More Chocolate in Playa!!

This evening while out strolling we discovered to our delight that Ah Cacao Chocolate Café has opened a second store not far from the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden!

Mexico has long been known for its chocolate. The ancient Mayans used it as money and a religious sacrament. Today the wonderful tradition of Mayan and Mexican chocolate continues in many forms: dessert, drinks, pastries and candy.

Our favorite place to buy chocolate in Playa del Carmen is the Ah Cacao Chocolate Café. We originally discovered Ah Cacao through its brownies. Just one and we were hooked. They have become a staple for us as a personal treat or as an after-dinner dessert when we have friends or visitors. We also have gotten hooked on one of their many chocolate drinks, the Chocolate Maya. Imagine a small cup of chocolate milk as thick as a milkshake, but served hot. It is not sweet milk chocolate but dark, spicy, almond flavored chocolate. We’ve never had anything like it anywhere else. A little goes a long way.

In addition to these specialities, Ah Cacao serves a wide range of desserts and sweets including candies, cheesecake, ice cream and cooking chocolates. You can also find gourmet gourmet coffee drinks, ground coffee, cooking utensils, cookbooks and other sundries.

The new Ah Cacao is located on Calle 30 at the corner of Fifth Avenue and has been open for only three days. The new store is a little smaller than the original, but it has the same great chocolate confections and treats….and one improvement over the original: ice cold air conditioning so you can sit inside and enjoy your desserts.

Of course the original is still operating at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Constituyentes. Between the two of them you’ll never have to go very long or far to get your chocolate fix for the day. Both stores are open 7 days a week from 7:30 am to midnight. Enjoy…we sure will!

Want Something Different? Dog Washing Day!

Guests at our hotel, the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden, are always asking for advice on something different…a new restaurant, a unique tour or some activity only the locals know about. Lately we have been telling people about something we think is fun, special and very different: Dog Washing Day at the Peanut Pet Shelter.

First a little background. A couple of years ago, Andy and Jen left their home in the United Kingdom to move to the paradise of Playa Del Carmen. Once they got here, they began to notice the large number of abandoned and stray dogs that wander the streets. Some are born here and others are left behind when their owners move on or go back home. Unfortunately, the local government doesn’t have the resources or facilities to do much about it. Dogs which are captured or turned into the animal control are quickly put down.

Being the animal lovers they are, Andy and Jen decided to do something about the situation…something very different for this part of the world. They opened an animal shelter to house abandoned dogs. Well, actually, they opened their home! They began to collect street dogs, care for them, feed them, get them medical attention and try to adopt them out to local families who wanted a pet. They did all of this on their own time, often with their own money supported by the contributions of locals and visitors.

They currently are housing and caring for about 50 dogs, many of them very young or small puppies. That’s a lot of work. One of the biggest chores is giving the dogs their weekly bath. No, the very active puppies don’t stay clean for long, but they do get washed down, and more importantly, they get used to the feel of human touch. They become accustomed to playing with and seeing people which turns them from street dogs into potential pets.

For some time now, local expats have gathered at Andy and Jen’s home/shelter on Saturday afternoons (1:00pm to 3:30 pm) to help with the washing. Hoses, buckets and towels litter the yard as playful pups are grabbed and scrubbed. Lately, the local crowd has been joined by more and more visitors. Guests from the Luna Blue Hotel are now starting to ask about washing day and how they can help. Last week we had a sweet young couple spend the final day of their honeymoon joining in the fun. They are returning later this year and plan on taking a puppy home! And recently, a mother and daughter visiting us from the states (ages 82 and 58 respectively) spent two Saturdays of their trip at the Pet Shelter and said it was the highlight of their vacation.

So, if you are going to be visiting us here in Playa in the near future, and you are a dog lover, think about spending some time at the Peanut Pet Shelter. You will see some adorable dogs and puppies. And yes they are all up for adoption, and yes they can be taken back to the US and Canada without quarantine. Mexican street dogs (or MSD’s, as we jokingly refer to them) are loyal, hardy and loving—we know because we own one (read Gypsy’s story here). And while you might think street dogs would be fearful or anti-social, it’s just the opposite. These dogs are starved for love and are grateful and loving in response to any attention they get. You will also get to hang out with folks who live here and will be glad to tell you about life in Mexico, as well as some of their favorite places to eat, go, drink etc. If you do stop by to help, make sure to wear old clothing and nothing white. You’ll end up dirty and smelling like a lot of puppies. This is a chance to see part of Playa Del Carmen you won’t find in the guidebooks.

And while you are visiting you will notice the construction on the lot next door. With the help of generous donations from around the world, Andy and Jen are now building an actual kennel/shelter for the dogs.

If you want to wash a puppy or two when you come down on holiday just contact Andy & Jen via their website, www.playadelcarmenpets.com or contact us at the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden. It will be a vacation memory like no other.

Here are some more pictures from a recent Wash Day at the Peanut Pet Shelter in Playa del Carmen:

Gypsy, our own Mexican Street Dog. She was ALMOST a resident of the pet shelter!

Jimmy Buffett Concert at the Luna Blue Bar

Ha! Made you look!

We’ve always been big Jimmy Buffett fans. His music, books and concerts were a huge inspiration to us when we decided to run away to the tropics and buy the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. And when we decided to build our own tropical bar, images of “Margaritaville” (the dream, not the restaurants) danced in our heads. We tried to build a bar that was our idea of what a little bar in paradise should be. So we built a palm thatched roof over a bar surrounded by swings, not stools. We placed it on a deck overlooking a garden filled with tropical flowers, hammocks and a waterfall.

Okay, perfect, we thought. But what about tunes?? We spent a lot of time loading our ipod and searching itunes and came up with some good ideas. But then we realized the answer was right in front of us: the perfect soundtrack to living in Margaritaville is Radio Margaritaville. Yes, it has lots of Buffett, which we like. But it also plays other great musicians associated with living or vacationing in “someplace hot.” The Neville Brothers, Bob Marley, Steven Marley, lots of other Marleys, Kenny Chesney, Marcia Ball, Willie Nelson can all be heard there. The sounds run from pop to soul to reggae to blues–just about anything you’d want to hear while laying on a beach with a cold one in your hand. And we’ve had a soft spot in our hearts for Radio Margaritaville ever since last fall when they broadcast our plea to help the victims of Hurricane Dean in Mahahual, Mexico.

So we bought a Sirius satellite radio, climbed precariously to the top of the highest part of the hotel to install the antenna, hung the speakers from the rafters and threw the switch. It started a party that has continued ever since.

Last week, while standing in the front row at the edge of the stage for Jimmy Buffett’s performance at Jazz Fest in New Orleans (yes, a trip report will be coming soon), we came up with a fun idea for the bar. Since all of Jimmy’s concerts are broadcast live on Radio Margaritaville, we thought we would bring the party to Playa del Carmen by way of satellite. So…..during every Buffett concert this summer, our legendary bartender Jose will be pouring 2 for 1 margaritas to the accompaniment of Jimmy’s live concert!

All of Jimmy’s concerts are Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays. The Luna Blue Jimmy Buffett Concert Hours start as listed below, Central Time (aka Playa del Carmen time).

June 5, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Lakewood Ampitheatre, Atlanta GA)
June 7, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC)
June 10, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from DTE Energy Music Center – Clarkston, MI)
June 12, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Madision Square Garden – New York, NY)
June 14, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Citizens Bank Park – Philadelphia, PA)
July 17, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH)
July 19, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Alpine Valley Music Theatre – East Troy, WI)
July 22, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Post-Gazette Pavilion – Pittsburgh PA)
July 24, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL)
July 26, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Toyota Park – Bridgeview, IL)
July 29, 2008 – 7:00 pm (from Verizon Wireless Music Center – Noblesville, IN )
August 24, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ)
August 27, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY)
August 30, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Nissan Pavilion – Bristow, VA )
September 1, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Nissan Pavilion – Bristow, VA )
September 4, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts – Mansfield, MA )
September 6, 2008 – 8:00 pm (from Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts – Mansfield, MA )
October 16, 2008 – 10:00 pm (from Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA)
October 18, 2008 – 10:00 pm (from MGM Grand – Las Vegas, NV)
October 21, 2008 – 10:00 pm (from Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA)
October 25, 2008 – 10:00 pm (from MGM Grand – Las Vegas, NV)

If you’re a Parrothead, or want to be a Parrothead, or don’t even know or care what a Parrothead is, stop by the Luna Blue Bar this summer for The Luna Blue Jimmy Buffett Concert Hour. Grass skirts and coconut bras are optional.

We got your lost shaker of salt right here, Bubba.

People Who Can Stay for Free

The other day while digging through paperwork trying to catch up on our Mexican and US taxes, Cheri found a little notebook containing a list of names. At the top of the list was written, “People Who Can Stay For Free.” The list is dated October 24, 2004.

We remember that night like it was yesterday. We were several months into negotiations for the Hotel Zanzibar, the little hotel in Playa del Carmen that we would eventually buy and later rename the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden. And, unbeknownst to us at the time, we were four months away from signing the final docs. We were at the the dreaming, planning and imagining stage. What would a move to Mexico mean to us? How would it change our lives? Would we like living in Mexico? Would the deal really go through?

We were having dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in San Francisco, sharing a bottle of red wine, and one of us said, “We should have a list of people who can stay for free.” “That’s a great idea!” the other replied. We were just tipsy enough to take the idea and run with it. We went back and forth with a bit of “Who is that??” and some “You want who?!” and a couple “Well, if you picked him/her, then I want ____!” After a lot of laughter and wine, here’s the list we came up with. This list is people who, if they ever were so inclined to visit us in Playa del Carmen, would not pay a dime at our little Mexican hotel, the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden. They are listed in the order we came up with that night. A few were added today, three and a half years later, because…well…because we are different people today than we were then. The list is filled with people one or both of us respect, admire, lust after or would just really like to meet. Here it is.

BTW, every name is a link, just in case you’re curious about someone. We have a personal bet on whose name will be clicked the most often.

PEOPLE WHO CAN STAY FOR FREE AT THE LUNA BLUE HOTEL & GARDEN

Muhammed Ali Bill Clinton Aaron Neville Cyril Neville Art Neville Charles Neville Ivan Neville Daniel Day Lewis Salma Hayek Denzel Washington Pat Conroy Robert B. Parker Jimmy Buffett Jimmy Carter Keith Olbermann Isabelle Adjani Michael Moore Hillary Clinton Christopher Moore Gene Hackman Vicente Fox Susan Sarandon Tim Robbins J.D. Salinger Bob Dylan Gordie Howe Anthony Bourdain Bonnie Raitt Gary Snyder John Cusack	Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberg III Royce Gracie Oscar de la Hoya Robert Stone Chip Davis William Shatner Michael McCloud Frank Frazetta Aretha Franklin Hank Williams, Jr. Seymour Hersh Brooke Burke Al Gore Robert Byrd Mark Burnett Jeff Probst George Clooney Jenna Jameson Fidel Castro Richard Cohen Doris Kearns Goodwin The Dalai Lama The guys from Miami Ink The girls from LA Ink Big & Rich The Dixie Chicks Stevie Wonder Anne Lamott Barack Obama Rachel Maddow

So….if you find your name on this list and are in the mood for a quick trip to paradise, give us a call. The room’s on us, and we might even throw in margarita or two.

Who would YOU put on this list??