Cancun Mexico

The day after school was out for summer our family left for Cancun Mexico. It seemed strange to leave the newly weds behind, but they had just returned from a fabulous honeymoon and couldn't take any more time off. It seemed even stranger traveling out of the country as a single parent.

Steve was the planner and organizer of every vacation we took. He was meticulous in preparing and planning all the details. I am quite the opposite. I always wait to the last minute to plan. Thanks to Swine Flu my last minute reservations on our Marriott Vacation Weeks , and Delta frequent flyer miles worked out. A free trip! After Steve passed away Ben said, "Who is going to take us on vacation? You can't." I guess I saw going on vacation a quest to prove Ben wrong.

We stayed at the Royal Islander in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, condominium. It was located right on the ocean front. We had 3 sliding glass doors that exited onto porches where we could watch the tides come in and out. It was so beautiful!

Each day was a new adventure. The hotel provided a shuttle that would take us to the different hotels that they were associated with. The kids and I love the ocean. We spent many days at different ocean fronts swimming and playing in the gorgeous blue water. We loved swimming, boogie boarding, body surfing, and looking for sea shells in the sand. The water is like bath water. It is so warm that when you come out, you don't even need a towel to dry off.

In the evening we would take the public transportation system (the bus) down town. We would eat dinner, walk through the mall, or bargain at the flea market. I think my kids like the challenge of bargaining at the flea market. There was a lot of pressure on me as the kids depended on me to get them the very best price.

The kids wanted to spend every day at the beach, but I insisted that we take one day for tours. On Tuesday, we went to Tulum, and Xel-Ha. Tulum is a most interesting ruin site to visit because it is the only Mayan ruin site that has the surrounding walls of the main village still left intact. It is also on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Tulum is a small site, which makes it easy to traverse but by no means is it not any less fascinating than say Chichen Itza or Coba. There are many smaller structures here that can be explored and the beach is considered by many as one of the most beautiful in all the Caribbean.

Xel-Ha is one of the most beautiful natural aquariums in the world. There are so many things to do, you could easily spend the entire day here. You can ride bicycles, explore underwater caves, run the river, cliff jumping, rope swinging, and snorkel, just to name a few. There are several restaurants that you can choose from, and everything is all inclusive.

Since we only had a half a day to experience this magnificent wonder, we had to prioritize our excursions. The older kids ran the river, and spent most of their time snorkeling. There was a beautiful natural reef in the middle of the lagoon, where you could see some amazing fish and sea life. I think our favorite activity was snorkeling. Michael thought it was especially funny when we were snorkeling under a bridge and visitors crossing the bridge above us threw fish food on top of us so the HUGE fish would attack us. Yikes!

Some of the funny moments were:

Riding the public transportation. On our way back to our hotel I realized after the bus had passed our hotel that there is a button you push to get off at our stop. After a long ride down the peninsula, the bus driver finally asked where we were going and took us back to our stop. Oops!

Watching Sarah come within inches of stepping on a very LARGE iguana in front of our hotel as she lead the troops off to an adventure.

Encountering a VERY large snake at the mall. I really don't think people should be allowed to have those creatures loose in public places.

Making fun of the uninhibited, older, intoxicated, crowd at Happy Hour. We liked the free sodas, they obviously liked other things.

Trying to communicate with people that only understood Spanish.

I loved not being able to use our cell phones the entire trip. It made us bond with each other, and make fond memories together. I noticed something about Steve in each of my kids. Sarah, wanted to be in charge and was pretty good at it. Katelyn, worried about the safety of everyone and had her first aid kit ready. Mike quietly watched out for everyone. Lizzy liked making good deals, and Ben entertained us the entire trip.

I hope I passed my test and proved to Ben that I am capable of taking them on vacation, and a mighty fine one I might add.

Repercussions of waking up at 4:30 a.m. to catch our 7:00 a.m. flight.
Aww! Rest and relaxation.

The iguana Sarah almost stepped on.

My favorite.

Katelyn at work.
View out our condo window.
The beach bunch.
Tulum
The Flea Market
Walking the beaches.
Not excited to go home.



Tulum

Xel-Ha