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–You don’t need a passport of course!

–You can generally get to your place in a couple hours at most, more cheaply than flying internationally.

–You kind of know what to expect….less stress in packing and planning. You KNOW you are going to see the Wings store, a Margaritaville type restaurant, mini golf, movie theaters, chain restaurants, CVS, etc.

–You can pretty much count on knowing that the place you stay will be up to first world expectations.

–You can be pretty assured that you will be comfortable and have everything you need in a short distance, including emergency services.

–You can probably do it pretty cheaply and know that that 2 star hotel will probably be ok 🙂

–It is not as hard to find traveling mates as it is just not that much of a commitment.

–Beach vacations in the US are pretty clean, well organized, and are so used to having tourists that you can feel pretty safe and secure about your experience whether you are going to Myrtle Beach.Hilton Head, etc.

–No major planning ahead of time, you can pretty much picture the whole trip before it happens (if you have had even one beach vacation, you get it. You know what they look and feel like.)

–No dealing with customs or that long trip, long lines, being uncomfortable at times, that scary feeling when you show up at an international airport and don’t know what the hell to do next, having to learn a new way of doing things, feeling rigid and or dumb the first time you do anything 🙂

Ooooook. SO given all that comfort, familiarity, low stress, why go somewhere else???

Note–sometimes the trip I described above is exactly what we are looking for. Not every vacation needs to be an exotic, crazy experience. But, here is what I have learned about why it is TOTALLY WORTH it to push yourself a little! (also note, I am using a beach vacation in Placencia as my comparative place 🙂 )

–Let’s start with something shallow.You can drink on the beach! No one cares! In fact it is encouraged! You can drive in the back of a pick up truck while drinking! You can walk to the village with a beer from your house in your hand! This is just FUN and feels like you are really doing something somewhere fun.

–Along with that freedom….getting a sense of different culture is invaluable–even with less restrictions and rules, you realize that everyone is still alive. You are likely to see parents with their kids on the handlebars of their bike, kids running in the streets, small children selling things…and yet, you see happy smiling people who are doing just fine. You may have a realization that it is damn exhilarating to jump off the top of the booze cruise you are on, or not wear your seat belt, or think FOR YOURSELF about what level of risk you want to take.

–This can lead to….pushing your comfort level–being uncomfortable is one of best ways to grow and feel competent and confident! The world can really open up when you realize you can figure it out and get along in a completely different world.

–The expansion in your brain that happens when not knowing exactly what to expect—-from a restaurant, store, excursion, driving etc. I don’t know about the rest of the US, but I notice that we tend to do a LOT of the same experiences over and over again (chain restaurants, amusement parks, predictable activities.) When you find yourself, say, hiking in a jaguar preserve in the dark, tubing through the jungle, climbing a Mayan ruin, tasting something totally unfamiliar at a street stand….with no frame of reference….sometimes one starts to think for themselves about what is enjoyable for THEM instead of following the recipe we grow up with.

–Can I repeat this…..the same old chains and stores and predictable experience GETS OLD and mind numbing!

–It is refreshing and exhilarating to do something new….do you remember even eating the last Applebees or TGI Fridays dinner? You’ll remember eating at a roadside stand, served Gibnut (a kind of rat.) from a lovely Mayan woman!

–Something you can’t buy….smiling and connecting to someone totally different than you… makes you feel better about the world!

–You learn more about history and geography, in the most memorable ways, by traveling then by any sort of school or reading!! (IMHO.)

–You certainly get a sense of how privileged we are after visiting less well off places—we are just swathed in comfort and safety. Why leave it? You can’t buy being more worldly and having a greater perspective, and how this helps us become more wise.

–One of my personal favorites….instead of Busch gardens or Disney, you can see real historic treasures like the Blue Hole, Mayan ruins, the coral reef, see the way people actually do live in one room houses on stilts, see the actual banana farmers working, walk through a real jungle, etc.

–There is something really priceless about being less scared of things, including feeling lost/stupid/incompetent, like everyone does the first time they do something!

–When somebody says whats new….what a great conversation starter!! You can have a reason to talk about awesome places you are thinking of going and get great ideas from other people doing the same thing. People might actually WANT to see your vacation photos!!

–I have LOVED my vacation here, and especially connecting with people I care about. BUT……everything I can do in Florida I can do in Cleveland…it is warmer, salt water, etc, but the feel is the same.***

***Note. I have also LOVED having first world conveniences….I have taken full advantage of all of them…..I AM very comfortable and I am loving it!!! I am appreciating the way I can go on autopilot a bit here…I just don’t want to make a habit of it 🙂

**Note. This post may have opinions that are quite arguable based on taste 🙂 I will try to be as unbiased as possible! Pictures are from google and represent what you will actually see.

For those who have it narrowed down to Mexico or Belize, on the Caribbean side (note: the Caribbean islands are all awesome. Let’s say you decided you wanted to do a place that was not an island, but on the mainland—why the mainland? Authentic character, easier/cheaper to get to, and the places in this blog are awesome!). Three great places to choose from are Playa del Carmen and Tulum in Mexico, and Placencia, Belize. See my post HERE for a comparison between Placencia and Ambergris Caye, Belize, and Roatan, Honduras (the latter two being islands).

Playa del Carmen and Tulum are in Quintana Roo, MX, on the Caribbean Sea. They are South of Cancun and you need to take a bus or puddle jumper to get there. There is a great bus service called ADO that gets great reviews. They are about 45-90 minutes away from Cancun.

Here is a brief overview and description of each place, compared to each other, from one traveler’s (my!) point of view:

Playa del Carmen:

-Biggest, most developed of the three places

-HUGE pedestrian street…5th Ave…with bars, restaurants, and shops as far as the eye can see

-Super fun area on 12th where “clubby” nightlife is centered

-Pretty much all the American-ized choices you could ever want. (Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.)

-more to do than any one person could do on vacation!

-gorgeous beaches with soft white sand

Tulum

-great Mayan ruins in walking distance to town

-unique, beautiful rocky beaches, cliffs in areas

-the most charming, unique stretch of beachfront resorts you could imagine–I can’t stress this enough. I could not begin to describe the amazing job the developers did with their beachfront properties. It is so overwhelming to take in one cute eco resort, restaurant, cafe, etc….NO CHAINS! Very nice, welcome feel, you can walk down most stretches of beach, none of the resorts there are the mega resorts you see in most places.

-Great city planning and clear areas where there are more local flair vs. tourism, you can easily get from one place to another with a bike.

Placencia

-small, warm, welcoming village where within a day you will recognize people and beach dogs, you will feel a part of town by the end of your trip

-you can get around town just by walking-no car or bike needed

-you will not feel overwhelmed or like you are missing out on something….there are a handful of comfortable beach bars and places where everyone is, no guesswork or cabbing around to find the fun

-Very authentic, no chains of any kind, no mega resorts in the village, everything is open to all

-You can drink the water!!

Benefits all three have, they all feel safe, they all have great beaches (admittedly……….Tulum and Playa’s beaches—- at least when I was there–are a bit more stunning in color and landscape than Placencia), all have access to snorkeling, ruins, etc. You can do more first world stuff in Mexico, like theme parks and huge Sea World like places. The aesthetics of Mexico are more advanced and stunning than Belize. They are decades ahead tourism wise. BUT at times I wasn’t sure what to do with myself, feeling like a small fish in a big ocean.

I imagine there would be some vacationers who might feel a bit overwhelmed and even overstimulated by the environments in Mexico. It is beautiful, exciting, tons of energy, tons to do…picture a bit of Vegas on the beach. SO many choices. Sometimes this is exactly the right type of trip. Other times, you may want a relaxed, predictable, warm, and easy vacation where you connect with locals and actually talk to and connect to others; you are not one of 1000’s of other tourists, and where you only have to choose between a couple events each night, not 100’s.

So, on one hand, I can say that scientific studies show that less choices=more satisfaction and higher levels of happiness. But, sometimes I just want all of the choices/energy/craziness that big crowds bring. Overall—most exciting and stimulating award goes to Playa. Most charming goes to Tulum. Most warm/welcoming/relaxing goes to Placencia 🙂 Hope this helps you pick what you are looking for!!

This post may trick you into thinking you are looking at a 12 month calendar of tropical places. That was what our group kept saying during our tour of the Cayes this past week…..we took an hour boat ride out to Ranguana Caye…..we saw dolphins on the way…

Then arrived at a jaw dropping island….I mean, the island of our collectice dreams. It was AMAZING! You can stay on Ranguana in rustic, stilted cabanas for $100us a night, or visit for the day, and snorkel with bonefish, lay out with the pelicans, and enjoy the most clear water and eye candy environment imaginable!

**Note, these are courtesy of google images, but this is exactly what you will see!

We then stopped at Hatchet Caye for a beer and ceviche, and had more great views!

This was an amazing outing that I suggest, most tour operators will be happy to arrange it!!

This week marks one year since Dave and my first visit to Placencia. I can see why we never left….February is so pretty here! The water has been great, perfect weather….great sunrises…here are some recent pics….

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We already miss them very much!! We had a great visit. We are lucky enough to have Cleveland group #2 coming in April! The weather has been picture perfect here, so more great images to come!

More to come!

Dave got home on Tuesday, and it was so nice out, I got him to change right into his trunks and head to Fusion. It did not disappoint! There were several groups there enjoying drinks and the great pool. It looks like Miami beach, you will NOT be disappointed to spend an afternoon here, we are planning on taking a large group of our friends there in a week! Don’t miss the mojitos…wow. Here are a couple pics of what you see as you lay out:

Also on the list this week was Tranquilo. If you want a truly unique experience for you or for your guests, GO THERE. We called Geof on our way to the pier, and we easily found the little boat “3 Things” that takes you to the Placencia Caye dock–about a 2 minute ride. Oh, we saw this on the way to the restaurant in the 2 minutes….no filter….(this is a dolphin, not a great white.)

The sunset we caught was perfect, and Geof even took us on a fun little adventure to see a bit of the Caye and the development there. Some great history there already! The staff were great, and Dave loved the margaritas. At sunset you get a free sunset shot–AWESOME…I drank it like a drink, it was so good. We both had the tuna and the shrimp puppies, and both felt it was one of the best dishes we have had in Placencia. It was a really quiet and relaxing evening, so special and truly unique. This is a MUST DO and we will be taking our friends there as well! Look at these images!!

The weather was so nice yesterday we continues our outdoor activities…starting with breakfast at De’tatch. You can’t go wrong, it is a classic, but just to reiterate….look at this fun!

We then took our kayaks up to Maya Beach and found a spot to launch, This was not as successful as the rest of the weekend….lol. The wind picked up and we were fighting waves on the lagoon for about 90 minutes before we gave up, not really going anywhere ;). I did get a lot of seawater in my face/mouth. Dave told me afterwards, that he saw a really strange reptilian creature raise his head up out of the water, and figured if he told me in the moment, that would have ended the fun earlier. He was right. He did see two dolphins too–although just the fins, so perhaps we were being circled by sharks as well as alligators. We decided to head up to Riversdale, before we disappeared into the lagoon, to see Lost Reef Resort, as we have heard good things.

Lost Reef Resort is what I imagine when I think of Belize :). Rustic little beach cabanas, a bar that looks made from a ship, a cute little pool with hammocks, pelicans, dogs, and iguanas walking around. Earl the bartender was so great. The weather calmed down and we had a perfect afternoon there. I recommend this highly as a rustic little afternoon getaway!!! Check these out…

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sticks-in-BZ/793918960644782

Sticks at De’tatch…being pensive perhaps, about the possibility of success with his new page.

Can’t wait to see our Cleveland friends in less than a week!!

Although I have spent 90% of my days in the last two weeks painting/urethaning/cleaning/etc the casita, to get it ready for its first guests….Sue and Sharon showed up this past sunny Friday and convinced me to go to the Mariposa pool with them….look how upset I look!

We had a great time….my pictures I took of the pool didn’t turn out, but here is what it looks like (via google)….

Here are some delicious shrimp fritters from their menu (I ate 80% of this plate. Plus dinner.) She also has great wine! It is such a fun place to spend the afternoon, or for dinner. I should note, Sticks is only allowed in the dining room at certain times 🙂

Have to thank Sharon for this coconut drink….THIS is what I am working towards lol!!! Mine are still sloppy and don’t sit up 🙂

My poor husband has been in Cleveland to work on a few projects…and I have really been enjoying his weather updates from up North….here was one of my favorites!! It was LITERALLY 115 degrees warmer here that day when you took into consideration the wind chill and the heat index….!!! (Yes, that DOES say wind chill -21.)

Here are some of the horrible things I have had to look at while he has been vacationing in the snow….

Also, one thing I keep hunting for is new things I can make with the ingredients available here. You can find ALMOST everything, but not quite like the US, and it is helpful to find good staples that are always available. I came up with two things that would be good for those that live here and also visitors…

#1–YUM! Throw a bit of coconut oil in a pot with a lid. Put it on a burner, put some popcorn kernels in, and voila! Until I hear otherwise, coconut oil is supposed to keep you alive and young looking forever. This is also really cheap!

#2–I had a few random ingredients and wanted pizza. I also realized I didn’t know how to use the oven in the new place. I am convinced if I mess with a gas appliance, I am capable of blowing buildings up. So, having to wait until Dave returns for the oven lesson, I threw some corn tortillas on a pan, put some tomato sauce on top, then a bit of cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. I let it sit on the pan for a few minutes, and this was like wayyyy better than it even should have been!

Also–you really only need the tortillas, cheese, and sauce, and these can ALWAYS be found easily. Pizza is easier to find now than when we first were here (Galley delivers now YAY!) but this worked for me. I am sure the poor visitors get sick of eating out every night, so here ya go! Pizza without an oven 🙂 Also good on a hot day when you just don’t want to turn it on.

Finally, a totally gratuitous chihuahua picture. I have been taking too many pictures of the dog, because I was certain Dave missed him as much as I would if I were gone (he doesn’t. But I like taking the pictures.) This one was just a real gem….Sticks’s vet said chihuahuas have bad teeth and it would do him a lot of good to have them frequently brushed. Anyone who has tried to brush their dog’s teeth, knows what a treat this is for both of you. I feel that I captured the mood of this interaction here:

Dave returns in a day and half, yay! And, probably due to the above mentioned weather in Cleveland, we have three group of friends from Cleveland coming in the next 6 weeks and I CAN’T WAIT to have fun down here with them!!!!