Can’t believe that we’ve been in Mexico for 6 days… where has the time gone?  You all know we love the sun, sea, surf, drinks, food and fun anywhere we travel.  It’s Saturday morning and I want to share a few pics of our Mexican experience.

Breakfast at the Hip Hotel in South Beach on Tuesday, June 20th.  YUMMY!

 

Diana liked this menu… the most unique we’ve seen!

Dinner at La Coqueta in Tulum town on Wednesday, June 21st.  I had shrimp fajitas and Diana chose a shrimp burrito.  Plenty of beans, guacamole and chips with a choice of 3 salsas.  Add a margarita and cerveza (Mexican beer)… PERFECT!

Receipt from La Coqueta… the 16% service charge is included in the cost of the meal but the tip is ALWAYS extra.  LOOK at the 3 tip recommendations… FUNNY!

 

After visiting Chichen Itza Ruins on Thursday, June 22nd we visited Las Mestizas, a beautiful restaurant for lunch in Piste (in a little town outside of the ruins).  Diana drank a margarita made with Chaya leaf.  Doesn’t look good but it was very tasty.  I had a bloody mary which was a fine compliment to the chips, salsa, guacamole and nachos (chicken, black beans & cheese).  EXCELLENT!

 

After visiting the Tulum Ruins on Friday, June 23rd we drove down the South Beach road to a typical beach restaurant at the Zamas resort.  We had read many recommendations for Que Fresco and we SO ENJOYED the laid back atmosphere, drinks and brunch.

Why just have a beer when you can have a special drink.  Michelada is a Mexican “cerveza preparada” made with beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, spices, and peppers.  It’s served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass with ice.  There are numerous variations of this beverage throughout Mexico and Latin America.  KILLER COCKTAIL!

Breakfast brunch at Que Fresco on the beach.  I ordered a veggie omelet with black beans and corn tortillas.  Diana had the “chef’s special” that was featured in a New York Times article about South Beach.  Three toasted corn tortillas, black beans, 2 eggs, salsa and avocado slices.  There’s always a red and green salsa condiment offered at every meal.  AWESOME!

 

Before going out, we research every bar and restaurant on the Internet.  Then, we read the reviews on http://www.tripadvisor.com.  We’ve found great local places this week… many are off the beaten path.  We love to visit restaurants that are filled with “local” people… NOT tourists.  For dinner on Friday, June 23rd, we drove far down the main street of Tulum town to find El Camello.  This restaurant was filled with local folks enjoying dinner.  The specialty of this lovely, little restaurant is ANYTHING to do with seafood.

As an appetizer, we ordered (and shared) a small plate of Ceviche Mixto.  Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of Latin America and the Caribbean.  The dish is made from fresh raw fish, shrimp and octopus cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají or chili peppers.  Additional seasonings, such as chopped onions, salt, and cilantro are also added.  WOW… this was TASTY!

LOOK at the main course… a whole red snapper that was grilled to perfection.  The pescado (fish) was served with black beans, rice and steamed vegetables.  Add chips, salsa and cold cerveza (Mexican beer) and you have a meal fit for a queen and king.  This was THE BEST meal we’ve eaten all week!

 

OK… time to be honest.  At home we eat lots of salads and simple food.  We NEVER eat so many interesting, rich and spicy foods within a week.  Guess what happens when you visit Mexico and totally change your diet (in addition to drinking a little extra alcohol)?  We EACH have had to endure 1 day with stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.  I got hit on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.  Diana got hit on Friday night into Saturday morning.

As I write this blog post,  Diana is still feeling the affects of Montezuma’s Revenge.  We plan to take it easy on Saturday and chill out at our beachfront condo.  It’s our intention to be TOTALLY healthy and ready to party at the adults only, all inclusive resort in Riviera Maya with Kristen, Holli, Lynda and Pete starting on Sunday, June 25th.  Adios Amigos!