Chichen Itza Yucatan Mexico

A big 'must do and see' on everyone's list has to be Chichen Itza. One of the Wonders of the World. The Mayan Pyramids are shrouded in mystery and pilgrimed by thousands of visitors every year.

According to the Mayan Calender the world doesn't end, but the Mayan Calender does, in the year 2012. Which is this year. Nice. What are they going to do with all the out of date calenders, I wonder.

When booking your tour you can pay anything from $50 to $150, so shop around. We paid $50 and got a wonderfully comfortable Coach, with a fun tour guide and we also stopped at Balankanche Cave, which is amazingly beautiful and feels very spiritual. A Mayan girl showed us how to make corn tortillas from scratch and you get a glimpse of how Mayan people still live in Yucatan in harmony with nature so close yet so far from  modern life.

Lunch is also included as is the obligatory trying to get you to buy their expensive souvenirs at the shop that  is more expensive then everywhere else. But I'll let that one go, because we got to taste lots of Tequila while we were there.

Finally arrived at Chichen Itza, make sure you have a sun hat and are lotioned up high factor. There is a lot of open space and it gets very hot when the sun is out.

In and around the grounds are lots of souvenir vendors and it's fun bartering with them. The moment the tourists start to leave everything gets suddenly very very cheap. You may find yourself with bags full of strange little carvings that will weigh heavy in your suitcase, but they did only cost you a couple of dollars! Well... I did.

Crab House Restaurant Cancun

My colleagues keep talking about this Crab House Place and how nice it is meant to be, so I went to see for myself.

Located right opposite the Casamagna Marriott Hotel by the Nichupte Lagoon, this makes a perfect alternative once you've run out of Restaurants in your Hotel.
If like me, you love Seafood, what better place to eat it, then overlooking a Lagoon.
Jesus my waiter tells me that in the evening the Crocodiles come to the little Marina right in front looking for food.
I suggested maybe they would like some tourists, but he insisted they like chicken better.

Once seated comfortably on the terrace, another waiter brings a large platter with fresh seafood. The catch of the day he calls it. On it there is a huge Lobster tail, some filleted fish, large Shrimps and various Crab Claws. 

Stone Crab is the local speciality here, always fresh, never frozen I'm being told, and it comes in 3 sizes and highly recommended.

The waiter explains that the Club House Seafood Platter for 2 can also be done for one. Well he must have read my mind!

Grilled Fish (on the right), cracked Stone Crab (right in front), Alaskan Crab Claws (the long ones on top), grilled Lobster tail meat (on the left) and Butterflied Shrimp (top right) served with some Rice and steamed Veggies as well as Garlic Butter and uhm Butter.
Then Jesus read my mind again and brought me some fresh Habanero Sauce and Lime Wedges.

Once I finished I wanted to start again from the beginning.

I will come again. Just have to save up some dollars. You guessed correctly, it wasn't cheap. But worth every penny especially with the excellent attention to detail and friendly banter from the Waiters. This is a restaurant where you are made to feel like you are having a wonderful time as well as eating wonderful food and admiring a great view.

Here is their website in case you are salivating now: 

Crab House Cancun

Marriott Casamagna Cancun

This review is not so much about the Casamagna Hotel, but actually it is about the Breakfast Buffet in it's La Capilla Restaurant. I have probably mentioned this a few times when I talked about where the inspiration for some of my Mexican dishes came from. Well, this is the place.

This morning they had Cochinita de Pibil on the Mexican Corner along with Tortilla Soup and the usual Mexican Hot Chocolate. There were also Chimichangas with Potatoes and Chorizo, Quesadillas, Refried Beans of course and multicoloured Tortilla Chips. Churros and local cakes and sweet delicacies can be found in the Bread Corner.

I have recreated the Cochinita de Pibil already, so not much new inspiration for me today.
Here is my recipe, if you would like to know more: Cochinita de Pibil

For tomorrow I hope they will have my favourite Chicharonnes en salsa verde. A dish I haven't yet managed to recreate due to lack of ingredients. We just don't have Tomatillos in the UK. But watch this space.
What I like most about this Breakfast Buffet, is that everyday you'll find something new and different. If you are Mexican you are probably laughing at me now, thinking how normal all these things are. For a food loving European girl like me, it's all very fascinating.

Did I mention that they also have an omelette station, Bacon and Eggs, Fruit and Cereal,  Breads and Cold Cuts, and they even have a Japanese Corner with Sushi and Miso Soup. It's kinda hard not to love it.

Ok, I will just say that the beach in Cancun is very lovely as well and has the most amazing colour blue Water. There have been reports of Shark Attacks here, so I don't recommend swimming far from the shore. Just to keep the balance, the Lagoon on the opposite side of the strip harbours Crocodiles. Lovely.

Doesn't that just make you want to order a bucket of Coronas!

Should  you wish to go and visit this Hotel with it's delicious Breakfast here is a link to their website:

Casamagna Resort Marriott Cancun

Mexican Chocolate and Vanilla Cookies

Here is a recipe with Ingredients I brought back from Mexico. Vanilla, Mexican Chocolate and Brown Sugar from Barbados. These easy to make cookies are delicious and keep for a long time in your cookie Jar. If you hide the cookie Jar!

Ingredients:

150g Bajan Brown Sugar

200g slightly salted Butter (at room temperature)

1 Egg

2 tsp Mexican Vanilla Extract

300g plain Flour

20g Mexican Chocolate

Cream together the Butter and Sugar with a wooden spoon. Beat in the Egg and Vanilla Extract.

Sift in the Flour. Bring the mixture together with a wooden spoon, just lightly so not to overwork the flour too much as that could make the cookies tough.

Take half of the cookie dough and spoon onto a sheet of cling film. Mold it and roll it into a sausage shape. Grate the Chocolate into the other half of the dough and mix lightly, for a marbled effect.

I nearly ate the cookie dough, it was so yummy...

Shape into a sausage in clingfilm as well.

Chill these in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 175C.

Line a baking sheet with geaseproof paper and lightly dust with flour.

Unravel the Dough and cut into 3 mm discs.

Space them out on the baking sheet.

You will need 2 baking sheets or do it in 2 parts.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Once the edges turn a golden brown they are ready.

Cool on a wire rack and don't eat them all at once!

A Bonus Picture from our little tripette to Chichen Itza.