Re: IB* 2000 ~~ Day 0 and Day 1

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: Sandy- Thanks for the great report. How did you go about contacting these people to request a specific room. I have sent a fax to them requesting specific building and they faxed me back saying they would go their best to accomodate us, however, if there is more that I can do to better our chances, I would appreciate any advice. Thanks. : : : After months of planning and major anticipation, now it is time to sit and compose our trip reports – hope they are not too long and/or boring. A huge thanks to all for the tidbits of info you gave on the Playa del Carmen area, new things to learn, hints on what to do or not to do – wonderful info even after being to the area twice – again, Thanks! : : Sunday, February 20, 2000 : : our holiday time has finally arrived and departure day from home is here, YIPPEE! Morning check of the e-mail and find a note from Doris and Shell. Doris saying that her e-mail to Shell regarding our chatters meeting had been returned undeliverable and the one from Shell was an ALERT that her e-mail was down and to contact Greg’s address about out get together. So I send off my last e-mail in hopes of arranging something for our day in Cozumel with Shell and Greg – more on this later. : : 5:00 P.M. arrives, final check of the lists, luggage in the car and we are ready. Goodbye hugs and kisses with our three sons (18, 16 and 14) and I find it odd that they are not sad of our leaving – guess they are growing up or just use to our yearly winter holiday away. Always think of it as a break for Bob and me, but guess it is a break for them as well. : : What should be a half-hour drive to the Country Inn and Suites near the airport takes over an hour – No, not rush hour but an interstate accident. Just relax I keep telling myself, you will get there. Check-in a little after 6:00 P.M. and find a very nice room – used our Frequent Friday points from TGIF’s for a free nights stay. Off for a bite and back in our room by 9:00 for a short night’s sleep – have to be up at 3:15 A.M. : : Monday, February 21, 2000 : : Up, showered and a run to the car to stow the winter artillery, won’t be in need of those parkas for awhile and off to the airport at 4:30 A.M. Cab ride runs us $10.40 for what takes all of ten minutes... Arrive at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and find the place pretty deserted at this hour. Northwest Airlines counter has two agents working, and only one couple ahead of us – looks to be a breeze. I plop down our e-ticket (used frequent flyer miles compliments of my boss for the air portion) and passports on the counter. The agent looks things over does her computer thing and then says, “Sorry Robert, but it looks like you aren’t going anywhere today”. My heart stops and hyperventilation begins. “Not until you sign your Passport sir”. I grab for the pen, almost throwing it at my dear husband, he signs and NOW we are both official. Man, was I ever frantic for a minute there. Luggage off in the bellows of the airport – one just making the weight limit (Bob thought it was just a little heavy as he was hauling the thing around, sorry dear) and we head off with boarding passes in hand for our assigned gate. : : Boarding begins at 5:30 A.M. and we lift off right on schedule, 6:00 A.M. Smooth flight to Memphis with a light breakfast of bagels, juice and coffee. Land in Memphis at 7:30 and find our connecting gate – scheduled to take off at 9:00 but read on the monitor that we are delayed 30 minutes, I can handle that I tell myself, just relax... Quick change into our shorts and begin boarding at 9 and lift off at 9:45. Yet another smooth flight with lunch served as well as our first holiday cocktail – Bloody Mary’s with a Corona chaser – Cheers! : : Custom’s forms and the new Mexico visitor’s cards handed out in flight – new forms are two part, perforated in the middle which you enter the same info on both top and bottom. SIGN both cards on the back – two signatures. : : Touch down in Cancun at 11:45 and head for immigration, which we sailed through in ten minutes. Have all your info in hand and forms completely filled out, speeds things up for everyone. By 12:15 P.M. we have our luggage, and set off for Red Light/Green Light – GREEN! Now to find IberoMexico, our transfer company... At first seems like no one knows who or what we are talking about, then a nice gentleman finds us and says “right this way Mr. and Mrs. Kemmet”. We get into an air-conditioned full sized Buick with blackened windows, pay the IberoMexico supervisor at the airport the $140 round-trip transfer fee and we are whisked off to the Iberostar, AKA the “Magic Kingdom”! : : Arrive at the resort at 1:05 and we find it still as beautiful as before. Head for check-in and the desk clerk asks for our voucher and I say, “we do not have a voucher, but have arranged our stay via fax with Mr. Liébanas”. She gives me a frown, does some looking and finds our registration card and tells us building 25. My response, “I don’t think so”! And tell her that we would like building 20 and that the management had said they would do their best in giving us a special room. “Building 20 will be an additional $40 per day” is her comment, which I respond with – “maybe you should check with Mr. Liébanas or Ms. Geertman”. After a very quick phone call, she returns with our new room assignment – room 2025, but not ready for us until 3:00 P.M. Not a problem, since we know the system, and head for a quick change into our swimsuits in their hospitality room just off the lobby. Trek through the jungle area and find that the vegetation has really grown since last year – so lush and pretty. Now, to the towel palapa on the Tucan side, and head for the beach. And there it is in all it’s glory, that MAGNIFICENT Caribbean Sea that I have been dreaming about for all these months! My breath is taken away, once again, at the color and beauty of it -- one cannot put in words the feeling you get seeing it for the first time, not our first, but have I ever missed it – I am finally home! : : Look around for Doris and Vince and don’t see them at first, but then there they are! Hugs and greetings with an introduction of Sid and Sylvia from Vancouver and another couple from Toronto who are visiting the IB* PDC for the day from the IB* Coz. Let the first chatter’s meeting begin!!! : : Relaxing and sunning seaside, a refreshing swim in the sea and few Cervaza’s and we have officially begun our Iberostar holiday 2000! NOTE: they have now added a beach bar just to the North of the beach showers serving beer and drinks, a soda fountain, nachos with cheese and ice cream. : : 3:30 rolls around and we make our way back up to the lobby for our room key – handed our key and we are now in 2021 – still sea front and still happy! A walk to our room hand in hand through the jungle area once again, and find our room still being cleaned. The maid is so worried that we are upset, but I just give her a big smile and say it is all right. I then ask for lots of water, which she does not understand – I try and think of how to say it in Spanish, “mucho aqua”, is what I come up with and she smiles and says “Si’! Man Sandi, do you ever need to learn just a little Spanish... : : So a little walk out by the HUGE pool and we see a waiter walking behind one of those little food carts with an umbrella attached – he stops by the massage palapa and plugs the cart in and moments later begins serving hotdogs with all the fixings for those needing a late afternoon snack. So, two new touches (beach bar and late afternoon food cart) to an already wonderful resort. : : To our room -- king size bead with two day beds, and a cocktail table and quickly unpack – Bob and I stop and look at each other, smiling, we hug and thank our lucky stars that we are together again for another holiday at the Iberostar... : : Shower and off to the bar saloon “La Plaza” with Doris, Vince, Sid and Sylvia. Dinner at the “Tulum” buffet, Tucan side, and it was wonderful – soup, salad with that yummy Rosa dressing, fresh mussels, chicken taco with Pico de Gallo (sp?) – HOT!, beef kabobs. Also served was tortellini, fish, veggies, including cactus – tried it and it was O.K., would I try it again, probably not. Numerous other things, just too much to remember. Fruit tart and cantaloupe for me for dessert and I am stuffed!!! : : Grab an Amaretto and soda for a nightcap and am I ever bushed – back at our room by 10:00 P.M., my head touches down on the pillow and the dreams begin of day 2...

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