Dos Para Pescar

If you live in Denver and haven't been to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, you need to find the first nonstop flight you can to Cancun (preferably on Frontier since they go there all the time) and get down there!  We stayed at a house with my parents, my brother and his wife Meghan, their 3 daughters, Addie and twins Emmy and Gigi, and their babysitter Michele.

We had a great time, ate well, relaxed and I even got out to shoot a little bit which was great.

I think what I love most about Playa is that it is a nice mix of authentic Mexico with all the amenities you need as a tourist.  You can walk into town and go find some fine fashion at any of the boutiques that line the main drag, or you can get off the beaten path and flirt with getting a date with Montezuma's revenge by sampling some of the local fare at any of the dozens of carnicerias in town.  You do have to be a little careful in doing this since many of them wouldn't even come close to passing the health standards that we have here in the US, but there are several that are safe to try (at least I thought so and I haven't met Montezuma since I got back).  One morning I had some of the most delicious cheese empanadas I've ever tasted and washed them down with some orange juice that I watched a little boy and his father squeeze right there at a cart on the sidewalk.

I have loads of pics from this trip, so here is the first group.  I shot a bunch with a 90mm tilt shift lens and fell in love with the various effects you can get with the lens.

Enjoy the pics!

-TSB2

The yummy cheese filled empanadas I ate for breakfast one morning...

The orange peeling contraption used in making the OJ...

Snapped this from the plane heading down there.  I like the river that you can barely see at the bottom of the frame...

A local butcher getting his delivery in the morning...

Stray dogs catching some Z's....

Wool sweaters for sale in the street...

Portrait of a Mexican man who asked me about my camera...

My mom will want this for her bathroom...

Kristin with Addie on the beach...

Meghan reading by the pool...

Bonefishing with Dad...

Feliz Navidad!!!

In honor of the family trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico tomorrow, I thought I would post a few photos from the trip that I took there two years ago with Kristin, my parents, and some family friends.

If you have never been to Playa, I highly recommend it as it is just a boat ride away from Cozumel and some fine snorkeling while also boasting a bustling strip right down the middle of town with more shops and restaurants than you could shake a stick at.  It is colorful place to take a daily stroll, stopping here and there for a margarita or ice cream along the way.  The town is also somewhat close to ruins and other scenic opportunities.  I can't wait to get back there tomorrow for some down time and some laughs with the entire family!

I hear I'll have a connection to a DSL line down at the house we're staying at, so I'll try to post once or twice while I'm down there.  I'll try to send some warm weather through the web to all of you back home freezing in the snow.

Have a great new year!

-TSB2

I wish I lived year round at this house...

A shopkeeper sweeping before opening...

A colorful wall and rusty gate on the main drag in Playa...

A cowboy on the beach in Playa.

Some beautiful clouds...

A dog at a private residence just off the main drag...

A young boy who was selling newspapers at an intersection one morning...