Kalaka…A New ‘Must Try’ Restaurant in Playa

We were looking for a new restaurant to try the other night and ended up at Kalaka. It was an instant hit with us, and it’s already become one of our “must recommend” places. We enjoyed everything about this restaurant and have already eaten there twice in the last three days.

Kalaka bills itself as serving Italian/Mexican fusion food. We were a little dubious about that description and were unimpressed when we first read the menu. The entrees offered are pretty basic, i.e., steak, fish, fajitas, pasta. Basic Playa style restaurant fare. However, it was cute and intimate with only eight tables in an open storefront setting on Calle 4 between 15th and 20th Avenues, and it got points from us for being outside the resort zone. We decided to give it a try.

As soon as we sat down, we had a cute little free appetizer delivered to the table consisting of cheese and olives in a pool of olive oil. There is an extensive wine list but unfortunately only by the bottle. Wine by the glass is limited to your basic red and white “Chateau de Sam’s Club.” There is a full bar.

The first night Cheri ordered chicken in a mushroom cream sauce. It was a large chicken breast completely covered in a thick cream sauce full of very large sliced mushrooms (no canned stuff). In our opinion, cream sauces tend to be too thick and a little bland in taste. This one was flavorful and delicious. The chicken came with rice and some steamed vegetables which had been perfectly cooked and flavored with a whole lot of butter. Tony ordered shrimp fajitas. Rather than getting the standard bowl of shrimp with some overcooked onions and pepper strips, he got a plate full of well-spiced shrimp surrounded by huge amounts of steamed vegetables. The vegetables were fresh, well-cooked and perfectly set off the shrimps. This was accompanied by homemade tortillas and some of the best guacamole in Playa. We were both extremely impressed with our meals.

The next time we returned, Cheri had the shrimp brochette, which consisted of giant shrimps wrapped in bacon and grilled on skewers with various vegetables. This was covered by a light and very flavorful sauce. It was served with a baked potato and more of those delicious vegetables. Tony ordered one of the two filet mignons on the menu. It was a good sized steak grilled perfectly and covered with hollandaise and a tangy soy-based sauce. It was easily as good as any steak we’ve ever had in Playa. It was, frankly, better than the steaks we had at Chicago Don Jose’s and equal to the more expensive steaks we had at John Gray’s Place. It was served with fresh asparagus and a baked potato swimming in butter and sour cream. At the end of both meals, a small tray with two shots of tequila, lime, salt and watermelon chunks was placed on the table. It was a nice touch.

We met the owners, Sylvia and Max, who are from Milan. They were friendly and gracious and are obviously very enthusiastic about their restaurant. We really liked this place, as you can tell. The intimacy and soft lighting makes it a very romantic spot. The quality of the food makes it one of the better restaurants we have eaten at in Playa del Carmen. And because it is a couple blocks off of Fifth Avenue, the prices are not outrageous. The most expensive thing on the menu was the filet mignon Tony ordered at $225 pesos (about $17 US).

This place has style and is worth keeping around. We’re definitely going back (next time we’re ordering from the extensive pasta menu) and highly recommend that our readers give it a try when they visit Playa.

Shrimp Fajitas

Pollo con Champinones (Chicken with Mushrooms)

Inside Kalaka

And on a totally different topic…for those of you who have been worrying about the weather, the beaches, the sunshine, etc. (especially our friends, “the other Tony & Cheri”), here are some pictures we took this morning on Xpu-Ha beach. This is why we live here.

CLICK HERE FOR LUNA BLUE’S SUMMER SPECIAL – Pay for Three, Stay One for Free

More Reasons to Visit Playa del Carmen

The weather is balmy, the ocean is a magnificent array of blues, the exchange rate is up again, and there are no crowds in town. Airlines are having specials to Cancun. Restaurants and businesses all over town are offering tantalizing discounts. NOW is the time to visit Playa del Carmen. And to add a little icing to the cake, this summer we’re having our first ever special at the Luna Blue Hotel & Bar. For every three nights you stay, you stay another night for free!! In other words, stay for four and pay for three; stay for eight and pay for six. And a free welcome margarita will await you at the bar on your arrival. You can barely afford not to come!

See you in paradise!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Nothing too exciting or important in today’s blog. We went to the Blucacao Beach Club today and just wanted to share. It was a stunningly beautiful day. Enjoy.

Another Successful Fundraiser at the Luna Blue

The Coco’s Cat Rescue fundraiser at the Luna Blue Bar on Saturday night was a huge success. We were happy and proud to be able to host this event for such a worthy cause. There was a huge turnout from locals, visitors and a good number of TripAdvisor forum members who were having a meetup at the Luna Blue the same night.

The Coco’s Cat Rescue folks sold raffle tickets and gave away 30 great prizes. If you bought tickets and want to know if you won, check here. They also sold t-shirts and stickers and provided information about spaying & neutering of feral cats, including notice of their free sterilization clinic coming up next week. Two adorable kittens were passed around and gushed over. Meanwhile, the Luna Blue rocked. People sat for caricature drawings; dined on Papa T’s famous burgers (courtesy of Rob & Michele of Buyplaya.com & Life’s a Beach blog); sipped on our special drink of the evening, the Coco’s Catini; and listened to music performed by mariachis and Bad Brad Ryan of the Mojo Zone. Brad was joined by Papayito on the sax. Special note: Brad and Papayito will be playing every Tuesday night, starting tomorrow, at the Luna Blue Bar!

It was a wonderful evening, and Coco’s raised over $35,000 pesos! Here are some pictures of the many friends who stopped by to add to the fun:

Vanessa & Claire

Knoxvilletravelgirl & the Mister and Beachbums2Houston_TX & the Mister (from the TripAdvisor forum)

Early evening mariachis keepin’ it real…Mexican

Laura, the founder of Coco’s, and Pamela, a CCR volunteer

Vanessa, Maureen & Laura

Another pic of Knoxvillegirl & hubby

Heather of Heatherinparadise.com

Local Mark, aka PlayadelSoul on both Tripadvisor and Intheroo, known affectionately as “Fanta Boy” at the Luna Blue

The girls manning the raffle ticket table

Carlos & Marissa

Keersten with her sexy caricature drawing

Bad Brad & Papayito

Tripadvisor member Zeeka (Becky) snuggling one of the kittens

Andy & Jen, owners of the Peanut Pet Shelter

Coco’s Bulletin Board

Coco’s t-shirts displayed

Quite a crowd

Laura, Coco’s founder, & Michele of Life’s A Beach blog

The party spilled out into the street

Coco’s Cat Rescue Fundraiser at the Luna Blue Bar

We are sorry we haven’t blogged for a while…we have been traveling in southern California visiting our son and doing some very serious research on tourism (see photo below).

Now we’re back in Playa del Carmen, and tomorrow night–Saturday June 6, 2009–we will be hosting a fundraiser at the Luna Blue Bar for Coco’s Cat Rescue. Coco’s Cat Rescue is a relatively new organization here in Playa del Carmen dedicated to rescuing some of the many lost, abandoned and feral cats that live in the area. The good people at Coco’s Cat Rescue find adult feral cats, trap them, have them spayed or neutered with the assistance of local veterinarians and then release them. When kittens are found or captured, they are cared for by Coco’s until they can be adopted by someone who wants them. There are many, many stray cats in this area, so the work that Coco’s does is truly needed to control the feline population.

We know first hand the good work by the Coco’s Cat Rescue volunteers. The garden at the Luna Blue Hotel is not only home to our own cats Frankie & Osso (Bear, in English), but is an attraction to many of the feral cats, especially pregnant females who are looking for a quiet place to have a litter. Sadly, many of the adult cats are not strong enough to deliver healthy babies, and litters often don’t survive. But recently we discovered a mama and her five babies shortly after their birth and were able to feed mama and protect and tame the kittens until they were old enough to be weaned. Then Laura from Coco’s came and collected the kittens and made sure that they received food and medical care. She is taking care of them until someone comes along to adopt them. With their assistance, we’ve also trapped and neutred/spayed four other adult cats, including the mama of this litter.

Coco’s Cat Rescue is completely nonprofit and supported entirely by donations. Tomorrow, Saturday June 6 will be their first ever fundraiser, a party at the Luna Blue with music, food, drinks, kittens (for adoption or just cuddling) and best of all, a HUGE raffle of some amazing prizes, all donated by local businesses and generous supporters of Coco’s Cat Rescue.

Here are some of the great prizes a $50 peso raffle ticket might win:

Two trips on the Fat Cat catamaran (donated by Maureen)

Two Rio Secreto excursions (donated by Marissa)

$50 US gift certificate to Spa Itza (donated by Vanessa)

Three-night stay in a Tropical Hideaway room (a $270 US value) at the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden (donated by Tony & Cheri)

A $250 peso bar tab at the Luna Blue Bar (donated by Tony & Cheri)

Another $250 peso bar tab at the Luna Blue Bar (donated by Tony & Cheri)

A hand beaded necklace (donated by SPAY)

A second beaded necklace (donated by SPAY)

$50.00USD Barnes & Noble Gift Card to be used in any store or online (donated by Maureen)

$500 Peso Bar Tab at the Beer Bucket (donated by the Beer Bucket)

A Tote le Monde Duffel Bag (donated by Maureen)

Vintage (1948) Jomar Seed Pearl Lariat Style Necklace–60 inches…can be worn as a belt (donated by Maureen)

One night in a superior junior suite at La Tortuga from june 6th to dec.23rd, depending on availability (donated by Laura and Ana)

A $500 peso restaurant tab at El Bistro (donated by Laura and Ana)

Another $500 peso restaurant tab at El Bistro (donated by Laura and Ana)

Two Peanut Pet Shelter beer koozies (donated by Maureen)

Two free yoga classes at Yoga by the Way (donated by Ellen de Jonge)

Horseback riding for two people at Punto Venado (donated by Lisa)

Dinner for two at Babe’s Noodles & Bar (donated by Babes)

Gift certificate for breakfast or lunch for two people at Turtle Bay Café in Akumal (donated by Jen Smith)

One month of English classes at Harmon Hall in Playa del Carmen. The winner will have to pay for books, but the course has a value of 1600 pesos!!! (donated by Mark of Harmon Hall)

Two Catamaya catamaran sailing/snorkel trips (value $184 US!) (donated by Fabio of Catamaya)

One bottle of Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila, 695ml (donated by Libby of InTheRoo)

Lunch for two and day pass at Shangri La Caribe Hotel (donated by Shangri La Caribe)

$500 pesos gift certificate at Carboncitos restaurant (donated by Russell at Carboncito’s)

Two ATV rides with Yucatan Explorer(donated by Yucatan Explorer)

If you’re going to be in town, stop by tomorrow night, or stop by the Luna Blue Hotel or Bar on Calle 26 between 5th and 10th Avenues beforehand to buy tickets. If you’re not able to make it down to Playa, you can buy tickets online. Click here for information. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PRESENT TO WIN!!! Unclaimed ticket numbers will be posted online here, and the organizers will arrange for pickup or delivery of any prizes won.

Tomorrow night should be quite an event. Come hungry, as we will be selling Papa T’s famous Cheeseburgers in Playadise. The burgers and all the fixings have been donated by Rob & Michele of Buy Playa and Life’s a Beach blog, so 100% of the $50 peso sales price will go directly to Coco’s Cat Rescue.

And in honor of the evening, the Luna Blue Bar will be offering a new coconut rum drink we call Coco’s Catini. Every Coco’s Catini will come with a souvenir kitty cat drink ornament, compliments of Coco’s supporter Vanessa. Thirty pesos from each drink sold will be donated to Coco’s.

And starting around 9 pm, Playa’s own Bad Brad Ryan will be playing and singing for everyone’s enjoyment.

In addition to the fundraiser, tomorrow evening is also a Tripadvisor member Meet-Up! If you are a regular member, poster or just reader of Tripadvisor’s Playa Del Carmen Forum, please stop by and say hello.

On a personal note, it’s good to be home in Playa. And for those of you who are still asking (amazingly)…YES, Playa is still open. YES, the weather is beautiful. YES, it’s a great time of year to visit. And NO there is no danger (banditos, swine flu, drug cartels, pirates, etc.) It’s paradise down here. Hope to see you tomorrow night.

And, as promised, here’s a picture of us in deep conversation with our business consultant back in the States.

A Perfect Day

What Should We Do Today?
Guests at our Luna Blue Hotel often ask our help in planning their activities. The questions we are most commonly asked are “What do you like to do on your days off?” and “What would be a perfect day here in Playa?” Those are difficult questions to answer. There are so many things to do and many places to visit, and of course there is the whole Caribbean coast that runs from Cancun through Playa Del Carmen and on down to Tulum and beyond. A lot depends on the guests themselves and the type of activities they enjoy. Some folks like a day of strenuous activity while others like to be laid back and relaxed for the whole vacation. For us, the answer is a combination of taking it easy and something a little more adventurous. And of course any “perfect” day in Playa Del Carmen has to include some time experiencing the beauty of the Caribbean Sea. With the recent slow down in Playa’s tourism (see our recent blog entry A Trip to the Beach and Some Thoughts on the Swine Flu Hysteria) we decided to take some time off from the hotel and have our own Perfect Day.

The Perfect Morning
We started out by heading over to Blucacao Beach Club. Since we added free use of the Blucacao for guests of the Luna Blue earlier this year we have heard nothing but rave reviews. And it’s easy to see why. Blucacao is an upscale, beautiful and sexy beach club for the discriminating traveler. It has two pools, a chic bar and one of the better restaurants in town, not to mention a classic Caribbean beach front. Check out the photos we have of Blucacao at Blucacao, Luna Blue’s Newest Beach Club. So when we decided to start our “Perfect Day” on the beach the Blucacao was an easy choice. Once we got there we laid down on a wonderfully cushy beach bed, shaded by an umbrella only steps from the waters edge. As always the service was terrific. The waiters swarmed over us getting us drinks, snacks, towels and anything else we needed. We alternated between lying in the shade of the umbrella, admiring the incredible vista and wading into the calm water to float under the morning sun. Then, as the morning drew to a close we said goodbye to our friends at the beach club and headed back into town for the afternoon portion of our “Perfect Day.”

The Perfect Afternoon
Over a year ago our darling “semi-adopted” daughter Sarah and her husband Adam gave us a gift certificate to Playa’s premier spa, Spa Itza. We have long recommended Spa Itza to our guests for their top quality spa treatments but had never found the time to make use of our free massages. So, as part of our “Perfect Day” we called Spa Itza and scheduled some time.

The spa is located in the middle of Calle Corazon just off 5th Avenue. It is a multi-level building in the style of an open air tree house. The facility has flowering trees, small gardens, and decks. They greeted us warmly, gave us a chilled towel to cool off from the afternoon heat (ahhhhh!!!!) and took us to our third floor massage room. We each received a towel, a pareo, a key to a locker and a robe before being directed to the appropriate shower/changing area. We then went to the massage room where we each had a fifty minute massage that left us limp and content. Then it was up to the rooftop where we were shown the temescal (a traditional Mayan sweat lodge), the lounge area, a sauna and showers. The whole area is a pleasant blend of stone and wood with the open sky above and the ocean in the distance. There is even an intercom for requesting water or fruit juices if you want.

First we tried the Mayan sweat lodge. The temescal is a short (about 4 feet high) rounded structure with a wooden floor and the steam source in the center. We crawled in and sat in the near darkness with the steam swirling around us. It’s a little like a sensory deprivation chamber with heat. After a while we crawled out into the bright sunlight and cooled off under the open air stone and wood shower stall. Then we popped into the traditional dry sauna for a few minutes. By this time we could not have been more relaxed. If we had wanted we then could have relaxed in lounge chairs on the roof top deck, but we had to move along for the final part of the “Perfect Day”… a sunset cruise on the Caribbean!

The Perfect Evening
Regular readers of this blog know how much we enjoy the Catamaya sailing trips. We recommend them to our guests as one of the best tours/activites in Playa. The boat itself is beautiful, and the crew is always attentive and loads of fun. Besides, the Catamaya owners are just good people. Fabio and his wife Elvie are always willing to help out and donate to any good cause or need, like the Bomberos, the Peanut Pet Shelter and Coco’s Cat Rescue. And the way they treat their staff like family says a lot about what kind of people they are. On this particular evening they were taking the boat out with some family and friends just to enjoy a little time on the water. We were thrilled when they invited us to join them.

We all met at the dock in Puerto Aventuras at 4:00 pm. Fabio introduced us to his other guests. Then we were off. As we cleared the channel leading from the harbor to the open ocean, the sky was a lovely shade of darkening blue. The waters were calm and the breezes gentle so the sail were unfurled and we were soon skimming along the waves heading north along the coast. The regular crew was serving and working that evening and soon everyone was enjoying drinks and snacks. We chatted with Fabio and Elvie about the rewards and difficulties of operating a business in Mexico. We traded some stories of outrageous events and funny happenings, a common pastime among foreigners down here.

We eventually dropped anchor and a number of guests (us included) dove overboard to take a sunset swim in the warm water. The Fat Cat catamaran, another Playa tour company and friendly competitor of Catamaya, was anchored not far away with a full boat of guests. Suddenly somebody on the Catamaya let out a loud laugh and we all turned to look. The folks on the Fat Cat had lined up on the deck, turned their backs to us on the Catamaya, and then dropped their swim trunks and bikini bottoms. A full mooning! We all had a good laugh and some good natured cat calling went back and forth.

The crew then began dinner. The grill was filled with lobster, steak and sausage. Pasta, salads and pastries were also served. Fabio and Elvie could not have been better, or nicer, hosts. We anchored for awhile, enjoying dinner and watching a large storm pelt Playa with rain and spectacular bolts of lightning that lit up the evening sky over the jungle. Then as we unhooked from the anchorage and began to motor home we ended up in a bit of weather ourselves. The wind picked up and the waves began to roll. A downpour eventually forced us all inside the cabin and we watched as lightning crackled in the skies above us. To take advantage of the rolling of the boat the music was turned up and salsa lessons ensued, with Alberto the newest crew member donning the infamous tiger bikini for his lessons! Eventually the storm passed on and we motored back into Puerto Aventuras. Thank you Fabio and Elvie for a thoroughly delightful time!

So there you have it…our Perfect Day. It started with floating in the Caribbean and ended up sailing upon it. This is why we live here. Of course living in paradise means there are still lots of other perfect days yet to come. And if you make it down here to visit us, we can help you have one too.

Buffett Plays Playa Update:
Still no word from Jimmy. If you haven’t e-mailed Jimmy yet (or you want to send a second…or third…e-mail) go here for the whole story.

Tony at Blucacao

Cheri enjoying a mimosa at Blucacao

Cheri in Spa Itza robe

The temescal–Mayan sweat lodge– at Spa Itza

Tony relaxing in the Spa Itza garden after his massage

Cheri enjoying the outdoor shower at Spa Itza

Our massage room

Alejandro, Captain of the Catamaya

Tony on the Catamaya

Jose, the Catamaya’s bartender

The crew raising the sail

Alberto teaching the girls to fish

Cheri catching the last rays of the day’s sun

Fatcat Full Moon

Tatiana, Elvie & Fabio’s daughter, with her boyfriend Ivan

Tony & Fabio

The End of a Perfect Day

A Trip to the Beach and Some Thoughts on The Swine Flu Hysteria

Finally, A Day Off
After a couple weeks of craziness we decided to go to the beach. We had been working overtime not only running the hotel and bar, but also spending a lot of time answering e-mails and responding to internet postings to reassure as many people as possible that: no, there was no swine flu in Playa; no, the travel warnings were no longer in effect; no, they would not face quarantine at either end of their journey; and no, if they came to Playa they would not selfishly be endangering their family and friends with some sort of incurable plague. We needed some down time, and a day on the shore of the Caribbean was just what we needed.

We decided to go to one of our regular hangouts, La Playa Beach Club at Xpu-ha. We headed out early in the morning, dropped our MSD (Mexican Street Dog) Gypsy off at Dog Holiday, the local doggie daycare facility, and headed down the coast for the twenty minute drive to La Playa. When we got there we found it…empty. We don’t mean not crowded, we mean totally empty. Every bar swing, every cafe table, every lounge chair sat empty. For the length of the pristine tropical beach in either direction there was not a soul to be seen. Fishing and dive boats floated untended on anchors or pulled up onto the beach.

A Deserted Beach
It could not have been a more perfect day. The air and the sea were warm. The surface of the Caribbean was like glass. It was completely still with only the slight gentle movement of small waves. At one point a few large clouds dotted the sky, but they passed through without stopping or dropping any rain. We took our pick of the palapas, chose some beach chairs, dropped our stuff and ran in to the ocean to float our cares away. Eventually about five other people wandered in to the beach club (it probably holds 100+) so we basically had the place to ourselves for the day. Of course the guys who work there were thrilled to see us. Normally there are several waiters, bartenders, cooks etc. working the club. On this day they had two waiters and a cook. We had constant attention and received our nachos and Pina Coladas (one with, one without) in record time.

Normally finding a deserted beach is a fun time for us. We are always exploring, trying to find a little part of paradise away from the crowds where we can relax in silence and peace. But this was different. While we enjoyed the quiet, we couldn’t help but see beyond the empty beach. We knew the empty tables and chairs meant someone was without a job and some family was trying to figure out how to survive, so we thought we’d better do our part to contribute to the local economy. And we talked about why and how this happened.

The Panic: How it Started
Lets start at the beginning. When swine flu first appeared in Mexico City the World Health organization (WHO) set into motion its new pandemic point system for tracking and evaluating the new virus. Unfortunately many people, including the media, didn’t see it as the administrative/preventative tool it was, but mistakenly viewed the term “pandemic” as if it meant “plague.” At the same time the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began to release figures which seemed to show a much larger spread of the infection and resulting deaths than actually happened. The reason for this is that the CDC viewed ANY influenza, pneumonia-based illness or death as being “suspected of being swine flu related.” The perception began that Mexico was a biological hot zone of a deadly new disease. [UPDATE MAY 23, 2009: THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD BE REVAMPING ITS PANDEMIC SCALE IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE TYPE OF PANIC IN THE FUTURE THAT WAS CAUSED IN THE RECENT SWINE FLU SCARE. READ THE FULL STORY. In our opinion, this is a step in the right direction.]

This idea that Mexico was a dangerous place to visit gained favor when the CDC acting director Richard E. Bessler continually warned that “deaths should be expected.” Unfortunately Dr. Bessler didn’t say whether he expected deaths in the range of the normal human based influenza we see in North America each year (approx. 35,000 deaths in the US each year) or the range of annual gun deaths in the US (31,000 by CDC records for the last year tallied being 2005) or in the range of people killed by drunk drivers (approx 13,000 in 2007 according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving). He simply made this ominous prediction, and repeated it for the cameras on more than one occasion. He made this statement without qualification, leading the public to suppose he meant something catastrophic and previously unseen was about to happen.

Mexico Becomes Off Limits
The CDC then made things worse by warning people not to travel to Mexico. Certainly warning people to avoid areas where the infection had been identified made sense in the earliest days of the disease. However the travel ban seemed to have more to do with politics than medicine. The CDC warned against travel anywhere in Mexico, including areas where the swine flu had not been found, like the Yucatan Peninsula. Yet when swine flu became widespread throughout the United States, no travel warning or advisory was suggested for travel to areas of high flu concentration in the continental US. And when the Euopean Union suggested its citizens not travel to the America, the US governement deemed the warning “unnecessary.”

By now the media was in full panic mode. NBC’s Chief Science and Health Correspondent Robert Bazell offered a perfect example of this hysterical reporting when he appeared on MSNBC’s news program “Hardball” and said that the swine flu had “spread all through the country” (of Mexico) when in fact it was limited to Mexico City. He also said that there had been 150 deaths so far in Mexico (there had been 19 confirmed swine flu deaths according to WHO at that time). And he characterized level six of WHO’s Pandemic scale as “Forget about it…all is lost.” In fact level six simply sets out a global coordinated response to a spreading illness. It does not refer to the danger, mortality rate or effects of any particular illness.

The general public, not knowing what or who to believe, went a little crazy. Internet forums, even those frequented by seasoned travelers to Mexico, were overwhelmed with people not only expressing fear, but attacking and denigrating anyone who suggested caution. As a result, the tourism trade in all of Mexico, even in Playa Del Carmen where not a single case of Swine Flu was ever reported, plummeted overnight.

The Aftermath
Now the storm has passed. The swine flu turned out to be less dangerous than the regular human flu. Soon it spread, as flu bugs do, through the US and Europe without mass deaths or social disruption. Life went back to normal. Of course the health officials who warned that all of humanity was at danger suddenly stopped giving press conferences. Cable news shows quietly reported the lifting of travel warnings and moved on to the latest “hot button” story. The self-appointed guardians of the internet suddenly stopped posting their cries to isolate Mexico. In the end, the “Chicken Littles” faded away without apologies or acknowledgment of their part in causing the hysteria.

However, poor Mexico is now left to pick up the pieces. The government of Mexico is doing its part, offering tax breaks and small business loans. But in the short term many businesses may fail and many people have already lost their jobs. Here in Playa everyone we talk to is trying to hold on, hoping the summer season will see the return of visitors. In the meantime, some places are reducing their staffs and limiting their operating hours. But in the end, Playa is holding on, still offering a place to get away from the pressures of everyday life. We are telling everyone who will listen that our little slice of paradise hasn’t gone anywhere. The beaches, the blue sea, the funky bars and world class restaurants are still here. A little less crowded, maybe, but that’s not a bad thing for someone coming on a vacation.

As for ourselves, we are planning for a quiet summer that will allow us a chance to enjoy our “Margaritaville” lifestyle a little more than usual. We are planning to spend alot of time near, on, in and under the water. If you would like to join us, now is a great time.

By the way, in answer to the question many people are asking, no, we haven’t heard from Jimmy Buffett yet. Anybody have Kenny Chesney’s number?

And here are a few more pictures from the day:

Empty fishing boats

Papa T on the beach

Nobody in the water but Cheri

How many colors of blue can you count?

Cheri wondering where Kenny Chesney is

CLICK HERE FOR LUNA BLUE’S SUMMER SPECIAL – Pay for Three, Stay One for Free

A Letter to Jimmy Buffett

Here’s an e-mail we sent to one of our favorite Caribbean troubadors, Jimmy Buffett. If you are not familiar with Mr. Buffett’s music or books go to the store right now and buy some of his CDs. After you listen for a while you will find yourself looking at maps and planning vacations on a tropical beach!

Dear Jimmy,

We need your help. More specifically, Mexico needs your help.

As you probably know, Mexico’s economy has taken a pretty bad beating lately with the swine flu scare. Although the flu was concentrated several thousand miles away in Mexico City, the media blitz about how dangerous it was to travel to Mexico kept people away from all of Mexico including the beautiful Caribbean coast! As a result tourists are now simply too scared to visit us even though we never had a single case of flu here where we live in Playa Del Carmen.

In a way the lack of crowds has been kind of nice for us locals since we have had the beaches and bars to ourselves for a while. But it is starting to affect folk’s lives. People are getting laid off and businesses are worried about whether they can stay open until the tourists return. From hotels to bars, fishing boats, restaurants, dive shops and more…everybody is beginning to hurt.

We have been trying to think of something that would show travelers that it’s safe to come visit Mexico’s Mayan Riviera again. The solution we came up with is…YOU! We can talk ourselves blue in the face about how safe, and beautiful it is down here, but nobody will listen. However if JB says it’s ok to go then the tourists, and the parrotheads will return. We are sure of it.

So we would ask a favor of you…come to Mexico! A little week-end mini-tour of Caribe Mexico is just what is needed to let people know all is fine south of the border. You could do a show at your own Margaritaville Café in Cancun, and another in the Margaritaville on Cozumel. And since you don’t have a café in Playa Del Carmen, we would like to offer you use of our own little Luna Blue Bar for a show. It’s small, but it’s your kind of funky tropical place with palm thatched roof, swings instead of stools around the bar, and Radio Margaritaville playing on the satellite radio.

While we can’t pay your regular appearance fee, we can offer you a free room at our Luna Blue Hotel next to the bar. And we will pass the tip jar for you when you play. We’ll even throw in free drinks for you and the band.

Please think about it. You could help some people out and get some time under Mexico’s tropical sun. And of course…you do owe us. After all, it was your books and music that inspired us to run away to the tropics in the first place. As we always say when folks ask how we ended up running a hotel and bar in the Caribbean…”Blame it on Buffett.”

There are people who need help down in the Caribbean and we ask…”What would Jimmy Buffett do?”

Best regards,

Tony & Cheri Head, Owners
Luna Blue Hotel & Bar

Of course Jimmy Buffett is a big honkin’ superstar and probably won’t have the time to run down to Mexico in the middle of his summer tour. But we figured it never hurts to ask. And if you would like to encourage Mr. Buffett to consider a little trip to paradise just drop him a note at info@margaritaville.com. Tell him: “Jimmy…Mexico needs you!” and include a link to this blog. Who knows what could happen?

Playa is Open for Business…Still No Flu in Sight

The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind of activity in Playa del Carmen. Rumors have run rampant here and on the internet and have covered the gamut of possibilities. Some of the rumors had all of the businesses on Fifth Avenue being shut down, others had bars being closed, and some had the entire city–including government offices and private businesses–being shuttered for the next week. As a result we were inundated by inquiries by telephone and email asking whether it was true that Playa was now a ghost town, closed down because of the swine flu. The answer is a resounding NO. NOT NOW, NOT NEXT WEEK.

We’ve said it before and we’re going to say it one more time: THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTED CASES OF SWINE FLU IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN, THE STATE OF QUINTANA ROO, OR EVEN THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. While the government is taking rational and reasonable steps to prevent any outbreak of H1N1 (swine) flu, life continues to go on in this beautiful Caribbean town as it does every spring. There are tourists in the streets, the restaurants and bars are open, and the beaches are full of vacationers.

Once again, we want to make the point that we understand people’s concerns during this medical situation. We’re sympathetic when people say they don’t want to travel to any place in Mexico because of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico City. Our response is pretty simple: are you traveling in the United States? There are now more reported swine flu cases in the US over a greater geographical area than there are in Mexico. Yet the Centers for Disease Control still advises avoiding nonessential travel to any part of Mexico, even those where the outbreak has never touched. Yet they offer no advisories against travel between states where there are swine flu cases confirmed. We think the reason for this has more to do with politics than health concerns. But regardless, we still stand by what the World Health Organization is saying: that travel restrictions will not affect the spread of this disease. So we are telling anyone who asks that Playa is indeed open for business, free of any sign of the swine flu and that people should ignore the rumors.

To make the point that it is business as usual in Playa, we contacted government officials, ecoparks, local restaurants, beach clubs and stores to confirm what was open and what was not. Here’s what we found:

ECOPARKS – Xcaret and Xel-Ha are open, despite rumors to the contrary.

SUPERMARKETS – Walmart, Mega, Sam’s, Chedraui, San Francisco, etc. are all open.

RESTAURANTS – Walking 5th Avenue we’ve seen no restaurants closed. The same is true for the rest of Playa. All of our favorites are open, including Babe’s, Antica, El Fogon, HC de Monterrey and La Pesca. We didn’t see a single restaurant closed.

BANKS – All of them are open. They will close tomorrow for the national holiday of Labor Day but will be open again on Saturday and/or Monday, depending on the specific bank’s normal banking days.

BARS – All bars are open, including the world famous Luna Blue Bar. And don’t forget, if you are going to be in Playa del Carmen on May 5, we’re having the biggest, the best and probably the only CINCO DE MAYO PARTY in town. Live music, Tony’s cheeseburgers, girls in bikinis and Lenny the Wonder Dog. Please stop by and say hello.

BEACH CLUBS – In North Beach we went down to check and saw that Mamita’s, Kool and Blucacao were all open and operating with normal capacity crowds. We checked with our friend Jez who runs Zenzi Beach Club in central Playa and he tells us they were full and the rest of the beach was open with normal business.

NIGHT CLUBS – The clubs that have been closed temporarily are those with the capacity of over 1,000. This includes Dubai, Coco Bongo and Mambo Cafe. Santanera’s indoor facility has been temporarily closed, but its beautiful outdoor terrace is open for business. Other clubs are open for business as usual.

TOURS – All of our tour operators are open and operating. We have heard of no closures.

Government offices will be closed tomorrow for the national holiday. Schools will remain closed through next Wednesday. The archaeological zones (Tulum, Cobá and Chichen Itza, etc.) will be closed until further notice.

The point of all of this is to reassure people that if they are coming to Playa del Carmen, they will find the resort facilities and businesses open and welcoming. And you won’t be alone if you do come. While we certainly have had some cancellations, we have also had a lot of reservations. A number of guests with existing reservations have emailed us to tell us of their intention to keep them. And, regarding the CDC’s suggestion that non-essential travel to Mexico be avoided, one person emailed us with the comment that his upcoming vacation was “essential” to his sanity.

Of course, we are hearing from people that they are afraid to come based upon the continuing reports in the news media. We’re puzzled by the fact that Mexico alone is singled out as a place to avoid, rather than New York, California, Canada, and numerous other cities, states and countries where this flu has surfaced. It appears that once more, poor Mexico is being used as the whipping boy by other countries and cultures. We’re going to blog about that more in the future. All we can say is that if you are refusing to travel to Mexico because of swine flu, you should be refusing to travel anywhere, because the virus exists all around the world at this point. The good news is that it still does not appear to have a high fatality rate or be a particularly destructive virus. To read more about the swine flu, we suggest this Los Angeles Times article: Scientists See this Flu Strain as Relatively Mild.

We will be blogging more about Playa and the effects that this unfair travel ban has had on it over the next couple of days. Right now we’re just going to offer some pictures of our adopted home to show you what it looks like as of today. Before we do that, one personal note: We’ve removed a certain individual’s comments from our blog twice now. We did so because we thought the comments were exactly the type of irresponsible statements about swine flu that we’ve been reading all over the internet and seeing all over the television and have been trying to counter balance. There are plenty of public forums on the internet where anyone with this individual’s views can set forth whatever claims he or she wants, regardless of their veracity. But this is our blog, and it is not available for abuse by others. We intend to keep it a place for rational and factual information during this circumstance. We hope our regular readers understand and approve.

Now, here are some photos to illustrate that Playa is open for business and being enjoyed by locals and tourists alike:

The parking lot at the supposedly empty and closed Playa del Carmen Walmart

Looking inside the Playa del Carmen Walmart

The checkout stand at Walmart. Yes, it was crowded enough we had to wait.

Fifth Avenue showing tourists moving from shop to shop and restaurant to restaurant

Another view of tourists on Fifth Avenue

Playa Norte in front of the Kool and Mamita’s beach clubs

Another view of Playa Norte

More Playa Norte

Finally, for you guys out there who cancelled your vacation that was supposed to start in Playa del Carmen today, here’s a little taste of what you missed:

By the way, while we were writing this, we heard Keith Olbermann on MSNBC’s Countdown interview Dr. Roy Gulick, Chief of Infectious Diseases at New York Presbyterian Hospital, who said that at this point the swine flu seems to be no more dangerous than the standard influenza that we see each year. Is it time to start talking about overreaction???

For a link to other other blog entry on this topic, click here.

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Playa del Carmen, Is it Safe?? Part II…the Swine Flu

We thought it time we said something about the swine flu in Mexico. First let’s deal with the current situation in Playa del Carmen as we know it.

As of this morning there have been no reported cases of swine flu in Playa del Carmen or in the larger area of Quintana Roo, the state in which Playa del Carmen, Cancun and Tulum reside. In fact, to our knowledge, there have been no reported cases of swine flu in the entire Yucatan peninsula, comprising the eastern portion of the country of Mexico. This somewhat contradicts the statement of a so-called medical expert on MSNBC TV last night who proclaimed with wild eyes that the virus had “spread through the entire country of Mexico.”

Playa del Carmen itself is calm, except for the kids who seem to be everywhere today. Mexico in its wisdom has closed all of the schools nationwide until next Wednesday. As a result, the kids have a holiday and are making the best use of it. Kinda like snow days we remember from our own childhood.

There are no other closings or restrictions to our knowledge. Stores and restaurants, clubs and tours, business offices and governmental buildings are all open for business. We haven’t seen anyone wearing a mask. There is no sense of hysteria or even anxiety about this. The main concern is how the economy will react to the sudden drop in tourism, since so many people earn their living from that industry.

We were disappointed to see the travel advisory put out by the Centers for Disease Control suggesting that non-essential travel to Mexico be curtailed. We appreciate the CDC and Homeland Security are doing their jobs, and we applaud them for it. However, the travel restriction seems to have more political foundation than health concern. There is an advisory against traveling anywhere in Mexico, not just the areas which have reported cases of swine flu, which is primarily Mexico City. While the US government is advising individuals not to travel to Mexico, there are no advisories against travel witihin the US, despite the fact that there are a number of swine flu cases there over a broader geographical area. And of course, when India, China and the European Union advises its citizens not to travel to the US, our government responds” ‘that’s not necessary.’ As we say, there is a lot of political emphasis here as the different countries weigh in on this issue.

Above the fray of nationalized attitudes, the World Health Organization has taken a different tact. The World Health Organization says that restriction on travel will have absolutely no affect whatsoever in controlling or eliminating this disease. According to the most recent WHO travel updates on swine flu, “WHO does not recommend to restrict international travel. As usual it is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention.”

Concern in this situation is legitimate and a natural response, but hysteria is not, and hysteria seems to be building, primarily through an overabundance of sensationalized news coverage. There is a difference between reporting the facts and creating a sense of overwhelming danger and impending doom. The other night FOX News led its evening broadcast with a split screen showing Mexico City on one side and the disaster movie Outbreak on the other!

But FOX is not alone in its overhype of this situation as a medical disaster. And that’s not just our opinion. “Of course we’re doing too much to scare people,” said Mark Feldstein, a former correspondent for NBC, ABC and CNN who teaches journalism at George Washington University. “Cable news has 24 hours to fill, and there isn’t 24 hours of exciting news going on. If you scare people, they’ll tune in more.” This quote comes from an excellent article by Howard Kurtz in today’s Washington Post. You can find it here.

Another good article can be found on MSNBC.com from David Whelan of Forbes.com. Mr. Whelan makes the point: “Hysteria and exotic-sounding disease outbreaks go hand in hand. Whether it’s anthrax, mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth disease, bird flu or, going back to the 1990s, ebola—news of an outbreak generates fear that’s disproportionate to the risk of catching the disease. In each of these cases deaths, if they occurred at all, were minimal.” He also goes on to say, “…in every year this decade—between 30,000 and 50,000 American deaths were recorded from complications related to the seasonal flu. Another 40,000 people died in automobile accidents. And each year, gunshot wounds account for 30,000 deaths, around 4,000 people drown while swimming or boating and 60 people die from lightning strikes.”

This is not to say that people should not be concerned. They should. This is a health issue they should pay attention to. But at this point in time, we have a virus that has been reported in only 65 people in the US (according to the CDC official report) . There have been no fatalities and only one hospitalization, and all seem to be on the road to recovery. There have been deaths in Mexico City, but only 20 have been conclusively linked to swine flu at this time. In a city of 22 million.

So we are suggesting some perspective and some calm. If you’re worried and don’t wish to travel at this time, that is obviously your choice. If you are canceling an existing reservation with a hotel, an airline or a travel agent, you should contact them immediately to see what your options are. Truthfully, most will tell you that you have no options and will forfeit your deposit. The reason for that is simple. They have no more control over medical circumstances and governmental advisories than you do. Trust us, your cancellation will cost them much more money than your forfeited deposit will cost you. They will still have to pay their employees, pay their overhead expenses and try and continue their business. We know this from personal experience. However, it never hurts to ask, and some businesses in the travel industry are creating some alternative plans for people who are wishing to change or delay their travel. Of course, this is another reason we always recommend people purchase travel insurance.

At our own Luna Blue Hotel, we have had some cancellations, some delays, and a number of new reservations for the upcoming weeks. We are certainly not in a position to tell people they should or should not travel during this time. But we are informing people that in our opinion travel to Playa del Carmen is safe, and we continue to accept and honor reservations. We’re trying to be understanding of our guests’ situations at this time, and so we have modified our cancellation policy to allow guests to change their reservations if they want to come later in the summer.

If you’re planning a trip to Playa del Carmen now or in the near future, we hope this has been of some help. Despite all the hype and fear, the Caribbean Sea is still a beautiful blue, and the skies are sunny. And if you are going to be in town the 5th of May, don’t miss our blowout Cinco de Mayo party at the Luna Blue Bar.

For more recent information on this topic, Playa is Open for Business…Still No Flu in Sight.

CLICK HERE FOR LUNA BLUE’S SUMMER SPECIAL – Pay for Three, Stay One for Free