(The above photo was taken from our balcony.)
Well I’m a week removed from my trip to Cancun, and at the urging of my mother, I’m here to boast about my exploits in another country…or perhaps more accurately, confess to my gluttony and sloth.
Ahh…the joys of todo inclusivo. For those of you who no habla espanol, “todo inclusivo” is Spanish for “all inclusivo.” (Hopefully, the younger generation in this crowd will catch my Chris Farley reference there and appreciate it.) The entire concept encourages overindulging and laziness, and who am I to argue with tradition.
So, for a good part of the week you could find me lounging by the water (either the pool or the ocean) graciously accepting the Dos Equis each time our Mexican friend Rafael would walk by. As you can imagine, Mexican beer does in fact taste better in Mexico. Oh, sure, I’d occasionally go wild and have a Strawberry Daiquiri or a Miami Vice, but for the most part my Spanish consisted of, “Cerveza, por favor.”
Of course, the all-inclusive package deal includes all meals, so each night I didn’t have any trouble finding my way to one of the 14 restaurants that were at our resort. Interestingly enough, the consensus favorite among my in-laws and me was the oriental place. But regardless of the location, I managed to eat more than I should have on pretty much every occasion. But when the appetizers, entrees and desserts are already paid for, how can you say no? And, heck, I was on vacation, right?
I noted earlier that my in-laws were there. Actually, the in-laws were the reason I was there. Jesse’s brother got married in Cancun, so I got to spend A LOT of quality time with her family. Luckily, I was fortunate to find a group of in-laws that is worth spending a lot of time with. Obviously, the wedding was a highlight of trip.
Our package also included a few activities outside of the resort. One day we took an excursion to the nearby island of Isla Mujeres. It was interesting to see, though I think some in the group would have had more appreciation for it if the sun hadn’t been beating down on us… and if the wedding and subsequent party hadn’t been the night before.
On my birthday, Jesse, her little brother, her mother and I went south of Cancun and snorkeled along the second largest reef in the world. It wasn’t my first time snorkeling, but it’s still amazing to swim with such remarkable fish. At one point, our guide pointed out an eel peeking out of its hole, which was incredible.
And the eel wasn’t the only interesting wildlife I spied while in Mexico. After snorkeling, I went on my first-ever horseback ride, which took us by some inland water. There I saw an alligator (or maybe a crocodile) in the wild for the first time. Back at the resort, I saw iguanas, which I would compare to Kansas squirrels in abundance. A gecko lived near our building on the resort, and on the golf course on our resort, I saw a coati, which is related to the raccoon I believe.
In all, I’d say my second trip to the Yucatan Peninsula was a good one. A third trip is a distinct possibility, and if that happens, I plan on taking the 2.5 hour bus ride to Chichen Itza.
Now I just have to see if doing 12-ounce curls for a week was adequate training for the 5K I’m supposed to run this weekend…
Ahh…the joys of todo inclusivo. For those of you who no habla espanol, “todo inclusivo” is Spanish for “all inclusivo.” (Hopefully, the younger generation in this crowd will catch my Chris Farley reference there and appreciate it.) The entire concept encourages overindulging and laziness, and who am I to argue with tradition.
So, for a good part of the week you could find me lounging by the water (either the pool or the ocean) graciously accepting the Dos Equis each time our Mexican friend Rafael would walk by. As you can imagine, Mexican beer does in fact taste better in Mexico. Oh, sure, I’d occasionally go wild and have a Strawberry Daiquiri or a Miami Vice, but for the most part my Spanish consisted of, “Cerveza, por favor.”
Of course, the all-inclusive package deal includes all meals, so each night I didn’t have any trouble finding my way to one of the 14 restaurants that were at our resort. Interestingly enough, the consensus favorite among my in-laws and me was the oriental place. But regardless of the location, I managed to eat more than I should have on pretty much every occasion. But when the appetizers, entrees and desserts are already paid for, how can you say no? And, heck, I was on vacation, right?
I noted earlier that my in-laws were there. Actually, the in-laws were the reason I was there. Jesse’s brother got married in Cancun, so I got to spend A LOT of quality time with her family. Luckily, I was fortunate to find a group of in-laws that is worth spending a lot of time with. Obviously, the wedding was a highlight of trip.
Our package also included a few activities outside of the resort. One day we took an excursion to the nearby island of Isla Mujeres. It was interesting to see, though I think some in the group would have had more appreciation for it if the sun hadn’t been beating down on us… and if the wedding and subsequent party hadn’t been the night before.
On my birthday, Jesse, her little brother, her mother and I went south of Cancun and snorkeled along the second largest reef in the world. It wasn’t my first time snorkeling, but it’s still amazing to swim with such remarkable fish. At one point, our guide pointed out an eel peeking out of its hole, which was incredible.
And the eel wasn’t the only interesting wildlife I spied while in Mexico. After snorkeling, I went on my first-ever horseback ride, which took us by some inland water. There I saw an alligator (or maybe a crocodile) in the wild for the first time. Back at the resort, I saw iguanas, which I would compare to Kansas squirrels in abundance. A gecko lived near our building on the resort, and on the golf course on our resort, I saw a coati, which is related to the raccoon I believe.
In all, I’d say my second trip to the Yucatan Peninsula was a good one. A third trip is a distinct possibility, and if that happens, I plan on taking the 2.5 hour bus ride to Chichen Itza.
Now I just have to see if doing 12-ounce curls for a week was adequate training for the 5K I’m supposed to run this weekend…
2 comments:
It sounds like you and Jesse had a great time in Cancun. Your wife's family seem like a fun loving group. There is obviously a lot to do and see there. And plenty to eat. Please explain about Chichen itza, por favor. Good luck with the 5K. Welcome Home. It was good to hear your voice when you called on your birthday. Thanks for posting a picture.
Wow, Tom, your trip sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing all the details of your supposed sloth (it sounds like you were pretty active) and confirmed gluttony.
How'd that 5K go?
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