My First Ticket for a Traffic Infraction

I received my first citation for a traffic infraction the other day.  Heading down Juarez on our ATV I made an illegal u-turn, then proceed to pull over at a nearby bank.  Almost immediately a traffic cop on foot approached, explained how I had made an illegal u turn and then just looked at me.  I think he was expecting me to apologize and/or offer him a "tip".  When I did neither he asked for my license and registration and told me I could go into the bank to finish my business and he would have a ticket ready for me.

After about an hour in the bank I exited and met up with the officer who had a traffic ticket waiting.  He then handed me a questionnaire which I was supposed to fill out grading the officer's service.  It asked a variety of questions including: Did he provide his name?  Was he polite?  Did he explain the offense?  I actually thought the whole experience was quite comical.  The officer just fined me and I am supposed to now provide an unbiased opinion of how I was treated?  You've got to be kidding me.

I tried to relay the humor to the officer, wondering if he understood the irony.  He sort of just shrugged it off, as if it was just part of the job.  I don't think he got it.  Regardless I gave him a glowing review being the nice guy I am.  After all I probably could have gotten out of the whole thing by just forking over $200 pesos to him for his time.  However, I wasn't willing to encourage corruption and I wanted to see if he really was going to give me a ticket.  And if he did, I was interested to see what the whole experience of paying a ticket in Mexico was like.

The fine was only about $20 USD in total, after a significant discount for paying it within the first 5 days.  Another notable highlight was the officer giving me the option of handing over either my license or my registration which they would hold until I paid the ticket.  I opted to forfeit my Mexican motorcycle license, which I did get back when I paid the ticket the next day at the police precinct on the Arco Vial, just north of town.

It seems kind of funny that me, someone who usually does abide by traffic laws, who never runs lights and almost never makes illegal turns gets a ticket the one time I do.  I guess it will just help to keep me on the straight and narrow.  I wonder if I wrote down that the officer did a horrible job whether or not he would have handed in the questionnaire?  What if I wrote he was handsome and gave him my number?

Overall the whole experience was harmless.  I paid about the same amount in the end, but I was without my license for a day and did have to spent about 1/2 hour paying the fine and picking up my license.  I think I'll opt for the ticket just for the humor of having to rate my experience with the officer on a questionnaire.  I'm glad law enforcement is seeking to enhance their image by using feedback from offenders placed on questionnaires.  However, the irony just kills me.

Mizi Playing Dress Up with Some Friends

Demi who is Always Happy

Learn How Not to Get Ripped Off at the Pump in Playa del Carmen Mexico

In the USA I'm used to the ease and painless procedure of refueling my vehicle.  The only real concern is finding a station with the lowest price and the shortest line.  In Mexico the rules change.  Although lines at the pump are short and the price is fixed by the government and only changes monthly, there are many other factors at the pump that can make your experience in Playa del Carmen, Mexico less than pleasant.

The first step at a Pemex station (official gas station of Mexico) is to get out of your car and stand near the pump.  This may seem counterintuitive, especially considering all pumps are full service.  In the USA at full service pumps the attendant would wonder what the heck I was doing watching him or her pump my gas.  Is he crazy, they would wonder?  In Mexico one needs to make sure they turn the pump back to 0.  Stations were notorious for starting the pump where the previous customer left off, thus making you pay for your gas and that of the customer before you (who already paid).  In my experience now a days that happens far less.  However, it's still a good idea to watch them and to let them know you are doing it.  They even expect it.  Every time they make a point of showing me that the pump has gone back to 0 even if I'm not looking.

It's also a good idea to know how much gas your car actually can take.  Some stations have had faulty pumps which were intentionally set to pump slower than the meter, so you might be charged for 10 liters even if you only received 2.  If the meter indicates more gas has been pumped into your tank than physically possible you should obviously point this out to the attendant and refuse to pay the amount indicated.  I think the government is doing a better job in regulating the meters so this won't happen, but you really never know.

The next step is to make sure that gas has actually been put into your tank.  Although I've never had the experience, I've heard from friends who have filled up their cars only to notice once they left the station that their tanks were still on empty.  This has been reported mostly at the station outside of Puerto Aventuras.  The victims then returned to the station and started screaming at the attendant.  I don't recall if they were allowed to get more gas or not or if they were issued a refund.

One of the most important rules is to keep track of the money.  At the gas station on the highway outside of Chichen Itza, a friend gave the attendant $500 pesos for gas only to have the attendant claim he received a $50 peso note.  The attendant then showed the $50 note to my friend, as evidence of his claim.  My friend then argued with him, and then left.  In their rear view mirror they saw the attendant pick up the $500 peso note that he had dropped and hidden under his shoe.

Equally important is to know how much change you are supposed to get back.  Don't just trust that they will automatically give you back the correct change.  I bought some drinks at the gas station last week and the attendant acted like she was not paying attention, and continued talking with another worker.  She then rapidly told me it was something like $69 pesos.  I gave her $70 pesos and then she returned $1 peso to me without a receipt.  When I asked for the receipt I noticed the total was only $65 pesos - she was trying to pocket the other 4 pesos.  I protested, she returned me the correct change, and I left.

I would also recommend paying for gas in cash.  This past year I heard from a client who claimed the station created a duplicate copy of their credit card and then began using it almost immediately ringing up ridiculous charges online for electronic items.  As a safety measure we pay cash whenever possible.

As a side note, tipping is encouraged for gas station attendants. As a general rule I only do it if they wash my windows (and haven't pulled any of the above-mentioned schemes).  Most of them do wash the windows, so the few lazy ones are obvious, and get nothing extra from me.  A general tip at a gas station is 10 or 20 pesos.

When you do run into problems you can always report the issues to Pemex via email (atencion.ciudadana@pemex.com).  I'm not sure how much good it will do. I think at a minimum if you are aware of the potential rip-offs, and do prevent them, you can at least feel good that perhaps you were smarter than them this time.  We would hate for our Playa del Carmen rental guests to have a bad vacation simply because of an unfortunate incident at a gas station.  To my knowledge, I've never been ripped off at a gas station.  Perhaps I am woefully ignorant.  However, I think if you look like you are aware and know what you're doing, generally they won't mess with you.  That being said the intelligence level of some attendants is very questionable, so I would not put it past them.

The price per liter of gas is displayed at the pump above the handle once it has been engaged by the attendant.  This price is fixed by the government, is the same at every station, and changes monthly.

Allan and our housekeeper's son, Jose, do a language interchange, helping the other with English or Spanish.

Jose and Allan

Mitzi and Demi.  Demi is still wearing a ribbon around her neck with the Mexican flag colors in celebration of Mexican Independence Day.  Mitzi doesn't wear those colors after the 20th of September.

Mitzi and Demi Playing


Mitzi howling with my encouragement.  She was far more vocal, sounding like a wolf, before she lost most of her hearing.

Visiting Punta Allen for the Weekend

Allan and I spent a short weekend visiting Punta Allen, a small fishing community located at the southern tip of the Sian Kaan Biosphere, an approximate 1.3 million acre wildlife and nature preserve. Ever since Allan discovered Punta Allen on Google Maps 2 years ago he has been talking excitedly about a potential visit. The 60 mile drive seemed like a quick and easy vacation, one we could do on a Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday morning we drove 45 minutes south to Tulum where the entrance to Sian Kaan begins. We paid the minimal entrance fee at a small office, and soon were heading south into the reserve. Quite quickly we were met with a barrage of pot holes which slowed our speed down to a mere 10 miles an hour. The poor road conditions persisted over the 20 mile drive, delaying the journey by at least an hour, and making us regret already that we would have to traverse these roads on our way back to Tulum.

There is not much to see on the road. Thick jungle towered on either side, masking any sort of interesting sights. We had come poorly prepared and really had done no research on the activities and events in either Punta Allen or in Sian Kaan. In retrospect it would have been nice to actually have a plan since we would only be spending less than 24 hours there.

By nightfall we arrived in the sleepy fishing village of Punta Allen. We were greeted by a small, rustic enclave, which is probably how Playa del Carmen used to look 20 years ago. The roads are made of dirt, and the buildings are very simple concrete structures. We opted to stay at the Serendiad Shardon, a small beach side complex with small cottages and tent rentals, which had come highly recommended by friends. The owner, Nicky, an American now living in Playa, was very nice and accommodating. The $150 USD/night price tag for a very small rustic beach side cottage seemed like a bit much, but we had already committed to staying there, and we weren't in the mood to search for other options.

We quickly accommodated our luggage in the small cottage and headed off for a wonderful rooftop dinner at a local restaurant. The only disappointment was the high price of the meal. Given Punta Allen's desolate location I think the cost of importing goods over those bumpy roads probably warrants the higher price. Luckily we had enough cash to pay for the bill, as the nearest ATM is 20 miles north in Tulum, and most establishments don't accept credit cards. After a nice meal we returned back to the cottage for a good night's sleep.

We awoke the next morning to the realization that Punta Allen has no electricity between the late evening hours and early morning hours. Unless establishments have their own generators, don't plan on taking a shower or watching TV till at least 11am. However, Allan and I are easy travelers, and decided to just roll with the punches and take a leisurely stroll down the beach.

Unfortunately the beach was littered with trash. As far as the eye could see the beach was covered with plastic sandals and plastic bottles. Some locals say the waste is from cruise ships who find it easier and cheaper to drop their garbage in the ocean rather than pay the hefty dock garbage removal fee. It is often less costly to illegally dump and get fined than it is to regularly pay for legal trash removal. If this is true it sounds to me like someone should significantly increase the fine. We also heard another theory, relating to Central American rivers overflowing with trash which empties into the oceans, which in turn floats north to the Yucatan Peninsula.

Regardless of the cause, one would think a little more effort should be put forth into preserving this natural oasis. After all with all the money coming into the Mexican Riviera from tourists one would think the Mexican Government would have a significant investment in the cleanliness of their beaches. Even a simple, local and regular beach garbage pickup operation would do the trick.

We ended our stroll rather quickly and decided to leave Punta Allen a bit early. We weren't looking forward to the drive over those roads and wanted to get it over with. We packed the SUV, had a quick, yet delicious breakfast and braved the awful roads for another 2 hours at 10 miles an hour. If we had planned correctly, perhaps we could have taken a snorkeling trip at the southern end of the peninsula, or a boat to the black lagoon where crocodiles roam. In retrospect, we should have done something more.

I think Punta Allen has a lot to offer to someone looking to explore a sleepy fishing village with a nice lagoon, great snorkeling and out of the way feel. It's certainly a place for the adventurous soul, since the roads do take a strong stomach to handle.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

If I have to wear pants then it is too cold.

Stopping for a coconut break on the way back to Playa.

The deserted beaches between Punta Allen and Tulum.

The road between Punta Allen and Tulum.

The beach trash.

More trash.

A dock between the mainland and the peninsula.

Our trusty SUV being swallowed by the jungle.

Allan is happy that he's returning to Playa.

Allan is searching for beach treasures.

Enjoying a beach moment.

Posing for the camera.

The entrance to the town of Punta Allen.

The road south of Punta Allen.

Bonefish, the restaurant where we had breakfast.

Punta Allen's version of Starbucks. I had the best cappuccino ever - Chiapas coffee and liquid sugar from Venezuela all cooked with a blow torch under an Italian coffee maker.

Our cottage.

The Serendidad Shardon.

A bridge on the way to Punta Allen.

The same bridge, different angle.

Allan is excited as we travel to Punta Allen.

The only snake we saw. Unfortunately this one is barely alive considering I accidentally ran over it.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

The Doctor with the Magic Touch

There's this American guy who claims to be a doctor, and walks around Mega, our local grocery store, handing out business cards. I will call him Doctor Ricardo. It makes me wonder what type of American physician needs to drum up business in the pharmacy department of a grocery store. On his business cards he only lists his first name and cell phone - no address or last name. He does not even have an office. If you ask me it sounds rather suspicious.

What would make him that desperate? I would think a good US doctor would have no problems finding clients in Mexico. Although there are good doctors in Playa, I'm sure the whole expatriate community would swarm to a good US doctor, someone they feel they could trust, who speaks their language and charges Mexican prices.

As luck would have it a couple of friends did try out Doctor Ricardo. They called him for a simple house call, as they were feeling ill. Doctor Ricardo took their blood pressure and prescribed some medication. They said he was fine, but that they were surprised that he charged them $200 USD, $150 USD more than what is customary in Playa.

Come to find out friends of friends of mine were also suspicious of the doctor with no last name, so they did a little digging and found out who he really was. Doctor Ricardo was a gynecologist in California who was convicted of sexually molesting his patients and was consequently stripped of his medial license. Doctor Ricardo then proceeded to publicly denounce his accusers, listing them by name, another major no no in the medical community. Apart from losing his medical license he was also made to pay for court costs and damages.

Apart from his questionable past, Doctor Ricardo is not even allowed to legally practice medicine in Mexico. He would need Mexican licensing and certification. If something goes wrong there is no real way to hold him accountable. Even though I can't name specific occurrences in the past I have heard this is not the first time a foreign doctor has been illegally practicing medicine in Playa.

Doctor Ricardo has been added to my long list of people in Playa del Carmen with no integrity. He's a predator with no character who preys on innocent victims, only thinking of himself. If he can't make money as a doctor in the US, why not move to Mexico and expose a whole new group of people to his magic hands that wander all over and then rob you blind.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

The Craigslist Scam

Over the past 16 months we have met two separate victims who have been scammed by the same Craigslist predator who goes by the name of Chrissie. The victim replies to Chrissie's ad on Craigslist for inexpensive rental properties in Playa. Chrissie claims to be the owner or manager and then tries to get unsuspecting vacationers to wire her rent money. Luckily in both cases involving us, no money has been exchanged, thanks in part to our intervention. However it does leave us wondering what kind of twisted sociopath would do this to other human beings?

In the first episode, a few months back we received a call from "Janet", seeking our advice about a rental unit in our condo complex. She had read our blog and knew we lived in the Quadra Alea Condominiums. Janet had replied to an ad on Craigslist posted by Chrissie for a furnished two bedroom in Quadra Alea for only $700/month including all expenses. Chrissie asked Janet to wire her the $700, and refused to accept any other form of payment. Granted Janet was a bit skeptical and hence contacted us.

Janet forwarded us her email correspondence, which included photos of the unit. We were immediately skeptical since a furnished two bedroom where we live goes for $1,700 USD, not including expenses. Electricity alone could possibly be $100 or more a month. Going through our list of owners in Quadra Alea, we could not find a Chrissie. Although we did not recognize the unit by the photos, we advised Janet that most likely it was a scam and to not send any money.

Ironically a week later we were contacted by owners of a rental unit in Quadra Alea about us taking over management of their unit. They forwarded us photos, and lo and behold it was the same unit. Needless to say they did not know Chrissie and were very taken back that their condo was being used as part of a scam.

I'm not sure if Janet or the owners reported anything to Craigslist (we did not). That was the last we heard of Chrissie for a while... that is until our phone rang the other morning. Two ladies, "Mary and Martha", were at the security gate of my complex looking for Chrissie. I was thinking Chrissie was a former renter of the condo, back when it was managed by another company. It was not until I went out to meet them that I realized Chrissie was the same Craigslist predator.

Apparently Mary and Martha had arranged to meet Chrissie at the condo to exchange keys and rent, a mere $600 for two weeks over Christmas ($3,400 USD less than it was really renting for). They also refused to wire Chrissie money, but did agree to give it to her in person in Playa. I related the somber news that they had been scammed: Chrissie would not be coming, and that they had traveled all the way from New Hampshire to Playa during the busiest time of year, and essentially they would have a very difficult time finding a unit for only $42/night.

Of course I could not leave them on the street, so I invited them back to my office, offered them a drink, and then began looking for a rental for them. Allan and I decided to let them stay one night in the unit for only $50, in hopes they could find somewhere else to stay the next day. Luckily they did find another unit, and they were very thankful that we didn't just leave them stranded.

Allan and I were left pondering: what kind of twisted person sends two innocent victims to another country when there is clearly no benefit for either party? It seems like a cruel game, orchestrated by a very lonely, unhappy person. Once it was clear Mary and Martha weren't wiring Chrissie money, why would Chrissie then arrange a meeting in Playa with them to receive the money? One would think Chrissie would just stop communication after hearing "I'm not wiring you the money." Perhaps Chrissie's got a good laugh out of sending these ladies to a foreign country, envisioning them standing there at the complex, dumbfounded that they had arrived on vacation with no place to stay. It's almost like flying cross country to attend the Super Bowl, and the person who has the tickets never shows up at the stadium, so you are left outside wondering - what now?

Ironically I use Craigslist often to market our rental properties. We even posted a help wanted ad for website work, and met a wonderful technician in India, who did a great job and did not run off with our upfront deposit. We will continue to use Craigslist as it is a very valuable resource. Even as keen as we think we are into reading people and sensing who is good and who is out to do us harm, there are always going to be people who travel under our radar. There is always going to be someone who fools us, and tries to take advantage. Luckily for the one or two selfish, uncaring people out there, we have met leagues of wonderful souls, who make the journey worthwhile. Hopefully when Allan and I fall victim, there will be someone to help us out and to pick us up and say, stay at my place, we'll help you out.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

Banned from Office Depot

I've been officially banned from returning electronic goods to Office Depot in Playa del Carmen. It's quite a funny story and is humorous to tell with tongue in cheek like it is some sort of scandalous tale. That being said it does make shopping difficult in a city with limited retail outlets.

It all started last December when my old HP all-in-one was having trouble receiving faxes. I really didn't want to spend money on a new one, but could not run a business without dual fax capabilities, both spending and receiving. Eventually I paid cash at the Office Depot in Playa for a new Lexmark all-in-one. When I returned home and plugged it in, I noticed that the fax component worked, but it jammed every time I tried to print. After 2 hours of troubleshooting with Lexmark I decided to return the machine.

The first return was complicated. Office Depot has a 7 day return guaranty as long as all the manuals and goods are still in the box, and since I was in the 7 day window I was good to go - or at least I thought. I brought the printer to the counter, said it didn't print correctly and that I'd like to return it. The sales associate called over a tech who took everything out of the box, plugged the printer into a computer and began installing the software. When I questioned what was happening I was surprised to hear that they were testing the printer; I said it did not print, so they were going to see if it printed well. If so, that was essentially their proof it worked and that I could take it back home with me.

I ardently argued that I spent 2 hours on the phone with a tech trying to get the printer to work with my system, and that perhaps the printer would work in a different environment, but since it did not work well with mine I wanted to return it. After a manager was called over, it was finally agreed that I could have my money back.

I took the cash, returned home and unsuccessfully tried to reconfigure my old fax machine so it could receive faxes. When that failed it was time for another trip back to Office Depot to purchase a difference model machine. This time I settled on an HP all-in-one and used my debit card. Once I returned home, installed the printer and tested the fax component I quickly realized it was experiencing the same faxing issue: it could send faxes but not receive.

I wondered whether it was an inherent problem with my system and not the actual HP device itself. Regardless I was not going to spend $200 on a machine with fax issues; I already had one of those at home.

This time when I tried to return it within 7 days of my purchase they refused to accept it since I had "used it". I explained that it could not receive faxes. As expected they pointed the finger at my system. When I mentioned their 7 day return policy they said I could exchange the item or take a store credit. Considering their policy states I can get all my money refunded back, I began to argue, that I was abiding by their return policy and wanted a full refund. Furthermore, Office Depot even goes through the trouble of placing a large green sticker on all electronic purchases saying they can be returned within 7 days for a full refund.

The manager finally relented, but insisted that I was now banned from returning electronic goods at their store. I would only be allowed store credits or exchanges. Also, since I paid with a debit card I would have to receive cash back and not a credit to my card. Since there was not enough money in the teller at this time I would have to wait until someone made a big purchase, like a computer in order to provide enough cash for my return. Wait? Not enough money in the cash register? You've got to be kidding me?! No, he was not.

I knew the manager was just playing with me. He could have given me the money if he really wanted to. But since I treated him disrespectfully by arguing with him, that was my punishment. I spent about 1/2 hour aimlessly wandering the store and then returned to the register only to find out there was still not enough cash. I went home and came back a few hours later. Still not enough cash. They had just emptied the register. Is this a joke, I wondered.

For the next hour I browsed the aisles and checked out the office chairs and tried to find which one was the most comfortable. Finally I approached another manager and pleaded my case. Luckily he was a bit more understanding, went out back to the safe, got me the cash and sent me on my way.

I still shop at Office Depot, but now if I have to return anything I go to the store in Cancun, 1 hour north. We just purchased 2 Microsoft wireless keyboard sets only to realize they are all in Spanish (duh!?!), and all the keys are in different places. This time I sent Allan to the Playa store to place the return. He played the dumb American who doesn't speak Spanish. The sales clerks gave him a hard time and a lot of dirty looks but eventually gave him a full refund. So much for their no hassle return policy.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

Police Presense

Since news of the Swine Flu hit the global press and the number of tourists dropped to almost nothing, it seems the police have less people to stop so now they are actively stopping the locals, both Mexican and non alike. It is said that quite often when one is pulled over for a traffic infraction one can simply "pay the ticket on the spot to the officer" for a mere $200 pesos (around $20 USD) rather than actually receiving a ticket. Some might call this a bribe.

Typically when one is stopped, the officer will take one's license, issue a ticket and then one needs to drive to the police precinct, pay the fine and only then will the license be returned. It's often easier to pay the fine on the spot; however it is does not help the growing corruption problem.

Corruption exists globally - even in the US - it's just that the results are more predictable in Mexico. Pay an officer $20 and get out of a ticket. In the US one might be arrested for such an act. If one were to tell me that there are no corrupt politicians or police officials in the US than I might call that person crazy.

Since Allan and I have been in Mexico we have been pulled over many times for traffic violations and only once was it not our fault. We have paid a significant amount of money for these infractions.

What some people do is to make various colored copies of one's license, have them laminated and then hand the copies to the officer. The officer then takes the license, issues the ticket and then one leaves. The license copy remains at the police barracks and there is no need to pay to receive the copy back, so one essentially avoids paying the bribe and avoids paying the actual ticket. I'm not saying this trickery is right, but it does turn the tables on police corruption. If they can play games why can't "offenders".

In places like Mexico City where police corruption was once rampant I've heard there has been a large crackdown. Anyone offering a bribe will be arrested - any officer asking for one will be fired. Since the swine flu there was been a lot of complaints from motorists in Playa about police corruption. Even the Mexican consulate has become involved. Various gringos have voiced their detailed complaints to the consulate, the consulate has met with the head of police and one officer has been fired and various others reprimanded.

Allan and I refuse to pay into Playa's police corruption problem. We are going to drive safely according to posted traffic rules, and if we are pulled over injustly will address the situation without paying any bribes. It always helps to play stupid like Allan does, pretending one speaks no spanish, and often one is let go without a ticket or bribe being paid.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

My Date with the Motorcyle Cop

I'm going to tread carefully on this topic since any discussion of police in a public forum can be a potentially problematic situation. Luckily for me all my experiences with police in Playa have been pleasant. Having armed cops patrolling the streets can be unnerving at first - but after a while it becomes old hat - and adds a nice sense of security. I've heard negative stories of police in Mexico and in Playa but haven't met the same sort of unpleasant encounter myself.

Last week when driving out of Walmart onto a two way street cut by a couple of separated islands which allow for two way traffic to turn into either lane, I made a split second decision to turn left going the wrong way so I could quickly turn right between the islands and head in the exact direction I wanted. Otherwise I would have had to turn right and then go around the block. I should also note that the exit to Walmart is right next to an intersection with traffic lights. Just as I exited the parking lot the lights turned green meaning that oncoming traffic was headed my way - and I was facing the wrong direction. Leading the traffic was a motorcycle cop, who I unfortunately did not see until it was too late.

He immediately spotted me and began saying something, though I couldn't hear with my windows up. He indicated for me to pull over, which I did. He then drove up behind me, unmounted and approached my window. Feeling amazingly calm I apologized and pleaded my ignorance of the Mexican driving laws. The officer was very nice, but firm, indicating that it was my responsibility to know the laws of this land. He asked for my license and then began to tell me it was expired. Knowing it wasn't I pointed to the expiration date - sometime in 2009.

The officer began to write me a ticket and explained he was going to take my license and I would have to pick it up out of town at some station once I paid my ticket. Wait a gosh darn minute. You are not taking my US license. I don't care what I've done. I've heard of cops taking license plates off cars for being parked illegally but never a license.

I began to explain to the officer that I didn't want to lose my license and asked if there was another was to resolve this issue. Without getting into too many details (use your imagination), I was able to leave with my license in hand and without receiving a ticket. I even introduced myself to the officer and feel like I've made a friend. I have to tell you he was really nice.

I'm sure there are many who have horror stories of experiences with police whether they be in Mexico and abroad. And I'm sure many of them are true. Luckily for me my experience was a pleasant one. And from now on I'm going to drive going the correct way on the street and will obey the traffic laws more closely.

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals

Views from Punta Roca, a condo complex in Puerto Adventuras, which is about 15 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. I'm taking this photo from a balcony in a condo owned by a friend of a friend.

Most all our furniture has arrived. Now it's starting to look like home.

When is this going to be over?

Rickey, the rebel. He's such a ladies man!

Mitzi poses for the camera. I swear she's such a ham!

Playa del Carmen Condo and Villa Vacation Rentals