Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Pros:
- Perfect weather
- Visiting the Mayan ruins of Tulum, perched atop a coastline bluff
- Swimming in the ocean at the bottom of said bluff
- Gorgeous, warm, azure water
- Clean, carpet-like beaches
- Cheap, delicious, authentic local food featuring about 60 fish tacos
- Burning the hell out of my mouth with tasty but caliente sauce on several occasions
- Cheap beers and fruity drinks featuring a lifetime's worth of tequila
- Staying in the well-appointed penthouse of a hotel in the center of the action for 6 nights for the same price as a couple nights in a US hotel
- Evening reading in a hammock on the balcony
- Chilling at the pool and enjoying La Tortuga's Hora Feliz
- Lunch on the beach
- Swimming and cliff jumping in a cenote (freshwater sinkhole pool)
- Witnessing a great friend and his beautiful bride get married
- Rehearsal dinner in a dried-out cenote
- Incredible wedding reception at the Kool Beach Club
- Receiving a rousing ovation complete with maracas from all the guests at my late reception entrance
- Defeating Montezuma's best efforts at sabotage with an overwhelming counter-offensive (see above)
- Friendly, helpful locals
- Communicating in Spanglish
- Learning colorful anti-MFNYY phrases in Spanish
- Attending a reggaeton concert on the beach at night
- Kicking it with amazing people in paraiso
Cons:
- Leaving

