Never having been to Cancun, we weren't sure what to expect. One of Tobin's friends told him he was going to die because of all the drug unrest taking place in Mexico. We assured him we had done our due diligence and we weren't going to die. We wouldn't be going if it weren't safe.
As we flew down on the airplane (which I couldn't believe was just a little over 3 hours), I contemplated our vacation. I wanted them to see something of the Mexican culture. I wanted them to see life from a different space than they were used to, to see some of the benefits of being a US citizen. Stepping into Mexico, Brenna and I were excited to get stamps in our passports! I really, really, wanted one! Andy's had several from his trips to Canada, Spain, and England. Even though we needed them for our cruise, where we traveled to 4 different countries, we didn't get one stamp! So, Mexico became the first stamp for Tobin, Noah, Brenna and me.
Going to Caribbean countries and not really straying to far into the native areas was what we had done in the past. I am still not sure how I feel about that. I do think we are missing out on the culture of each country, but really would I see it in a week no matter where I went? Weren't the beaches a huge part of their culture? Weren't we visiting the best part of their culture? When people come to DC, don't they visit the best parts of the city--it's monuments, the White House, and its restaurants?; they don't visit 14th street and southeast of there. So, were we doing any differently by staying at the beaches of these countries and witnessing some of the most breath taking scenery on earth?
So, the concession we made this trip was to go to the grocery store where native Cancunians live. We went outside the "Hotel Zone" and went to the Spanish mercado. What an experience! We got on the public transportation bus and began the experience of moving from the pricey hotels to the "real" Cancun of modest dwellings. Our bus driver helped us know the stop to get off for the store. It was so interesting! The eggs and milk were not refrigerated! Andy explained to us that was because it was a luxury to have a refrigerator and if eggs and milk were not chilled from the beginning then they didn't need to be cold in the store. The other shock was to see "American" things like Oreos and potato chips with Spanish words on them. Another novice event was seeing the meat market as part of the grocery store. It was unusual to see the meat hanging like it was here for people to see. We also paid for our groceries in pesos. We loaded up and took the bus back to the Hotel Zone. However, I must say that even the "Mexican" part of Cancun must be somewhat Americanized. I saw a Sears shop, many Starbucks cafes, and wireless phone services everywhere. I'm sure this was due to the toursity spot that it was.
We used our trip to the Spanish market to provide for our breakfasts and lunches. This way we would save money. Our hotel room had a little kitchenette in it. So, we had cerael and eggs for breakfast, and sandwiches and potato chips for lunch. And we ate most of our dinners out. We tried to use our Spanish as much as possible, but it was too easy to use Andy as our translator. Andy felt his Spanish returning to him, even if he felt he didn't have his full vocabulary. After every single interaction, I would hear Noah say, "gracias." This made me laugh as I knew he felt he was contributing to the conversation in Espanol! :) He was so cute. Tobin was a little more reserved but I am so glad he tried. He will be taking Spanish 3 in school in the fall and this will only help him for that.
The first day, we arrived about 3 pm to the hotel. We went right away to a "mall" across the street from our hotel called "La Isla." It was a very big hot spot during the evenings and had many restaurants that we were used to--Planet Hollywood, Chilis, and a few others we did not know, but I am sure originated in the US. We ate lunch at Johnny Rockets that first meal; it was the first place we saw and met our needs the quickest. It was so strange and a little heart quickening to see the menu in pesos. The exchange rate was 12 pesos for 1 dollar, so it wasn't unusual to see $98 next to a hamburger, quesadilla, or chicken sandwich! Your first jump is to think how could it be $98 dollars! And then you remember these are Mexcian prices. After lunch we went back to the hotel and got dressed for the pool. Oh, how nice it was to sit and relax by a pool. The kids didn't want to leave so we ended up eating late. We were so tired, we only ate appetizers at Chilis. They were Mexican appetizers of a quesadilla and nachos! I was so tired I can't tell you that they seemed any more Mexican than normal.
We filled the rest of our days with different excursions. We went to a "water park" known as Xcaret. It was an hour's ride away from our hotel. We left early in the morning and didn't return until about 11:00 pm. The most fun part of the day was when the boys went snuba diving! We pretty much entered the park and they took off for deeper waters. That left Brenna and me to explore the park. We discovered that it was a water park and zoo rolled up into one. Brenna wanted so badly to see the spider monkeys and then the strange deer, and then we saw flamingos and other animals. Finally, it was soooo hot, I pleaded with Brenna to find a water ride. We found one called the Underground River! I had seen in in the brochure and it was one of the main reasons why I wanted to go there....until I saw it in person. I navigated through getting our life vests, a locker, and a bag to put our things in at the beginning of the river that would be waiting for us at the end of the river, but I couldn't navigate the underground river! I was fine walking in the dark cave until I had to enter the cold water and only saw more darkness as the underground caves descended upon us! I needed air, deep breathes and I couldn't get them. It was only Bre and me, she wanted to go through and I wanted to go back. So, I used my limited Spanish to ask a mother with a girl Brenna's age to take her through and I would meet them on the other side! Did I make the right decision? How could I let Brenna go through if I couldn't? I knew I was being irrational and didn't want Brenna to suffer so I think I did the right thing in letting her go with another family of women.
I ran to the other side of the park and the end of the river to wait for Brenna. I thought of how silly I was being and especially felt so, when I started up a conversation with a man, who said, "You do know this is a children's park with children's rides? This ride isn't meant to be scary!" He smiled at me so I knew he was trying to help. It made me feel silly, but still I remembered my labored breathing and felt happy at my decision. I couldn't have been happier though to hear Brenna yell, "Paige," so that I knew she was safely through. Later on the boys went through with Brenna. Tobin didn't like it as he thought it was too slow and too cold. After the ride, they were telling me about it and Andy called it a "lazy river." Tobin said, "I didn't like it, because I couldn't be lazy."
Here at Xcaret, our lunch was provided with our ticket into the park. We chose to eat at a Mexican buffet! The food was soooo good. I loved the drink though. It tasted to me like the juice that I used to drink from the fruit cocktail cans we used to have for dinner. I think it was guava flavored, but it felt cold and fruity and tasted like manna from heaven! They boys drank a hibiscus tea that was red. They loved it and I think we spent most of our time drinking rather than eating. There was exotic fruit and amazingly cooked meats! It was sooooo good and probably one of our best meals while in Cancun.
We were all able to go snorkeling at the beach in Xcaret. The water didn't have the clarity we were used to from other snorkeling experiences. So, we had to go under the water to really see anything. But once we did, we saw many different fish. We saw the usual zebra fish, and big fish. I saw a beautiful school of electric blue fish. I realized the park had a way to feed the fish which brought them in. I felt like it was sort of cheating; they weren't where they naturally would be. But at the feeding tube, there were soooo many fish. It was fun to see them all. I was just happy we were doing this as a family.
The evening at the park ended with a show about their Mayan history and how the Spanish came and then how their cultures blended together. But the stadium was soooo hot that we just couldn't sit in there. We went back to the main building and watched these baby quail hatching from eggs and window shopping.
Another of the excursions we went on was a snorkeling tour. We got to ride a boat out to the state park and then snorkel. Our guide was quite good and was able to find us some new things to see on our snorkeling tour. He was able to find a starfish for us to hold. As I held it, it tickled my hand as it moved. We saw this huge, (I mean huge) big red fish. The boys and Brenna saw a manta ray which I somehow missed and Noah was convinced he saw a barracuda! We had a great time snorkeling. Tobin and I were in one boat, with Andy in the other watching Noah and Brenna. On the way back I let Tobin drive the boat. He did a great job with the speed and handling the wake of the water! I think, for him, it was the most fun part of the excursion.
A final excursion was the scuba diving dive that Noah and Tobin got to do! They got "resort" certified and were able to go about 35 feet down! They spent the morning learning in the hotel pool and then went diving in the afternoon with Andy! Andy said they were a natural in the water, especially Tobin. Neither one had any trouble with their breathing. The instructors couldn't get a proper gage of Noah's weight so he didn't go down to the bottom as easily as he could have and he had his guide hold his hand the whole first half of the dive. They were both so excited for their excursion. I stayed behind with Brenna as she was too young to go. We got her hair done with a single braid and we went for Italian ices across the street at "La Isla."
We had a great time in Cancun. I am so glad our family got to bond together. I saw a lot of fun taking place between all of the kids, Tobin and Brenna, Brenna and Noah, and Noah and Tobin. I felt so blessed to be able to take my family on a trip like this. Even though there was some bickering, I know that they will remember throwing the football on the beach, wrestling in the fountain, and sliding down the slide at the pool more than anything else! Andy and I didn't get a lot of alone time, but that wasn't our purpose and I think we came back a stronger family!
