Barcelo Maya Riviera: Day 4
Good Morning! I’m thinking about getting breakfast and heading over to Playa Del Carmen today.
I don’t believe I have shown you the never-ending hallway yet. I counted 63 rooms on the right side between my room and the area where the buffet and lobby are located. I believe it’s about a 1/4 mile walk.
There are a few of these along the way.
On the other side it’s more like this.
Every so often they have a cubby hole with shoe shine machine on one side and an ice machine on the other.
The ice machines are turned on here. They were turned off at Planet Hollywood due to COVID.
I got down to the buffet right at 7 to try to be first to the food.
The door is locked and there’s nobody working it.
It looks like the workers are still in the pre-shift meeting.
What the heck? The door is locked but the I see a lady walking around. She doesn’t work in there. At least not unless “grandma and dog mom” shirts are a part of the uniform.
I walk around to the other side and that door is open. About 30 people are in there most already sitting down.
I put out the effort and figure this is close enough. I got the pancakes and added on a cheese empanada and a turkey chimichanga.
Walking in that other entrance I noticed they have coffee machines and to go cups!
Moses came around with his pitcher so I got a regular coffee as well. I don’t think the machine mocha is very good. If Moses comes back I may try ordering one from him.
When Moses came back around I ordered two mochas. He asked if I wanted them for here or to go. I said here. He’s a lot better than the waiter I had the other day who acted like there were no self serve coffee machines or to go cups.
I decided to stick around and get a spicy bloody mary from Moses.
The buffet service really slowed down after those coffees. I know I was ready to order that Bloody Mary and it was a good half hour that passed by before Moses came back over. I should’ve ordered two because another half hour and no server. So I left. But now I don’t think there are any bars open for another hour or two unless I want to go sit in another resort buffet.
Maybe I’ll just get ready and head to Playa Del Carmen for the day. I don’t have a dinner reservation for tonight. When I changed my French reservation I couldn’t get Japanese tonight. Japanese got moved to tomorrow night and now I’m open for tonight. I need to stop by Guest Services before I leave.
No sign of life at the pool bar.
Back in the room now. They have these motion activated lights in the closet. If you don’t close the doors they’re clicking on and off as you walk around the room. It’s kind of annoying.
I put on the SPF. If I get anymore sun they’re going to think I’m local.
The bar is open!
To go.
I wanted to book the Palace restaurants. They have seafood, French and steak. The steakhouse is booked for a week. For tonight the others only have openings at 9:30 and 10. The same goes for our French restaurant here. I signed up for the taco bar at 8pm. I’m really not a fan of having to schedule out a weeks worth of dinners right when you get here.
I decided I better book restaurants for the rest of the week because the weekend is going to be busy. Pickens are slim. I have the taco bar tonight and Japanese tomorrow night. They only had one opening the rest of the week for the seafood restaurant at the Palace. I took that spot for 6:30 on Sunday. I got the Palace French restaurant Friday and our French restaurant Saturday.
It is disappointing I wasn’t able to get the steakhouse. I guess you need to book that on your first day if you come here.
I got on the shuttle bus to get closer to the entrance.
This is really easy. As soon as I took that sign picture and turned around to look at the traffic, this guy honks his horn and flashes his lights.
I love cheap almost private transportation.
Here we are. That was 35 pesos or about $1.85. He said when I return I need to catch one of their vans at what he called “the bus station.” I call it under a bridge.
I had a short walk through a neighborhood to get to 5th Avenue where all of the shopping is located.
The vendors are really pushy here. One of them just tried a trick on me. He said “I remember you from the hotel. I work in the buffet.” It took me a few seconds but I figured out he just saw my Barcelo bracelet.
This is the arch. That orange boat in the background is the ferry to Cozumel. You may remember it from when I was in downtown Cozumel in May.
There is an extremely long line to get on the ferry to Cozumel. It was well over 100 people. There’s a Senor Frogs right next to the terminal.
This is a look at the stores in the shopping mall here.
I’m going to head down 5th Avenue.
COVID precautions are real here. I had the mask police stop me by the ferry terminal and tell me to put a mask on. Someone said they can fine you for not wearing one. I just walked down the street until I got to an area where people weren’t wearing masks and took mine off. It’s hot out here.
I guess you can take the escalator or the slide.
Looks like I’m going to add to my collection!
They have a pretty cool formula one simulator here. This isn’t it but it does involve getting into a real car like this one with video screens all around you.
I really would recommend covering your resort bracelet up with a watch if you come here. I have had five people try the “I recognize you from the resort” trick on me today.
Nothing unusual happening here.
It’s really hot out here. I saw a slurpee machine in a 7-11 and thought that would be a good purchase. But they were melted. I ended up stopping at 3 or 4 of them on 5th Avenue before I finally found a working machine. They didn’t have straws but at this point I don’t really need one. It’s going to go down fast or it’s going to melt fast.
When I was in Cancun I heard a lot about people going to Coco Bongo. When I saw they had one here I wanted to see what it looked like.
On my way back to the “bus station” I’m just taking a couple of pictures in the park. There are a lot of park people around here and I’m just hoping to get out without anyone messing with me. I’m keeping them out of the pictures which why this waterless fountain is cut off on the left side.
To the left of this is a whole row of benches with people who look like they spend a lot of time here. I think I’m ready to get back to the resort.
“I don’t ever wanna feel. Like I did that day. Take me to the place I love. Take me all the way”
The bad thing about getting in a collectivo at the station instead of catching one on the road is they pack it out at the station.
It wasn’t long before people started getting off and the ride became more comforatable.
I hadn’t noticed this mini golf course before.
And the bus is right here at the mall. It’s going to circle around and l catch it on the other side. Should be going to Caribe, Beach, and Riviera
Apparently the daytime shuttle does two laps on this side of the property before going down to Riviera. We just went all the way down to Palace and now we’re heading in the right direction.
A couple ladies and their kids were just riding around to look at the different resorts. I think they’re staying at Colonial. They were really impressed pulling up to the Riviera. It really is much larger and more impressive than the other resorts.
I headed straight to the pool bar and got two banana coladas. I may need to try some things off of their Cocktail Menu tomorrow.
The hot tub is filling up. I have a game I want to watch at 6. Dinner isn’t until 8. I grabbed a couple drafts from the bar. I’ve been hoarding cans of Corona in the room for a time like this. I have eight of them.
When they restock the fridge they won’t put any beers in there if you already have two. So each day I’ve been taking the two out and putting them in my safe so they’ll give me two more the next day. That way when a day comes that I want a six pack, I have them.
Maybe not the intended purpose but I’ll save me a couple trips to the fridge.
After the game I took a 20 minute nap on the couch. I really didn’t get enough sleep last night.
There was a delay getting seated for dinner. I had the 8pm taco bar reservation. Well first there was a long line at the hostess desk. Then she was acting like she couldn’t find my reservation. I had to repeat the room number and name several times. She had to write it down. Finally she sees it and goes to talk to a manager. She comes back and tells me they don’t have a table ready. Apparently it will be another five minutes.
There have been a lot of problems with understanding room numbers. Earlier guest services almost changed the reservation for 5851 (I’m 5815).
They gave me a table in the taco bar area. Apparently It’s the same as the taco bar just not at the bar. It’s weird because they have at least a dozen open spots at the bar. This is the taco menu. I just ordered one of everything except for the octopus and the one with no meat. Or the two at the bottom with no description. So I got jerked chicken, fish, beef/chorizo, shrimp, sausage, and pork belly
The waiter asks if I want chips and salsa. Of course I want chips and salsa. I see several chips but no salsa.
Even better salsa and guac.
So far I ate the shrimp and the fish. Fish wins that battle. I’m digging the sauce on that fish one.
Beef and chorizo was fine. Just a little plain. I put some hot sauce on it. Same with the jerk chicken. A little plain. I put salsa and hot sauce on that one as well. The pork belly wasn’t really edible. A lot of fat. The sausage, onion, prickly pear was probably second best to the fish. I guess that good sauce on the fish taco is a mix of Mayo, salsa, and avocado according to the menu.
I ordered another fish and I’m going to try the chili pepper one.
The dinner delays caused me to be late for the show. It started 30 minutes ago. I’m going to attempt to catch some of it. I had just a two minute wait for a shuttle.
About 30 people are getting on at Caribe. I moved to the front spot so I can get off the bus first. The last time I was in the back the entire upper deck emptied out before I could get off.
For whatever reason it’s not as crowded as other nights. I mean it’s crowded. But usually I sit on the steps in the back by the bar. This time I walk in and there’s a group of five front row seats open. Maybe I just timed it good and they just left. Someone was cleaning the table as I walked in.
I really thought I would have time between dinner and the show so I just brought tip money with me. No casino money. I’ll skip that tonight. I probably need the sleep anyway. I’m just waiting on a shuttle.
Here it comes.
They have a DJ happening in the lobby. And the crowd is going crazy.
I think the outdoor route to the room is quicker.
My room is the one on the top floor with the curtains open and light on.
I don’t know if I have neighbors. I haven’t seen or heard anyone. When I walk down that long hallway it’s usually just me. Maybe one other person. I’d say I’ve never seen more than five people in a hallway at once. And every time I walk down that long empty hallway I think “I can’t imagine this place at 100%.”
I just heard a loud BANG. I go outside. They have some heavy equipment working on the beach. I’m guessing it’s the seaweed they’re working on. But man it’s loud. And they have they have the beep beep beep when one of them is backing up and all that. It’s almost midnight and all of this is happening.
I’m going to try to get some sleep.
Continue to Barcelo Maya Riviera: Day 5
