“What a great idea!” I exclaimed. “Let’s go meet Damon and Tricia in Mexico.” 

July 16 – A month later we were on our way. After much BS with Mexicana airlines, (Don’t ever book with them. They charged us 4 times and we are still waiting to get our money back!) we made it to Cancun. We grabbed a cheap rental and headed south. After a pit stop in Playa del Carmen for some provisions and a few wrong turns, we made it to Casa de Gatos in Akumal. It was a condo in a small gated courtyard, and we happened to be the only guests. We ate at the hotel next door that had an Italian restaurant called, Que Onda. It was ok, and we were tired.

July 17 – The next morning we grabbed snorkel gear at the scuba place on Half Moon bay and hit the lagoon that was only a block away from the condo. Yal-ku was amazing. It’s a lagoon with fresh water springs that meet the ocean. It creates a weird, blurry mix of water at times, but it was refreshing and had lots of fish. We took a break and went home for lunch. Then, headed back for a little more lagooning. We peeled ourselves away to go check out the bay. I’m glad that we did! There were a few turtles swimming close to shore that let us photograph them. We’ve never swum with turtles and these ladies were huge and very passive. So cool. We went to dinner on Half Moon bay at a place called La Buena Vida. It had beachside tables and even tree houses and hammocks. We hung out there and enjoyed fajitas sin queso and Brendan had some Negro Modelos. A successful day.

July 18 – “Ok, we have to go to the Mayan ruins.” We were going to get an early start, but that turned into a slightly later start as we slept in. We drove to Coba which touts the tallest Mayan temple, a thing to be conquered for sure. We decided to forego hiring a guide and just wing it ourselves. So, we thought we were headed towards El Grande, but we went to another part of the town. It was great though, and we saw a temple that has some of the color remaining from their paintings. We’re trudging back towards the entrance, again foregoing a rickshaw ride or rental bikes and walking (what were we trying to prove?), and we here a guide say that El Grande is that way. Well, at least we’ve got good information, now. There behind the trees, El Grande reveals itself. O.M.G. We got some Gatorade and our second wind and started the climb. It wasn’t too bad. I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath. It’s really cool to make it to the top, and there was a nice breeze coming around the side of the temple. I’d like to the see the backside of the temple. I imagine it’s quite a drop. Oooo, they should have Mayan temple bungee jumping. Ok, maybe not, but still. Brendan had a little heat exhaustion, but we found a restaurant outside and refreshed. 
Next, we had to decide between cave snorkeling or the beach. The beach won, and we headed for Tulum. There are also ruins there, but we were ruined out. Gorgeous beach and some small waves to play in, heaven.

July 19 – Time to leave Akumal. We decided to stop in Playa del Carmen and do a little shopping, lunch, and beach before we headed to the all inclusive, Excellence resort. But, wait, what’s this, why are there two police officers waving us over. Ahhh, they’re pulling us over. We’re you speeding? After some explanation in Spanish we ask if he speaks English, and he says, “Poquito.” So in a Spanglish conversation about where we are staying, going, and when we are leaving, the officer asks when we are going to pay the ticket. “Where do we pay it?”
“If you pay in Playa del Carmen, 1000 pesos. If you pay, now, 600 pesos.”
I immediately understand and get my wallet. Brendan asks, “Tengas dolores Americanos.”
With a grin he says, “Si, si. $60.”
Well, it’s better than dealing with a ticket in Mexico, and I think you call that a shake down.

The Excellence was drinking, swimming, eating, drinking, eating, sleeping, swimming, drinking, massage, hydrotherapy, more eating, drinking and swimming…you get the picture. Having Damon and Tricia there was the best part. We very much enjoyed it, and if you’re into all inclusive I would recommend it. We were glad that we had done some exploring before feeling tied to the resort.

July 21 – A last dip, a last drink, and a last meal. Off we go. We had a great time, and we had a layover in Mexico City. Flying in was crazy. It’s sprawling, huge and so compact. Quite a site and overwhelming even for an Angelina like me. Well, we made it home, for a day, then our next adventure. Stay tuned…I’m a little behind.