Welcome 2011

And another year begins

It's Almost Here

Have a good time tonight, if you're going out don't start the year with a DUI. If your staying in celebrate your butt off, but don't wake the neighbors.

New Years is coming

It's only a few days away, be sure you have plenty of aspirin,pepto and alka seltzer for the day after the night before.

There's nothing worse than trying to watch football with a halftime show in your head.

Check out my blogs

I am still getting things set up, but sooner or later you will know when and where we are off too.

We made it

We are home after many hours on the plane and in Dallas.

Pics are posted "www.picasaweb.google.com/2bratt/mauidec2010"

A few weeks rest and we are off again, stay tuned for the next adventure.

-- Posted Via My iPhone --

It's Over

Well, its all over but the plane ride.

We are at the airport, reluctantly, awaiting our overnight to DFW then CLE.

At least it shouldn't seem to bad, since it's. overnight we should be able to sleep.

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Almost Over

This is our last full day in paradise, we check out in the morning and start the overnight flight home in the late afternoon.

I uploaded a few more pics and will tey and get the rest posted next week, then I can work on cleaning them up.

In the meantime
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Dive the Reef

Went diving today, after a false start, they had forgot that they scheduled a dive at 8am, so we ended up going at 11.

Saw hugh amounts of various coral. lots of fish, eels, a grown sea turtle about 3 ft in diameter and an Orange Frogfish which is very hard to spot cause they look just like a piece of coral. Walked right in from the beach here at the Marriott.

Sorry no pics, I forgot to being my uw camera.


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Lueau Night

Tonight is Lueau Night for the birthday girl, I will try to get some pics with the phone so they can be posted before we get home


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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Who would have thought

They must have really had one because I saw a YELLOW SUBMARINE today




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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Definately not McDonalds

Went to a local burger place that was recommended and we got a bit more than we expected.



It's a good thing we only ordered a single order of fries, they came out in a hugh basket

WE PASSED ON DESERT




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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Not Again Today

Someone tell me I don't have to sit here in the sun and look at this all day again




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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Road to Hana

Took a ride yesterday on the road to Hana, road to Hell as Marti calls it, beautiful scenery but it did Martha in. She says it has more turns and hills than are allowed by nature.

She said she needed ice crean for her stomach, some folks will use any excuse.


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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Just uploaded a few pics to

www.picasaweb.google.com/2bratt/mauidec2010

will add a few each day

A Sunny Day in Paradise

Arrived last evening, to wake up to a wonderful site




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Location:Nohea Kai Dr,Lahaina,United States

Bonsai Exhibit

Spending the afternoon at the bonsai exhibit in the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, part of the Irish Festival in Cuyahoga Falls right downtown












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Location:Ohio 8,Cuyahoga Falls,United States

Back to the snow and cold

This is it, I am now setting at gate C20 at the Cancun Airport waiting to see if my flight home will be on time.

I would think that Ohio has had enough snow and would want everyone to come home on time.

Oh well, worst casemy bathing suit is in my carry-on.

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Location:Mexico

Good noodles and drinks

After walking up and down a couple of streets looking for this place that serves large margaritas to no avail, we found it a couple of days later.

So Jodi, you better remember this for next year.

The food is even good, and inexpensive.

-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Enjoy your snowstorm

This is for my brother- in- law John. No chance of snow here, the white buildings on the horizon are on Cozumel, 12 miles away.







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Location:Constituyentes,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

5th Avenue

It was rainy this morning, so during one of the slow times we went out for breakfast.

It surprised us to see so many people out shopping at 9:30 in the morning. I guess since they couldn't be on the beach they were on the streets supporting the local economy.

-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:1 Av. Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Wickys

Wickys is the restraunt that is co-located, but not associated with the El Faro.



They have decent breakfasts with an assortment of both americam and mexican dishes at reasonable prices.

All meals B,L and dinner can be served either on the patio beside the beach or inside. Who wants to eat inside? Dinner can be a little pricey, starting at about $30 US.

Wickys also has the reasonability for taking care of and providing food and beverage service to the beach in front of the El Faro. YOU BURN THEY SERVE THE LIQUID PAIN KILLER.


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:8 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Breakfast in the Garden

Some friends suggested a new place to try for breakfast, so this morning we were off.

GARDEN OF EATING, is a cute little place set outside under the trees in a tropical setting. There is a small shelter, that looks like it is used in the evenings or when they get real busy.

They have a nice varied menu, breakfast can be typical european or mexican. The food was good, service was fast and the prices lower than normal.

Best of all it is quiet, and off the main tourist streets, everyone there was folks that had been to Playa before.


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:1 Av. Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Road Trip

We have friends from Michigan visiting now, and since it is their first time we did the road trip thing to Tulum.



Tulum was built between 600-900 AD and is has a beautiful setting on the cliffs above the ocean. While not a large a site as Chichen-itza it is much more dramatic in the location, it is the place we would recommend for anyone visiting a ruins for the first time











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A Fish Feast

Yesterday morning some of our friends here went fishing and by the time they returned around 11, they had caught 10 Coronado's, you can tell by the pictures these are little bitty things only weighing about 45 pounds each.






Needless to say we had a fish feast in one of the condo's last night. One of our mexican friends came by after he got off work with his special marinade and prepared it on the grill for us.


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

50 % Rain today

They forcast 50% chancecof rain today, so it rained before 7am and is is now after 4 and we have had another short shower. It works for me, and doesn't cut into the beach time.

While we were having dinner last night a parade formed up and we were treated to the local version of a carnival celebration.
The night before we saw the opening ceremonies at the city park. You should see those latinas shake it up when dancing.


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

A beautiful clear day

The one hour of rain came and went yesterday, today is beautiful, clear sunny and back in the mid 80's.

The view below is from our balcony overlooking the pool. On the horizon, those white spots are the resorts on Cozumel, about 17 miles away. According to Martha, you take the fairy from hell to get there because it is choppy almost all the time.




There is a wedding on the beach tonight, but unless they light it up good I won't be taking any pictures

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

A walk up 5th Avenue

For all you shoppers, this is pretty close to nirvana. You can spend hours on 5th Avenue walking from 2nd St south to 34th north and find nearly anything you could every want, whether you need it or not.



If you have trouble with foreign currancies or doing the conversions, no problems, almost all of the stores take greenbacks. You serious shoppers may have a bit of a turn off, only the more upscale shops will take credit cards.

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Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

A rainy day

It rained on us today, but at least it was typical, sunny morning, 45 minutes of rain @ 2 pm then the sun was out again.

Now they are getting ready for a wedding reception by the pool.



-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

How about a walk

Want to go for a walk ? You better grease up good or they will be trying to serve you up with butter by the time you get back. Lots of sand and more than enough sun.






-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:10 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Care for a walk

Woke up at 6 this morning and there was already folks on the beach, it's now 9:40 and the normal people are coming out




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Moving Day

Today was the day forchanging resorts. We are now at the El Faro in Playa del Carmen located right on the beach downtown.




I don't think we will have any trouble finding the beach, if I manage to keep my eyes from getting sunburned watching the sights.





-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Divings Done

Well, unless I get bored, the diving is done for this trip.



It is now time for me to become Mr Personable again before the snowbirds from Cleveland and Detroit start showing up.

To bad they will barely be here long enough to get a start on a tan.

There is one though who says. I don't burn, I just tan.. That was right before she was mistaken for a lobster fresh from the pot.


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:Mexico

Still waiting for the rain

This is the third day in a row they have forcast rain, and itvis forcast for three more.



If this is what the rain is like, I hope it continues to pour

-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:Mexico

No Rain Today

Believe it or not, it was supposed to rain today.




I guess no matter where you live, the weather men all go to the same school.

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A rough day at sea

Went diving yesterday, to start my qualifing for an ADVANCED OPEN WATER scuba certification. Man was it choppy, I managed feed the fish three times.

The good news is, once we were under everything was fine. We saw lots of different colorful fish, a barracuda, a lobster and a small group of squid.

My dive partner for the day, CJ from the west coast, was completing her initial Open Water certification and am happy to report everything went well and she is now officially an OPEN WATER DIVER.

We were supposed to go out again today but it is choppier than yesterday. The group went cenote (cavern) diving today, but my sinuses are acting up so I stayed back, there is plenty of time left until we come home.



-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Location:Mexico

Waiting for my ship

I don't know how much longer I can set here waiting for my ship to come in. Of course I wouldn't want to put Gary and Karen out of work.





In the meantime, I guess it will just have to be sun, sand, warm breezes and margaritas


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

Breezy and warm

After a good nights rest, it was up early and out to the pool.



It seems funny, for some reason you wake up early even though youvare on vacation and have nothing planned, except sun, sand and warm breezes


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Can you imagine

Who would have thought, 5 acres of swimming pool.




Look real close, that's where we will be 11:30 Sat morning


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

New Beaches

Just saw a posting the the beaches are being rebuilt in Playa del Carmen and Cancun.

This has been in the planning ever since hurricane Wilma destroyed most of them.

Most work should be done when we get there, it will be good to take those long beach walks again without cutting through the resorts


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7 More Days

Well it is now only seven days until we leave this cold weather and snow for our annual fun in the sun trip.

We are staying at our new location this year for the first time, since the place was still under construction last year.

What do you think ? Is it close enough to the beach.











More later after we get there


-- Posted Via My iPhone --

10 more days

It is now 10 days till we leave for our 5 weeks in SUNNY - WARM Mexico. Friends who are there tell us it has been in the low 70's and the locals are freezing. I just checked and the temps are going up and supposed to be back in the mid 80's next week.

If you want to see our new slum ghetto, check out
http://www.bit.ly/31g565




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