It sounded good because it had a pool and advertised a good location close to El Centro and the bus station. All true. In addition, there was an outdoor restaurant with a nice bar around the pool and a friendly and helpful young man owner who was not native ( he was from Flint Michigan originally - another reason I liked him) but was fluent in Spanish and patient with my Spanish communication. He and his business and life partner, Jafet, a non-English speaking local
were good tour guides and helped me find both cenotes I visited and the day spy retreat Zentik Project ( see Valladolid - Cenotes and another unusual water feature).
I enjoyed the pool twice - once in the late afternoon after being out in town in the heat. I went in for a 30 minute treading water exercise session and stayed for 45 minutes because while there I enjoyed the leading edge of a thunderstorm. Black clouds, strong wind, light rain followed by heavy rain which sent most of the restaurant
guests away but I was already wet, so decided I might as well stay in. When the thunder and lightening arrived I got out and was offered Tequila by the two guys still sitting under the palapa by the bar, but I declined in favor of returning to my room to take this picture of the pool, rain and hostel layout from my balcony. The second pool experience was after midnight on Saturday when I returned from the Zentik Project day outing. Trevor and Jafet had friends and we all went in to cool off ( I was still in my bathing suit from the cave swim and it was still hot at midnight.)
I would have stayed at Pulpo Hostel the whole nine nights in Valladolid except for a couple negative points:
1. Most important, there was no comfortable place to sit outside my room on the balcony
( this would have been a good spot with a hammock or a lounge chair but the 4 month new hostel provided neither) or by the pool ( the only chairs were straight back plastic chairs meant for the restaurant ) and the room was pretty hot - the ceiling fan was worthless, but the floor fan made my stay tolerable for the five nights I was there.
2. Trevor and Jafet played loud electronic music in the outdoor bar and restaurant at night - annoying!
3. The trickle of water ( never mind it was cold water, it felt great!) from the shower head was not really strong enough to wash my hair, but I managed.
I was on the fence about whether to gut it out for my remaining four nights because the location, price and people were enjoyable. But on the fifth evening, the music turned into an even louder more annoying DJ and the trickle of water ran dry while I was shaving my legs in the shower and I had to exit the shower with conditioner still in my hair. I though about the shower scene from one of my favorite dumb movies Zack and Miri Make a Porno, but decided that idea was worse than simply being sticky!
So on Monday morning I packed early and left on good terms with Trevor. I told him I enjoyed change and exploration " Me gusta cambiar y exploración" which is absolutely true! I mentioned the lack of water and he said "Again?" Guess I made the right choice to move!
I had already scoped out quite a few other hotels during my walks around town. I would pass one that looked like a possiblity, enter and ask the reception desk "Tiene cuartos disponible por una persona por cuatro noches en el lunes? Sometimes I would get a look at the room which also gave me a look at the public spaces which is what I was looking to improve over my Pulpo Hostel experience. I learned the price of the room was also negotiable - one person speaking Spanish and staying for multiple nights resulted in a price decrease from $600 to $500 pesos per night at Hotel Don Luis where I decided to go.
Moving day was the day I had plans to meet up with Cesar ( see Valladolod - la gente). During breakfast he mentioned his friend has AirBNB lodging and he was taking care of it while she was out of town, so had a key. Would I like to see it". I said sure, but ultimately chose the hotel I had picked out because it was closer to the school and the central plaza where I could eat and shop.
I found Hotel Don Luis when I passed it on my way to Cenote Zaci. It was closer to central plaza than Pulpo, just as close to school, and had an in-ground pool which I didn't get to use too much because it rained in the afternoon three of the four days I stayed there. I did get to sit out by the pool on the lounge chair a couple times. This hotel actually had hot water, and a TV on which I watched CNN Espanol and The Hunger Games dubbed in Spanish. I also did a lot of knitting in the room because of the rain, and could dash put easily for food.
I enjoyed staying at this hotel. But have not a single picture to show for it. I think it might be because
I didn't stop to talk Spanish with the hotel staff here like I did at Pulpo and Posada Isla Mujeres until the last day when I needed late checkout (and the owner gave me longer than I was asking for.) But I did find time to make a return trip to Pulpo on my final night in town to say goodby. I received a shot of tequila and a goodbye toast offered to all the bar guests by Trevor. Then I climbed up to take this farewell picture
and discovered too late that the chair was broken. I fell and bloodied my left shin pretty bad. (This picture was taken after three days and Dr. Lupita declared me "on the mend" but it kept me out of the water in my next stop, Playa Del Carmen)
I was given triage medical care by one of the toasters at the bar, and stopped at a farmacia on my way back to Hotel Don Luis for some proper tools for the actual medical care needed.
I'm not sure the photo was worth the price, but Pulpo Hostel was a good memory non-the-less.
Tequila is dangerous.. haha
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