My sister, Susan, is an inveterate traveler and I am a dyed in the wool stay at home. But since we live almost a continent apart, we meet occasionally for a restorative visit. She is usually the instigator and I the willing cohort. Recently she called to ask, "How would you like to go to Quintana Roo?"
"Australia?!"
"No, Mexico, the Yucatan."
"When?"
"Next month ."
So, before I could really think about it, I had dusted off my passport and we were on a plane from Houston to Belize City. Actually, there was a small group of us whose ultimate destination in Quintana Roo was Rancho Encantado. Customs was a breeze since almost everyone spoke English. Belize, before it came of age was British Honduras and there are many hangovers from that period.
Our ultimate destination in Quintana Roo, was Rancho Encantado and our small group was met at the airport by three tanned, smiling people from the Rancho who whisked us off toward our adventure. It was reassuring to have these knowledgeable souls not only to drive us, but to shepherd us through the borders to be crossed. After three hours of small towns, farms, casitas, stretches of dark sand and jungle we turned into the driveway of the Rancho and found ourselves in another world.
We went straight to the main palapa , a large room with a high, conical roof of palmetto fronds, open on three sides. My first impression was of flowers and color. There was lively conversation around the bar and we were given a glass of the best sangria that I had ever had. We met more members of the Rancho team and the other guests, were shown to our casita so we might freshen up before dinner.
These private small houses are white stucco with red tile roofs. They are airy and open with a hand painted mural on one wall—different in each casita. Overhead fans cool the sitting and sleeping areas. There is a small kitchen area with a fridge, sink and a large dispenser of bottled water. The bathrooms have a huge shower and are in the lovely ceramic tile in which Mexico excels. If there is not a hammock on your porch, one is only a few yards away! Incidentally, string hammocks are surprisingly comfortable.
The food at Rancho Encantado is delicious. Breakfasts are buffet with fresh fruits, cereal, yogurt, coffee and freshly baked breads. Dinners are memorable, no matter how much one has traveled: Salads, soups (cucumber, avocado, gazpacho), paella, flans. Table settings are informal for breakfast and lunch with striped Mexican serapes and handmade mats as table covers. At dinner, the atmosphere is more formal with bright linens, crisp napkins folded into new shapes each evening, black wooden service plates, pretty china and hand blown Mexican glassware. Coconuts split in half are used to serve the delicious salsas served at most meals.
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A slow walk around the rancho gave us time to notice the exquisite attention to detail in every respect. The landscaping is beautiful with flowers everywhere.
Much of the food served is raised on the premises and the very capable man in charge of landscaping has been at the rancho since the beginning of development. The lawn is the sort that one sees in magazines —beautifully maintained. It's hard to believe that a few years ago this was a jungle. In the main palapa there is a fountain surrounded by greenery supplied by live, sprouted coconuts. Hibiscus blossoms are picked daily, made into arrangements to be placed in the casitas, on the tables in the palapas, beside the spa, and individual blossoms are put on the ends of bayonet plants!
The spa, new this year, was designed by a well known artist who was in residence during the construction. Beautiful ceramic tile in shades of green dominates both the tub and the wall which semi encloses it. Art work and flower arrangements adorn the typical Mayan altar built into the wall. The other side allows a view of the splendid laguna with trees which grow over the water, boulders and smooth pebbles along the shoreline and in the shallow water evoking a Japanese garden.
The people who work for Rancho Encantado obviously feel a pride in being there, in assuring that the visitors enjoy themselves and see the best side of their part of the world. They are an efficient team. It appeared that they did not rely heavily on job descriptions. Rather each of them did what needed to be done. The beautiful photographs of flora, fauna, archeology sites and a small model of one of the sites displayed in the main palapa are works done by the employees.
Visits to the Mayan archeology sites deserve an article by themselves. There are trips to several newly excavated sites and rainforest preserves, led by expert guides. The week that we were there, several were scheduled. At the beginning of the week, Ray, one of our hosts, gave us a brief description of each one and provided sign up sheets for each. In the evenings, the adventurers would regale us with tales of the splendor of these little-known sites as well as the wildlife they had seen such a exotic birds and monkeys.
For the energetic visitors, kayaks, canoes and surf sails are available. But what Susan and I excelled in was rock hopping. This consists of jumping into the perfect water of the laguna and standing on one of the huge rocks and looking about to find another and moving to it. This is a wonderful way to move about and to observe slowly. The water is a perfect temperature. It feels refreshing and is cool enough for serious swimming. Most surprising is that one does not look like a prune after considerable time in this laguna.
The owners and business partners Susanna Starr and Ray Childers, are proud of the positive impact they have on the local economy, not only by employing local people, but by dealing with local vendors for necessary supplies and suggesting places in the area for the tourists to visit and even taking them there. Perhaps the very best part of this vacation was meeting these two partners whose dream culminated in this charming and beautiful setting . Susy, the gracious hostess, who makes everyone feel welcome while keeping an eye out for their comfort and Ray, the genial, affable raconteur who reigns supreme at the dinner hours. Two people who dreamed the impossible dream, then rolled up their sleeves and made it come true!
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