Viva la vacation!

We got back from Mexico late Thursday night after having been there since the 17th. We stayed at Secrets Maroma Resort on the Riviera Maya. It was the most amazing vacation (with the exception of our honeymoon) that Brandon and I have ever taken.

We used Cancun Vans to pick us up from the airport and drive us to the resort and then back at the end of the trip. They were wonderful. They were there waiting for us when our plan landed (45 minutes late) and had cold Corona’s ready for us in the van. It was a short 30-40 minute drive to the resort and when we pulled up we received enthusiastic “Welcome home” greetings from the bellhops, cool washcloths for our faces and glasses of champagne as we sat down in the gorgeous lobby to check in.

They upgraded our room to a swim-out suite which was AWESOME! We could walk out onto our porch at any time of day and take a dip in the pool. Each building had a private pool for the 10 or so 1st floor swim-out suites so it was never crowded and in fact I think I only saw 1 or 2 other people in the pool the whole time we were there. Despite the obvious advantage of having a pool right outside your back door, the view was stunning. Especially at night.

We spent our days relaxing on the beach and trading off between swimming in the ocean and hanging out around the swim up bar in the pool.

I took a walk around the resort one night with my camera to capture how beautiful everything was, even after the sun had gone down.

We took a catamaran ride out  from the beach and were amazed how crystal clear the water was. We could see the bottom and we were probably 2 to 3 miles out from the shore. The clarity of the water made us realize how much more we wanted to see, so we went scuba diving off the coral reef that runs along the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. My parents were both avid scuba divers when I was younger and we lived on the coast. I now see why. It was the most amazing experience and I hate that we live so far from the ocean now. Scuba diving in lakes in the Midwest just doesn’t hold the same appeal.

After we went scuba diving we took a trip north into Cancun to ride jet skis out to the coral reef up there and went snorkling. While still fun, it was nothing compared to diving. After snorkling, Brandon and I went for his first parasail ride. It was a beautiful view of the Cancun bay and we were able to see all the high rise hotels that made us that much more greatful that we had chosen to stay farther south and out of any city. The nicest hotel in Cancun couldn’t come close to comparing to the beautiful layout and secluded stretch of beach we had at our resort.

We also took a day trip into Playa del Carmen which was about 20 minutes south of our resort. The streets were practically void of tourists which made the already pushy street vendors seem even more so. They all called out to us trying to get us to come look at the things they had for sale. The few places we did stop had never heard the phrase, “No thank you. I’m just looking.” The merchants never left our sides as they piled more and more items in front of us offering us “very special prices” that were “just for us.” While pushy though, they were still surprisingly polite. It’s quite an art.

We did not try any sushi from the unrefrigerated cart that sat baking in the 100 degree heat waves that radiated off the pavement. “The new way to eat sushi” indeed.

When we couldn’t take the heat of the streets anymore we returned to the restaurant where we had been dropped off to wait for our taxi back to the resort and have a drink.

Awe!

We met a fun couple from Texas (Tom and Cindra) who we hung out with quite a bit. On our last full day in Mexico the four of us took a trip back to Playa del Carmen to experience a bit of night life.

All the bars along the beach opted for swings rather than barstools. At first glance it may seem like a fun idea until you’ve had a few beers and try to swing and your kneecaps get introduced to the bar.

After a very fun and late night we went back to our beautiful room for the last time.

While I was sad to leave I was so excited to get home and see Aubrey. I couldn’t believe I had made it the whole week without her. Laying down in our own bed at home knowing Aubrey was in her room across the hall was the perfect way to end a great vacation.