First things first, Merry Christmas everyone from beautiful Playa Del Carmen, Mexico!
Now that that's out of the way, here's what we've been up to these past few weeks. The last time I posted I was explaining the daily grind and the more mundane facts of life we've been living. I would love to talk about all the incredible things we do on a regular day in this paradise like setting we find ourselves in but it would only lead to your heartbreak and our self delusions.The reality is that we don't do much everyday. Between entertaining the kids and us researching our next leg of the trip, we barely have time to lounge by the crystal clear blue ocean or our pool (which we do almost daily). We barely have time to drink the 2 or 3 fruit smoothies we constantly inhale. We also barely have time to walk around in the +28 Celsius sunny sky weather we're forced to endure day in and day out.
Yup, it's a hard life we live. I say that all with a mischievious grin and a shake of my head. If only life was always like this. Please don't get me wrong. We're loving this lifestyle and to us no price is too high to live like this.
Hey everyone. Sorry for not putting up any new posts but this past week has flown by without much fanfare. It's been a little cooler here and as such we've been enjoying the simpler things in life. We did enjoy a few days by the beach though. We also spent a few days walking around town and finally got the chance to check out the shops on Juarez Street. We even went to the mall (Centro Maya) to let the kids play the arcades and did some Christmas toy browsing while we were there. In short, it's been pretty low key.
Today, I woke up with the realization that December wasflying by. I also noticed how we've fallen into a pretty set routine most days. It's amazing how quickly that can happen after only a month and a half in one place. I find that most of our days are getting pretty quiet...
With a little uncertainty and trepidation we set out for the first time by collectivo to check out the beach and turtles in Akumal. Who knew we would enjoy ourselves so much?
Yesterday we decided it was finally time to check out Akumal. We've heard nothing but great things about it since we got here. It's always been high on our list of things to do but for some reason a month had gone by and we still hadn't gone. Well that changed yesterday and I'm pleased to announce that we all had a good time. Before I get into it though, I suppose I should add a thing or two (or knowing me a hundred) about our three night escape to Tulum. I'm sure you got quite the earful in Cole's post but he only talked about one day and we all know 5 year olds can never be quite trusted. Especially when iguanas, a trampoline, cheese and mayonnaise sandwiches are involved. ;) We decided to take a bus to Tulum simply because we thought it would be easier than taking a collectivo...
Today has been a great day. So great that dad is letting me, Cole, write this blog entry. Okay, I'm only 5 and can't really read or write that well but dad said he was going to use my voice, whatever that means. He says that people might enjoy a different point of view for a change.
We got into a place called Tulum yesterday and we're staying in a neat hotel room. Me and Jordan have to share a bed but that's okay because mom and dad are right beside us. I like it when we're close. Mom must have really wanted to keep me quiet because she let me play my Nintendo DS while she surfed the internet.
They never let me play games in the morning. It's too bad because I enjoyed waking up really early and sneaking downstairs to play it when I first got it a few months ago. Dad wasn't too happy when he found out and from then on they hid it at night so I coulnd't find it...
Yesterday was kind of a unique day for us here in Playa. Not only was it Sunday but it was also the last day of the Jazz Festival. The reason Sunday is kind of special here is that most Mexicans (or I guess anybody who lives and works here) gets the day off. Most of the locals work 6 days a week and Sunday is their one day to get out and enjoy what this area has to offer. A lot of quiet areas around town are suddenly filled and there are times where it actually feels like you're living in a Mexican town and not some immense resort.
We had heard that it could get a little busy on Sundays and to be honest the first two Sundays we kind of stuck around the condo. One thing we've learned early on about ourselves is that we're not big crowd people. We usually love when something big is going on but not for the same reasons as most people. We've learnt when the crowd goes one way, we go the other. It's usually the best time to see and explore touristy areas without having a million people ruining the fun. It usually works well for us...
After being in Playa del Carmen so long we get a chance to go on a little side vacation with some visiting good friends from back home. We were going to be staying at a nice little all inclusive hotel named Gran Bahia Principe for a few days. Now when I say little, I mean only in comparison to a city. The place is huge!
Contemplating a plunge in Cenote Cristalino, Playa del Carmen? We headed to this gorgeous cenote from our condo in town. It was also our first experience with the local collectivos buses. In all, it was a great day and a wonderful place to laze away the hours.
To those who haven't yet been to this area, a cenote (say-NOH-tay) is basically a large (or small) freshwater hole composed primarily of limestone and fossilized coral. They essentially get created when the water level drops and the rooftop caves in revealing a pool of crystal clear water. Because these pools are often connected to extensive underground rivers, they've become very popular with cave divers. Some of the deepest can go down for...