{"id":2651,"date":"2013-06-01T10:07:50","date_gmt":"2013-06-01T14:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.handsful.com\/?p=2651"},"modified":"2013-06-01T17:20:11","modified_gmt":"2013-06-01T21:20:11","slug":"10-things-we-learned-in-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2651","title":{"rendered":"10 Things We Learned in Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alternate title: \u00c2\u00a0Longest post ever.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

About this time last week, Randy and I were leaving Mexico. \u00c2\u00a0Because Randy is such a gifted salesman and God greatly blessed his efforts, he had earned an all-expenses paid trip to Mexico for 4 nights. \u00c2\u00a0I was incredibly excited, since I’ve never been anywhere even remotely “tropical”. \u00c2\u00a0We settled on the Cancun area, and made our reservations.<\/p>\n

Our resort was…amazing. \u00c2\u00a0I want to go back today. \u00c2\u00a0That would work for me.<\/p>\n

Since we chose an adults-only resort, \u00c2\u00a0I never once overheard anyone yell “MOM!!”. \u00c2\u00a0Ahhh…. \u00c2\u00a0I love my kids! \u00c2\u00a0But, having a break to concentrate on just the two of us was extremely refreshing. \u00c2\u00a0All parents need time away… it makes us better parents when we take care of our marriages first.<\/p>\n

Randy tells the kids all the time “Hey, your mom was here first”. \u00c2\u00a0I love that about him.<\/p>\n

We arrived on Monday, a few hours before our room was ready. \u00c2\u00a0We toured around, ate a yummy lunch, and played backgammon while we waited.<\/p>\n

Here are a few general pics of the place…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Randy in front of our building<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Me, over by the pool, and posing with one of the many iquanas that hang out around the resort. \u00c2\u00a0All the resorts in this part of Cancun (well, technically just outside Playa del Carman) are WAY off the road and bordered by thick vegetation. \u00c2\u00a0The animals make themselves at home. \u00c2\u00a0And, the black birds are just as good as roosters…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

A shot of the beach<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

The view from our balcony<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

And, another from our front door. \u00c2\u00a0See all that expanse of green?<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Our room. \u00c2\u00a0The inside couch and desk are directly behind me. \u00c2\u00a0Then, the balcony is behind that…it had a sitting area and a bathtub. \u00c2\u00a0Yes, a bathtub. \u00c2\u00a0The inside tub is on the other side of the curtain behind the bed, and then the bathroom is behind that.<\/p>\n

So, I thought a fun way to go through our vacation would be to post 10 things that we observed or learned while in Mexico<\/strong>. \u00c2\u00a0Here we go…<\/p>\n

1. \u00c2\u00a0Making souvenirs in the shapes of private parts and, shall we say, couples “embracing” is very popular. \u00c2\u00a0Forgive me for not taking pictures of those…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Weird way to start the list, huh? \u00c2\u00a0Hey, it’s Mexico.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

On Tuesday, we joined a group that went shopping in downtown Playa del Carmen. \u00c2\u00a0There is a 25 block street called “5th Avenue” that has tons of stores and restaurants, and only foot traffic. \u00c2\u00a0We were dropped off by our driver and told we had 3 hours to shop. \u00c2\u00a0Heh, that’s WAY too much time, I thought to myself. \u00c2\u00a0Turns out we squeezed every single second out of those three hours.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

We made friends with the locals.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Randy sampled many types of tequila…I declined.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

And, we watched as other people had their feet exfoliated by tiny, biting fish.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Wednesday morning…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

A zoomed shot of the ocean from our balcony. \u00c2\u00a0Can’t get enough of that blue. \u00c2\u00a0Speaking of that…<\/p>\n

#2 \u00c2\u00a0Yes, the water really is THAT blue. \u00c2\u00a0In fact, it’s even more amazing in person. \u00c2\u00a0So many different shades of gorgeousness. \u00c2\u00a0The sand is nearly white, very fine, and there are ZERO shells. \u00c2\u00a0None at all.<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

After another wonderful breakfast buffet (not quite the White Swan in Guangzhou, China, but nothing will ever top that), the plan was to meet the dive master for scuba lessons at the pool. \u00c2\u00a0We signed up for those on Monday, and I began fretting about it right away. \u00c2\u00a0I can’t go under water without holding my nose. \u00c2\u00a0Cannot do it. \u00c2\u00a0I hate the feeling of being under water. \u00c2\u00a0What in the WORLD made me think I could try this?!?! \u00c2\u00a0While we were talking to Jose’ Luis, I had some kind of cross between a panic attack and an extreme desire to run away. \u00c2\u00a0I told Randy that, as much as I would like to be able to do this with him, it just wasn’t gonna happen. \u00c2\u00a0Which brings me to another thing I learned…<\/p>\n

#3 \u00c2\u00a0My fear of being underwater greatly trumps my fear of heights.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know this is true because, on Tuesday we made arrangements to go parasailing on Thursday. \u00c2\u00a0And, I was crazy excited about that.<\/p>\n

So, Randy was on his own with scuba diving. \u00c2\u00a0I planted myself beside the pool and took pictures. \u00c2\u00a0Right along side Lisa, which was Duodi’s wife. \u00c2\u00a0Duodi (doo-waddy, for those who like to be able to pronounce things they read) being the other guy taking scuba lessons. \u00c2\u00a0He’s originally from Paris, but lives in Ireland where his wife is from. \u00c2\u00a0I could have listened to her talk ALL DAY LONG.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Pool lesson done, now it was time for the real deal. \u00c2\u00a0Diving down to the coral reef…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

After waving goodbye, I went back to my chair beside the pool…read a book, grabbed lunch at the poolside grill, and had the waiter bring me a coke. \u00c2\u00a0Why can’t everyday be like that?!<\/p>\n

#4 Having extremely kind and gracious people wait on you 24\/7 isn’t a bad gig…we made the most of it.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

He brought along a waterproof camera and got a few good shots…this one was taken by the dive master. \u00c2\u00a0He looks pretty comfortable to me!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

He made it back safely, as you can see. \u00c2\u00a0He loved it, but at the same time said it was one of the hardest things he’s ever done. \u00c2\u00a0Both physically (his ears gave him fits with the pressure…he ended up having to go to the doctor once we were home) and mentally. \u00c2\u00a0Forcing yourself to go down a rope, hand by hand, to a point that you can’t even see was very difficult. \u00c2\u00a0But, once he was down there, he \u00c2\u00a0really enjoyed it. \u00c2\u00a0And, he’s already talking about wanting to do it again.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

That afternoon, Randy played some volleyball while I sat in a lounge chair and read my book.<\/p>\n

Turns out this trip made me realize what an adventurous and EXCITING woman I am.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

A not-so-good shot of the pool at night.<\/p>\n

Thursday was our last day…sniff. \u00c2\u00a0We packed it full with breakfast room service, and then headed to the lobby to meet our group going to the Mayan ruins in Tulum. \u00c2\u00a0They are amazing, and the view of the ocean is breathtaking, but…<\/p>\n

#5 \u00c2\u00a0The heat in Tulum in the summertime would make hell seem downright chilly. \u00c2\u00a0It’s true. \u00c2\u00a0Air conditioning is both appreciated and needed in Mexico. \u00c2\u00a0At least for us spoiled Americans.<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Randy talking to one of the couples we met. \u00c2\u00a0They were on their honeymoon, just like 99.9% of the rest of the couples.<\/p>\n

#6 \u00c2\u00a0We played the game “Find the Honeymooners” a lot. \u00c2\u00a0A dead give-away? \u00c2\u00a0The guys who couldn’t stop spinning their rings. \u00c2\u00a0And, the smiles on the girls. \u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Entering the ruins…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

That’s the foundation of a kitchen of one of the Mayan houses. \u00c2\u00a0And, that’s me walking by, hiding under my hat.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Their main temple. \u00c2\u00a0We weren’t allowed to go up any of the steps, but it was incredible just to be there, stepping on the same grounds that the Mayans did.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

At the end of our guided tour, we were given some free time…which included walking down to the small beach area off the cliffs. \u00c2\u00a0The view was amazing…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Randy jumped in (see him with his hands up?), while I watched our things on the tiny beach area. \u00c2\u00a0This brings me to…<\/p>\n

#7 \u00c2\u00a0Women from other countries can’t afford bathing suits that actually cover their bodies. \u00c2\u00a0Someone should take up a collection…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our parasailing appt was at 2:15, and we cut it a bit close. \u00c2\u00a0We were dropped back at the hotel with about 30 minutes to drop off things at the room, change clothes, grab a snack, and head to the lobby. \u00c2\u00a0We jumped in the van with another group headed out for various activities.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Swings surrounding outside bars are quite common here…this was our spot to hang out while we waited for the parasailing boat to return from the previous group’s outing. \u00c2\u00a0The boat was FULL, and we were told that each couple gets about 12 minutes in the air.<\/p>\n

Somehow, we were the ONLY couple with our group, so they let us have 30 minutes :)<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

The last group coming in…see the sail with the teeny-tiny white boat it’s attached to?<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

The rest of the parasailing pics were taken by a photographer on the boat, and since there are quite a few, I’ll post them separately on the next post. \u00c2\u00a0This one is already too long!<\/p>\n

After our adventure, we were taken back to the resort and went straight back to the beach to take some pictures. \u00c2\u00a0In fact, any time we had free time during our stay, we were usually at the beach. \u00c2\u00a0I loved swimming in that water, and that’s saying a lot. \u00c2\u00a0Ya’ll know I’m not usually much of a beach girl!<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

These last couple were taken by a honeymooning couple from Argentina. \u00c2\u00a0They were in the middle of a 3 week trip, their next stop being Miami. \u00c2\u00a0Must be nice…<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Our last night…we propped up the camera on the balcony.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

On the way to dinner, there was a market set up. \u00c2\u00a0The vendors are die-hard about making a sale…thankfully, Randy can handle them.<\/p>\n

#8 Randy and I made a great team…if one of us couldn’t understand what someone said, the other usually could. \u00c2\u00a0Tag team translation!<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

However, this definitely caught our attention and we were sucked right in…I’ve seen spray paint painters online, and was so excited that there was one at the resort! \u00c2\u00a0He told us he was taught to do this by his grandfather. \u00c2\u00a0The fire helps to speed-dry it.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

We brought this one home.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

We nabbed someone to take our picture, right outside the main building. \u00c2\u00a0We were heading up to the Italian restaurant again…it was our favorite.<\/p>\n

#9 Eating at 5 star restaurants every night, without ever having to consider prices or be handed a bill? \u00c2\u00a0Yeah, we liked that. \u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

The next morning, we headed out about 10am for the airport. \u00c2\u00a0The nice driver took our picture in front of the main entrance. \u00c2\u00a0I know it looks a little weird, the lens was foggy from the heat!<\/p>\n

This will be a vacation that I’ll never forget…it was just perfect.<\/p>\n

#10 Spending time alone with my husband is wonderful, magical, and definitely mandatory. \u00c2\u00a0And, if you ever get the chance to visit this area…just do it. \u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Alternate title: \u00c2\u00a0Longest post ever. About this time last week, Randy and I were leaving Mexico. \u00c2\u00a0Because Randy is such a gifted salesman and God greatly blessed his efforts, he had earned an all-expenses paid trip to Mexico for 4 nights. \u00c2\u00a0I was incredibly excited, since I’ve never been anywhere even remotely “tropical”. \u00c2\u00a0We settled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trips-vacations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2651\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsful.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}