Sylvie's Travels Home

December 24 2022 to Jan 2 2023

We arrived at our condo in Playa del Carmen and it didn’t disappoint. It’s probably the most beautiful condo we have rented so far and we love the one in Nuevo Vallarta. Unfortunately we had only 2 bedrooms and no pullout couch so Michel and Edward decided to rent a room at a nearby hotel for their last 2 nights. The kids had found an abandoned gentlemen club so we went to visit and took pictures.

Derrick and Deidre arrived around 4pm and the rest of the Senior gang around 11pm after being delayed by a snowstorm. Each family had their own condo at the same small complex right on the ocean.

On Christmas morning, it was raining and so depressing. I started crying but was grateful to have all my peeps around. We did a funny yankee swap during the afternoon and had a 3 1/2 hrs dinner at Axiote Cocina, one of the best restaurant in Playa. Max had arranged it for all of us. The food and drinks kept on coming and everything was delicious.

The next day we said our tearful goodbyes to Shaun, Michel and Edward who wear flying home.

We had lots of rain and wind at the beginning of the week. Pogo, Max and I relaxed and didn’t do much besides having massages on our rooftop and doing Essentrics with Sherry, our personal instructor. The rest of the family went to Xenses, visited a cenote and went snorkeling. We had a lot of wind back home too and our outdoor furniture went flying off the back porch.

We ate at a lot of local Mexican restaurants for dinner and breakfast, all suggestions of Max and Hernan.

Hernan made us all a New Year’s Eve feast of Salmon in mole, pork with a mango salsa, lots of veggies and roasted potatoes and a great salad. He had bought a huge bottle of bubbly that we opened and drank at midnight watching the fireworks from our rooftop.

We went to visit the neighborhood where Max usually stays in Playa and we also visited one of the bar that Hernan owns on the rooftop of a condo complex. The four of us went to dinner at a local tiki bar which was fun!

Everyone left on January 2nd except for Derrick and Deidre who were staying another 6 days. They spent 3 nights in Holbox and 3 nights in El Cuyo.

We packed and cleaned the condo and drove to Cancun with Max and Hernan who dropped us off at the airport’s Alamo where Pogo had rented a Nissan for us. We had another tearful farewell. We started our drive to Valladolid.

Natalie hadn’t been feeling good for a few days and tested positive for Covid on her return to the States. When we arrived in Valladolid, Pogo and I tested and I was unfortunately positive. We found out that Derrick was really sick. He didn’t have any tests but it was obviously Covid. Everyone else dodged a bullet and tested negative.

Meanwhile, just before we left for Mexico, I found out that my aunt Lise had cancer. I have been calling her regularly and Michel and I facetimed her a few times. I feel really sad not to be around to spend time with her.

Overall, it was a fun week but Playa del Carmen, especially the location we were at, was way too busy and loud for my liking.