Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen : Blogging

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - Barro Negro in San Bartolo de Coyotepec

Rob Kinnon — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:29:00 GMT

Here's something else you might now know about my DH. He loves to shop. Mind you, it is possible he has never seen the inside of a grocery store and all of his clothes shopping is done online but when we go on vacation, Mr. Kinnon gets his shop ON! He is crazy for art and textiles and will spend hours and hours looking for just the right pieces to buy to bring home from our adventures. Knowing this, I made sure to plan a day trip to San Bartolo de Coyotepec early in the trip so that we would have plenty of time to arrange for packing and shipping for the barro negro pieces we would inevitably purchase.

San Bartolo is a very easy drive from Oaxaca City and again, we spent a leisurely morning at home before heading south into the valley. San Bartolo is a Zapotec community, which has been making pottery for about 2,000 years. The clay in this area produces pottery of a distinctive grey matte color. For centuries the clay has been used to form utilitarian objects such as jars, dishes and other storage containers. It was only in the 1950's that ceramic artist and potter Doña Rosa discovered that polishing the nearly-dry clay before firing would create a shiny black finish on the finished piece. This has made the pottery far more sought after and most pieces are now produced for purely decorative purposes.

We planned our visit to coincide with a special Barro Negro Expo that we had seen advertised online and on some posters in town but when we arrived, the set up was uninspiring. After a quick cruise through the tented vendors' area we set off in search of lunch. We ended up finding what seems to be a permanent exhibition area with several long rows of "stalls" each occupied by a vendor or artisan selling their wares. While there were a handful of interested shoppers browsing through the "Expo" in town, we were the only people here. I inquired if there was a restaurant nearby and was directed to a loncheria at the back of the property. A WWMD moment if ever there was one! We have all done enough traveling now to know that some of the best food can be found at these small stands and this was no exception! As a matter of fact, I think this rustic eatery may have served us the most delicious tlayuda of the whole trip!

After a very satisfying lunch, we wandered from stall to stall, carefully inspecting all the different pieces and styles, looking for designs we liked and trying to discern the best quality craftsmanship. We were on the lookout for some large urns and jars to go in the new house we are designing, much more difficult to find than smaller decorative pieces which are abundant. Getting the aforementioned urns and jars shipped back to Playa would prove to be do-able but a little more involved than the average tourist might want to deal with. The smaller pieces are generally more sturdy and can be easily packed info luggage or carry-on. We did plenty of that as well!

Before finishing up our shopping for the a, we decided to check out the museum and "factory" of Doña Rosa, the artist credited with the popular style of barro negro most commonly associated with Oaxaca. Doña Rosa died in 1980, but the tradition of making the barro negro pottery is being carried on by her daughter and grandchildren who stage demonstrations for tourists. The workshop is also still in the family home, where shelves and shelves of shiny black pieces line the inner courtyard.

The sale of these pieces supports the family and the museum and we were all too happy to pick up a few more small objects before heading back into Oaxaca City. While designed particularly to appeal to and accommodate tourists, the quality of the work here was excellent and more consistent than what we found in the mercado and the prices were not horribly inflated. I was glad we took the time to go and would recommend stopping here first if anyone is planning a buying trip in San Bartolo. It helped us gauge the quality and price of all the pottery we saw thereafter.

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - Getting to Know Oaxaca City

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 30 May 2013 23:55:00 GMT

Our first day in Oaxaca City was all about relaxation...and food! We all slept in and spent a leisurely morning at Casa Palomita (named for the bird not the movie snack) before going for a stroll into town. A working vacation for Rob, he had hours of emails to attend to and I took that time to acquaint myself with a city map and pin down some restaurants to check out. Oaxaca is known for its cuisine and the city is home to many fine Chefs.

Our first stop was for lunch at Hosteria de Alcala, a charming courtyard restaurant located close to the Iglesia Santo Domingo in the historic centro. The same building also houses an excellent English language bookstore which kept the kids happy for quite awhile. It is a pretty restaurant, the service was very good but the food was just average. Good traditional Oaxacan fare but not particularly creative in conception or execution. It was a very reasonable place to stop for lunch but not a place I would put on a list of dining destinations.

After lunch and a few yummy mescal cocktails, we wandered down the pedestrian-only stretch of Alcala to the zocalo.

The streets were packed with visitors. Vendors could be seen coming to and from the market with their wares.

While the kids wandered and explored the zocalo, Rob and I settled in at a sidewalk cafe on the edge of the park and did what everyone else was doing....

The kids made a bee-line for the vendors and dusted off their haggling skills. (She looks pretty cute in that scarf)

A vendor and her child enjoy a moment of quiet away from the crowds.

The bandstand was a hub of activity with hundreds of people gathered to watch a beautiful folkloric dance demonstration.

A small procession came by in anticipation of the larger parades to follow during the week leading up to Easter.

After a few....ok, more than a few....mescals, we went off in search of dinner. Casa Oaxaca was at the top of my list and we were fortunate to be able to get in without a reservation. We ended up dining at Casa Oaxaca 4 times during our stay in the city and for that reason, we will give it it's own post with our impressions a bit further into the trip report. Suffice it to say, we loved it and it deserves all the accolades you read on the interwebs.

Next up...Day 2 in Oaxaca - A Visit to San Bartolo de Coyotepec

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - A Quick Stop in Puebla

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 28 May 2013 11:12:00 GMT

Fortunately, the next day Rob was feeling much better and, after spending so long in the hotel alone, was ready to get on the road. We had planned to spend a day or two in Puebla but decided just to stop for a nice lunch instead and then continue on to Oaxaca City. We picked up our car at a rental place near the airport and with a little help from our iPhones and Google maps, we were on our way. Traffic in and out of the city was pretty congested but once we reached the city limits the roads opened up and we were able to move right along. The drive was picturesque and a real change from what we have seen in our previous travels. My beach bum kids were delighted to see snow capped mountains!

We arrived in Puebla and easily navigated through downtown. Because we were hoping to check in to our rental house in Oaxaca before dark, I had us on a pretty tight schedule which did not leave time for any site seeing. A bit disappointing and I was only able to snap a few photos from the car as we drove through. The city is very active and I can see spending a few days here as there is a lot to see and do. I knew EXACTLY where I wanted to eat, so we found a car park and walked only a block or two to one of the city's renowned restaurants, El Mural de los Poblanos.

Named for the mural by Antonio Álvarez Morán that graces the dining room, El Mural de los Poblanos is dedicated to preserving the heritage and raising the standards of classic Mexican cuisine and specifically the gastronomy of Puebla. The restaurant is located in a courtyard "living room" of an elegant 17th century Colonial home located in the Centro Historico of Puebla. The mural for which the restaurant is named is lively and engaging and depicts the history of Puebla through the various prominent political, cultural, religious and social characters who contributed to and influenced this region.

This is the place to go to try five kinds of mole, a trilogy of cemitas, tostadas, stuffed ancho chiles, and delicious, traditional chiles en nogada. The restaurant is also known for offering a wide selection of mescal and tequila as well as fine Mexican wines. More adventurous diners may want to try the "escamoles" and "gusanos de maguey" available seasonally and prepared table side. We arrived for an early lunch and unfortunately neither was available during our visit. (You know I would have been all over that!)

We enjoyed a delicious lunch, our first taste of mole on this trip, and carried on to Oaxaca City. Again, we enjoyed beautiful views of the mountains and farm lands along the way. Most notable and striking were the cactus "forests" we encountered along the way that stretched for miles and miles around us. At times, it was rather other-worldly.

This second leg of the trip was quite a bit longer and if was dark by the time we reached the Oaxaca city limits. Unfortunately, this is about the same time our mapping software became "confused", sending us on a wild goose-chase through the city looking for the Xochimilco neighborhood. At first, Google insisted on sending me back to Xochimilco south of Mexico City. Later, it failed to recognize the many narrow dead end streets that would keep us from reaching our desired destination. After a few hours of backing up, turning around, asking for directions and plenty of foul language, we were able to find our home for the next 10 days, Casa Palomita.

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - A Tourist in Mexico City

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:41:00 GMT

Today was the day we were scheduled to leave for Oaxaca. A car rental had been arranged in advance and the plan was to drive to Puebla, spend a day or two checking out the city and then carry on to Oaxaca where we were to spend the remainder of our vacation time. What we did not plan was for Rob to come down with a horrible stomach bug that would keep him in our hotel room and in bed in definitely! Our dear friend Rodrigo had arranged to pick us up to join him and his family for breakfast on the Zocalo and while Rob was in no shape to join us, the kids and I went on along and enjoyed a delicious brunch buffet in a historic grand hotel overlooking the Metropolitan Cathedral.

After a filling brunch buffet, we checked in on the patient who was still suffering silently in his room. Having no plan and not knowing the city at all, the kids and I decided to hop on the Turibus. Now, I know what you are thinking. We have all seen these buses in cities all over the world, packed with camera wielding tourists, necks craning around 360 degrees to catch all the sights on a whirlwind tour of historical points of interest. To date, it had never occurred to me to explore a destination this way. I always thought it looked...well...foolish. And I am not generally the kind of girl who sets herself up to look foolish...at least not on purpose. However, feeling that my window of site seeing opportunity was limited and that I really didn't want to trudge around the city on foot or pop in an out of taxis all afternoon, the silly bus was looking more and more appealing. At very least, we could go for a leisurely drive and catch some sun on the top deck.

We picked up the bus right on La Reforma at one of the well marked stops on the Chapultepec-Centro Historico route. You buy your ticket/wristband (165 mn) right on the bus and are offered headphones to translate the guided tour into your preferred language. As we were the only non-Spanish speaking tourists on the bus, we opted to keep a low profile and enjoy the commentary in the default language. A map of the route is also provided to help you figure out where you can get on and off easily.

Here's a sampling of what we saw along the way.....

Hemiciclo a Juarez - monument to Benito Juarez

Palacio des Bellas Artes is a beautiful, giant cultural center built in the Art Noveau, Art Deco and Neo-Classic styles and considered the center of artistic life in Mexico City.

Plaza de la Constitución - Mexico City's famed zocalo framed by the Metropolitan Cathedral (below) and the Palacio Nacional.

Plaza Manuel Tolsa

Monumento a la Revolución, landmark and monument commemorating the Mexican Revolution in 1910 is located just behind the Melia Reforma Hotel. The columns of the dome-shaped structure contain the remains of the revolutionary leaders Francisco I. Madero, Venustiano Carranza, Francisco "Pancho" Villa, Lázaro Cárdenas and Plutarco Elías Calles. The ground floor of the monument houses the Museo de la Revolución.

Monumento a Colón - A monument to commemorate Christopher Columbus, by the French sculptor Charles Cordier, erected in 1877. On the base of the statue are the figures of monks who played a leading part in the settlement of Mexico and the integration of the Indians: Juan Pérez de Marchena, Diego de Deza, Pedro de Gante and Bartolomé de Las Casas.

Monument a la Independencia, commonly known as El Ángel, was built to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of Mexico's War of Independence, celebrated in 1810.

La Diana Cazadora, fountain and sculpture featuring Diana the Huntress.

Museo Soumaya in Polanco was designed and conceived to house Carlos Slim's estimated $74-billion dollar art collection. This dramatic, modern edifice has six themed salas with outstanding works from European and Mexican artists and boasts the largest Rodin collection outside of France.

The entire Chapultepec-Centro Historico circuit is supposed to take about 3 hours in total if you don't get out and wander along the way. We made a few pit stops including a break for shopping and lunch at the Antara Mall in Polanco and ended up back at the hotel LONG past dark. In addition to the major historic landmarks, monuments and museums, we also saw the sites in La Zona Rosa and Condesa and showing us some areas that we might like to come back and investigate further. At 165 mn (adults) and 85 mn (children) I thought it was a very good deal and a very good use of our limited time. So much so, that I would not hesitate to use the Turibus the next time I am in the city on my own, just to get around to all the places I want to see. There is a connection in la Zona Rosa that puts you on the Turibus Circuito Sur at no extra charge for the transfer. This bus takes you south to Coyoacan and Tlalpan with significant points of interest such as the Palacio de Toros, the Jardin Centenario in Coyoacan, the Olympic Stadium, Frida Kahlo's House, Casa Azul and the famous Mercado de Flores in Tlalpan. Having suffered through a LONG and HOT cab ride on our trip to this district, I think the Turibus would have been a much better option. Not as fast as the Metro but certainly more scenic.

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - Casa Azul: The Home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Rob Kinnon — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:40:00 GMT

"I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best." - Frida Kahlo

A few years ago, our family road trip took us through San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas. The highlight of our time there was a trip to Na Bolom, the home of Franz and Gertrude Blom, now preserved as a museum and a monument to their life together and their work in a remote region of south Chiapas, home to the Lacandon Maya. This intimate museum made a big impact on us so, of course, a visit to the home of Frida Kahlo was high on our list of "must-sees" in Mexico City.

Kahlo was born in 1906 and spent much of her life in this home located in the Coyoacan district of Mexico City. It is a colorful place full of light and shadows, its structures built around a tropical central courtyard garden. The surrounding buildings house gallery spaces, preserved rooms of the residence, a cafe with al fresco seating and a nice gift shop.

On display are many examples of her art as well as pieces from her husband, the famous muralist Diego Riviera, and other contemporaries and friends. There are also many photographs of the artist, her husband and an array of fascinating characters who have been guests in the home including close friend Leon Trotsky.

The image of Frida Kahlo is ubiquitous to Mexico. She is an iconic figure tightly woven into the culture of modern Mexico. There are many, many excellent books and movies about her life and her loves and I highly recommend that you brush up on a bit of her history before you make a visit to this lovely museum. Even if (like me) you come in knowing little to nothing about this fascinating woman, you will come out feeling intimately acquainted with her and with a far deeper understanding of her art.

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - PUJOL

Rob Kinnon — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

One of the things that first attracted me to Rob when I was first dating him was his interest and appreciation of good food, good wine and quality spirits. At the time, I was selling wine for a very nice importer/distributor so we always had plenty of great wine on hand to pair with delicious food with my favorite restaurant accounts! Throughout our almost 15 years together, and especially during our travels, we have always enjoyed seeking out not just the best restaurants but also the best representations of regional food and drink. We are both adventurous eaters and up for trying anything and everything.

About three years ago, Rob decided to get serious about losing the weight we had packed onto him over a decade of unbridled dining. A year and a half ago, we both made the choice to go pescaterian, cutting out all beef, chicken and pork. Throughout the process, he has lost over 150 pounds and his cardiologist refers to him as his dream patient....almost....we still have those cigarettes to conquer.

So, we look good and feel good. But what about our beloved dining adventures? What about all those fabulous tasting menus with perfectly seared fois gras and unctuous pork belly. What about the translucent strips of carpaccio and sizzling bones oozing with marrow? Would we need to eschew our culinary capers in order to stay on the healthy straight and narrow? Not really. While we have chosen a meat-free path it doesn't mean our palates need to suffer for it! What we have found is that the better restaurants and the more innovative chefs seem to be leaning in the same direction we are. It seems that more and more often, menu options feature wild fish and shellfish or are meat-free altogether so we don't feel like we are missing out at all! Such was the case when we visited Pujol in Mexico City.

Rated the top restaurant in the city, #1 in the country and recently rising to the rank of #17 on the San Perregrino list of the best restaurants in the world, Pujol came up time and time again in my research and again when I took my search to the court of public opinion on Facebook. More than a few of my trusted foodie friends told me that a trip to Pujol was a must if we were planning to fine in Mexico City. The only problem? We would be dining with the kids. Did I want to spend 100 usd a head on a meal that they may not appreciate or even enjoy?

Yes. Yes I do!

Our taxi river had never heard of Pujol and even with the complete street address he had trouble finding the small modern building that houses the restaurant. The sleek facade is unassuming, save the smartly dressed valets out front who came running to greet us. Inside, we were ushered past a small bar into a dimly lit, low ceilinged dining room. It was much smaller than I had expected, about the size of a gentlemen-only lounge at a country club. The walls are painted a charcoal gray. Stretched along one wall is a row of banquet seating. The rest of the room is dotted with stand alone white table-clothed tables, each lit from above a singular spot light creating dining "islands" for each party. It was sleek and elegant and comfortably cosmopolitan!

At the time of our visit, there were two dining options: Chef Enrique Olvera's ten course tasting menu and a prix fixe four course menu with several options for each course. Not wanting the kids to sit through a 2 1/2 hour meal, we chose the prix fixe option (890 mn p/p) which also allowed me to help Cole (our less adventurous eater) to find things he might like. Cat was, of course, thrilled to be there and quickly had all the servers fawning all over her suggesting elegant "mocktails" and menu selections that she might enjoy.

Rob and I stuck to the vegetarian and seafood options while the kids had some meat sprinkled into their meals. In this atmosphere, I did feel a little self-conscious even though I was only using the camera on my iphone. I don't think I got pictures of everything but this should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect at Pujol.

The first amuse bouche - paper-thin discs of avocado sandwiching chia seeds and served with a warm savory corn "tea".

Salsa

Sal

Cat enjoying her mocktail!

The second amuse bouche - a play on a popular Mexican street food - Roasted baby corn with mayonnaise and chile served out of a smoking gourd.

Sea bass ceviche taco with black bean purée and crispy fish skin, served on a corn tortilla laminated with "hoja santa".

Watercress salad with nopales and goat cheese.

Fried frog's legs with chayote slaw, dollops of cauliflower purée, and a poblano chili paste.

Herbed butter

Fresh baked bread.

Champagne for me!

Cole really enjoyed the Yucatecan "lechon" with shaved cauliflower, green olives and three sauces; almond, raisin-cumin mole, and tamarind.

Fluffy fried tortilla encasing a soft-boiled egg, roasted salsa, and puréed beans.

Guava ice cream.

The "Piñata"! A clear sugar sphere filled with orange supreme, guava cream, meringue and peanut cookie crumble.

Fresh fruits with artisanal cheeses and raw organic honey.

Chocolate mousse flavored with Xtabentún and topped with an orange creme.

I've read a couple of reviews on TA since we returned from our trip and many of them call out the waitstaff as pretentious and impatient. Others claimed their service was overly intrusive. Some called it "odd". I found just the opposite. Despite the fact that we were the only foreigners in the restaurant, we were clearly under-dressed and two of our party were under the age of 12, I found our service to be spot on. The courses were timed properly and served at the correct temperature. We were never left with empty drinks or plates. Silverware was replaced...never simply set aside for the next course. Napkins were promptly refolded during trips to the restroom. It all worked like a well-oiled machine. Everyone was smiley and nice, especially to our children.

My only complaint is that I would like like to have had a beverage - wine, mezcal, champagne, agua fresca - something thoughtfully paired with each course. I'm not talking about a full pour, just a little something that the Chef has chosen to best accompany each offering. I would have been happy to pay an additional charge for this option rather than having to choose for myself from their extensive beverage menu. Otherwise, I very much enjoyed my food and my dining experience. The food was well conceived and perfectly executed. With two starters sent out to warm up our palates and the complimentary deserts, I feel like the price was well justified. Best of all, it tasted good! Rob and I are definitely looking forward to trying the full tasting menu the next time we have an opportunity to be in Mexico City on our own. (Shhh. Don't tell Cat.)

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - Chapultepec Zoo

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:20:00 GMT

Our first full day in Mexico City was sunny and warm. Warm enough for shorts and flip flops but, having learned my lesson in Monterrey and Guadalajara, I knew that more formal attire would be expected. So, despite the weather, Rob and I wore long pants and closed shoes. While our scheduled trip to the zoo in Chapultepec Park would be a casual time, I was yet uncertain where we would be dining and decided to play it safe with somewhat dressier clothes.

We grabbed a cab from the hotel and made a quick trip down La Reforma and into the park. Chaplutepec Park, also known as Bosque de Chapultepec, is a sprawling oasis of 1600 green acres in the center of Mexico City. It is home to the Museum of Anthroplogy, the monument to the Ninos Heroes, the Natural History Museum, the Botanical Gardens, the Modern Art Museum, an amusement park and the Chapultepec Zoo among many other things. Criss-crossed by miles and miles of bike and walking paths, the park is well used and enjoyed by visitors and local residents alike. The park is bisected by the beautiful La Reforma boulevard and is bordered by some of Mexico City's most distinguished neighborhoods, including my new favorite Polanco...more on that later.

I'm not sure a lot of people think of Mexico City as a great travel destination for families with kids. I know I didn't but I certainly knew that a trip to the zoo would be a fun family activity and keep me in good standing with my kids. Truth be told, Rob and I have spent many an afternoon wandering through zoos and aquariums. I have lost count of how many trips we have made to the New England Aquarium in Boston and we will most likely find ourselves there again this summer! We have seen some good zoos and some not-so-good zoos in our travels. I think I would count this one somewhere in the middle of the pack. It's not the prettiest zoo but it was quite clean and the animals we saw appeared to be calm and well cared for. They all seemed to be well fed and in suitable enclosures with shelter and shade and access to water.

The zoo provided nice signage (en espanol) for each of the exhibits and plenty of stationary maps to help you navigate through. Entrance to the zoo is free, making for an affordable family outing, but there is a charge to enter several of the specialized exhibits such as the herpetarium and the butterfly aviary. There is also a food court inside offering all kinds of fast food and cold drinks. One of the things I particularly noticed and appreciated was a concerted effort to have indigenous wildlife well represented, particularly species at risk of extinction. Much of the signage throughout the property provided information specific to the species represented but also showed its proliferation or lack thereof and suggested ways in which the animals might be protected. Good information to kids and grownups alike.

While of course, like most zoos, the big draw for North American children seems to be the collection of animals from the continent of Africa. The giraffes, hippos, rhinos and, of course, the big cats seem to be perennial favorites and were well represented here. My favorites tend to lean in the direction of the polar bears, seals and sea lions. I am also a big otter fan. I was a bit disappointed to only find one lowly sea lion, the other enclosures being empty on this day. What was incredibly cool was to see the giant pandas Xiu Hua, Shuan Shuan and Xin Xin. Mexico holds the distinction of being the only country, other than China, to successfully breed giant pandas in captivity so it was very exciting to have the chance to see them. Sadly, a few days after we returned home to Playa, Xiu Hua, the oldest at age 28, died of natural causes.

RIP Xiu Hua

Fortunately, because we were there off-season when everyone seems to leave the city and head toward the coast, there were not very many people at the zoo. Unfortunately, because it was off-season, many of the displays were under repair or being revamped in some way and many of the animals were out of site. Without hordes of families and school groups to accommodate this would be the best time to do maintenance and give the animals some quiet time. Too bad for us but good for the park. Still, we made it all the way through, had a great time and made it out in time to make it to our lunch reservation at Mexico's top rated restaurant.

Next: Our lunch with the kids at Pujol!

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013 - Welcome to Mexico City

Rob Kinnon — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:58:00 GMT

In our eight years in Mexico we have never had the chance nor the inclination to explore Mexico City. In fact, the only time we have ever been there was for an overnight layover on the way to Acapulco for our honeymoon in 2001. I was so intimidated by the "idea" of Mexico City that I booked us into a hotel right at the airport and didn't even consider venturing into downtown. Like most Americans, I think our impressions of Mexico City are formed by movies like "Man on Fire". Stories from friends who had worked and or done business in the City did not help. One, a personal chef to a wealthy Mexican family, had a security detail to take her to and from the market, varying the route randomly to discourage any would-be kidnappers. Another friend, a mid-level bank executive, had a well-planned hostage plan complete with a considerable ransom arranged for him whenever his work brought him into the DF. These depictions of the city managed to stick with me and, in planning this trip, did not inspire me to spend a lot of time there. We were to fly in, stay in a posh hotel, have a nice meal or two and carry on to Oaxaca. Period.

If you have not been to Mexico City before, flying into the DF makes quite an impression. It is absolutely enormous. It goes on and on and on. Regardless of which direction you enter from, you are flying over dense urban areas for quite awhile before finally arriving at Benito Juarez International Airport. This city makes Manhattan look like a postage stamp. From above, the landscape is intimidating and a bit overwhelming.

In an effort to ease my stressed out husband into the idea of "vacation", I purposefully booked us into a nice hotel well-located on La Reforma, midway between the main zocalo and Parque Chapultepec. As we had no plans to spend any time in the city, I didn't bother to investigate the neighborhoods too much. I went online, found a nice hotel at a very nice price, close to the historic downtown landmarks and reserved a room. This is in stark contrast to the trip planning I did for our two-week stay coming up in Oaxaca where I spent months reading and investigating and pouring over other traveler's trip reports and itineraries. This short leg of the trip would serve one purpose: to get Rob relaxed and comfortable and eased into vacation mode.....not an easy task.

Whereas I am keen to find unusual places to stay (a certain tree-house hostel in Guatemala comes to mind) and am fine with "roughing it", my DH likes his creature comforts. Air conditioning and television are non-negotiable. High thread count sheets, hi speed internet, room service and an elegant lobby bar are a huge plus. As I want a happy husband (and he deserves every bit of it) I took all this into consideration for our Mexico City accommodations and The Hotel Gran Melia Reforma fit the bill perfectly. I got a smoking deal through an online discounter, over 150 usd off the rack rate giving us a large room with 2 queen sized beds for $115 usd/night. We stayed on "The Level" which gave us complimentary full breakfast and afternoon tea in a comfortably elegant dining room and lounge overlooking the city. The spa and indoor pool were just two floors below, easily accessible for the kids to come and go as they pleased.

As a child, I spent a lot of time in NYC with my parents. Staying in a high-rise hotel was commonplace to me and elevators were taken for granted. My kids, who have lived in Playa del Carmen for eight years, have never had the opportunity to go up higher than 3-4 stories. They spent most of their Melia time riding all the way up and down in the glass elevator, giggling all the way and chatting up the other guests.

As I have mentioned, I had no intention on this trip to pack our schedule with "must see", "must do" excursions. We really wanted to take it easy and this first day in Mexico City would reflect that. We flew in, collected our bags, checked in to the hotel and lounged around on the 1000 thread count duvets. Lovely! I had done a bit of Facebook research looking for good places to eat in the city but hadn't made any firm plans. Still feeling a little out of my element, I hopped on Google to find a restaurant relatively close the hotel. I had been warned that traffic within the city was an absolute nightmare so we settled on one of Mexico City's oldest establishments, popular with businessmen and located within a few kilometers of The Melia. A cab driver easily confirmed that we had made a good pick so we had our first Mexico City meal at Danubio.

Renowned for its raw bar and seafood dishes Danubio was opened in 1936 by Basques who managed to escape the Spanish Civil War. The walls of the dining room are adorned with cloth napkins autographed by the many politicians, actors, musicians, soccer stars, writers and bullfighters who have dined in the restaurant over the years. My friends from Albany will understand when I walked in and immediately exclaimed "Oh, it's Jack's Oyster House!".

A little bit smaller than Jack's but with the same ambiance, the same professional servers, the same menu, the same clientele only instead of martinis and champagne, we noticed bottles of wine and mescal on nearly every table. I also noticed that the same groups seated when we arrived were still there when we left. Course after course was laid out on the tables for everyone to share. Glass after glass of mescal was poured and tossed back with a hearty "salud"! No one was in any hurry to go anywhere. Clearly they know something we do not. I later learned that a visit to Danubio was like a visit to the "Mad Men" era when lunch on Friday afternoon could easily last for many hours with no thought to returning to the office. We enjoyed our delicious late lunch, surrounded by the city's movers-and-shakers, and retired back to the hotel as their evening was just starting to heat up!

Tomorrow, a visit to the Chapultepec Zoo and....PUJOL!!

Kinnon Family Trip Report 2013

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:24:00 GMT

If you have been hanging around the "Life's a Beach" blog for a while, you already know that we try to take one big road trip every year during the kids' semana santa break. We have explored Belize, Guatemala, Chiapas, Campeche, the Yucatan and pretty much anywhere we could easily reach by car. This year, no one was interested in roughing it. Rob and I have been itching to see Oaxaca, so flights were booked, accommodations secured and we were on our way.

In the past, I have blogged our trip as we went along. Uploading my pictures daily to Photobucket and trying to keep the blog as up to date as possible. This year, I decided to give myself a break and really take this as a vacation. This time, the plan was to take it easy, play it by ear and really just enjoy ourselves. No minute-to- minute itinerary. No whirlwind schedule to keep. No commitment to the blog. Given that a month has passed and I am now starting my trip report, I'll count our plan as a success.

We were gone for 18 days. Some of those day we did absolutely nothing. It was glorious! Did we miss a few things that I would have liked to have seen? Sure. But now, as I go through all the photos, I wouldn't change a thing. Oaxaca will be there for us when we are ready to go back. And we will absolutely go back.

I hope you enjoy our adventure as much as we did...well, almost.

The adventure begins here!

No roughing it here!

So What's the Big Deal About Semana Santa?

Rob Kinnon — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:07:00 GMT

So, here's something you might not know about us.

Every year, we (notice I said we) spend months talking about and planning our big family vacation. It never takes us long to decide on location as we know we will have a great time no matter where we end up. The actual trip planning falls mostly to me. I book the flights, investigate and secure hotels and other accommodations and develop an itinerary of "must-do", "must see" and "must eat"s for the region we are exploring.

We take this trip every year during the kids' semana santa break so, while the dates vary by a few days every year, basically the time-frame is the same. In that, I mean when the vacation time rolls around it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Yet somehow, every year without fail, about a week before we are scheduled to leave, my darling husband suddenly pops his head up from the computer, eyes wide, smoke pouring from his ears and exclaims that he is "buried with work", "completely swamped" and "can't possibly even think about leaving"!!

This happens every year without fail. It used to freak me out. I used to feel GUILTY about making my DH even more stressed than he already is. There were moments when I even considered canceling the trip altogether so that he could work through the piles of never-ending emails.

Then one year, I did it. I cancelled the family vacation. I conceded to Rob's pleas that we were just too busy with customers coming in to consider leaving. At the end of two week of the semana santa holiday, after two weeks of crowded, filthy beaches, restaurants with no openings and streets packed with cars and nowhere to park, my darling husband pulled me aside and made me PROMISE to NEVER allow us stay in Playa for this horrific holiday EVER AGAIN.

So, when once again the question came up..."Can we really afford to leave during this high season?"...I snickered quietly to myself and confirmed my reservations knowing, that despite his protestations, we were on the road (well, not literally) to Oaxaca!

Next up - The Kinnon Family Vacation 2013

Why I can never spend another semana santa in Playa.

2013 About.com Readers Choice Awards - Vote Riviera Maya!!

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Greetings from sunny Playa del Carmen!!

Once again, our little blog "Life's a Beach" was nominated for the About.com Readers Choice Award for Favorite Mexico Blog. I just found out that I am now a finalist. Huzzah!!

But wait...it get's even better! "Life's a Beach" blog was not the only nod toward the Riviera Maya!

Tony and Cheri Head are in the race with Luna Blue Hotel in the running for Favorite Bargain Hotel!
Mitch and Shawn with Yucatreks have a fight on their hands to win Favorite Mexico Tour Company.
Matt Shilowitz from Acanto Boutique Hotel has his sights set on winning the award for Favorite Luxury Hotel.

Let's show the Riviera Maya some love and show the About.com readers that our little corner of Mexico is the very best place to be!

There are other fun categories to vote on as well. Votes are limited to one vote per award category per user per day. The winners will be announced on March 19th!

So please, take a minute to cast your votes and pass along these links to your friends, share them on Facebook, Twitter or your favorite social media platform! It would make me super happy and hopefully draw some good attention to the Riviera Maya!

Click here to vote for "Life's a Beach" for Favorite Mexico Blog:

Click here to vote for Luna Blue Hotel for Favorite Bargain Hotel:

Click here to vote for Yucatreks for Favorite Mexico Tour Company:

Click here to vote for Acanto Boutique Hotel for Favorite Luxury Hotel:

Thank you so much for your support!!

I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Expat Interview - Susan de Lima from UNO Events & Catering

Rob Kinnon — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Every week, I answer dozens of emails from people interested in moving to Playa del Carmen. While I am always happy to give my point of view....my perspective on life here as a foreigner.....I thought it might be fun and informative for "Life's a Beach" readers to get to know some more of the folks who have made the big leap into expat life. We began a series of interviews with local business people and families who have moved to Playa del Carmen whose journey may be of interest to those still in the planning stages or even those just dreaming about it. Unlike other expat interviews found on the web, we know all of these people personally. If you are planning to move to Playa del Carmen, they just may be your neighbors! We may not necessarily see eye to eye with everyone we interview but each of these interviews will be published unedited and in their entirety. As such, I imagine that this particular series will be interesting to follow and prompt quite a few comments and questions.
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This Expat Interview, the first for 2013, features Susan de Lima. Susan moved to Playa del Carmen at almost the exact same time as we did. She was one of the first people we met here in Playa, back in the good old days at Captain Dave's on 10th. We have been friends ever since, celebrating our successes and lamenting and laughing about the bumps in the road along the way. Susan is the owner of UNO Events and Catering and most recently opened UNO to Go. She is also the Head of Operations for Taste of Playa.

About you

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: The amazing country of Canada

Q: Where are you living now?

A: Playa del Carmen

Q: How long you have you lived here?

A: Since 2004

Q: Did you move with a spouse/children?

A: No, but I did make the move with a dog

Q: What made you decide to move here?

A: Many reasons....Canada is great but where I am from very cold! Due to genetics, my body does not respond well to cold climates so this seemed like the perfect place to be. My employers in Canada started a program that allowed employees to take up to a year leave of absence and return to their job. Say no more! I applied to the program and left for a year, never to return.

Q: What did you do for a living back home? What do you do here?

A: I was a prevention education consultant in my last job. When I relocated to Mexico I knew that this was not going to be something that I could continue here. I followed my passion for entertaining and cooking to become an event coordinator and caterer. More recently, I expanded this to provide my clients with home cooking to take away.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your new hometown? How's the quality of life?

A: I mostly enjoy the beach lifestyle and the fact that I now know all my neighbours and then some! Playa del Carmen, although growing rapidly, is still the quaint "small town" place that I grew to love when I first came on vacation over 15 years ago. It is a friendly, safe atmosphere where you really get to know people.

Q: How's the quality of life? Is it what you expected or have you been surprised by anything?

A: I am most surprised of how little one really needs. Downsizing from a large home to a small condo seemed daunting at first. "What about my stuff?!" Guess what, you don´t really need very much too really enjoy life and living. Bikini and sarong (sunscreen too!) and you are good to go. I have found an increase in the quality of life; especially from being around others who are doing the same.

Q: What have the downsides been in your move? The biggest challenges?

A: I would say language has been the biggest challenge. I believe it is completely up to yourself to immerse yourself in the language and culture but in Playa it is very easy not to as most people speak English. Through having a business and a desire to learn about the culture and language this has been a positive challenge. There are bureaucracies that prevail but I believe that is true in any country. Some are funny, some are ludicrous and always a topic of conversation among expats.

Q: What do you miss most about home?

A: To be honest, not much. When you live in a beautiful Caribbean place there is no shortage of visitors. I would say I miss my friends and family most from Canada but in all honesty I probably see them more with better quality of time since moving here!

About living here

Q: Which are the best places to live in this region as an expat?

A: Close to the beach! I have only lived in what is known as central Playa del Carmen where there is easy access to the beach, shops, restaurants and bars.

Q: How do you rate the standard of accommodations?

A: Depending on your budget very nice accommodations can be found here.

Q: What's the cost of living compared to home? What is cheap or expensive in particular?

A: I find it comparable to Canada. Quality clothing is expensive here and any products that are targeted to foreigners. Going out, in my opinion, is about the same to many places that I have traveled to.

Q: How would you rate the healthcare by cost and quality?

A: Being Canadian, many believe that we have the best healthcare in the world. The average Canadian pays immensely for this service which is seriously flawed. I have embraced private insurance and feel that the cost and quality is amazing. I recently had Lasik eye surgery with great success at less than half the cost in my country.

Q: What are the locals like? Do you socialize mainly with other expats or do you have a lot of Mexican friends?

A: The locals are friendly and nice. A good majority of my socializing is done with expats, however, through the years many Mexicans as well. Playa del Carmen is a somewhat unique place where even most of the Mexicans are not from here so you have a melting pot of foreigners living here and Mexicans from the entire country. This allows for interesting cultural conversations!

Q: Was it easy meeting people and making friends?

A: Yes....could be a personal thing!

Q: Do you find Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya safe?

A: Yes but within reason. I feel safer here than in many cities probably because so many people know each other here. That being said, it is a city which will have a certain level of crime.

About working here

Q: Did you have a problem getting a work visa/permit?

A: It took several months to obtain my working visa and starting a corporation. It was done with relative ease.

Q: What's the economic climate like in the city. Is there plenty of opportunity to work as an expat?

A: Business appears to be good and a constant stream of new ones opening. In my experience, I don´t believe there are many opportunities to work as an expat (except in teaching) unless you start your own business.

Q: Was it difficult to start your own business?

A: Not really. There are specific companies that assist in this for a fee and to me invaluable.

Q: Tell us about your business, UNO Events and Catering, and how it came to be?

A: During my leave of absence from Canada I knew that I did not want to go back but faced the reality of what would I do here?! I actually hosted a pool party bbq which I catered myself. Due to the friendly nature of Playa, someone brought a friend who property managed many vacation rentals who loved my food. Thus my business was born!

Q: What differences have you found between doing business here and back home? What was the most surprising difference, either positive or negative?

A: I have never had a business...always an employee so everything is new for me!

Q: What do think it takes to be successful here?

A: I believe, like anywhere else, hard work

And finally...

Q: Is there any specific advice you like to offer new expat arrivals?

A: Network, research (blogs, websites, books), volunteer, LEARN SPANISH

Q: Have you ever considered moving back to your home country and if so, why?

A: Nope

Q: What brings you the most joy and keeps you here?

A: The ocean and quality of life

Wordless Wednesday - Maiz

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:00:00 GMT

Wordless Wednesday - Cebollas

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:08:00 GMT

Wordless Wednesday - Akumal

Rob Kinnon — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:00:00 GMT