Other than slight delays leaving DC and a 25-minute delay in leaving Charlotte, the trip into Cancun was largely uneventful. It was fairly easy to see the impact the pandemic has had on air travel with several closed shops and restaurants in the Charlotte airport. Thankfully, most travelers appeared to be following pandemic masks rules.
After a 45 minute trip from Cancun airport to the Hilton Playa del Carmen, vacation officially commenced. While I’m unsure of how many rooms are on the property, the property is large — comprising several large buildings and several pools. Temperatures were taken when entering the property and when I entered the fitness center this morning. Guests appear to be complying with mask mandates inside and in common areas at the restaurants.
On Saturday afternoon I had an opportunity to sample of a couple of snacks at Aromas Coffee Shop, margaritas from a poolside bar. I had dinner at Maria-Marie. I started with the scallop aguachile, grilled scallop pickled with lime juice, and served with Manzano pepper and mango sauce.
My main course was grilled salmon served over mushrooms and black-eyed peas. It was served with a large dollop of dill infused creme fraiche, strangely reminiscent of tarter sauce, but it was a delightfully prepared and presented dish.
The resort left me chocolate mousse cake at some point after I checked in. Rather that try a dessert at Maria-Marie, I decided to grab a small serving or strawberry gelato from Aromas.
The Accidental Treasurer 