Cancun!!

Thanks to the kindness of both of our fabulous mothers, Rob and I were able to take a sans-Vivi getaway to beautiful Cancun. It was fabulous!

Here are a few things we learned:

1) Never make online reservations to be picked up at an airport in Mexico. You may spend 2 hours arguing in Spanglish over the legitimacy of said reservation.

2) If you arrive at your hotel in Mexico and, despite the fact that you reserved a king size bed on hotels.com, you are assigned to a room with two tiny beds, DO NOT let the front desk clerk talk you into "just pushing the beds together." You will only wind up sleeping in the crack and waking up sore. Do not hesitate to challenge the assertion that "there are no king size beds available." Rob found that if you march up to the front desk and say something to the effect of "you DO have king size beds available, you are just not willing to give one to ME" that the clerk will try to "sell you" the room you thought you had reserved. If you resist this offer and continue to complain, you will eventually get the room you want for a mere $20 tip/bribe (fabulous view included). Here are some shots of the view from our beautiful king size room that Rob secured for us with much personal suffering:




3)If you ever find yourself in Cancun, you must eat at La Parilla. They have the most fabulous Tacos al Pastor and Mayan Lime Soup in this world!

4)The "Jungle Tour," though a misnomer (no jungle involved) is well worth the time and money. You get to cruise in your own boat across the lagoon, through the mangroves, and out into the ocean where you snorkel in the coral reefs.



5) When vacationing in paradise, make plenty of time for catching rays and sipping pina coladas.





6)Swimming with dolphins is fabulous. We don't have any great pictures of this one b/c they wouldn't let us take our camera. We did buy a photo of Rob and I hugging a dolphin, but I haven't had a chance to scan it in yet.


7) Though it takes up a huge portion of your vacation, everyone should see the ruins once. However, drive yourself there. Don't go with a touring company--you could find yourself eating mystery meat for lunch in a scary motel in the middle of nowhere (actually somewhere between Chichen Itza and Cancun).




8) When in Cancun the Mexican Fiesta at the Hacienda is a must. The dancers are fabulous,





the facility reminiscent of something out of colonial Mexico (think Zorro)



the horses amazingly beautiful,



and you just may get to dance on stage with Juan!


9) If you find yourself on a ferry with no bartender, Rob makes a fabulous substitute.




10) I want to turn our kitchen into a permanant Mexican Fiesta with these coolest chairs in the world (the waiter at the restaurant where we found these chairs said the man who makes them lives in Guanajuato!)



11) If you have the choice between staying in Cancun and staying in Playa del Carmen, we would choose the latter. We loved staying in Cancun, but Playa del Carmen is even cooler. It's much more happening in the non-bar, non-partier kind of way. Here are some pics of our visit there.







12) Mexico is the perfect place to pick up souvenirs for a little princess.





Thanks again to our moms (and Christina who helped tend Vivi) and Davis, Polk, and Wardwell (who provided the funds via Rob's salary) for an amazing vacation. Already looking forward to the next beach trip! Viva Mexico!!