But I digress. Back to Puerto Morelos. These are just some miscellaneous shots I took around the town. When I was deciding where to go in Mexico, I asked a friend who's an avid Mexico traveler what he thought of PM. He said he thought it was a "dumpy little town." Unless it's been a long time since he's been there, or maybe he went to the PM across Highway 307 where most of the natives live...but I would definitely not say that PM is "dumpy." On a side note, I'm sorry I didn't get to the other side of PM...I would want to do that if/when I go there again.
This is the start of the very short malecon they have next to the water. The only boats you see on the beach or at the piers are very small fishing and snorkeling boats. They are extremely protective of the waters here because of the coral reefs. They don't let any large boats inside this area.
And this is where the malecon ends...about a block away from where it starts.
The zocalao in the middle of town with the nice playground...
In the middle...
From the zocalo looking to the sea...
The Alma Libre Bookstore is a well-known landmark here. Unfortunately, I never happened to be on the square when it was open...
This place looked nice, but I never made it there, either...
Another street on the zocalo. The restaurant on the far left end where the red car is parked is where I had...
...these vegetarian enchiladas. Very, very good. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but I would definitely recommend it. A very small place with only about six tables.
I stopped here one night and had...
...lettuce wraps because I wasn't that hungry and wanted something different. These were really good, too. It was a pork filling and was very flavorful.
It took me three days to find a placed that served Huevos Motulenos. I know, I know...I'm anal about Huevos Motulenos...what can I say?
They were absolutely excellent...probably the best I've ever had.
And a shrimp cocktail at one of the places that sit right off the beach. It didn't have little bits of cilantro and onions like I like, but the sauce tasted great nonetheless.
This lovely lady was cooking chickens as I walked by one morning. Boy, did they smell great!
Here is the artisan's market about a block or south south of the zocalo...
Even though I said I wasn't going to compare PM with Isla, there was one big difference. There are only a couple of restaurants/bars that furnish umbrellas and/or chairs on the beach who will bring drinks down to tourists. You're pretty much on your own when you go to the beach. Everyone brings their own chairs and umbrellas and food/drinks. There's no schlepping of big fancy drinks up and down this beach! Also, there are no natives selling their wares up and down the beach...not one! (Well, at least during my trip.) Here's one of the restaurants that does furnish umbrellas...
And here's a view of the beach from that restaurant. By the way, see those white-caps way off the shoreline in the distance? That's where the coral reefs are and some of them are very close to the surface, so that's why there are waves way out there.
Other differences: There are only a couple places that have tables on the sand. Most restaurants have open patio areas, but nothing like Picus where you feel like you're almost sitting in the water. Also, there are almost no trees on the beach where you can sit under. The few trees they do have are too small for shade and are pretty far back on the beach.Wasn't it nice of these guys to line up so evenly for this shot?
They were working on this crazy place which is RIGHT next door to where I was staying. They would be hammering up a storm at 7:00 in the morning. I don't know what it was before, but the hotel manager said it's going to be a restaurant. I thought it was really neat and wish I could have seen them finish it.
Crazy windows...
And look at this stairway going up the outside of the building. I'm hoping they don't eventually serve drinks up there, because they might have a few accidents with people trying to maneuver that stairway on the way down! Anyway, I think it would be worth another trip there just to find out how this place looks when it's finished.
There aren't a whole lot of places that look like this on the shore side of PM. I took a walk on the south side of the zocalo where there were some smaller homes.
A fixer-upper...
Local eatery...
A "small load" laundry day...
I thought this place was cute...
An interesting hotel for sale...
A cutie in one of the shops...
These guys roam around the town entertaining everyone...
Gulls on boat study...
I wish I could have been there for the bazaar they were having on the Saturday I left. Apparently, it's a yearly thing.
This planter was sitting in my hotel lobby. I swore the flowers were fake, but when I was standing next to it one day, I saw that it was a real plant. Wow...beautiful!
This is something I only saw once on this trip...the Mayan ladies with their embroidered dresses.
I still want to do a post on the north side of PM...as well as the Little Mexican Cooking School class I took last Tuesday, so stay tuned. So, I'll end with this shot of a wall that is across the street from my hotel.
Happy daylight savings time, everyone!
2 comments:
Fantastic photos Deb! I often wonder if we'll see any women on Isla wearing the traditional dresses in another 10 years. Puerto Morelos looks interesting. I'd love to try the snorkeling there. Is the owner of that bookstore the woman who wrote Where the Sky is Born? I seem to remember she owned a bookstore in Puerto Morelos.
Thanks, Beck. I know what you mean...it seems like you see the Mayan women less and less when you go to Mexico. I think they're more prevalent inside the Yucatan. I know I saw many more when I visited Valladolid. I think the coastal towns are losing the Mayan customs. I'm not sure about the woman who owns the bookstore. I wish I would have been by there when it was open.
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