(Above: A morning activity on July 23, 2026: I played cards with Padre. Una actividad matutina del 23 de julio de 2026: jugué a las cartas con mi papá.)
7/19/2026: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Climates between Florida and Mexico (Cancún area) virtually the same.
On the morning of July 19, 2026, my Padre and I checked the cows as usual. En la mañana del 19 de julio de 2026, mi padre y yo chequeamos las vacas como de costumbre. 
A picture of Padre during the car ride to the airport. Una foto de mi papá durante el viaje en carro al aeropuerto. 
Jacob indicating his flight to Cancun. Jacobo indicando su vuelo a Cancún. 
The coffee makers in the back of the plane. Las cafeteras en la parte trasera del avión. 
Lunch consisted of two slices of homemade pizza bread, accompanied by a cup of red wine. The pizza was delicious. El almuerzo consistía en dos rebanadas de pan de pizza casera, acompañadas de una taza de vino tinto. La pizza estaba deliciosa. 
A picture of Padre after we arrived in Mexico. Una foto de mi papá después de que llegamos a México. 
Photo: Jacob walking towards the sea and the Catalonia swimming pools. Foto: Jacobo caminando hacia el mar y las piscinas de Catalonia. 
A photo of the Caribbean Sea on July 19, 2026: There was a lot of seaweed. Una foto del mar Caribe el 19 de julio de 2026: Había muchas algas. 
Our first dinner in Catalonia took place at the Adelita Restaurant. We ate under a dome, and I could hear a man talking and dining at another table 7 meters away, just as he was doing at our table. Nuestra primera cena en Catalonia tomó lugar en el Restaurante Adelita. Comimos bajo un cúpula y pude oír a un hombre hablando y cenando en otra mesa a 7 metros de distancia igual que lo estaba haciendo en nuestra mesa. 
The starter was a tortilla soup with a bean broth mixed with guajillo chili. I also enjoyed a fried plantain stuffed with cheese. Las entrada consistía en una sopa de tortilla con un caldo de frijoles mezclados con chile guajillo. También, disfruté de un plátano frito relleno de queso. 
The main course was mixed fajitas: a fried mixture of beef, chicken, and pork with grilled vegetables. We ordered two plates of this because we were very hungry (especially me). El plato principal consistía en fajitas mixtas: una mezcla frita de carne de res, pollo y cerdo con vegetales asados. Pedimos 2 platos de esto porque teníamos mucha hambre (especialmente yo).
7/20/2026: Today began in the low 70s and warmed into the mid 90s. Sunny day.
On the morning of July 20, 2026, my Padre and I played cards while drinking Pepsi Lite. La mañana del 20 de julio de 2026, mi padre y yo jugamos a las cartas mientras bebíamos Pepsi Lite. 
Some huge pastries at the breakfast bar at the front of the hotel. Algunos hojaldres enormes en el bar de desayuno al frente de él hotel. 
Jacob on the beach on the morning of July 20, 2026: There wasn’t much seaweed. Jacobo en la playa la mañana del 20 de julio de 2026: No había muchas algas. 
Lunch took place at a buffet near the sea. To start, I ate octopus seasoned with guajillo chili, a chicken tamale, a mix of roasted vegetables (corn, peppers, and onions), two grilled tuna steaks, and a salad drizzled with Caesar dressing. El almuerzo tomó lugar en un bufet cerca del mar. Para empezar, comí pulpo sazonado con guajillo, un tamal de pollo, una mezcla de vegetales asadas (maíz, pimientos y cebolla), dos filetes de atún a la parilla y una ensalada rociada con vinagreta César. 
We ate at Mamma Mia restaurant for dinner on the evening of July 20, 2026. The starter was a green salad topped with goat cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. It was drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. Comimos en el restaurante Mamma Mia para cenar la noche del 20 de julio de 2026. La entrada consistía en una ensalada verde cubierta con queso de cabra, arándanos y nueces. Estaba rociada con una vinagreta balsámica. 
A prosciutto and fig pizza that we enjoyed on the night of July 20, 2026. Una pizza de prosciutto con higo que disfrutamos en la noche del 20 de julio de 2026. 
A strawberry gelatin dessert on the night of July 20, 2026. Unfortunately, it didn’t have much flavor or texture. Un postre de gelatina con fresa en la noche del 20 de julio de 2026. Desafortunadamente, no tenía mucho sabor ni textura.
7/21/2026: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into low 90s. Mostly sunny. Quite breezy.
On the morning of July 21, 2026, I enjoyed a pastry and coffee while writing. En la mañana del 21 de julio de 2026, disfruté de un hojaldre y un café mientras escribía. 
The Catalonia beach at noon on July 21, 2026. La playa de Catalonia al mediodía del 21 de julio de 2026. 
A photo of Padre at noon on July 21, 2026. Una foto de mi papá al mediodía del 21 de julio de 2026. 
A little while after that, Padre went to the beach to advise the people on how to use their tractor to clean up the seaweed. Un poco después de eso, mi padre fue a la playa para aconsejar la gente sobre cómo utilizar su tractor para limpiar las algas. 
The main course for lunch on July 21, 2026: A Caesar salad topped with hard-boiled eggs, two pork tacos, and barbecue-style pork ribs. El plato principal del almuerzo del 21 de julio de 2026: Una ensalada césar cubierta con huevos duros, dos tacos de cerdo y costillas de cerdo al estilo barbacoa. 
An iguana sitting like a person. Una iguana sentada como una persona. 
The schedule for the Hotel Catalonia for the week of July 20, 2026. El horario del Hotel Catalonia para la semana del 20 de julio de 2026. 
A house drink: a little tequila, lime, and fresh mint. It was also seasoned with Tajín. Una bebida de la casa: algo de tequila, limón y menta fresca. También estaba condimentada con Tajín. 
To start dinner, I ate a green salad drizzled with something sweet. The main green was watercress. Para comenzar la cena, comí ensalada verde rociada con algo dulce. La verde principla era el berro. 
I included a picture of this because the pipián sauce in the carnitas tlacoyo was delicious. Incluí una foto de esto porque en el tlacoyo de carnitas, la salsa pipián estaba deliciosa. 
The main dish consisted of chicken enchiladas covered in a black mole sauce. They were sweet and flavorful. El plato principal consistía en enchilados de pollo cubiertos con una salsa de mole negro. Eran dulces y sabrosos. 
The dessert was a chocolate taco. It was a chocolate mousse on a thin chocolate tart. To spice it up, there were walnuts encrusted with sugar and lime zest. El postre consistía en un taco de chocolate. Fue un mousse de chocolate sobre un tarta delgada de chocolate. Para condimentarlo, había nueces incrustados con azúcar y piel de limón verd .
7/22/2026: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into low 90s. Mostly sunny. Quite breezy.
On the morning of July 22, 2026, I took my phone to the beach to photograph the seaweed. En la mañana del 22 de julio de 2026 llevé mi teléfono a la playa para fotografiar las algas. 
A photo of the seaweed that washed up on the beach at night. It looked like a bed. Una foto de las algas que llegaron a la playa en la noche. Parecía una cama. 
Privileged. Privilegiado. 
Lunch plate number 1 on July 22, 2026: A green salad topped with grilled fish accompanied by a mix of peppers, corn and onion, all sautéed and combined with a sour cream sauce. Plate número 1 del almuerzo del 22 de julio de 2026: Una ensalada verde cubierta con pescado a la plancha acompañado de una mezcla de pimientos, maíz y cebolla, todos salteados y combinados con una salsa de crema ácida. 
The second dish consisted of Cesar’s tacos, topped with chopped onion, cilantro, fresh salsa, and guacamole. There was also (slow-roasted) pork in the center of the plate. El plato número dos consistía en tacos de César, cubiertos con cebolla picada, cilantro, salsa fresca y guacamole. Además, había cerdo asado (lentamente) al centro de plato. 
The night of July 22, 2026: near the pool of the Catalonia Hotel. La noche del 22 de julio de 2026: cerca de la piscina del Hotel Catalonia. 
The moon on the night of July 22, 2026 (seen through the palm trees). La luna en la noche del 22 de julio de 2026 (vista a través de las palmeras). 
The starter for dinner at the Mamma Mia restaurant was the beetroot and zucchini salad drizzled with a honey and mustard vinaigrette. La entrada para la cena en el restaurante Mamma Mia era la ensalada de remolacha y calabacín rociada con una vinagreta de miel y mostaza. 
An Amari Spritz that I enjoyed before dinner. Un Amari Spritz que disfruté antes de la cena. 
The main course was a piece of lasagna. It had a good texture and quite flavorful, but what I liked most was the amount of meat. El plato principal consistía en un trozo de lasaña. Tenía una buena textura y bastante sabor, pero lo que más me gustó era la cantidad de carne. 
The dessert was a slice of tiramisu. It had a good flavor and an excellent texture. 7.5/10. El postre consistía en un trozo de tiramisú. Tenía un buen sabor y una excelente textura. 7.5 / 10.
7/23/2026: Today began in the high 70s and warmed into the low 90s. Mostly sunny.
A morning activity on July 23, 2026: I played cards with Padre Una actividad matutina del 23 de julio de 2026: jugué a las cartas con mi papá. 
After playing cards with Padre, I went back to the room to write. Después de jugar a las cartas con mi papá regresé al dormitorio para escribir. 
This body cream had a strange label. Esta crema corporal tenía una etiqueta rara. 
For lunch, I started with a green salad accompanied by a sauteed mix of poblano peppers, onions, and corn. Para el almuerzo, comencé con una ensalada verde acompañada de una mezcla salteada de pimientos poblanos, cebollas y maíz. 
The main course consisted of tacos al pastor covered with spicy salsa and guacamole. There was also a pile of slow-roasted beef. El plato principal consistía en tacos al pastor cubiertos con salsa picante y guacamolel. Además, había una pila de carne de res asada lentamente. 
The dessert buffet. (I took this picture to show the buffet to Madre.) El bufé de postres. (Tomé esta imagen para mostrar el bufé a mi mamá.) 
A “mural” made by one of the women who clean here at Hotel Catalonia, using blankets, pillows and a Black Bunny. Un mural hecho por una de las mujeres que limpian aquí en Hotel Catalonia, usando mantas, almohadas y un conejo negro. 
Before dinner, my Padre and I sat by the sea and had a drink. I had a Paloma. Antes de comer la cena, mi padre y yo nos sentamos cerca del mar mientras bebiendo un poco. Tomé una paloma. 
For our last night at the Hotel Catalonia, we had dinner at the seaside restaurant called B’Loved. Here is the menu. Para la última noche en el Hotel Catalonia, comimos la cena en el restaurante al lado del mar llamado B’Loved. Este es el menu. 
To start, they gave us a plate of chocolate bread accompanied by a bowl of butter. Para empezar, nos dieron un plato de pan de chocolate acompañado de un tazón de mantequilla. 
Hibiscus flower tacos served with a small bowl of green salsa. Los tacos de flor de Jamaica acompañados de un pequeño tazón de salsa verde. 
The inside of the hibiscus flower taco. It had a slightly sour taste, but I enjoyed it. El interior del taco de flor de Jamaica. Tenía un sabor un poco agrio, pero lo disfruté. 
Padre ordered the “Ensalada Tibia”. This salad consisted of a mix of lettuces wrapped around mozzarella cheese, confit tomatoes, and pesto. Mi papá pedí la “ensalada tibia”. Esta ensalada consistía en una mezcla de lechugas envolviendo queso mozzarella, tomate confitado y pesto. 
The main course was a medium-rare New York steak. This was accompanied by a small salad and a basket of French fries. El plato principal consistía en un bistec de Nueva York término medio. Esto estaba acompañado de una ensalada pequeña y una cesta de papas fritas. 
My father and I at the last dinner of our trip to the Catalonia Hotel in Tulum. Mi padre y yo en la última cena de nuestro viaje al hotel Catalonia de Tulum. 
A sweet tart dessert covered with a banana cream and custard. Un postre de tarta dulce cubierta con una crema de banana y un natillas.
7/24/2026: Today began in the high 70s (Tulum) and ended in the low 80s (Florida). Quite toasty in both locations. Tulum looked rain, though.
On the morning of July 24, 2026, we started the day with exercises and then a swim in the Hotel Catalonia pool. En la mañana del 24 de julio de 2026, comenzamos el día con ejercicios y luego un baño en la piscina del Hotel Catalonia. 
Before we left, I worked in my “office” while having an espresso. Antes de irnos, trabajé en mi “oficina” mientras tomaba un espresso. 
A photo of Jacob in his “office” on the morning of July 24, 2026. Una foto de Jacobo en su “oficina” la mañana del 24 de julio de 2026. 
The coffee and espresso I enjoyed on this trip: Tenttori. El café y el expreso que disfruté este viaje: Tenttori. 
Padre and I on the way to the airport. Mi papá y yo de camino al aeropuerto. 
This is the plane that took us to Florida. Este es el avión que nos llevó a Florida. 
When I got home, I did some work in the shop and also organized the meat orders for the morning. Al llegar a hogar, trabajé un poco en la tienda y también organicé los pedidos de carne para la mañana. 
After organizing the orders for the morning, I cooked dinner: a stir-fry of ground Indian bison meat and sweet potato. Después de organizar los pedidos para la mañana, cociné la cena: una mezcla frita de carne molida de bisonte indio y batata. 
Dinner: A green salad topped with a sautéed mixture of ground Indian bison meat and sweet potato. There was also cottage cheese, mustard, and homemade barbecue sauce. La cena: Una ensalada verde cubierta con una mezcla frita de carne de bisonte indio molida y batata. Además, había requesón, mostaza y salsa barbacoa casera. 
Dessert: A sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Postre: Una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
7/25/2026: Today began in the mid 70s and warmed into the mid 90s. Quite sunny morning. Clouded afternoon.
The brilliant dawn of July 25, 2026. El brillante amanecer del 25 de julio de 2026. 
A ribeye steak from Wagyu steer number 2,232. Un chuletón que provenía de novillo (Wagyu) número 2,232. 
Some notes from Raymond regarding products that rejuvenate machine seals. Algunas notas de Raymond, sobre algunos producto que rejuvenecen las juntas de las máquinas. 
A box of ground beef from steer number 4081. Una caja de carne molida de res que procedía de buey número 4081. 
Lunch: Boerewors sausage (a type of sausage from South Africa) topped with onion slices and a line of mustard. I placed it on a green salad prepared by Padre. El almuerzo: Salchicha Boerwors (un tipo de salchicha de Sudáfrica) cubierta con rodajas de cebolla y una línea de mostaza. Lo coloqué sobre una ensalada verde preparada por mi padre. 
The central field on the cloudy afternoon of July 25, 2026. El campo central en la tarde y nublada del 25 de julio de 2026. 
Dinner consisted of a Belgian Blue rib steak—number 4081—seared using the reverse-sear method and accompanied by a green salad drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. La cena consistía en un chuletón de azul belga, 4081, dorado al revés y acompañado de una ensalada verde rociada con una vinagreta balsámica. 
This is a sliced red apple sprinkled with cinnamon and accompanied by a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Esta es una manzana roja en rodajas espolvoreada con canela y acompañada de una cucharada de yogur griego.
Final Note: Some thoughts about the July 2026 trip to Tulum, México.
It was phenomenally easy:
- The travel was mostly on time and uneventful.
- Very little to no expectations aside from those harbored within myself.
Food & drink:
- Excellent despite being away from home.
- Healthy selection, great water, great seltzer water on tap
- Digestive system was in excellent health for the entire stay.
Pool:
- Fantastic place to hang out and simply watch people.
- Some dance-time was made available, too. That was great for getting out of the comfort zone and continuing my ‘studies’ while on vacation.
Room:
- Having one’s own room with the ability to perform the nightly regiment on one’s own terms was a great experience. Sleep during this vacation was about as good as it could get. Would definitely recommend separate rooms.
Relaxation and relaxed responsibility:
- Card games with Padre in the morning was a relaxing and fun way to pass time after the morning swim.
- Furthermore, the time spent in the pool and at meals was absolutely unhurried.
- I still wrote every day (while drinking excellent coffee), exercised, and took care of some business, but overall, I rested... and it was downright splendid.
To Madre: Thanks for taking care of the ducks and helping take of the farm while Padre and I were away.
To Padre: Gracias por compartir.
What a gift this week was. Certainly appreciate those that took care of things while we were away. as far as travel goes, I really don’t know how it could have been more stress free. What’s not to like, great food, a great place to be, absolutely phenomenal people. Mexico is my home away from home. I definitely agree on having your own room if even remotely possible. En Espanol, muchas gracias por compartir la aventura tremendousa.