So here I am again, consciously pushing myself to write something on this blog sitting in it’s little corner of the ether “collecting dust.” I was motivated to get my butt in gear and consolidate some boxes containing old stuff, and while doing so, I found receipts and tickets from the trip that Stuart and I took to Mexico. Neither of us had visited our neighbor to the south, and Stuart especially was skeptical about this destination. We ended up spending a spectacular week in the Riviera Maya at the Secrets Silversands, an all-inclusive adults-only resort.
This vacation was much needed after Stuart’s challenges with losing a job and the daunting task of job hunting. The week was an escape from reality, and we have our Grandma Kim to thank for this jaunt. We timed it that we were there on Stuart’s birthday, so it was nice to celebrate at such a beautiful place.
We ate so much great food at the resort. I had plenty of cocktails beach side.
Fresh ahi tuna salad
We also ventured out to see Chichen Itza, and marveled at its mysterious structure and history. This was also where we had the most delectable pork tacos — even the ones that Stuart accidentally laced with some seriously potent habanero salsa. I am now a huge fan of Yucatecan cuisine — bold flavors, colorful, and sublime!
the famous pyramid in Chichen Itza: El Castillo or the Temple of Kukulcan
We also visited the ruins of Tulum. What a view the Mayans had! We learned so much about the social classes of the ancient Mayans and how this walled city atop the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean played a tremendous role in politics and trade back then.
Mayan Ruins of Tulum
After Tulum, we hit a water park at Xel-Ha. We floated down the lazy river, snorkeled, and ate more wonderful Mexican food. One thing for sure I will remember this trip is the embarrassing amount of margaritas I consumed. Good thing we also didn’t shy away from doing water activities and exploring the ruins to burn those calories.
That would be me cruising down the river.
The natural lagoon at Xel-ha where we snorkeled.
As a birthday present for him, I got us intro to scuba diving lessons and went scuba diving in the Caribbean! We had the best time especially with us as the only people on the boat. The underwater world is so magical. We encountered giant manta rays and a few sea turtles.
Stuart and I during our dive joined by a friendly sea turtle
It was interesting to learn that for a lot of people, going to Mexico is habitual. It is a part of their lifestyle. Many of the couples we met at the resort find it surprising that it was only our first time being there. Some of them come back to that very same resort more than once a year. For someone who wants to go see and experience much of the world, I had to consciously refrain myself from commenting on their choice to just keep going back to one place. After all, the Yucatan is such a beautiful place with the turquoise Caribbean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. The area is riddled with Mayan mysteries topped with fascinating colonial history. I can’t fault them for falling in love with such a spectacular place. I, for one, would easily find myself going back for another round of fun in the sun. But maybe not before I clear a few more destinations on my list.
Hasta luego, Mexico!
Dafny's Destinations 