A weekend in Cancun, Mexico

Customs, pesos, street peddlers, iguanas, bats OH MY! Not a dull moment on this escapade.

The reason we took this trip was to be a part of a very dear friend of mine’s wedding celebration. I have known Josh since 1993 through high school, failed relationships, the military, new jobs, relocation, and so much more. Several years back I was finally given a chance to introduce him to my husband who quickly became his friend too. As I heard countless stories of his interest in Lora eventually they were given a chance to be together. I was ecstatic to meet the love of his life and honored to be a part of their union as husband and wife. They chose Cancun, Mexico as their destination to share a renewal of their wedding vows in front of close friends and family. A chance to be there with them we did not want to miss……

We walked on the plane with our luggage at 12pm. The flight was not full and we landed 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Our first experience through customs into Mexico and what did we have to do? Press the red easy button (yes, just like the commercial people!) BOOM we were officially allowed into Mexico! This was not the same for the other travelers having their bags cut open and ripped apart. Note to self: Do not vacu-seal your luggage unless you are prepared to have your suitcases cut open. As we stepped outside the natives bombarded us to no end on getting a ride to our destination. This was a bit overwhelming to Jeremy who looked like he was going to punch someone. I was able to diffuse the situation and we managed to get our outrageous 600 pesos so we could be on our way. Off we went to our hotel The Fiesta Americana Condesa. The drive along the beach was gorgeous the clear turquoise waters were lapping in the warm sun as a parasail floated by in the air. The places along the way definitely reminded us of home many American spots just as in Orlando Wet n Wild, Hooters, Starbucks and more.

If you didn’t already know Cancun is Mexico's most visited tourist destination and boasts over twenty-five thousand hotel rooms. There's golf, tennis, lots of shopping areas and a remarkable biodiversity. There are four hundred seventy-five bird species, over a hundred different mammals and twelve hundred plant species. Side by side amazing hotels cover the strip all the way to the downtown area. Our hotel was exquisite with breathtaking views from front to back. We walked to our room with our mouths open in awe of everything we saw. Although the rooms were inside the entire hotel was built around the existing nature outside. When you walked through the corridors to go to your room or lobby you were actually outside with only some enclosed areas to protect certain things. The floors were made of terrazzo, marble and onyx. The plants were lush green and growing vibrantly along the walls and lower levels that were also home to relaxing waterways filled with rocks. No matter what you had on your mind when you took in your surroundings you were filled with a quiet peace. Once to our room to put away our things we quickly changed clothes and took a walk down the beach to the hotel Josh & Lora were staying in the JW Marriott to hopefully surprise them by the pool. It worked out perfectly we did just that! Strolling along as if we lived here Jeremy and I walked along poolside. Josh spotted us across the pool and ran towards us for a giant group hug and drinks immediately following. Catching up with Josh, Lora, the kids and Lora’s family we soon left to prepare for the rest of the evening….let the party begin!

Meeting again only hours later dressed up and ready for dinner and dancing we found some more of the Thursday and before arrival guests. Let the good times roll. Dinner with 12 people the first night had us laughing and posing for pics very easily we were all kid-free and making new friends fast. Following dinner we all made our way to Senor Frogs where we danced, sang, clapped and even used a swing located above the bar a very hot spot indeed. Cathy and I made our way to the stage and danced to many familiar songs. This bar also offered a tube ride for those very drunk people to slide through the club to be dumped out into the river for a chilling experience. Luckily our group refrained from this amenity. Many others did not....very interesting to watch.

The following day we met the sunrise from our balcony. Had an early breakfast and laid out near the ocean by 8am. The sun was warm and energizing along with the calming sounds of the waves crashing along the white sandy shore. Eventually we made our way to the JW hotel this time we decided to walk the front of the hotels along the strip. We walked through another covered area out of our hotel that was again one with nature. As we walked this way we heard new sounds of the bird life in Mexico. Suddenly we were astounded as BATS were flying toward us!!! Screeching and swooping through a very low bearing cover we ran out in opposite directions. Slowly I peered in as I reached for my camera to get some photos (of course). I video tapped the flying frenzy and captured the noises. We did manage to find one bat sleeping upside down that I was able to get a decent photo of. We waited until the coast was clear to make our way through again, but were taken by surprise as they swooped down at us once again. This time there were about 5 of them with a wing span of 12” so I leaped over the side bushes out into the bright green grass to get away from them as Jeremy did the same thing on the other side. The gardeners looked at us as if we were the crazy ones. Apparently having bats at a hotel in Mexico is normal even if it is Cancun.

Pharmacia’s were on every corner where you could buy just about any Rx drug without a prescription. Hmmm I can only imagine how many Americans try to smuggle that stuff back in??? The day consisted of the girls lying out by the pool and the guys going scuba diving. Although I secretly wished to have gone with the guys to be the photographer because who else would be? Sadly the beautiful day that was turned into a very dark and dreary rain storm that continued on for many hours giving us limited time outdoors. I went to meet up with the guys while the sun was still shinning to see how things were going expecting them to return by the time I showed up. No cell phone use in made it much like the old days when no one had a phone! You walked everywhere and communicated in the slowest way possible hoping to run into someone you knew. Along my journey I came face to face with MANY iguanas which I video tapped as they hung out in the warm sun in large groups. They were all shapes and sizes and shades of brown. If they decided to turn on me I would have been in serious trouble because I’m not sure I could handle 9 giant iguanas coming after me! Unfortunately for the guys the scuba excursion went sour due to bad weather and never took place.

In our down time during the never ending rain on day two we were able to clean up and get ready for cocktail hour hosted by Lora’s parents. The meet and greet with the rest of the weekend attendants. Another important person who was arriving on this day was Adam, Josh’s youngest brother. Adam was just a little boy the last time I saw him so it was a bit surreal to see him all grown up! We had our reunion at the cocktail hour and off to dinner everyone went. We attempted to eat at Makado’s a Japanese steak house where the cooking is preformed in front of you by only the best chef’s. Sadly the service was incredibly slow which forced Rich to take over by pretending to be our chef for a few photo ops and some much needed laughs. Trying to decide if we should stay or go Ian & Leah suggested the outdoor Thai restaurant and we agreed to join them. The four of us enjoyed another perfect locale with soothing music and a mesmerizing ambiance. Ian ordered all kinds of great dishes for us to try since this was our first Thai eating experience something I was excited about doing. As I was leaning in for my first bite of the highly recommended Thai coconut soup my radar went off and I decided to ask the waitress just to double check if any seafood was in the soup. Gratefully so or I could have been hospitalized in Mexico upon the first swallow! Almost every dish they make has some type of seafood related sauce in it. Fish sauce and oyster sauce are the staple sauces used in almost every Thai dish they prepared from scratch at this restaurant. Lucky for me!!! The chef made all of my dishes specifically seafood free for me beginning with my soup. It was all wonderful. The presentation did not fall short either being served on simple but elegant dishes. I was even given a small grill to cook my food on which warmed up our table from the very chilly winds blowing. The rest of the people we separated from were still hanging out at Makado’s. Some came out to see what we were doing and wishing they had chosen the same place. Several did set up tables for their after dinner drinks to relax and take in the calmness of the place just as we were finished with our meal.

Jeremy & I turned in early while some of the group went out for another late night. Something about mechanical bull riding, drinking, and high priced entrance fees is what I heard the following day. Happy we missed all but the mechanical bull riding. I definitely would have enjoyed that part! We woke up early again the next morning for the breakfast buffet offered daily from 6:30-12pm. This wasn’t any normal buffet, but rather a Mexican feast! As long as you weren’t hung over this was a delicious experience. Loaded with Beef stew, Chimichangas, crepes, an omelet station, pancakes, waffles, French toast, a dozen different tropical fruits, lox, bagels and cream cheese, breads, muffins, pastries, and so much more. The most unusual part of the buffet I noticed had to be the Vodka & champagne stocked at 6:30am! Oh and people were enjoying it I hear it helps those with really bad hangovers. No thank you!

After we had filled up on some energizing foods we started out on our downtown shopping experience. This was also my first time on a city bus yeah for me. We stopped off at Starbucks for Jeremy to begin his day with coffee. The bus had locals and tourists alike along for a ride through the city. For 6 pesos it was the best and inexpensive way to travel. To convert for you 14.20 pesos = $1 American. We met some other travelers who had been doing the Mexican vacation for 14 years! They gave us a few tips and off to the market we went still a bit early for the natives as many shops had not opened yet. We walked, took photos, and waited until we were flagged down by the vendors who wanted us to buy from them. “I have good price. Best price in town!” “T-shirts, necklaces, Cuban cigars, Tequilla, weed?” They sold it all everywhere you turned. After getting a few souvenirs requested by the little ones back home and some shirts for Jeremy and a nice cowgirl hat for me we embarked on our journey back to the resort. The bus we happened to catch back was pretty full and included entertaining live musicians trying to make a few pesos on their way through town. They were quite good and made the bus ride far more enjoyable as everyone clapped along, bobbed their heads and even joined in the chorus.

Before long it was time to get ready for the wedding held at a neighboring hotel the Casa Magna with a gazebo overlooking the gorgeous turquoise ocean. The day grew windier and a bit chillier then earlier that day. The ceremony was beautiful nonetheless. Renewing their vows before their dearest friends and family Josh & Lora had a picture perfect ceremony with Ava as the flower girl and Luke as the lil man. Two beautiful people brought together through ballroom dancing. Once upon a time professional competitors they now both teach others to find the passion of dance.

Group photos were taken as we all posed together capturing the memory of the day. Following we were off to cocktail hour before the reception began. Mingling with familiar faces and taking pictures with the bride and groom and our new friends everyone was smiling. The reception hall was ready for us to find our seats and begin our dinner. When you are surrounded by ballroom dancers getting on the floor can be a bit intimidating for some. As Josh said “ballroom dancers do not do first dances.” It didn’t take long to get the DJ to pump up the energy and the floor to fill with extraordinary ballroom dancing skills. One couple heated the room up with a sexy latin dance. Lora despite having to hold her dress up with one hand hit the floor for several fast and sexy dances with her husband, father and friends. It was mesmerizing to watch all of them. Lora’s mom did some freestyle dancing with Jeremy and a few others who wanted to shake it with them did. Before we knew it the time had come to clear the room and bring the reception to an end. Everyone made their way to change and head out for a night on the town our last night to go out in Cancun. We were to head back to a colder than normal winter inFlorida on Superbowl Sunday.

Somehow the plans went from going to CoCo Bongos to pulling up to a night club named Basic. This club resembled a domed circus tent. We took our 16 people in and made our way through pretty much owning the place. They had stages throughout some even equipped with poles for those less modest people to dance on. Knowing that this was not a ballroom dancing facility I personally had no problem choosing a stage along with my girlfriends and having a great time dancing all night. A couple people fell off the stages which did not look fun, but due to the large amounts of alcohol they had consumed their falls did not keep them down for long. We even got on the bar at one point, but the low bearing ceilings did prove to be challenging to enjoy so the stage was a better option unless you were 5’ feet short. It was a great night everyone was laughing, dancing and many were drinking it was a great end to our fantastic trip.

Sunday morning was a somber one knowing we had to pack and say good-bye and head back home. The sun was warm and shining brightly not a cloud in sight. The wind was whipping around and the ocean continued its glorious sounds of waves crashing as the water continued to sparkle. We wanted just a few moments more in this paradise so we ate breakfast and chose our chairs for a couple hours in the Mexican sun……with new friendships formed and old friendships stronger this trip will never be forgotten.

It wasn’t long before we made friends with two Jetblue pilots waiting in front of the hotel after we checked out. We shared a ride to the airport with them saving us 600 pesos. The airport in Cancun is quite disgusting in comparison to OIA. Dirty people, screaming children, poor quality food choices, but enough Tequilla to last several generations in your family! I was grateful to get on our plane one step closer to getting home. The plane consisted many of the same people we flew over with only days ago. We shared stories of our adventurous weekend and looked forward to getting home to our own beds and sleeping instead of watching the super bowl. A short flight and we were back in the states and it really felt good! I watched as a drug sniffing dog roamed around the airport on a leash with his officer inspecting suitcases as they passed. It was a beagle, small, tired looking and maybe a bit too friendly. Not the traditional German Shepard you see in the movies. Getting through customs was easy for me not so much for Jeremy as they do random checks he was one of the chosen citizens. We stood in the inspection line where we waited a long time as officers dug through another couples luggage and had the dog sniff unusual packages. Eventually Jeremy was called up for a few questions. Being a military brat doesn’t always work in your favor as we have noticed. His birth country is Germany. A few moments later we were met with a smile and nod and off to scan our luggage and proceed home.

Once home we were greeted by two very excited little girls who were so happy to have us back! It was a good feeling and helped us all sleep soundly that night.....

What we learned in Mexico:

• · Pesos can get you very confused if you don’t have a calculator
• · If you stop long enough to look Iguanas are everywhere
• · Don Julio Tequilla is WAY better then Jose Quervo
• · Bats pee in mid flight
• · Beef stew at a breakfast buffet is not what you want to smell after a late night of drinking
• · Taking a photo in front of the turquoise ocean makes everyone look beautiful
• · When shopping in the market name your price and bargain for what you want
• · If you don’t know how to say no to drugs don’t go
• · If you can’t pronounce it don’t eat it
• · Anything goes in Mexico
• · When eating Thai food make sure you tell them you are allergic to seafood!
• · Order Bonofont bottled water as opposed to Evian to save $8
• · Walking a mile on what’s left of the beaches will give you a weeks worth of exercise
• · Mexicans LOVE Americans
• · It can take two weeks to receive a postcard mailed from your hotel
  
• . 3 days away from my baby girls was very hard for them as well as me