The Coast News (Page 1)

OCT. 19, 2012
RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
Reflections and serenity in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
MACHEL
PENN
SHULL
Machel’s Ranch
I brought a wardrobe
with me to Playa del Carmen.
Usually when I travel to
Mexico, I travel light. As my
husband slept last night, I
arranged my outfits perfectly
in the wardrobe. I tried on my
various outfits for the trip
under the silence of our
thatched roof in our hotel
room.
The humming of the ceiling
fan added that “white
noise” effect that felt like a
Zen meditation moment in
the wee hours of the morning.
Then I actually did meditate.
You know, like Julia Roberts
did when she played
Elizabeth Gilbert in “Eat,
Pray, Love.”
I sat with my legs
crossed, my back straight and
I took in those deep types of
breath you forget to breathe
in everyday normal life. The
cold Spanish tiles added
another layer of mystery to
the ambience surrounding
me.
During this time of
reflection much gratitude
emerged from my heart. An
overwhelming sense of how
special it is to be alive; to
share, to experience, to commit
to this moment and open
your soul to feel the power of
love.
After meditating, I laid
down on the hard mattress in
the darkness of the night. I
could see bits of light streaming
in from the outside
behind the drawn curtains. I
stared up at the A-frame
thatched roof with thoughts
of how my journey has taken
me here to Playa Del Carmen
in the silence of this place,
the foreign surroundings with
the smell of sea salt mixed in
with moisture dangling above
me. The white sheets seemed
oddly ethereal in the dark.
What is this life but a
vapor? Do you know that passage
from the Bible? That’s
how it feels right now. Like
life is so precious. Like each
moment needs to be savored,
loved, held onto so I do not
forget the textures, the smells
and the feelings that imbue
me.
Life can be incredibly
short. That’s what I want to
tell you from Playa del
Carmen. So make each
moment count. Be soft. Be
bold. Be real. Feel something.
Don’t numb yourself to the
beauty because there is so
much to be thankful for each
day.
Tell someone you love
them. Thank you for reading
my column. I am grateful for
you. Thank you for that.
Around town
On Oct. 13, Robin and I
crossed over an International
border by foot. What we did
not know is that the border
we normally cross over was
being remodeled. This meant
extra walking involved.
Picture me running in
high heals in my black mini
skirt with Robin close behind
running as fast as we could
across the new makeshift
ramps to cross over into
Mexico. When I saw the sign
ahead, you could say I felt a
sigh of relief.
Next was the quick cab
Just one example of the Mayan ruins in this region Photo by Machel Penn
Shull
Playa Car in Playa Del Carmen in Mexico. Photo by Machel Penn Shull
Robin and Machel Shull on vacation in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Courtesy photo
ride through Tijuana. Robin
spoke to the cab driver about
their newest president in
Mexico. Then he asked about
our election. It seems as if
there is no escaping the political
banter right now, not
even in Mexico.
We arrived at our gate to
find the doors locked. Luckily
for us, the flight attendant
took pity on us and let us
cross over onto the tarmac to
board the plane. We soon flew
off into the sky with beads of
sweat still dripping off of our
foreheads.
Our plane first landed in
Puebla, Mexico. Luckily we
didn’t have to connect there.
This flight was headed to
Cancun.
Later that day, we
arrived at Cancun airport. We
found a shuttle and then rode
with a Polish couple to Playa
Car in Playa Del Carmen.
Playa Car is like The Crosby
of Rancho Santa Fe. Cobbled
streets, lined with Mexican
villas amidst the most beautiful
tropical jungle. “Where
the jungle meets the
Caribbean.”
We tried to make small
talk with the other couple,
which failed miserably. I've
never felt so “Californian” in
my entire life in a way that
did not feel appealing. The
good news is we did not stay
at the same resort with them
Morning in on the beach in the Mayan Riviera. Photo by Machel Penn Shull
and were able to wave goodbye
forever once we made it
to our resort.
On Oct. 14, Robin and I
walked through Playa Car to
the nucleus of town. Imagine
bright colors, palm trees and
balmy weather lining the blue
sea. We walked everywhere.
We had researched many boutique
hotels before coming
here. So we stopped in at each
one just to see what they
looked like in person. What
fun.
We then had the most
delicious Americana over ice
at Starbucks. (Hate to say it,
but I've never been happier to
be inside of a Starbucks!) We
shopped. We walked. We ate
delicious skirt steak with a
mean hot green salsa on the
Crossing over the International border into Mexico. Photo by Machel Penn Shull
side. This trip has felt like a
variation of wonderful side
dishes. The little things that
add so much to the experience.
Later that day, we
walked back to our resort and
swam in the green sea. The
sun had set with streaks of
orange bursting through the
clouds. The gentle waves
lapped over us late in the
evening. It seems as if we
were on a different schedule
than the rest of the resort.
Everyone had gone in for
dinner and we were now
swimming in the sea. The
white beach lined with
lounge chairs were empty. I
floated with my ears submerged
under the crystal
clear water, while watching
B11
the small clouds float above
me.
Another peaceful
moment where life felt as if
all had added up to that one
moment of perfection and I
felt nothing but love for all.
Then the sun had set.The
lavender horizon met the
green sea in such tranquility I
cannot fully describe the
beauty of it in words. Some
fear Mexico. However, the
trick is to know where to go,
how to travel and what to do.
I am writing this to you
right now from the hotel computer.
This moment is fading.
The one of writing my column
in a new and unfamiliar setting.
This moment is magical
for me. I want to say thank
you dear readers for reading. I
look forward to returning to
Rancho Santa Fe and sharing
more stories with you.
If you have a wonderful
one to share, please contact
me. I would love to hear from
you.
If you have a fun event you would like
Machel Penn to cover, contact her at
mpenn@coastnewsgroup.com.
One of the many excursions to do
when you visit Playa del Carmen.
Photo by Machel Penn Shull