By Kara Mae Adamo.
It’s our first night in Playa Mujeres.
Dark clouds blotted out the late afternoon sun around 5pm, and while Carrie took a much-needed nap, I enjoyed watching a thunderstorm rolling in from the Gulf.
Night life here in Mexico starts later than it does in Florida. Dinner doors don’t even open until 8 and the whole event lasts until nearly midnight.
Tonight I chose to spring for the Chic Cabaret dinner show at the resort connected to ours. We hopped into a golf cart and were taken across the property to what is considered the “village mall”–basically a collection of bars, restaurants, and shops fit snuggly against the coastline and the internal waterways that connect the resorts themselves. If we had remembered, we actually could have taken little gondola style boats to and from the hotels as well.
Maybe next time.
The moment we stepped inside, we were greeted by a girl wearing a caged hoop skirt that held champagne glasses. She handed us one each as we were led into the main building and brought to our table. The menu was prefixed–with dietary restrictions in mind–and was split into 5 separate courses throughout the night.
They took care of my allergies really well and were receptive to my pescatarianism–both of which are often issues with a prefix situation. I should note that, while the cabaret night was an extra (nominal) fee, the actual food itself was considered part of the all-inclusive package. These resorts operate much like a cruise would. You basically never swipe your card.
On stage, there was a white baby grande piano.
Throughout the night, extraordinary singers and dancers dazzled the crowds by singing universally beloved favorites (Sinatra, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Abba, etc) as well as pieces in their native Spanish, interchangeably.
It was great because there was enough familiarity for us to relate to it, and yet regional pieces were peppered in so we felt as though we were getting a cultural experience, as well.
The show included dancers, acrobats, silks athletes, and unreal vocal ranges. A burst of color and feeling and tone, the performers were incredible: their enthusiasm palpable.
The voices on these people–what an incredible combination of both gift and skill. And–I am by no stretch of the imagination a dancer–but man, do I have respect for it.
At the end of the night, they invited everyone in the audience on stage to dance with the performers–the whole thing erupted into a gigantic party that bled into the bar next door.
It was a fantastic way to kick off an impromptu long weekend in Mexico, and I definitely recommend it as a way to start your vacation in Playa Mujeres.
Kara Adamo is a globe-trotting ex-bartender, booze nerd, and booze writer. She is the author of Fancy Grape Juice: De-Snootifying the World’s Snootiest Beverage; Artimals: Coloring the Whimsical Wild; and Brews & Hues: A Coloring Book About Beer. Adamo is also a UX writer and UX designer. She is currently working on the 2nd edition of Fancy Grape Juice.
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