Back in March Simi went with her friend Kelly down to
Cancun, Mexico as a pre-planning trip for Kelly's wedding. The first week of
October was the wedding itself, so on Saturday Simi and I boarded Southwest's
finest 737 and flew on down to Mexico! We arrived to a crazy heavy afternoon
shower. The peddlers outside of the gate begun to harass us to right in their
taxi, but we ignored the pleas as we had already booked transportation. With
acknowledging the ride ticket with the travel company we then stood around and
waited for some additional guests. Those folks never arrived so it was just
Simi and I in a big van headed down to our resort for the next four days.
We had booked four
days at our own resort and were going to meet up with the wedding party on the
following Wednesday, with the ceremony on Friday. Our place was called Now
Sapphire. A bellhop took the bags, and we were escorted to the VIP Lounge. Free
drinks, snacks, and air conditioning as once the rain let up the humidity was
blanketing. The resort was unique in having ponds with fountains setup like the
grid of a small city. Thatch covered vaulted ceilings where the streets and it
was two lefts and two rights to get to the pool. Once stayed a few nights it became easier to
navigate around the water features. We left the VIP Lounge having declined the
time share speech and arrived to our awaiting room with a nice "Happy
Anniversary" plastered across the door. The room was nicely appointed and
had a beautiful second story balcony view of the ocean.
The view was stellar, but the passing storm churned up the
water and it made the beach become coated in a nice thick layer of brown
seaweed. The waves were small, and the salt water was the appearance of
chocolate milk! Bags unpacked it was a visit to the Market Cafe (buffet) for
lunch. I tried the various local fruits offered, and none were as tasty as I
hoped. The sun began to peak out of the clouds and it was swim time! The pool
was gigantic with a bar (that served up delicious fruit smoothies), fountains,
and in-water chairs for tanning. After
the pool it was a quick shower and a delicious dinner. I think we went to bed
before 9 that night.
Sunday we were up early before the sun, and the workers had
tirelessly cleaned the seaweed to prevent any rot and stench. After a delicious
breakfast it was back to the room to get some more sleep. It's a guilty
pleasure for that after breakfast nap. It's so good! We were back at the pool
for the afternoon and floated around until nice and pruned fingers. By 4pm the
volleyball courts were gathering for a game, and Simi and I played for about 90
minutes with other guests and resort workers. It was great to get out and play
in the sand again. A shower to wash the
sand, it was to the Mexican themed restaurant for dinner. We were then blessed
with clearing skies and viewed the lunar eclipse / blood moon from the beach in
hammocks. It was quite nice!
Another early morning on Monday and found our reserved pool
side cabana. Ocean breeze and the shade of the cabana really was perfect. I
don't mind pool days, but just the brutal sun shine can really get the skin
nice and crispy. The pool was hopping and the grill at the pool was serving hot
dogs and burgers. A tasty meal prepared us for the hydrotherapy and massage
session Simi had booked us. First room was the sauna. Temps were in the 150s
and sweat was dripping like a broken faucet. The spa worker then placed us into
the steam room. It was around 110, but the humidity was at like 99%. It was a
small room but the cloud of steam so thick I couldn't see my own feet.
We left the steam room and took a dip into the hot tub. The
jets were so relaxing. Then it was a just go for it dip into the cold tub! This
was just like a giant bubbling hot tub, but with cold water. It was very
refreshing. There was a final pool with water jets designed to blast your back
with pulsating water for a brilliant aqua massage. Our final exercise at the
spa was a 50 minute back / neck / shoulders massage. This was excellent, and I felt like my bones
had melted away and I was a blob of total relaxation.
Dinner that night was at the Japanese Steakhouse on site.
The food was excellent and it included the show famous for the onion volcano,
and flipping the food all around the hibachi. The resort put together guest
entertainment by building a stage in the middle of the pool where a group
preformed The Fire Show. Burning batons spun their flames as the performers
danced and did gymnastics with the flames.
Tuesday we had breakfast at the VIP lounge and then met up
with the wedding party. They were at their resort that hosted the wedding while
we stayed at our resort for our quality time. Met up, we were a group of 6 people strong, we boarded a van
and headed south for the day's excursion by our guide David. David took us to
the beach were we slapped on flippers and snorkels and waded out into the
water. About 100 yards out there was a protected turtle sanctuary. Giant sea
turtles were feeding and seemed at home with the people swimming around
them. The clear warm waters were also
home to a gigantic barracuda who didn't care we were there. There were some
beautifully colored fish, and coral, and right near shore, we caught a glimpse
of a sting ray chillin' in the shallows.
The tide was coming in and blasting our group with salt
water waves. Swallowing the salt water isn't recommended and there was a
general sense of upset stomachs within the group. It had approached lunch so
within our excursion package was a free meal. Local chefs had BBQ chicken,
beans, rice, salad, and pop awaiting. This got everyone rinsed of the salt
water taste and recharged.
Our crew then went with David to the ATV center. Our
adrenaline junkie crew then blasted the jungle in four wheelers. We crossed
streams, and traversed hills and valleys to arrive to our first cenote
(sea-no-tay). This is a fresh water filled pond inside a cave. The water is ice
cold, but so refreshing in the heat of the day. The depths of the water are a
challenge as the rock that looks like you could stand upon is actually 30 feet down,
while the one you don't know about stubs your toe. Leaving the cenote we were zooming along and
stopped to check on the train of people. No one was behind me! A bit of panic
as David then began to run back. I ran back with him to find some of our group
and my wife had stopped for an ATV that stalled out possibly from a water
crossing. Crisis averted.
More zooming around the jungle in the ATVs and back to the
center. Our second visit to the cenote was a hike to a walk to some stairs and
down into the cave we went. David offered us a behind the scenes experience
which some people (Simi) said
"nope!" to the challenge. David guided us in the murky waters under a
low crawl to a cave that's never seen the light of day. Standing in pitch
black, muddy cold waters took a few deep breaths to keep the nerves at bay.
David pointed to a dim glow and said that's the way out. Our group of brave
morons then crawled thru the murky water on knees and elbows with the ceiling
just inches from the water. The crawl was about 15 feet of self preservation
testing fortitude. I'm glad I did it, but I don't think that is my cup of tea.
The standard tourism visits another cenote that's well lit
by underwater lighting. Here you float out and bob along with stalagmites just
inches from the water. Floating the maze it opens up to another cenote that's
about twice as big as the one we first entered. I was very proud of Simi
challenging herself to float along with David's guidance. Our group then
enjoyed the refreshing water in the caves. There are small blind catfish that
roam the waters eating the bat poop. It was quite an experience!
We crawled out of that cave and our trip was just about
over. We bought the CDs of photos the
excursion people snapped so copies could be made for the whole group. Stopping at the first resort our trusty van
dropped off some other guests. Departing that resort a lady on the road side
was selling homemade tamales. I love tamales, and David was more than happy to
stop. Possibly one of the best parts of the whole trip was sitting in the rain
at a road side tamale stand. The homemade tamales are wrapped in banana leaves
and just 10 pesos (60 cents) each. They
were so good and there was something special about just enjoying the locals
with the local cuisine. It's difficult to get those experiences safely in some
third world countries, but they definitely make some of the best memories. David dropped us off at our resort, and that night we
showered and went back to the resort's Japanese steakhouse just because the
food was so good.
Wednesday morning brought upon our goodbyes from Now
Sapphire. There was a little bit of remorse packing the backs with the mindset
that the vacation was over. It was a nice slice of happiness remembering that
we were now just going to another location! Vacation wasn't over yet!
Our taxi took us to the new resort called Azul Beach. Upon
arrival we smelled scented stones to help us pick the scent our room would be,
as well as the pillow menu. Which pillow do you like? We met up with our
friends who were staying at the wedding hosting resort for lunch, and various
stories to tell. That afternoon there was a welcome party in a giant gazebo for
the guests as Wednesday was the official arrival time for most everyone coming.
We had a group meal that night and turned in early.
Thursday Simi and I booked ourselves onto an adults only
sail boat. The boat can hold about 35-45 passengers but ours only had 15. This
allowed some spreading out and soaking up the rays. The sky was as clear as the
waters we sailed across. The sail boat left Cancun and made its way north
towards an island called Isla Mujeres.
The south side of the island had great snorkeling, and geared up we were
back in the water, and swimming with the fishes. There was a VW Bug at the
bottom of the sea floor as well as some statues of humans, and giant coral
reefs. This bit of snorkeling had just amazing clear waters and schools of fish
everywhere.
Our boat then sailed up the west side of the island and we
made port near the north side. We were docked right in the heart of the town
with shops everywhere. The main method of transportation on the island is golf
carts. They outnumber the cars 10:1. Simi and I walked north to the North
Beach. This is one of those spots that they take photos and print on postcards.
Staggeringly beautiful beach had me sitting at a cafe while Simi went into the
waters. I was just tired of feeling soggy and finally had dried off. Our sail
boat departed and we made a nice cruise on the calm seas back to Cancun and
back to our resort. It was an epic day for sure and that evening we had some
quality Italian food with friends.
The shows in the evenings at both resorts were pretty good,
the fire show at the first resort was executed over water, at the second resort
it was done on the sand. There was also a circus act that all the performers
demonstrated incredible agility and balance skills.
Friday was the big wedding day, but it involved more
sleeping in, and then some pool side lounging. The weather was a little iffy as
some distant thunder echoed around and big thick gray clouds were overhead. The
showers then came and went as quickly as a traffic light changing from red to
green. We spent the last few hours before the wedding swimming in the resort's
pool - even during one of the heaviest downpours.
Friday morning we also attempted kayaking in the ocean, as
we will be super close to a large body of water at the future home, we figured
it would be a good idea. It lasted about 10 minutes and consisted of Simi leading
us into going in circles ... lets just say Simi is going to need a lot of
practice before we adopt that sport.
By the afternoon the weather had cleared, and the rain
helped to carry away most of the humidity. It was very pleasant conditions, and
we were seated to watch Ryan and Kelly tie the knot right on the beach with
waves crashing in the back ground. Post wedding was cocktail hour, and Simi and
I and a friend sneaked out and went to the sushi place. We sampled some of the
tasty bites, of which I like, but I don't love. I still have mixed feelings in
regards to those little rice nuggets. That evening was dinner at the main hall
for the wedding party, and then hours and hours of dancing. I don't dance. At
all. Ever. Simi and I then went and took a nice walk on the beach, and got away
from the loud music for a bit. The whole party got shut down around 11, the
latest we'd stayed up in over a week!
Saturday brought upon some groggy faces at breakfast that
morning, and Simi and I departed the resort, saying our goodbyes around lunch
time. A quick flight to Atlanta, then from there up to Columbus landing and
heading home. The fridge was empty so I grabbed some milk, and Simi and I
shared a couple bowls of fruit loops. We slept in on Sunday, got breakfast, and
then started the mountain of laundry. Back to the grind begins!
We had a great time, and found the resorts to be very very
nice. The food in them is a little bland, but I think that's just to serve to
hundreds of guests with varying taste buds. What the resorts offer are similar
to a cruise ship. Lots of activities, and food options, and a general relaxation
event, and while the cruise travels to different locations, the resorts offer
the same, but via the various shuttles and taxis. The weather was excellent,
even if I did complain about excessive heat from the sun. I'm super happy for
Ryan and Kelly having a picture perfect wedding on the beach surrounded by
their friends and family.
As always, thanks for reading!
If you prefer the cliff notes version take a gander through the photos:
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