Woke up with a headache, but not as bad. Could have been the sun or not enough sleep.
I fell asleep before the end of a good movie last night though.
Breakfast
Went to the buffet and had a little breakfast. I saw Ursula and her sister and brother-in-law.
She might come with me to tour the condos in Playa Del Carmen today.
Condo Tour
Omar and the condo developers picked me up in an Audi SUV. They were late because of an accident on the new bridge, but Omar called the Bell Boys to let me know.
We talked about the project and ideas for the project on the way there. There were two sets of condos and they are both near each other at the far North end of town. They are decorated very nicely and they will have great perks that come with them. I'm very excited to share this information with my clients.
I also got to see where they are building the new Paradisus resorts.
Lunch
Omar and I walked to a French cafe' for lunch, and one of the developers caught up with us. I had Quiche.
Playa Del Carmen
They offered to give me a ride back to the hotel, but I told them that I would take the collectivo because I wanted to do some shopping. They said to call when I needed to go back, but I didn't want to walk back to the North end of town to get a ride back.
Jorge
My first stop was to see Jorge at his new restaurant in his old location. It is really small, but he's been open for business 3 months now.
Paolo
I stopped to see Paolo at the Jungla Caribe, and discovered that he moved back to Italy. Unfortunately, I only had his e-mail address at the hotel.
Omar
I stopped to see Omar at Rolandi's, but he was on the late shift today and wasn't there yet.
Medicine
I picked up all of the medicine that I needed to get. I guess they didn't stop selling it to us afterall.
Souvenir
I found a really cool ring that I bought for myself.
Collectivo
I walked to the collectivo and took that back to the hotel for only $2.00.
Quiet Pool
Ursula said she'd be hanging out at the quiet pool since she decided not to go to town with me. I checked and she was still there.
I told her about the condos, and we ordered some Banana Milkshakes with Baileys. They were pretty good.
Oops!
We realized that it was already 6:00 and we had to be at dinner at 7:00. We had to rush to get ready again. Cocktails were outside the restaurant first. We sat with a couple ladies from Appleton, WI and some other people we didn't know. Dinner was very weird again. I'm not sure who chooses the menus for the Apple Vacations events, but the food is not normal.
Star Friend
We all went to the lobby bar afterwards to hear Paulina, our Iberostar contact sing. She loves to sing! She is like the energizer bunny. She goes all day long!
12:15 p.m.
Back to the room to pack as they are picking up our luggage at 7:20 a.m.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thursday, May 19th
Migraine
I had a migraine all night because there is too much seafood in the air in every restaurant that we go in. I did like one of the pillows even though I didn't sleep at all.
6:00 a.m.
I should have woken up at 7:00 a.m., but I miscalculated and got up at 6:00 a.m. I was ready and out early. I had breakfast at the buffet and had a good Waiter today. He automatically brought me a new juice, and he was feeding the raccoon some jelly.
After breakfast, I walked around and took some more pictures because Ursula and her sister were getting up early to walk the complex.
Town Hall Meeting
We had a meeting at the Conference Center with Iberostar resorts, Apple Vacations, and Amstar. I gave Paulina, from Iberostar the bath products that I brought her.
Beach
I walked the beach from the Iberostar Grand to the Paraiso Del Mar.
Paraiso Del Mar
Across the path, in front of me ran about 60 Mexican Raccooons. The pool area was really not that crowded. I found a wonderful spot and read my book for a while. I was the only one in the area.
Lunch
I went to the buffet for lunch at the Iberostar Maya. It was so good. I like the food and variety better at the other Iberostars. I had grilled vegetables and guacamole and rice.
After lunch, I put a chair in the pool by the fountain at the Maya and read some more. Naturally, I got a freaky sunburn again.
Back to the Grand
I took the shuttle back to the Grand. I grabbed a drink at the pool bar and brought it back to the room. I sat out on the swing chair on my balcony and read some more.
Group Photo
We had to be at the grand staircase for a group photo at 6:00 p.m.
Secrets Silversands
We took buses to Secrets Silversands where we had site inspections upon arrival. Although I like more authentic Mexican resorts, I thought that this hotel was beautiful. It's really modern and would be great for a young, urban couple.
I forgot my battery on the charger, so Ursula has to share her pictures with me.
Cocktails
They had cocktails for us in an open area near the main pool. Many of the big people from Apple Vacations were there.
Dinner
Dinner was at the outdoor restaurant. It was beautiful, but again, they were cooking seafood. We took a seat near the edge so that the wind would blow and we wouldn't smell the seafood because today was the first day that I didn't have a reaction.
Dinner was Surf and Turf. It was decent. The salad was strange. It looked like someone spit on it and they served the salad dressing in a test tube. I couldn't eat the dessert either as it has Pistachio nuts.
Shopping
The gift shop at Silversands was very nice. They had some reasonably priced gifts. I liked the snowman silver dish and the red pottery. Ursula bought a ring for her daughter.
Return to the Hotel
Everyone was planning on going to the disco, but Ursula and I had no interest. We decided to turn in, and I walked back with two other people and one turned out to be an agent who works for Travel Brokers in New Lennox, which is the agency that bought out the Travel Bag from Kelly. They are also in the room next to me.
I had a migraine all night because there is too much seafood in the air in every restaurant that we go in. I did like one of the pillows even though I didn't sleep at all.
6:00 a.m.
I should have woken up at 7:00 a.m., but I miscalculated and got up at 6:00 a.m. I was ready and out early. I had breakfast at the buffet and had a good Waiter today. He automatically brought me a new juice, and he was feeding the raccoon some jelly.
After breakfast, I walked around and took some more pictures because Ursula and her sister were getting up early to walk the complex.
Town Hall Meeting
We had a meeting at the Conference Center with Iberostar resorts, Apple Vacations, and Amstar. I gave Paulina, from Iberostar the bath products that I brought her.
Beach
I walked the beach from the Iberostar Grand to the Paraiso Del Mar.
Paraiso Del Mar
Across the path, in front of me ran about 60 Mexican Raccooons. The pool area was really not that crowded. I found a wonderful spot and read my book for a while. I was the only one in the area.
Lunch
I went to the buffet for lunch at the Iberostar Maya. It was so good. I like the food and variety better at the other Iberostars. I had grilled vegetables and guacamole and rice.
After lunch, I put a chair in the pool by the fountain at the Maya and read some more. Naturally, I got a freaky sunburn again.
Back to the Grand
I took the shuttle back to the Grand. I grabbed a drink at the pool bar and brought it back to the room. I sat out on the swing chair on my balcony and read some more.
Group Photo
We had to be at the grand staircase for a group photo at 6:00 p.m.
Secrets Silversands
We took buses to Secrets Silversands where we had site inspections upon arrival. Although I like more authentic Mexican resorts, I thought that this hotel was beautiful. It's really modern and would be great for a young, urban couple.
I forgot my battery on the charger, so Ursula has to share her pictures with me.
Cocktails
They had cocktails for us in an open area near the main pool. Many of the big people from Apple Vacations were there.
Dinner
Dinner was at the outdoor restaurant. It was beautiful, but again, they were cooking seafood. We took a seat near the edge so that the wind would blow and we wouldn't smell the seafood because today was the first day that I didn't have a reaction.
Dinner was Surf and Turf. It was decent. The salad was strange. It looked like someone spit on it and they served the salad dressing in a test tube. I couldn't eat the dessert either as it has Pistachio nuts.
Shopping
The gift shop at Silversands was very nice. They had some reasonably priced gifts. I liked the snowman silver dish and the red pottery. Ursula bought a ring for her daughter.
Return to the Hotel
Everyone was planning on going to the disco, but Ursula and I had no interest. We decided to turn in, and I walked back with two other people and one turned out to be an agent who works for Travel Brokers in New Lennox, which is the agency that bought out the Travel Bag from Kelly. They are also in the room next to me.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
May 18th
The shuttle comes every half hour at the Hilton Garden Inn, so that was easy. It was cold and rainy in Chicago this morning, so happy to leave.
When I checked in, I reserved Ursula an aisle seat across from me, and good thing I did! Apparently, a bunch of USA3000 employees called in today, and by the time she was in line, they only had one person checking in the Cancun flight because the Punta Cana flight was scheduled to depart earlier, and they had a million people that they were trying to check in. A bunch of people, including Ursula, didn't get through check-in and Security until the plane already began boarding.
The flight was uneventful and we got through Customs very easily. Apple had a large bus waiting for the Crystal Agents with cold beverages.
My room was ready, but Ursula's wasn't, so she put her stuff in mine so we could go to lunch. We were at lunch just a little after noon. That wasn't my favorite buffet or waiter, but we will see what happens tomorrow. I think there's a larger buffet.
After lunch Ursula and I toured the Iberostar Paraiso Maya and the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo. The two properties share the same pools and restaurants, but all rooms at the Maya are Jr. Suites.
Then, we walked over to the shopping area and got a crepe and some coconut ice cream. After that, we had the golf cart pick us up and bring us back to the Iberostar Grand so that we could go to the pool.
By the time we got out there, the weather took a turn and it was sort of dark and windy. When I got to my room to organize my belongings, it did start to rain.
I ordered a couple pillows from the pillow menu and the Butler brought them to me to try. He also brought me a cord so I could use the internet in my room, which is 7029....Ocean Front!
Pillow Menu
They have a pillow menu at the Iberostar Grand, and I ordered two different pillows to try. If one works, I might buy one.
Cocktails
We had to meet at 6:30 for cocktails. There were representatives from Apple Vacations and Iberostar. They had appetizers and drinks, but we had a dinner reservation at 7:00, so we didn't have much time.
Italian Restaurant
They made us individual reservations, but when we got there, they said it was a table of "10." We told them that we were on our own tonight, so they gave us separate tables. Kind of weird! It's our only night free too, so we didn't want to sit with anyone.
Ursula and I tried 3 different dishes....Saltimboca, Veal (which was the best) and Vegetable Cannoli. Our Waiter, Eduardo, was very friendly.
Ursula's Sister
After dinner, we met up with Ursula's sister, who is staying at the Grand for her 10 year anniversary. Her husband wanted to watch the Bulls Game, however, so we went to the lobby bar for a while. Then we went to the Iberostar Maya to the snake bar, but it was empty, so we went to the show at Iberostar Lindo, but it was a Mayan sacrifice. We checked out some stores and vendors and took the shuttle back to the Iberostar Grand.
Ursula and her sister have the strangest nickname for each other. It is "scrutiny." Not only do they call each other the same name, they address each other every time they are going to speak to one another.
When I checked in, I reserved Ursula an aisle seat across from me, and good thing I did! Apparently, a bunch of USA3000 employees called in today, and by the time she was in line, they only had one person checking in the Cancun flight because the Punta Cana flight was scheduled to depart earlier, and they had a million people that they were trying to check in. A bunch of people, including Ursula, didn't get through check-in and Security until the plane already began boarding.
The flight was uneventful and we got through Customs very easily. Apple had a large bus waiting for the Crystal Agents with cold beverages.
My room was ready, but Ursula's wasn't, so she put her stuff in mine so we could go to lunch. We were at lunch just a little after noon. That wasn't my favorite buffet or waiter, but we will see what happens tomorrow. I think there's a larger buffet.
After lunch Ursula and I toured the Iberostar Paraiso Maya and the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo. The two properties share the same pools and restaurants, but all rooms at the Maya are Jr. Suites.
Then, we walked over to the shopping area and got a crepe and some coconut ice cream. After that, we had the golf cart pick us up and bring us back to the Iberostar Grand so that we could go to the pool.
By the time we got out there, the weather took a turn and it was sort of dark and windy. When I got to my room to organize my belongings, it did start to rain.
I ordered a couple pillows from the pillow menu and the Butler brought them to me to try. He also brought me a cord so I could use the internet in my room, which is 7029....Ocean Front!
Pillow Menu
They have a pillow menu at the Iberostar Grand, and I ordered two different pillows to try. If one works, I might buy one.
Cocktails
We had to meet at 6:30 for cocktails. There were representatives from Apple Vacations and Iberostar. They had appetizers and drinks, but we had a dinner reservation at 7:00, so we didn't have much time.
Italian Restaurant
They made us individual reservations, but when we got there, they said it was a table of "10." We told them that we were on our own tonight, so they gave us separate tables. Kind of weird! It's our only night free too, so we didn't want to sit with anyone.
Ursula and I tried 3 different dishes....Saltimboca, Veal (which was the best) and Vegetable Cannoli. Our Waiter, Eduardo, was very friendly.
Ursula's Sister
After dinner, we met up with Ursula's sister, who is staying at the Grand for her 10 year anniversary. Her husband wanted to watch the Bulls Game, however, so we went to the lobby bar for a while. Then we went to the Iberostar Maya to the snake bar, but it was empty, so we went to the show at Iberostar Lindo, but it was a Mayan sacrifice. We checked out some stores and vendors and took the shuttle back to the Iberostar Grand.
Ursula and her sister have the strangest nickname for each other. It is "scrutiny." Not only do they call each other the same name, they address each other every time they are going to speak to one another.
Hilton Garden Inn
I spent the night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Des Plaines using their Park, Sleep, 'n Fly program. River Road is still under construction because the casino is going in 2 doors away, but the hotel was very nice. It's 100% smoke free. It was very busy, but everyone was very nice. The only thing I didn't like were the pillows that were way too high!
I didn't sleep a wink because I had to wake up at 3:30 a.m. and I was afraid I wouldn't get up even with the alarm set and a wake-up call scheduled.
Sheila and I had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant in Edison Park before I went back to the hotel. I went to her house to see her pictures from Hawaii too.
I didn't sleep a wink because I had to wake up at 3:30 a.m. and I was afraid I wouldn't get up even with the alarm set and a wake-up call scheduled.
Sheila and I had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant in Edison Park before I went back to the hotel. I went to her house to see her pictures from Hawaii too.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Iberostar Grand FAM
Everyone knows that I can't stand the word "ain't." It sounds ignorant, but this is just a play on words. Besides...I will be staying at the Iberostar Grand Paraiso in the Riviera Maya from May 18-21, 2011. This is a trip that our agency won for being a platinum agency with Apple Vacations. I wish I could say that it will be all play, but they already have some work cut out for us including site inspections.
My co-worker, Ursula, will be there as well. She is one of the outside agents.
My co-worker, Ursula, will be there as well. She is one of the outside agents.
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