Quinta Avenida

Quinta Avenida (or 5th Avenue) is the main thoroughfare here in Playa del Carmen. The condo I'm staying in for the next two weeks is right on the corner of 5th Avenue and Calle 14.  I mentioned yesterday that this primo location was a big benefit and I absolutely do feel like I'm right in the heart of all the action!

On the downside, music and partying was going on until at least 2am last night! I'm an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of gal, and late-night partying has not been my thing for..   well, forever.  I never have been much of a partier..  so while it's exciting to be in the midst of this never-ending party, last night when I heard a sax playing at 2am, I thought...  maybe being in this spot was not such a great idea after all.

I realized this morning that there was still a lot of Dia de Muertas partying going on, so maybe it will be quieter tonight.  I asked one of the street vendors and he told me that since the pandemic things usually quieted down by 10:00 or 11:00. He went on to say, with a wink, that if things got loud tonight he would tell everyone to keep it down.

Other than the late-night partying, though, I love seeing the huge variety of shops, restaurants, and street vendors. Everything is so colorful and festive! 

The weather was beautiful today and I enjoyed getting my 10,000+ steps in by browsing the full length of 5th Avenue and the beautiful beach that runs parallel to 5th Avenue.  All the street vendors want to show you their wares so they are great people to practice my Spanish with (Though they often don't take 'No Gracias' for an answer even though No is the same word in Spanish and English!). But they are very friendly and flirtatious and I love being able to try out my Spanish, even if I am getting it wrong most of the time.