We left Fort Worth at 5:15pm after a three hour wait at the airport. It wasn’t so bad, as we had luggage to check, security to clear and boarding passes to obtain. We did notice that the airport felt rather empty, with only passengers waiting for their flights instead of the typical accompanying loved ones milling about. Our flight was only a little over two hours, but our airpline must have decided it could make ends meet better by adding one or two more rows of seats to the craft. Knees touching the seat in front of me made me long for a 777 ins4ead. As we neared Cancun, we were giving immigration papers to fill out, before we would be permitted into the country.

Unlike D/FW, we deplaned on the tarmac and approached the airport. Once inside, we joined others in a long line to have our passports checked. We then acquired our luggage, and sought out our tour guide. However, we misguidedly found ourselves with a very helpful agent who’s sole intent was to get us to visit their resort and hopefully score a sale in a time-share. Snared by the promise of free entrance passes to Xcaret’s Adventure Park, we agreed to visit their hotel and attend a 90-minute presentation. A $40 deposit was required to set things up. With misgivings I handed over the money, but we were promised a huge lunch and more, after all.

Once outside, we found our man who would actually get us to our destination. It began to rain, and it was already dark in Cancun by 8:45pm. Weather.com had forcasted a 40% chance of rain our entire visit, but other than that hour Sunday night, we had nice weather. Everything comes with a price, we found as soon as we arrived. Our bags were literally taken from our hands and wisked to the bus area. It only took about 45 seconds, but the smiling dark-skinned man eagerly awaited his tip. On the bus was an ice chest brimming with ice cold beer, for $2 each. We rode in silence for most of the time, but the tour guide informed us of some things we would need to know shortly before we reached our hotel. It was located 45 minutes south of Cancun, in the area known as Playa Del Carmen, or PlayaCar to the locals.

Since our trip was all-inclusive, our meals, drinks and other amenities were available to us during certain hours, but we never lacked anything. If you missed an opportunity, you simply found it elsewhere. We quickly found our room, dropped off our luggage, and made a mad dash for the dining area for dinner from the buffet that would close shortly. We found an abundance of fruits, meats and vegetables, as well as breads to select from. The dining area was facing the beach, encased in glass panes that were opened to allow a cool breeze to pass through. The bar provided my first Dos XX beer, which was refreshing. We saw people by the pool, which was lit from below, displaying a vivid blue. The shoreline was hidden as the moonlight was hindered by passing clouds. After our meal, Phillip and I had to make our way to the beach, to breath in the ocean and feel the sand between our toes. It didn’t take long for us to walk out in the shallow waters, regardless that our swimsuits were still packed. The water was warm, the sand was soft.

Our room was nice, with two queen size beds. Although they were firm, we slept soundly. Our room never did feel cool, but it was better than outside. The next morning, we began to understand more about the climate. In this area, it stays humid almost all of the time. Our clothes never dried completely, for example. So it is important to pack plenty of shirts and underwear, because we never had enough it seemed!

Also, it really is important to try to bring along things from home because they cost double when you need them during your vacation. We brought along underwater disposable cameras, sunscreen and repellant. However, burn cream for my back cost about $17.…. We did not need to bring towels after all, as the hotel provided huge beach towels that you could trade in for clean dry ones as needed.

  On Monday, we just enjoyed the ocean and the pools that the Reef Club Hotel had to offer. While we were cruising around on mopeds, seeing what the surrounding area had to offer, our room was being cleaned from top to bottom again. Fresh towels, floors swept and mopped of all the sand we’d somehow managed to bring into the room, our beds made again -- it was great. Nothing of ours was stolen, just moved or arranged so they could perform their duties. We decided to continue to eat all of our meals at the hotel, as it was “free” and always full of variety. Phillip loved all the fruit available for consumption, and I made full use of the bar on every occasion. Our tour guide helped us plan ahead….

On Tuesday, we rose early to meet a bus that took us to Paradaise Reef. It stopped a couple of times to pick up more passengers from other resorts, and we rode along, taking in the tropical scenery around us. Once off the highway, we drove through the midst of a mangrove for maybe 10 minutes. Mangroves are wet areas, like swamps, where mangrove trees grow in salt water, but filter our the salt and only drink in the fresh water to grow and survive. Interestingly enough, although their purpose isn’t apparent to the naked eye, mangroves are home to wildlife (birds, crocodiles, fish and more), especially during stormy seasons. And without the mangroves, the reefs themselves couldn’t survive. Much of the microscopic life forms such as plankton come from these waters, feeding the reef and the fish that live there. In return, the toxins given off by the fish are filtered out by the plants. This symbiosis was remarkable to me, but it exists in over 250,000 hectares worldwide.

Also available at this location was horseback riding as well as ATV treks, but we were there for the trimarran ride to the reef. We didn’t bring a wallet because we were worried we’d lose it in the ocean while snorkeling. So we didn’t have our $1 reef tax unfortunately. Carlos, our friendly guide, took good care of us regardless. Soon we were on the deck of the trimarran, a three-hulled ship that held about 40 eager divers. Without sail, the captain moved the craft through that azure waters to our first spot. Carlos gave everyone reason to smile as he comically taught us about our snorkeling gear. Then we jumped into the shallow waters, to seek out life on our own. In the water, we had a guide lead us to various spots for about 45 minutes.
  
  
Then back on the deck, we ‘sailed’ to our next spot, which was far more exciting and had lots of rock to explore. Phillip and I gave chase to a manta-ray hoping to take a picture, but it was large and fast, even as it effortlessly out-swam us. We saw anemones, urchins, and schools of fish of various kinds. The striking colors on the brochures don’t match the ocean bottom , at least at this depth. Much of the area looks the same, as colors blend allowing creatures to hide and survive. I saw an eel’s head sticking out of a hole in the sandy floor, and made sure to give him plenty of space. All too soon we were back on the deck, heading to one more spot, filled with huge starfish (below) that I continued to say were fake! They were very hard and didn’t or couldn’t move. Each one was about the size of a dinner plate, but very colorful. Yellows, orange, and slightly reddish, Carlos dove down and brought up about six at time for us to inspect. We tossed them back into the ocean and they floated!! I still think if we’d looked hard enough, we could have found the inscription “made in Taiwan” on them. But he assured me that they were very real, and once settled on the ocean floor, they spread out and move about. It was a great experience, even if it did feel too short. We had to buy special “oil-free” sun block, so as not to harm the reef with toxins. The most uv-resistant formula they had was 15, so I got a nice pink back that day. Soft drinks and chips were provided during our reef tour, but we were asked not to take anything else from the reef except our pictures. Phillip and I abided by that request, since we love saltwater creatures and wouldn’t want to harm them by taking things away from their home.

We spent the afternoon at the beach with boogie-boards, and then at the pool where something was always going on. They had games, music, and plenty of people to visit with, so we never got bored at all. After dinner, we went to the evening show that featured dancers moving to the music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and finally something futuristic. After taking a bow, the dancers grabbed many audience members, including us, and brought us up on the stage to dance too. Phillip happily complied, as he thought several of the ladies were beautiful. And he plaintively told me later how badly some of the white girls “could not dance at all.” -grin- After all, aren’t we always led to believe that all girls can dance?

The next day we traveled to Telum, to see some of the Mayan ruins.


   

This gave us a chance to pose some more.

During our two-hour tour, we learned so much about the Mayan civilization and how they calculated the calendar according to the four solstices. It was fascinating, and led me to understand that they were basically just like us, overall. They too loved and were fascinated by space, and studied the constellations, when they weren’t studying the surrounding area and what all it had to offer. We learned about some of their beliefs, and some of the construction techniques they used as they planned and built their monuments.

  
  

From the gorgeous white sands of the beach, you can see Cozumel on the horizon. It takes about 45 minutes by ferry to get there, but we decided not to try to fit that into our last day in Mexico.

Thursday morning, we enjoyed a nice breakfast and checked out the Scuba demonstration at the pool. I would have loved to have taken their short course and later a dive, but their rules demanded that you not dive within 12 hours of your flight.
  
So we had to pass up this opportunity, but we both look forward to doing that next time. Instead, we learned how to sail a small catamaran, taking turns at the rudder as well as turning in the wind. That was fun, and suddenly we were out in the dark blue waters for a while. Without a shark in sight, we effortlessly cut through the waters before heading back to shore.

I spent the afternoon in the ocean with a snorkel and mask, looking for small shells and corals to add to my saltwater tank at home. Once my hat was filled to the top, I stopped. Meanwhile, Phillip hung out by the pool area, playing ball, swimming, and even played some guitar with a fellow enthusiast from California (below).

There was still plenty left to do in PlayaCar: Jetskis, Para-Sailing, Wind-Surfing, even Sky Diving if you have enough money. In Cancun and the surrounding areas, Pesos as well as dollars are accepted. It is best to have a little of both, which we did. We especially enjoyed all the beautiful women that were there, local or tourist. Many of the women guests had their hair braided and then beaded, like Bo Derek’s famous look from “10”. I liked it! -grin- Take that look, add a good tan and a skimpy swimsuit, and we were in heaven. Phillip saw some things that he shouldn’t have seen for a few more years, but he didn’t complain a single time… what a guy! Speaking of sights, I must include the huge iguana we saw sunning itself on the sidewalk near one hotel, as well as the large purple sand crab that we discovered near one bungalow.

By 6pm , it was time to head back to the aeropuerto in Cancun, which we did with a driver who took us by car. It was surprising that we were his only passengers, but he didn’t mind the drive at all, it seemed. Once there, I took the time to head back to that same booth to request my $40 back, which should be mailed to me in the next couple of weeks. Security was pretty good, as they asked each person to open their suitcases and they looked inside for whatever might not be allowed. Then we received our boarding passes, and went up to our gate. I found Rochas Man in the cologne shop and had to buy it, as it is hard to find in the states. The salesman wasn’t familiar with it, but immediately fell in love with it’s odor and announced he was going to switch to it himself. I also picked up a liter of Crown Royal at half the normal price, and we waited to board the plane. There security checked us again, this time scanning our bodies with wands, and looking in our carry-on bags. Still finding nothing but Toblerone and other essentials, we were told to board “in the back” of the plane. It isn’t too often you get to enter the tail-section of a plane, so we took yet another experience home with us. After enduring some rowdy passengers for about two hours, we arrived at D/FW airport just before midnight. Most of us “Texans” had had enough of these malcontents, but we made it through customs without an incident. Happy to see our luggage arrived with us, we made it home to find Jake excited to see us.

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