One day, in mid-June, we heard a rumor that the beach clubs were opening back up in Tulum. After being confined to our condo, having to be our own chefs, cooking our meals and our own bartenders, making our drinks, we were determined to go see for ourselves if this rumor was true.
To our excitement, it was! And we quickly became Tuluminati’s and set out on a quest to visit every beach club down the beach road in Tulum. We were in heaven! Still with no tourists, the beaches were filled with locals, and everyplace had discounted local pricing. It was our lost paradise found again! (stay tuned for future blogs with all the details on all of these Tulum beach clubs!)
But sadly, that didn’t last. Tulum had mistakenly opened back up before they were supposed to, and everything shut back down again. So back to the rooftop bubbles and cocktails we went! At least this time we were able to bring a couple friends along with us (and they loved my daughter’s Jello shots!). We had a great time getting to bond with our friends who are normally working 6 days a week, 12 hour shifts.
By the end of July, the state of Quintana Roo had reached a “safe” level and certain things were allowed to open back up again at reduced occupancies. We quickly booked a stay at our favorite resort in all of Riviera Maya – Hard Rock! It was weird, to say the least. Our first exposure to “other people” and you still had to keep a six foot distance from them. People we had once hugged and kissed, we were now tapping toes with to say hi – but hey, at least we were out of the house and back to something that felt normal again.
And as other things began to open back up, we started to once again feel human. Actually going to a restaurant, sitting down for dinner and drinks. Taking advantage of all of the resorts offering deeply discounted rates for day passes for locals. Discovering the joy of laying out in the sand (you know, because they still weren’t offering chairs). Things we had once taken for granted were now something to be cherished. I guess that’s not a bad thing. It’s a reminder of how blessed we are to be living in a place so beautiful. To have a life that others only get to experience on vacation.
Of course, masks are mandatory everywhere. You can’t get into a store, restaurant, or beach club without having your temperature checked, your shoes cleaned, and your hands sanitized. You still have to stay a “safe distance” from others (even the parking lots are set for safe distancing, with X’s for “do not park” on every other parking spot!).
By August, it was time for my daughter to go back to LSU. Sad for me, but happy that I was able to spend so much time with her, even though I missed my husband, my mom, my other children, family and friends. But I do get to see them again! Stay tuned for Part Four of Quarantined in Paradise!
BarefootBikiniBeachlife 