It is not likely that one would guess these two to be related. And, even harder to imagine —that the pug is the big mutt’s mom. How is it possible that this big fellow came from the little mama? But so it is. And you only need to watch the antics that Squeeker gets up to with his mom to know that she is his mom, for only an offspring would get away with his bugging behaviours.

Living on the outskirts of Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in a new gated condo complex, this pair was eager for their daily jungle forays. Squeeker loves nothing more than chasing a chew toy, or even a jungle stick, keeping up the hot pursuit until he collapses in exhaustion. Meanwhile, mama Ladybug is a sniffer, obsessively following her nose and scenting onto the most delectible plants. She wouldn’t want those wild jungle dogs to get the upper hand, or paw.

Despite the daily tasks of caring for these two over the Christmas season 2018-2019, my partner Aaron & I found time to explore our suburban neighbourhood, though sticking close to home at the residents’ pool provided a pleasant pastime also.

A fenced dog run on the condo property was an attractive option for a bit of off leash sniffing for Ladybug and athletic play for Squeeker. Though we didn’t get photos, Squeeker was learning to consecutively navigate the three circuit jumps during our two weeks with him. Smart boy.

Christmas morning found us on an outing with the dogs in the neighbourhood. Not surprising, the only open espresso spot was our local Om Cafe Móvil. Not only did we find the espresso truck open for business, we enjoyed delicious croissants with our espresso. Our friendly barista, Antony from Venezuela, very enthusiastic in his service, was patient with our limited Spanish. Antony even brought out water and food for the dogs. For our Trip Advisor review of Antony’s coffee truck: EXCELLENT ESPRESSO, EXCELLENT SERVICE!

Who would think that the best Montreal style bagels to be found are in suburban Playa del Carmen? It’s true — below see the bakers in action at Robin Bagels, proprietors a Mexican/Quebecois couple who really know their bagels!

Aaron enjoys one of our several bagel lunches during our two weeks with Ladybug & Squeeker. Not a big fan of bagels myself, I was surprised to find myself almost as enamoured of these bagels as my partner. Chewy, tasty, with a variety of seedy possibilities — delicioso!

Also in the neighbourhood are to be found plenty of economical Yucatan food outlets, Oaxaca Mia Cafe as another espresso source (and where we purchased rich, dark espresso to bring home for a fraction of the cost), a Tamaleria run by a smiling Venezualan family, and doubtless much more that we did not have the time to discover.

As far as the famous Avenida Quinta, the thriving centre of Playa del Carmen — well, you will just have to discover it for yourselves. We did spend an afternoon investigating the spotless white sand beaches and thriving commercial centre, but the scene proved less than attractive to us with its desperate hawkers and party-loving crowd of tourists.

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** I will add that we successfully replaced a broken keyboard, a lost pair of specialized glasses and enjoyed delicious, inexpensive sushi in the downtown area of Playa, so things can be accomplished that are not possible in the more authentic reaches of Mexico.

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Below is perhaps my favourite Playa del Carmen photo — and one which demonstrates most succinctly our enjoyment of the pet sitting aspect of our travels. We have yet to encounter a pet we didn’t fall for.

December/January 2018/2019