caparsons' Blog

Stayed at my first "all inclusive" resort last weekend for a friend's 40th birthday celebration. It was called Barcelo Maya. It was pretty nice, although very friggin hot. I guess being the middle of summer in Mexico that is to be expected. What I did not expect is for NOTHING to be air conditioned except our room. That was tough, especially during meals. The "fancy" restaurant had A/C, but you had to arrange reservations, and we just didn't want to be that tied down to any sort of schedule. The resort was cut right out of the jungle, literally. The beaches were fantastic, but the water was much clearer in Cozumel when we stopped there on a cruise a couple of years ago. We were able to walk out about 200 yards into the ocean and still the water was only about chest deep. It was pretty cool. The place wasn't too crowded, but in the afternoons they blasted music on the beach and gave dance lessons over a microphone...that was a bit annoying, especially if you came to relax. If you came to party, go to Cancun please. The rooms were pretty basic, but nice. The only complaint I had were the beds were hard as stone. Didn't get a good sleep the entire time. Hardest bed I've ever slept in. If the floors had been carpeted (they were tile) I would have tried to sleep there. I guess I've decided I'm not really the "resort type". It was really a trip for our friend's birthday, so we kinda had to follow his lead on what the plan was. They basically just wanted to sit around and drink, so...there you go. I like to see the people and history of a place, see some buildings and a museum or two. This just seems so artificial. If you're coming to relax or something, or just get drunk, it might be the place for you. We did some snorkeling one day. The reef was beautiful with tons of fish and crystal clear water. Not as good as Key West, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. It had it's good it had it's bad. All in all a good experience. Hey, beats work any day!