Before all that, I went to a jewelry store to check out some fine Mexican-made pieces. Filming and taking pictures inside the store was prohibited, but I was allowed to film inside the lobby, which displayed some incredible ceramic pieces and decorative artifacts.
Inside the jewelry store itself, they exhibited their own jewelry made from local Mexican silver. The store also had a wide range of other jewelry made from gold, as well as precious stones. The jewelry itself was predictably quite expensive and I did not end up buying anything. The store also had some locally made pieces that were seemingly made of scrap metal. There was a small toy tank made of metal that caught my eye, and I was shocked to hear that the salesperson was asking $600 USD for it.
After the jewelry store, I went next door to the tequila store where it sold many different kinds and brands of tequila, as well as the typical Mexico souvenirs. I also took part in some tequila tasting. At the booth, there were all different kinds of tequila, including blanco (white), oro (gold), reposado (rested, stored between 2-11 months), anejo (aged, stored between 1-3 years), and extra anejo (ultra-aged, stored for more than 3 years). I was able to try all different kinds. The cheaper white and gold tequila was harsher tasting due to the tequila not being 100% pure blue agave (due to the addition of various sugars). The more expensive reposado and anejo tequilas provided a much smoother taste going down my throat. It almost tasted like yummy sap. There was also a decorative bottle with aged tequila, which was worth $900 USD retail, and I was able to try some of that as well. I was also able to try some flavored tequilas, including coconut tequila, coffee tequila, and vanilla tequila, which were quite tasty.
I was in awe at the amount of different kinds of tequila that they had at the store. It was like tequila heaven!
After the tequila tasting, I went and walked around the city of Playa Del Carmen to take in the atmosphere and to do a bit of shopping for people. The city was beautiful and I felt safe. I am comparing my experience here to my experience in Havana, but I did not get too much of an uncomfortable vibe than I did in Havana. When I was shopping in a flea market in Havana, shopkeepers wanting me to go to their booth so I can see what they have would constantly harass me. In Playa Del Carmen, no one really harassed me. There were shopkeepers outside their stores, but they did not say anything, or if they asked you to come in, were nice about it, and were not mad if you denied their request. However, I had some rather uncomfortable experiences when I went inside a couple of stores and when I tried to leave, the shopkeepers would try to beg me to stay or cut deals on some of their products.
After the walk-around, I hopped myself into a bar to watch the Argentina-Croatia World Cup match while enjoying a Tecate. I heard people say some negative things about the local cheap Mexican beer, but I did not mind the taste. It certainly beats Dos Equis.
Cheers!
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