Cancun - Isle Mujeres

Isle Mujeres is an island off the shore of Cancun. Located about 20 minutes away by ferry, the ferry terminal was about 20 mins on foot from my hotel. It was an easy trip to make. Out of my days in Cancun, this day was my favorite.

On my way to the terminal - Puerto Juanz - used mainly by the locals

 


Upon arriving on the island, i rented a golf cart for a day to take me around the island. Took random shots of the island..








Visited the Turtle Farm 





And spent the day at the beach :)

Cancun - Chichen Itza

On my second day, I visited a cenote - an underground limestone pit with water filtered from the rain.


Of course, it was partially a tourist trap. With demonstration tents & performances, angling for tips.





The cenote itself was beautiful & deserved a refreshing swim. Though it was disturbing that there was a performance in the podium while everyone was swimming in the cenote. There was chirping, dancing, drumming and of course, photo opportunities for ... more USD. Sigh

Next stop was Chichen Itza, one of the largest discovered Mayan cities. When the Spanish discovered the city, it was already abandoned as a site for worship.







The site was fairly huge & the stone structures remained in place. The tiles that used to adorn the buildings are mostly gone. The remnants of the engravings on these tiles are now faded but still exposed to the elements. The areas are cordoned off from the public for a distance.

Chichen Itza was a good experience. It made me want to go watch Apocalypto

Cancun - Hotel Zone

On a whim, i booked myself a trip to Cancun, Mexico. Known for its beautiful beaches & Mayan ruins, i made the trip down & booked myself in the 2nd cheapest hotel i could find on Expedia.

On my first day, i explored the Hotel Zone. 

The main tourist zone, Hotel Zone - made up of a cluster of resorts & hotels by the sea. Extremely commercialized & expensive. There were many resorts here that offered an all inclusive of meals & drinks during the entire trip. One never has to even step out of the hotel at all. But that really wasn't for me.

All the prices were quoted in USD. Everytime i turned my head, i spotted US brands everywhere like Hard Rock & Outback Cafe. Paddlers were trying to sell me fake Tiffany bracelets at 30 USD a piece.

 

The main form of transport around the island were these local buses that took you from area to area for about 1 USD per trip. 

Within the hotel zone, there was El Rey - a small Mayan ruin. Devoid of any human presence, with plenty of iguanas. There were hardly any explanations on what i was actually seeing within the site. 

Disappointed on my first day, i was hoping that the entire trip won't be a bust.
Then, i discovered the beach with Caribbean waters so clear and green and cool. Ahhhhhh.... I spent the remaining day just walking on the beach with sand in my toes. :)

Sometimes, the best things in life are for free. 

Murphy's Law

First, my flight from Cancun, Mexico to Atlanta got diverted for a pit-stop in Alabama due to bad weather. Then, i missed my transit flight from Atlanta to New York because of the diversion. After waiting in the airport for a night for the next flight out in the morning, i had to transfer flights because the plane broke down.

Really. Wow.

Thanks to all the extra time i found myself with, I finally finished the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson. Again, reading the biography of Steve Jobs relates back to how failure leads to success in a way that one cannot predict. With his ouster from Apple, and off to setting up NeXT and later investing in Pixar, the twists and turns of fate that led him back to his final successes in Apple.

Call it genius, call it luck, call it fate? There can only be one Steve Jobs with his 'reality distortion field', sheer will and charisma.

Anyone else, one would only call them a disruptive, anal, micro manager.

That is why Steve Jobs is a genius of our time because he did pull it off.

Or did he? Only time will tell where his legacy will be in 30 years' time.

Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants

Now that my stay in New York is almost coming to an end, i am heading off with a big eating spree..

Hakkasan - a London transport - one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. Known for its modern Chinese cuisine. We headed for brunch.. and I had one of the loveliest experiences ever. Absolutely stuffed. Gloriously happy.





Exhausted after the first phase of my project migration ended, i wandered subconsciously into Le Bernardin. I wanted a drink, a light snack, a name to drop when i got back home. The 'light snack', a lobster cappuccino (Lobster Cappuccino; Celeriac Soup, Lobster Foam, Perigord Truffle) was so good that it evolved into a 4 course tasting menu. There you go, the story of why i am so broke this month.

But no regrets, i never had such a fun time eating until i ate there. Before coming in, i always thought that it was an overly glorified seafood restaurant. Afterall, if the produce was fresh, no wrongs can ever be done. Boy did i underestimate them. It was like learning to eat again. The light flavors, the contrasts in the mouth and the textures just made me smile. I hereby worship your name Eric Ripert.



Shaved Geoduck Clam; Smoked Edamame Mousseline, Wasabi-Citrus Emulsion

Caviar and Shellfish Medley; Yuzu Scented Custard, Smoked Bonito Broth

“Ultra-Rare” Arctic Char; Truffled Peas and Favas Butter Lettuce-Tarragon Emulsion 

Dark Chocolate Cremeux, Kirsch Bavaroise, Belgian Kriek Beer Sorbet