Our introduction to Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico started at Barcelona Tucancun, an Occidental Resort and Hotel. Our daughter arrived later than we had anticipated due to flight delays. We settled into our room and enjoyed dinner at the Seafood Restaurant Claraboya followed by cocktails in the main lounge while we awaited her arrival. The main floor area including the front desk, Main Bar, lounge area and snack bar is open air style with wonderful vistas of the rolling ocean waters and offers the touch of the warm tropical breezes. The decor is white marble with muted accents of pastels and silver, with seats around the bar as well as cushioned couches and chairs scattered about, very cozy. Our stay was all inclusive, just for the three of us and lasted until Wednesday the 12th. We spent these days catching up and enjoying drinks such as Miami Vice, Pina Coladas, Margaritas, Michelada, Sangria and Cervesas while lounging about between the fine white sand beach and the three pools on the property. Our favorite spot was the in pool tiled loungers that offered a perfect balance between sun and soothing cool water. We dined at all but the Italian Buffet between the breakfasts, lunches and dinners of these days and found satisfactory options at the Mallorca Buffet, Mexico Lindo and Restaurant Claraboya whether for lunch Buffet or sit down Seafood. All was tasty. One evening’s after dinner walk heralded the Pink moon, a beautiful sight over the gleaming ocean. We all agreed this is a destination worth recommending.
At checkout, this trio of ours made our way, via taxi hailed by the bellman, and met Alex and his wife at the VRBO located at Villa Caviatos #5 at Playa Tortugas. This 4 bedroom 4.5 bath Villa equipped to sleep 10 was our family home for the next 8 days. The three of us stored our belongings and our landlord gave us a lift to the nearby mercado. This was quite the excursion filling three baskets with food and beverage for the clan. Our goal was to be “settled in” as the other two pieces of the children/grandchildren puzzle arrived over the next couple days. The square footage was incredible in this 5 story pool and beach side rental. Although the home showed some signs of age, the beds were comfortable and had decent linens, the views and sounds of the ocean were supreme, it was stocked well in the kitchen, had a washer and dryer and the place worked well for our group. We each could register a complaint or two but for the rate it was totally worthwhile. The biggest disappointment outside was the trash which littered the beach but the waters were clean and when perched poolside the remnants of spring break in progress were hidden from view. There is definitely some challenge and some humor to family dynamics that appear over a stretch of days like this but when all was said and done I feel we all agreed, value of time together made our differences pale. As we were on our voyages, a friend had emailed me on some business matters and her words of well wishes still ring in my ears, “enjoy making memories”. This set of parents/grandparents certainly did, and can’t thank these beautiful people we call our own enough for sharing time and creating memories with us.
Lazy poolside days snacking, playing with water toys, barbecuing and drinking with great conversations and some raucous behavior thrown in was accented by two main excursions. The favorite was a trip aboard catamaran sailing about the ocean waters and stopping to snorkel, have lunch and visit Isla Meujeres. The family parked ourselves on the netting between the pontoons at the front of the boat. What a glorious day this was with much laughter from our entire group. We had fun joking and interacting with the crew of Marina Chat Chi and Cancun Sailing. Our group would highly recommend all aspects of this adventure with a word of caution about the rigorous nature of the snorkeling between being herded as a large group and the intense current coupled with the lack of real noteworthy sealife. A few of us did get to see a great puffer fish specimen thanks to my son in law’s sharp eye.
Our second excursion took us by private passenger van to Chichen Itza. We were escorted around the hotel property adjacent to these ancient ruins and provided a private cabana for refreshing ourselves. We were offered horchata and tamarindo, house made beverages, while given options for viewing these sacred grounds. We chose to have a guide. This we would highly recommend, as we were given a wealth of information to pique our interest on the vision and foresight of the Mayans and the influences placed on them by the Toltecs. We all agreed we wished we would have started the tour a little more versed on these civilizations and there foreword thinking views of the correlation between the elements the seasons and the conception of time. While wondering at the construction, our guide provided tidbits of the knowledge of earth, heavens and time these ancient people represented in their work. Well worth a visit and a little more research to provide insight into the mystery of what life is all about. This was good inspirational fodder for young and old alike.
Torrential rains hit as we spent our last evening shopping and dining at the Mercado 28 plaza, drowning us like rats. For some, it got the better of us and for others, we somehow laughed it off. In the wee hours of the morning the winds began to howl and the rain fell again. We all hoped for clear skies as we spent our last morning at the Villa. Not to be, the heavens cried hard and let loose again as we finished up lunch of the odds and ends still in the frig.They continued as we made our way by vans across the flooded streets to the airport. Sunny skies shine outside the windows of the Southwest Airlines plane as I gaze around at some of the people I love most. We are headed to Denver for a little bit more biz, some baseball and a drive home to get back to “real life”. These people we love fly on to their own lives. Time moves so fast. Family. Together. Value it, no matter what, whenever you can! Thank you to my peeps for this time together!
