fruit (I think pineapple and key lime?) paleta (traditional Belizean popsicle dessert) coated in white chocolate. Because of the tartness of the lime, not my favorite dessert -- but glad I can now say I've tried a paleta.

Yes, those are leftover bug bites from the jungle on Ian's hand! 

And this ends our first full island day. I'm looking forward to exploring the city of San Pedro tomorrow! Shopping! (Ian is SO excited...).