Believe it or not, we actually did a few other things besides fixing the condo and entertaining friends and family. We told you about playing golf and some of our other activities. In this article we want to tell you about our experience diving. You’ll also notice that you haven’t seen any food from Playa because all of the food p*rn is in this article. We hope you all enjoy the pictures.
Finally Scuba Diving
While we cannot see Russia from our house, we can see Cozumel, which is much more satisfying, I’m sure. Cozumel is on the northern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system, which extends nearly 700 miles down to Honduras (we dove there, too, many years ago). Sadly, proximity hadn’t translated to time under water for us until some diver friends, Joe and Jane, came to Cozumel for a three-week stay starting mid-January.
Joe and Jane are serious divers. Joe has over 700 dives, and Jane is not too far behind. They dive 2-5 times a day when on their trips, which are several times a year around the world. They seem to be living to dive. Since they were coming nearby, we jumped at the opportunity to head over to Cozumel for a couple of nights and spend some time underwater with them.
We might have been able to take an early ferry and meet them at the boat for the first day of diving, but the prospect of a possibly bumpy 45-minute crossing followed by more time on the dive boat getting to the dive spot didn’t appeal. So we went the day before and got settled into our room next to our friends.
They had picked an inexpensive hotel on the edge of town. Our room came with a kitchenette, which we used for breakfast and nothing else. Although it met our needs, overall, it was a bit Motel 6 for our tastes. We will seek out someplace else next time we head to the island.
The reef is the star of this trip. We really enjoyed our two days of diving. Lots of fish, turtles, lobster, and other critters. The Mexican government is making a concerted effort to preserve the reef, and it shows. One of the more popular spots was closed for a couple of months to give it a rest and time to regenerate. Obviously, we applaud these efforts and look forward to enjoying this great resource for years to come.
Learning About Dive Gear
Another benefit of hanging with our friends was the opportunity to check out all the great gear they travel with. As habitual skiers, we appreciate that having great gear helps us to enjoy our time on the snow. Likewise, we hoped to learn from these devotees about some of their favorite underwater items.
I think on top of next year’s Christmas gift, we may need a dive computer for each of us. The dive computer tracks your depths and times underwater. That way, you don’t breathe in too much oxygen and have your face explode. Not really. Well, not exactly. The main point is not to get the bends. Rather than gross you out about how painful and deadly that can be, you can read about it here when you are prepared.
Also on the list are wet suits (rental suits often don’t fit well, meaning you get cold water in them) and a scuba do-rag, which keeps Diana’s hair in check and me from scraping my scalp when I’m in a submerged tunnel. Bleeding underwater is contraindicated. Finally, something to make noise to get each other’s attention, although many divers frown on such things as noise pollution. We used to have them, and we never went nuts with them before.
Stuffed in the Cab and Tipping
One of the less fun aspects of diving in Mexico, many places, really, is the constant need for small bills to tip or pay EVERYBODY. We paid the owner of the dock each day for access so we could get to the dive boat. We tipped the crew each day. Then we tipped the dive organizer, who, admittedly, did a lot to make sure we were well prepared and informed for our dives.
Every day, we paid for cabs to take us to and from the pier. We prearranged for 2 cabs to take us all to the pier, yet on both days, 1 cab showed up, and we piled in like clowns at the circus. Eight of us in a car meant for five normal-sized people. We complained and were told it would be fixed, but the same thing happened again the next day. Oh well, Type 2 fun, I guess.
We really enjoyed our time diving in Cozumel and will definitely go back. One can dive along the Playa side of the channel, too, but the experience doesn’t measure up. I’m sure we will go on occasion because it’s way easier. The snorkeling seems better here, so we will prioritize that, I’m sure.
Food in Playa
Usual suspects, plus…
For those of you thinking about visiting Playa, there are a few reliable places in our regular rotation that we have written about before: India Jones, Bendita Costilla, La Perla Pixan, Cielito Lindo, and El Fogon. These spots consistently provide us with the dining experience trifecta: good food and good service at price points that reflect what is being provided. We revisit these places frequently and definitely recommend you give them a try.
We do like to try new places, and I’m happy to report a couple of restaurants have joined our regular rotation: Romeo Pizza has what many think is the best pizza in town and very good pastas. Their lasagna bolognese is authentic and well executed. Sirjan is a new Persian restaurant. Although the menu is small, the food is on point and a welcome alternative to other cuisines in town.
Other new finds include Oh La La and The Lost Tiki. Oh La La is the best fine dining restaurant we have found in Playa. The food and ambiance are refined. It’s on the expensive side for town but in line with what we would pay in the US and a good choice for a special occasion.
The Lost Tiki is quite different. It’s a popular Tiki Bar in town with Pacific Ocean-inspired food and drinks. It’s always lively there. Their KFC (Korean fried chicken) is good and very popular, and they just placed 2nd in the regional taco fest competition. We will have to mosey over there to judge for ourselves.
Tamal Festival
We did manage to get ourselves to the Tamal Festival in early February, where we learned the singular form of tamales is tamal (no e). Even though we were armed with this new knowledge, we struggled to pick out what we should try. Different tamal styles from around Mexico were represented, and we were a bit overwhelmed by the choices. Next time we attend, I will endeavor to engage a tamallier (what should I call a sommelier for tamales?) to guide us.
One surprising restaurant miss for us was the Freaky Tiki, another popular tourist spot. Someone recommended their hamburger, and someone else recommended their margarita, so we decided to give them a try. Both were so-so, but what really sank it for us was Diana’s chicken sandwich. The chicken “patty” appeared to be a fusion of fried popcorn chicken, which you can see below in the deconstruction I did. Not what she expected. The service was also slow. An all-around miss. Occasionally, they have good bands there, we’re told. Perhaps I’ll go back after dinner elsewhere and grab a beer. Beer should be ok, right?
Music in Playa
I am happy to report that the music scene here seems to be doing well. While not generally the caliber of bands we see in the US, most places don’t charge a cover, and some of them are quite good. We got out to see a band called Memphis Blues at the Cache Hotel rooftop. They had a good sound and a great mouth harp player, who carried around a case with a dozen harps. They rocked it, and the $15 all-you-can-eat BBQ was a good accompaniment.
Another spot near us frequently hosts special nights, like Country, Rock, Blue, Jazz, Elvis, and Abba. The groups range from ok to pretty good. We did pay for a special meal so we could attend the The Three Tenors night. Again, pretty good. Unfortunately, Diana got her 1st case of food poisoning that night. It took hold of her for a few days. Clearly, this isn’t a common occurrence for us here, but it’s not impossible. Although I have a cousin who will likely never visit us out of fear of food poisoning, it can happen anywhere. It just takes one bad piece of uncooked produce.
Enjoying Thanksgiving Dinner
Although we like to host a Thanksgiving meal, none of our family was with us this year, and most of our friends in town are Canadian (their Thanksgiving is in October), so we were on our own this year. Although there is no official Thanksgiving in Mexico (the Conquistadores weren’t into that), many restaurants in town cater to the northerners and put some version of Thanksgiving dinner.
After reviewing many of the over-priced options around town (up to $60pp for turkey), we settled on the $40pp option at Zenzi Beach Club. It was a decent offering for the price. However, I was a bit challenged as the surf came in and started to undermine my chair. We figured it out. I’m sure this kind of thing frequently happens at your turkey-day table, too.
Another treat we managed to score was the very last of the chiles en nogada. This is a seasonal dish that features fresh pomegranate seeds on a meat and nut-stuffed chile covered in a white sauce. It’s usually available from August to late September, but I learned of a place offering it one last time just as we arrived from Scottsdale. It’s a great delicacy that I was glad to sample. There’s no reason they couldn’t offer it other times of year, they just seem to be happy keeping it special.
Fall and Winter are Nesting Season for Diana
For Diana, a big draw of having her own kitchen is baking. As the leaves turn wherever we are, her thoughts turn to cakes and cookies. As soon we returned for the season, she started churning out goodies. The high humidity here does make baking more challenging. She has learned to wait for low humidity days or to close up the condo and let the AC run for an hour before trying to bake. Her results have improved dramatically since then.
Another new thing for us was making pasta. For Christmas, I got a pasta roller attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer, and we gave it a go. Again, humidity was a bit of an issue, but we were able to make fresh pasta without too much effort. Actually, my effort is minimal as a family member helped Diana. I just took photos, supervised, and ate the results. It was fun, and we will do it again sometime. I’ll try to be a little more hands-on, too.
What type of fresh pasta do you prefer?
