Joelle!!!!

Our week had been full of nonstop chitchat about Joelle's holiday with us. What would we do? Where would we go? Would she like Mexican food? And most importantly... Would the weather hold out?

When you travel the world, you miss friends at home like crazy, and when someone comes to visit you, the pressure is really on. You want your friends to have the best time with you, to experience a little slice of the life that makes you so happy.

The day went slow, and we were itching with excitement. It had been over 6 months since we'd last seen familiar faces from home, and we couldn't wait. We'd estimated the arrival time and taken refuge in a bar whilst we waited. Every time a person with a suitcase crossed the road, Jamie would run up to the ADO station to see if it was the airport bus.

After 4 beers and no Joelle, we realised our calculations must have been flawed somewhat. We decided to both go to the bus station and wait. No sooner had we walked through the door, an aeropuerto bus pulled in. We peered in at the weary travellers queuing to get off the bus, and amongst the tired faces, we saw our little Joelle.

Divided by the barrier that separates ticket holders from the riffraff, we had long anticipated cuddles. Once she'd retrieved her bag from the rabble, we headed straight onto 5th Avenue and into the lights and noise of Playa.

Ignoring the many touts, we headed out towards our end of town, stopping briefly for Joelle's first Margarita in Mexico at Yo Taco and catching up on each other's lives.

Putting the jet lag to one side, we dropped off her bags in our flat and headed out for some traditional Mexican fare at El Fogon. Having heard rave reviews about this local taco bar, we thought it would be the best place to start Joelle's Mexican adventure.

Dumbfounded by the scale of the huge menu, we ordered up a sharing platter... this was a bit of an error. As impressive as it was to look at, the meat was tough, and each char-grilled cut tasted the same. I looked on enviously at the people with their individual well-cooked portions.

The massive Margaritas took the edge off the disappointment, and Joelle seemed very content not to be eating aeroplane food, so all was not lost.

Trying to get the most out of every moment, we headed up to BeHotels for a rooftop nightcap and started to make some plans for the week. First stop would be Mahahual...

‍