We actually left for our vacation the day after Corbin graduated and drove to Phoenix for the first leg of our trip. Originally, we were supposed to lay over for a few hours in Mexico city and then we would arrive that evening at our destination. Unfortunately, after we purchased out tickets, the airline changed our flight so we would be spending the night in the airport in Mexico City. Yuck! There was nothing we could do about it, so we just rolled with the punches. Lucky for us, our kids are old enough to manage with ease, and they can sleep just about anywhere!
We actually arrived very early in the morning to our resort and found that we had been upgraded. Who knows how or why, but we will take it. Our condo-style accommodations had two huge bedrooms, two luxurious bathrooms, a full kitchen and a deck with its own little pool. The property was enormous, and the Larsons who had arrived well before us, were in another building. The nice thing was little shuttles that ran all over the sprawling property to take you wherever you needed to go whether it was a restaurant, a pool area, a shop, or the beach. It was all there!
We decided to rent a van to go into the city to get some provisions for the week. The kids were excited to see some more "authentic" mexican areas. They also had a great time trying to figure out what to buy in the grocery store with all of the Spanish writing and unfamiliar brands.
We also had an adventure walking to find some dinner and enjoyed some delicious street tacos in a little place that was about a thousand degrees. It was hot, but so yummy! And lucky for us, we had Scott to translate whenever we had a language barrier.
One of the days, we decided to do some tourist stuff outside of the resort. We signed up for a package adventure deal where we would get to ride ziplines, swim in underground cenotes and ride on 4-wheelers through the jungle. It did not disappoint!
Some days we just lounged by the pool drinking smoothies and eating appetizers. The kids also had fun exploring the beach and swimming in the surf. There was never any rush to be anywhere, and one of the perks of our upgrade was the private cabanas we could reserve poolside. We could get used to this!
One of the days we went out on our own to visit the Mayan ruins at Chitzen Itza. This tour also included a zipline, cenote swim, and a dinner with Mayan themed dancers. We had a lot of fun riding bikes all over the huge Mayan excavation sites at Chitzen Itza. It was so hot! We were even able to climb one of the pyramids which we were told will probably not be allowed anymore after this year.
I also celebrated a birthday while we were south of the border. The adults went to a nice dinner at one of the fancier restaurants on the property.
We had the best time with our friends that are like family to us! The kids got along great. We learned new things. We experienced a new culture. We had lots of adventures and enjoyed just being together. This is a memory that we will always treasure.
