Mar 16, 2009 - Hotel Zone Shopping, Cancun

Monday, Mar 16, 2009

Knowing Lynda’s keen interest in shopping, although she proclaimed restraint on this trip, our plan for the day was to tour the hotel zone’s shopping as a benchmark for future shopping elsewhere, knowing that the hotel zone offers few if any bargains. In as much as we were effectively at the Cancun city end of the zone, our plan was to go to the other end, so that we could do a photo op near the Hilton Hotel of the beach that had been brought to our attention by the tour guide during our inbound trip from the airport yesterday. Then, on the way back, we would drop in on 2 shopping areas:

Plaza KuKulcan
Blvd. Kukulcan KM 13 Hotel Zone

and

La Isla Cancún Shopping Village
Blvd. Kukulcan K.M. 12.5 Hotel Zone

We spent the morning sunning by the pool until maybe 11:00 (our spot was bottom left), before cleaning up for some libations and lunch. The hotel bar is situated near the exit to the pool, with a large surrounding space with tables and wait staff.


The Albatros is the nicest and largest of the restaurants serving buffet style, and has stunning views of the sea and pool.

I do recall our being delayed by a rather extended conversation with an adjacent couple at lunch who were - surprise - each teachers from Ottawa (not to be confused with the teacher from the Simcoe Board who was beside us on the plane or the other teachers from some other board on the plane). Finally, though, we got away for the bus to the hotel zone. Bus fare per person has recently been raised to 7.5 pesos per person (C$0.75). They come by, reportedly, every 30 seconds, something my experience wouldn’t dispute, and they move at a good pace.

Unfortunately, the bus was very crowded, and I was left standing in the aisle and became the target of a team of pickpockets. Even though I grabbed two of them, I had to release them (no response from the driver) with the 4,500 pesos (C$450) I had been relieved of. Had I been more clever, I would have taken their pics for the cops. I had been standing in the aisle, turned sideways, left side to the front, holding the pole above. A Mexican was standing to my left side, bag pressing against me (through which he probably placed his left hand across his body and into my pocket. Then his partner came jostling from my right, in front of those standing, including myself. I knew that this is how pickpockets operate, so checked my pocket as the 2 were exiting and grabbed them and shouted out when I realized my money was gone. They were kind enough to leave the single credit card I had in my pocket, along with room card and camera filter case. Mexico is the one time that I chose to not use credit cards (because of the exchange). Had pickpockets been mentioned, I would have taken more precautions and been more alerts. After the fact, all the locals said that this was not at all normal in their experience.

We then proceeded as intended on our trip, going to the southern end of the hotel zone for a photo op of a beach and bathers we’d seen on our ride in from the airport, on the lagoon side of a steam that was connected to the ocean. Unfortunately, the beach in question was 2 km further than the bus ran and we decided not to walk.

We took a return bus north, exiting just before the Hilton, where there is a fabulous view in multi shades of blues ocean. I don’t know that the picture quite does it justice.

From there, we went to the indoor luxe shopping at Kukulcan Plaza - quite large and beautiful and on the sea side. Located appropriately at Luxury Ave., Kukulcan Plaza shopping mall was built to accommodate an extensive variety of stores which range from Mexican hand-crafted items to internationally renowned boutiques to jewelry stores carrying the finest designer pieces to elegant top-of-the-line perfumes and clothing. The Mall has a modern architectural design and is climate controlled, with free wireless internet connection. There are approximately 70 stores on the ground floor level:

http://www.kukulcanplaza.com/images/Kukulcan-Planta-Baja.jpg

It also has a 2nd floor that we didn’t see. One of the anchors, Luxury Avenue, which we did not enter, operates on both levels:

http://www.kukulcanplaza.com/images/Kukulcan-Planta-Alta.jpg

We left, post-pickpocket fortune unscathed. From there, we walked a block or so north to the Police Station, where I made a pickpocket report, only in the event that others might be alerted. We then crossed the street to the lagoon side, still walking north, and, within another block or 2, we saw La Isla Cancún Shopping. It is the largest shopping center in Cancun. Unless you can speak Spanish, this may not be that useful, but its pics enable you to relate to La Isla:

http://www.laislacancun.com.mx/

An outdoor mall, it's like walking through a Mexican Caribbean Villa, highlighted by a picturesque man-made Venice-like canal, connected to the lagoon, lined on both sides with more than 150 shops. Visitors have a diverse selection of shops and entertainment. It has many name brand outlets and numerous restaurants, and tourists can find Cancun or Caribbean souvenirs. There is also an interactive aquarium in the complex. Lynda bought a Mexican opel pendant after the fellow in the store bargained himself down from US$50 to $30, throwing in a silver Mexican hat pendant after the fact.

I think we made a mistake in not going in the evening, as it has been reported as being absolutely beautiful at night, and it may well be a great place to observe the sunset on the lagoon side. Just the walk about is an enjoyable experience.

We also forgot to visit El Rey Ruins (Zona Arqueologica El Rey), which is in the hotel zone, and represents a photo op, along with its several iguanas.

We returned for supper. Lynda was bagged and hit the hay, while I went down to the hotel lobby to see some hilarious karaoke renditions. The night’s champion was a large, young Canadian, prancing to Keith Jagger’s “Start Me Up”.