WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!

After a year long treacherous search, we finally closed on a house yesterday, June 25th (half Christmas!) The Man and I could not be happier. We are thrilled and excited for this new adventure!! As an interior architect myself and the Man being an engineer, we plan on using our knowledge to the best magnitude! Can't wait to see how it comes out!

(Our first home!)

Beyond excited,
The Lady

What's eating the Lady up this week!

The big thing that's been eating me up lately is our newest venture, buying a freakin' house. It's more like what's been bugging the heck out of the Lady lately. Buying a new house. Seems easy enough. Nope, not in California and certainly not in Los Angeles. This market's a fighter, and we have been losing badly. So far, Market +4, the Lady & the Man 0.....

Recently, we came upon a beautiful Victorian home marvelously preserved since 1900. It took our breath away and we knew right away that we wanted this house. Fast forward a few weeks, we won the bid!!! It was a big deal since we've never won any bids and always lost against cash offers or investors. We were ecstatic. The only problem is, we haven't won it completely. It's a probate sale home, which means by law it has to be publicly auction after a bid has been accepted. If no one bids on the house, it's ours.

This seems like nonsense to me. If we won the bid, we won the bid. Apparently it doesn't work like that. And it's been making me crazy and on-edge for about a month as we wait for this auction date. Now with the auction date being tomorrow, I am a nerve-racking, exhausted, antsy mess. I WANT the house! We have searched for a year now, isn't that enough real estate gods?! Give us a break and let us win this house! Pleaseeee.

Irritated but hopeful,

The Lady

My Furry Babies

Taking a little break from the travel posts. Here's a post dear to my heart. Some people might think I'm crazy. Sometimes the Man thinks I'm crazy because I love my Roborovski hamsters so much. But I really do, they are the cutest darnest little pets. I love my baby boys so much. Ever since I was a kid, I've had pets (bunnies mostly) so I have a warm place in my heart for cute little creatures. They bring me such joy in my life with their cute little smiles and round bums as they eat their food or run around their cage.

Before these two boys, there was Hamilton. Our very first Roborovski, who we loved and sadly had to put down last October. He had such a funny personality, it was infectious. In fact, these Punas have such different personalities from Hamilton, it's kind of interesting. Little puna is the sweetest little critter, he'll melt your heart. Every morning, he'll pop his little head out of the house, and with the cutest look on his face, runs right to the glass edge, his face begging for banana chips or dried cranberries (two of his favs). Fat puna, which we call out of love and affection (because he's bigger and plumper), is my shy boy. He'll only come out of his house when no one's around or when I'm giving treats. Sneaky little guy he is.

(The Punas first day home)

(Little Puna)

(Fat Puna)

(Little Puna eating his favorite banana chips)

(Little Puna excitedly jumping around)

Hamster Mama,

The Lady

Dos Ojos Cenote

We almost didn't make it to Dos Ojos, mostly due to transportation and the confusion of how to get there. Thank goodness the Man convinced me! He's more of the "go with the flow" kind of guy. I'm glad he's my partner in life because if it weren't for him, I don't think I would be as adventurous. The Man loved this place. In fact, he probably wanted to come here again. Actually, what he really wanted to do was go diving in the Cenotes. We only got to snorkel at Dos Ojos, but next time I think the Man's going full blown Cenote Diving!

We took the collectivo (a van that locals take, which is really cheap ($30 pesos) and runs along Hwy 370) from Tulum to Dos Ojos. We were pretty nervous about the collectivo, but it worked out just fine and dropped us off at the entrance. We didn't have a car so we needed transportation to the Cenotes. Admission plus transportation cost $400 Pesos ($300 for both of us, $50 one way transportation). I expected a car to take us to the Cenotes. Nope, this is Mexico. Basically a piece of crap bicycle/motorcycle/rickshaw/whoknows took us to the Cenotes (about 4km/2miles) and let me just tell you, it was a scary, bumpy (when I say bumpy, I mean hold on to dear life!) ride!!!

(Entrance to Dos Ojos off Hwy 370, about 20 minutes from Tulum)

(a rusty makeshift rickshaw-looking ride, super ghetto!!)

Once we got to the first Ojo, we were mesmerized and forgot all about the ride in. Crystal clear blue fresh water. A natural cave, full of clean cool water! Gorgeous! Go early because it really does get crowded quick. It's not a very big pool, we spent maybe an hour to hour and half there. The Man wished he went scuba diving there. It was awesome to see the divers descend into the water then make their way into the caves with their flashlights. Really awesome. It was almost like they were explorers going into a dark abyss. Pretty amazing stuff here.

The second Ojo is much bigger and longer, but a little darker. Not as much sunlight in this cave, due to it's smaller opening. Lots of people here too. Because the second Ojo is in a round formation, there's a nice little courtyard area, which is kind of jungly. The Man spent a lot of time in this one, went far into the darker back areas, went all the way to the end, which is the Seco (dry) Ojo. The formations of the limestone underwater are the most amazing thing ever. They are all sorts of shapes and sizes, some smooth, some bumpy, some sharp. There were numerous stalactites growing from the cave ceiling, some hung low, some were huge! You kind of had to be careful when you surfaced from a snorkel to make sure not to hit a stalactite because that could do some real damage to your head.

Being underwater in a Cenote and look at all the limestone formations and stalacitite made me realize, what we see with our eyes is only a small percentage of what is really available to see. There is a whole different world, whole different scenery and experience down below the caves than what is up above the water. It truly was mystifying and sort of spiritual and spooky at the same time.

(First Ojo)

(First Ojo, clear blue water)

(First Ojo, cool fresh water, gets crowded quickly!)

(First Ojo)

(The Man freediving in the Cenote)

(Sign underwater that states "forbidden to cross with snorkeling, diving only. 80 minutes long cave")

(Scuba divers getting ready to go into the caves)

We realized it was about close to 5pm when we were done with the 2nd Ojo. We walked back to the entrance gate of the Cenotes to find that the guy at the station/kiosk was gone already!!! We were supposed to call for a ride back to the entrance entrance. Now we were stuck!! And I sure as hell was not going to walk that dirt road, 2 miles back in wet clothes!!

Thankfully, a nice lady who rented out snorkel gear was still there, and she manage to call the front desk for pick up.....she then tells us in broken English (but very nice), they will be here in 10 minutes in a white car.........10 minutes rolls by, 20 minutes rolls by, 30 minutes rolls by, 40 minutes rolls by. Now she is even getting anxious, packing up her stuff to leave for the day. Thankfully, she calls the front desk again and probably ask what the heck?! They said they'll be there soon....she kept saying "andale" which means hurry, which is all I caught. She then leaves us to go home for the day. Now we are really abandoned with no phone or transportation.......fantastic!!!We waited for another 10 minutes, no one came for us. Thankfully, a taxi happened to show up!!! We didn't risk it, paid 50 pesos and got the hell out of there! We didn't care about getting a refund for our transportation, not that anyone was there anyway.....

Other than the customer service hiccup with transportation, all in all, this was a fantastic day and experience. I would highly recommend the Cenotes to anyone adventurous. 

Adventurously, 

The Lady

(The Man and the Lady, a funny selfie of us where you can't even tell we're underwater)

Mayan Ruins In Tulum

Part of what makes Tulum so famous is the Mayan Ruins off the coast. Easy to get to, easy to get around, and just absolutely breath-taking. Word of advice: Go first thing in the morning!! Right when they open at 8am!

I cannot stress this enough. It gets SO freaking crowded by 9:30am, oh boy, the Man and I were glad to be outta there! Not to mention, HOT HOT HOT!!! I don't mean just a little sweat, I mean blasting hot & humid winds and unforgiving sunshine. It is smoldering!!

Other than the heat, it is a gorgeous place. It's one of the famous landmarks that Tulum is known for so it gets crowded quickly. There is only 1 big ruin, that is the "castle" back in the Mayan days. You cannot go anywhere near it because they are restoring it currently (bummer), but it is quite beautiful. The ruins are pretty small, so you can probably walk around the whole park in a good hour or so. It kind of reminded me of being in Rome, seeing the Coliseum in all its glory and beauty today. But smaller scale, of course. I love ancient architecture like this.

We opt to do a self-guide. Which was fine, because we just read all the captions and walked around at our own pace. The most stunning thing about the ruins is the coastline. If you're not into architecture and archaeology, go for the views. They are amazing. Words cannot describe the colors of blues you see from the cliff. The ocean is just magnificent.

The beach is just right there, and you can take the stairway down to go for a swim. It was high tide when we went so we didn't go down, but I've heard people do. The ocean just looks amazing, it's one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.

We were done at about 10am (we got there at 8:30am) and there were herds of people coming in via bus. All the tour groups must get there around that time. Thank goodness we missed that!

(coastline of Tulum from the Ruinas, stairway down to the beach)

(coastline of Tulum from the Ruinas, steps down to the playa)

(The Ruinas)

(The Ruinas)

Architecturally amazed,
The Lady

The Caliente Pit Called Tulum

Tulum is deceiving beautiful and pristine but my goodness, it was a fire pit. Hot, muggy, humid, stiffiling and many more words for miserable hotness are probably the best words to describe Tulum. Don't get me wrong, I think it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. White sand beaches, quiet and not too touristy, hip boutique hotels, turquoise waters. It's amazing. But boy did we suffer.

(Beach right in front of our hotel at sunset)

(Beach and palapas in front of our hotel)

We would definitely check out Tulum again but do note folks, it's much more expensive than the Playa or Cozumel. In fact, around the hotel strip, food and taxis are overpriced and frankly a rip off. We split a cab ride with a fellow couple from our hotel one day because they thought the taxi ride was mucho dinero too. For a 10 minute ride from the intersection of Hwy 370 (where the corner 7-Eleven is) to the hotel row, it cost over 100 pesos! Yikes! 

(Our hotel Playa Kin Ha's outdoor sitting area)

However, it is hard to argue, this place is expensive but gorgeous. How can you be upset when you have a view like this at breakfast?! The waters of Tulum were a bit rough, but still warm and nice enough for a cooling dip. We swam in the ocean a bit, relaxed on a hammock and just took it easy.

(Playa Kin Ha's dining area. Gorgeous views!!)

Tulum is known for it's Cenotes and archaeological ruins from the Mayan culture. I'm glad the Man and I got a chance to see and enjoy Tulum, even for a short time. The rest of our trip did not have views as stunning as these and it was not as relaxing either.

(Our hotel Playa Kin Ha's outdoor sitting area)

Daydreaming,

The Lady

Tres Pelicanos, our Dive Op

Where do I begin, where do I begin. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this Dive Op. Tres Pelicanos is truly an amazing, kind, patient family feeling Dive Op. I cannot wait to dive with them again!!

(Servando and Chan Fran probably discussing where to go today)

Being freshly certified, I was a bit hesitant and anxious about diving in general. I signed up for a refresher course with Servando, and that all disappeared in a flash. There are probably not enough nice adjectives to describe what kind of a person Servando is. He is so friendly, so sweet, so patient (really patient), so understanding and outgoing, down-to-earth, and clearly, enjoys his job and has a great passion for diving. You can just see it in him, the moment I met him, I knew he was a great DM. They don't call him the Maestro for nothing!! During the whole week of diving with him, we passed many boats and they always shouted out "Maestro"...a neat nickname!

 

   (Servando the Maestro)

 My first diving experiences were not very good (in SoCal) so I had a bitter taste in my mouth about diving. Even wondering if it's really for me. That all vanished when I hit the waters of Cozumel. Warm, crystal clear, abundant with life. It was astonishing. This is what diving should be like. This is why people are hooked. Servando was my personal DM on our first boat dive, and he was phenomenal. He showed us all the nooks and crannies and where to find all this sea life. He even took me down to about 110 ft, which I didn't notice until later. I was really surprised and exhilarated! Before Cozumel, I didn't go any where beyond 30ft!! He later said he took me that deep to overcome fear and anxiety, that 110 ft is just the same as 50 ft. No difference in the water. We spotted a barracuda, sea horses, turtles and many different fish. It was just mind-blowing how wonderful and life-changing this experience was.

We dove the whole week with Servando and the very last day with Jorge. Did I mention the Tres Pelicanos staff is a good majority of the reason why this Dive Op is so popular and amazing?! Chan Fran, oh my goodness. Heart of gold. This man will smile at you and radiate your whole day. An amazing captain navigating the choppy waters. He's so great, I cannot even begin to describe. He always took my BCD from the water before I climbed up the ladder to get into the boat, he always knew to find us after The Man and I surfaced, he always assembled my gear swiftly and promptly, and most of all, he was also laughing and smiling, even on the rainiest days. You cannot ask for better customer service than that. 

(Chan Fran on Skinny Shark, replenishing tanks for the next dive)

In fact, the whole staff is like that. From Servando to Chan Fran to Willie and Pony, they are all great. The last day, we got to dive with Jorge for a change, and though his style is alittle different than Servando's, he's a sweetheart just as much. He'll always check on you with his little rattle thing in the water, always made sure that I had enough air for my safety stop and made sure I was okay. Our last dive was at the Santa Rosa Wall with Jorge, and I must say, that was the best dive out of all the dives we did that week. It was so calm and quiet (the drift), and there was so much to see. It was probably also me finally feeling comfortable enough to dive confidently, but gosh, it was gorgeous.

(Jorge with the weights)

The DMs really know where to take you and what to see. They have been navigating these waters for a really long time and know exactly where the good stuff is. They work with all levels, both beginners (like myself) to seasoned divers and everyone in between. I really could not rave about Tres Pelicanos any more. The Man had a great time diving with them too. He also did a night dive with Servando, which he states was the best dive so far. Way different than a day time dive, much more marine life. The Man was so thrilled about all these dives that he is already thinking of getting Advanced OW certification!

Epiphany: I cannot wait to dive again in Cozumel and dive again with Tres Pelicanos. It's amazing to hear stories of fellow divers on the boat, who have followed Servando around as he changed Dive Ops over the years. It makes sense. I would do the same!

Bubbles,

The Lady

   (The Lady, photo credit The Man)

Comida in Cozumel

Lady here. First off, I must mention that I love lobster and pretty much all kinds of seafood. The Man, not so much. He'll have sushi and maybe a little bit of salmon or lobster but that's about it.

So seeing that lobster was pretty much on every menu in Cozumel and the Playa, I was in heaven. Though Caribbean lobster is not quite the same as Maine lobster. Maine lobster is sweeter and had more body I would say.  

We found some pretty good eats thanks to TripAdvisor and Foursquare. The highlight was probably the Lobster and Bacon sandwich from Le Chef Cozumel. However other places we ate at were just as good. Especially the al pastor tacos from Los Sera's. 

Cozumel is definitely safe enough to walk around at night. We walked all over town looking for places to eat and we never felt like we were in danger. The locals were really nice in fact. Even sometimes giving us recommendations. Just watch out for the mosquitoes at night. They are relentless.  

   (Lobster and bacon sandwich from Le Chef Cozumel)

   (Al pastor tacos with a slice of pineapple on top from Los Sera's) 

   (The guy cutting the al pastor and pineapple for the tacos! Made to order
at Los Sera's)

   (Grilled skirt steak with a side of beans and guac from La Choza. This was basically gringo food, but good gringo food I must say)

 (This image is a bit dark but it's al pastor tacos with Pozole soup to the right from Los Otates. Everyone, including fellow divers, raved about this place and the Pozole but honestly it wasn't that good)

  

  (The Man's breakfast and his leg. Basically a Mexican version of steak and
eggs with a side of rice & beans and a coconut/pineapple
smoothie from La Girasoles. Really nice and modern place with AC!)

Drooling,

The Lady

Scuba diving in Cozumel

Our latest obsession is Scuba Diving.

After a painstaking and frightening experience getting Open Water certification (at least for me), we finally went on our first scuba diving trip to Cozumel, Mexico. I was a bit nervous of course, but heard many great things about Cozumel diving. It is supposed to be one of the best in the world. 

    (On the boat looking out at the ocean before our dive)

And it sure did not disappoint. Ever ounce of fear, hesitation, anxiety, fear, fear, fear (of death and drowning, did I mention fear?!) disappeared in a flash. This is how scuba diving should be. This is how it should feel. Not in a hood and a 7mm full wetsuit in 58 degree cold ocean water in SoCal. Scuba diving should be in a 2mm shorty in 80 degree warm ocean water with a slight drift. Perfection.

    (The Dive Master and the Lady passing through some corals)

Epiphany: One of the beautiful and life changing things about scuba diving (other than the beautiful sites) is meeting new people. Making new friends, meeting fantastic Dive Masters, hearing fellow divers' stories and experiencing diving with divers of all levels from all over the world. I came to a realization at how wonderful this new experience is. It's really life changing. How many people get to meet and rub shoulders with people from England, Brazil, Alabama or Colorado at once? How lucky are we?! It brings me great joy that this new opportunity has come into our lives! 

   (On Skinny Shark, the Tres Pelicanos' dive boat) 

So blessed,

The Lady

Okay, let's go!

Well here goes!

We love traveling, the beach, the mountains, the metropolitan city, we love food and all kinds of it, we love movies and music and our beautiful home town, Los Angeles, for its always gorgeous weather, its eclectic diversity and all its nooks and crannies. We love our families and our little pets and our friends. Our lives are so blessed to have the ability to travel and create all kinds of memories, here in LA and around the world. Follow our journey!

Affectionately,

The Lady