Ostensibly Hoops

[hedge]

For posterity...

[youtube]VrD4P-J3NS0[/youtube]

[aTm]

Bubba Watson has got to be the most overrated player the Americans have.

Really? Are there people who think Bubba is good?

[Jungle Rat]

I'm still laughing at the fact that college basketball means anything before early March.

[hedge]

I get alot of face time in this one. 17 second mark and then again at the 58 second mark...

[hedge]

The fact that I was standing about 20 feet behind the topless woman ensured that I had a lot of photo ops, as seen here...

http://animalnewyork.com/2011/11/drum-c ... bloomberg/

[aTm]

I get alot of face time in this one. 17 second mark and then again at the 58 second mark...

Looks photoshopped.

[hedge]

Looks like a Warhol screenprint of a Hitler face on the flag I'm holding (blocky red mustache)...

[Cletus]

Hedge, I'm glad you are back. I'm going to Cozumel on Friday and, with the demise of WC, I lost your suggestions of things I should do/places I should see. So, please, if you would, let me hear them again. Thanks

[hedge]

Rent a car and drive the whole way around the island. It's only about a 20 mile loop. Along the western side (i.e., starting from town and driving south) are the resorts, but they're spaced pretty far apart (not wall to wall like Cancun) and most of them aren't even visible from the road. When you get to the southernmost tip, there's an open air raggae bar (all the bars on the other side of the island are open air) with beach seating. I say "other side", b/c the eastern side has no resorts and really not much of anything except beach and sporadic bars/eating establishments. They're all good, just meander along the eastern road as you head back north and stop at any or all of them, starting at the raggae joint. There are also a couple of outdoor stands selling various items that make for good, inexpensive souveniers (sp?) and/or Christmas presents, and "coco locos", i.e., coconuts that they chop a hole into and pour in rum that mixes with the coconut milk. Add straw and you're good to go.

About halfway up the other side is a bar/restaurant on top of a promontory that overlooks the ocean, I think it's called Coconuts, but it's not any kind of chain. Very good views from up there and great margaritas, guacamole and ceviche (sp?), but almost anywhere has that (which is basically all we consume while we're there, except for the occasional cerveza). Further up the other side (the northernmost point on that side) are two good spots, Senor Iguanas and Mezcalitos (my favorite for drinks, they have hammocks out on the beach and a couple of books full of pictures of past female patrons topless with the random employee suckling the random boob).

At that point, the road cuts directly west to get you back to the busy side of the island (and also the little town, which actually isn't that little - about 25K population I'd guess). The cruise ships come in on that side and dock to disgorge their lode of tourists/cruisers, and they flock to the town to eat and buy knick-knacks. I try to avoid that scene during the day. There are plenty of good restaurants in town, but we did most of our eating and drinking on the other side. However, they close the road to the other side at night (I think they shut off the electricity over there at night), so it's pretty much town or nothing at night. Also, cuban cigars are available, but definitely buy them from a storefront joint on the town side, they have humidors (sp?) and are much more likely to be selling the genuine article than some beach peddler on the other side (although those guys will try to sell them to you over there). There are also plenty of good spots on the tourist side b/w the town and where the resorts begin) to stop and get drinks and go snorkeling or swimming (not much snorkeling opportunities on the other side, as the waves are much choppier over there).

We stayed at the Fiesta Americana, which is just south of the town. They may have gone all inclusive by now but they do have a decent beach with good snorkeling and a huge outdoor bar about a quarter mile down the road called the Money Bar (right before you get to the Americana - you can also snorkel in front of the Money Bar, or anywhere on the main side, really), but for some reason there was more to see, or so it seemed, in front of the Americana. About a mile past the Americana is a much more rustic place called the Corona, you can definitely can juice up there and snorkel. Also plenty of other little places like that between the main town and the Americana. Basically from town down to the Corona there are tons of little bars, I can't remember the names of all of them, but they're all right on the water and you can go snorkeling right in front of them. Past the Corona is mostly the resort area, there are a few places that welcome the tourists for a fee and are probably a little swankier, but we mostly avoided those and just checked out the smaller joints that didn't have all the bells and whistles.

Have fun...

[eCat]

The fact that I was standing about 20 feet behind the topless woman ensured that I had a lot of photo ops, as seen here...

http://animalnewyork.com/2011/11/drum-c ... bloomberg/

what were you standing on? the backs of hobo's?

[eCat]

turned on the Duke/UT game a few minutes ago. Within 30 seconds of watching it, Austin Rivers did a one on one move where he missed a layup badly, then stood on the wing and did nothing while another Duke player did a one on one move, then UT goes down the court and Rivers gets bumped by a UT players backing up to him, falls down and acts like he took a shot in the guy by Mike Tyson. The UT player seeing a lane up drives and pulls up to dish off to the center where another Duke player flops.

So in about 1 minute of watching I was looking at two Duke players laying on the floor.

I turned it off after that.

[Cletus]

Cool, thanks. I'm going to get a good look at the eastern side of the island while on my bike. It sounds like we should visit there later on in the week. We're staying in a house about 15 minutes south of the town and I bet we'll stick around there during the day which will keep us away from the cruise ship nightmare. Sounds like there is stuff to do in the town after we pass the kids off to my mother in law at night. That's good. I'm very much looking forward to a couple big nights. It's been a long time since I've been able to get after it.

[hedge]

There is great snorkeling where you are staying. You'll probably see a bunch of boats with divers on them a few hundred yards off the beach from where you'll be staying...

[The Anti k*]

Fuck a bunch of hippies...it's time for Memphis/Michigan on the deuce...

You're a good man, Dave. If the late 60's were anything like this pathetic bullshit, I'm ashamed to have been born then.

I think we should Occupy k*rzytheadsville and overthrow the k*aMORONS...

[Jungle Rat]

I was born in the late 60s. I don't get it.

[AlabamAlum]

Bama basketball is 5-0 and has moved up to 13th in the polls. Interesting game coming up Sunday night with Anthony Grant's old team: The VCU Rams.

[Jungle Rat]

What could possibly be interesting about a college basketball game in November?

[AlabamAlum]

Grant Fever: Catch It!

[Saint]

i'm bored with basketball already

[AlabamAlum]

SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!