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The Best of Both Worlds: The Beach And The Jungle |
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by Mari Pintkowski and Sherry Harvey
![]() We marvel at each blossom that seems to open before our eyes as we gaze around the jungle from our third story dining room or while soaking in our outdoor tub. The magenta orchids and brilliant red and white bromeliads create a collage of color to delight any eye. We are visited each day by yellow, green and turquoise birds that flit from tree to tree in search of berries and fruit to wet their appetites. They create a concert of sound as they go about their task. ![]() Our day begins with a walk with our dogs around our sacbaes (limestone paths) that wind in and out of the jungle surrounding the house. Today our guests have requested an early breakfast so that they can arrive at Coba ruins before the buses pull in. I head off to the comedor (dining room) located beside the cenote-style pool with a sturdy basket packed with dishes, colorful linens, and all the side dishes to enhance the ![]() After breakfast we say good-bye to our guests and begin to make plans for the day. Lou thinks he will move the new fruit trees to a sunny location, and finish the table he started building last week in his wood-working shop. I have a plan to edit an article I am writing, and hang the bead sculptures I made for the trees along the jogging paths. ![]() Spontaneously we decide to make a new plan and go to the beach to visit our friends who live at Punta Soliman in an oasis of their own creation. Upon arrival at their B & B, Maya Jardin, we enter a meticulously built wall that far surpasses the beauty of the Mayan / Toltec walls that surround the Tulum ruins. The bougainvilleas, hibiscus and other plants that hug the puzzle-like wall are sheltered from the dusty beach road. They have taken hold in the sandy soil and are filled with blossoms. Immediately we hear the trickle of the Mayan fountain and notice a joyful sound emanating from a nearby palapa. Several tables of hotel guests are enjoying a late breakfast. As we proceed down the paths lined with colorful plants toward the house we are overcome by the natural beauty of the place. It doesn’t take long for Chloe, the house dog, to frolic toward us with a friendly greeting. Jeff and Sherry are not far behind. They are setting out the kayaks and snorkel gear for their guests to discover the mysteries for the reef after breakfast. Some guests are already sunbathing at the pool, listening to the tropical birds and the waves softly slapping the beach. ![]() ![]() On our way home we realize that visitors to the Riviera Maya have access to the best of both worlds: the beach and the jungle. We invite you to visit and share our adventure in both worlds. Why not let us create a package that includes a few nights at each piece of paradise? Mari Pintkowski lives with her husband, Lou, in Macario Gomez at their B & B, La Selva Mariposa. Contact them at www.laselvamariposa.com and Sherry and Jeff are the innkeepers at Maya Jardin and soon to be open Playa Belleza. |
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