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

This morning in San Cristobal was cloudy and quite cool. We were all well rested and ready to go so we hustled into the bright courtyard for breakfast. Finally able to access the internet, we had a lot of email to catch up on and pictures to upload. The weather being what it was, I marked off a few points of interest on our handy tourist map to occupy our day.

Tired flower girl

The Museum of Jade was just around the corner from our new hotel, Posada Paraiso, so after checking in, we visited the museum and gift shop. The exhibit was small but quite interesting, culminating in a replica of King Pakal’s tomb complete with his mysterious Jade mask. The kids thought this was "super chido!". I honestly was not aware that photography was prohibited in the museum until I saw the sign on our way out. My bad. Enjoy the ill-gotten pictures.

A fine replica of the Jade mask of King Pakal

Replicated Tomb of Pakal

Our next stop was the Museum of Amber located in La Merced, an old convent undergoing restoration. Again, the exhibits were well laid out and explained. Some of the pieces were simply breathtaking in their intricacy. The kids focused their attention on the examples with tiny bugs and leaves that had been caught in them. Amber can be found in many areas of Chiapas. The trade of these beautiful golden treasures, both real and fake, is big business here. I bought a small piece for each of the children as amber, Mayan legend has it, will ward off the evil eye and keep them safe. I’m still looking for the right piece for myself.

The rain was really starting to come down so we made a quick stop into the Museum of Popular Culture. Inside we found lovely samples of indigenous costumes from the various Mayan communities in the state of Chiapas. This was very similar to the museum we visited in Guatemala last year, the “trajes” similar in many ways, yet still very distinct to each region and climate.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in a few of the wonderful stores offering regional textiles and clothing but a few blocks before reaching the car, a torrential hail storm erupted. This was a first for our kids who had never seen such a thing before and were obviously fascinated. We waiting for awhile in the shelter of the overhang of a building but as the waters quickly rose up over the sidewalks, I decided to make a run for it and get the car. A few minutes later, I picked up my soaking wet family and tossed us all into hot showers at Posada Paraiso.

The hotel, located diagonally across the plaza from the Cathedral of San Cristobal is an oasis of calm in this bustling city. It is filled with sunshine and awash with bright colors and flowering plants. The main atrium is surrounded by glass, bringing the outdoors in and looks out onto a lovely garden. The rooms are small but clean and pretty with good hot showers and warm bed linens, both much needed in this area. There are no TVs but wireless internet is available in the atrium. The staff could not be any nicer. If you are planning a trip to San Cristobal, I highly recommend this hotel.

Warm and dry, we had a delicious lunch in the hotel restaurant, El Eden, a nice cozy place serving up not only regional dishes but also Swiss specialties from the owners’ home country. Rob was the big winner at this meal with the chicken sautéed with peaches and fresh oregano. Yummy!

How is it possible that I made such a beautiful boy?

The rain had now finally stopped, and night was upon us so we headed over to the Cathedral of San Cristobal and the main plaza to check out the vendors and craftspeople who had gathered to sell their wares to the crowds in town for this holy week.The plaza was buzzing with activity,children running to and fro, couples snuggling together on park benches and the air filled with the intoxicating smells of fruit punch, churros and hot meat.

The Cathedral of San Cristobal, beautiful at night.

Dulces and donuts

More of those strange, sweet, boozie things

Rob loved the chorizo tacos!

The Municipal center

 
Plaza 31 de Marzo

Our senses overloaded with sights and smells, we returned to our hotel and put the kids to bed for the night. Rob and I bought a bottle of wine from the restuarant and bundled up in some blankets in the atrium. We worked on our house plans for awhile (yes, yes more on that project soon to come) incorporating bits and pieces of the architectural elements of the hotel into our drawings. (Yes, Carlos, you were right) It is impossible not be to be inspired in this vibrant city.