Los Ah, Beh, Ceh's

Por fin, por fin, por fin tengo una maestra de español! (Finally, finally, finally I have a Spanish teacher!)

After almost six years of living in Mexico and learning Spanish on my own, I am thrilled to have started classes with a real teacher. My first private lesson was on Monday with a lovely American woman who has been living in Mexico for more than 30 years. She used to work with me at the English school and we always got along well, I knew she would be a great choice. She's a grammar and pronunciation taskmaster but kind and funny which takes away some of the pain.

Having always communicated with each other in English, the first couple of classes have been about evaluating my level of Spanish and finding my bad habits. We're starting from scratch, working our way through a text book, first step being general pronunciation and lists and lists and lists of vocabulary which I must repeat. We've discovered my problem areas and I am busting my jaw trying to break free of years of mispronouncing the letter "i". No one has ever corrected me, I am astonished I got away with it for so long. My face actually hurts with all the pronunciation exercises, the mouth takes a very different shape with the Spanish vowels and the "new" muscles are getting a work out. I feel like I am back in kindergarten, but it's a good feeling, who didn't love kindergarten?

While I am capable of carrying on conversations in Spanish, I know that without any formal classes I am making mistakes. If I don't know the correct way to phrase what I want to say, I cheat or I mumble. And I have been allowed to do this. Everyone says "Hablas bien, te entiendo!" ("You speak well, I understand you!"). I think what they are really saying is "You make a lot of mistakes, but we get your point". That's alright, it is communication and I can get what I need or share my ideas, but I am at the point where I should be speaking like a high school student, not a 5 year old.

And so it begins, with the "Ah, Beh, Ceh's", fix the bad pronunciation habits first then move on to my ugly grammar. My teacher has assured me that in a very short time I will be that much closer to fluency. I have all the words, my vocabulary is pretty extensive, but now it's time to put it all in order and make me sound like a grown up when I speak.

I feel really good about this, not only am I moving ahead with my secondary language development, but I am doing something that is just for ME. Any of you parents out there know how difficult it is to find time and money for things not related to the kids, the house, the job, etc, etc, so having a couple of hours a week that are solely for Canucka is a dream. It's really the first time since Max was born that I am doing something for myself and it feels divine, I'm invigorated and excited and grateful for the opportunity.

Ok, off to do some homework, I'll have Max check it when he gets home. He's such a stickler for perfection! And your homework for the day is to learn the vowels in Spanish, here's a little video to help you out.....

Parque las Palapas

One of our semi-regular weekend routines is an hour or so spent in Parque las Palapas. This has become the "zocalo" (town square) of Cancun, families gather to play, people watch, eat, dance and let the kids romp. Max is particularly fond of this park as they have little battery-powered cars that the kids can drive, he cruises around checking out the ladies and pretending he's Mario Andretti. It's a strange place to be, an incredible amount of action and seemingly chaotic, yet it always feels peaceful and laid back. I walk around with a contented smile on my face watching the acrobats, clowns, cadets, dancers, kids, and vendors, eating my churros and enjoying the vibe. There's always music mixed with the screams of the children, the whir of the little cars, babies crying, whistles blowing, bells ringing from the man selling paletas. And yet it is still peaceful to me. The aroma is that of grease, tacos, churros, marquesitas, esquites and tamales, scents that compel you to order something. The smiles abound and laughter rings out, even if it's only for an hour, the troubles of the world are forgotten, family is embraced and life is just fine.

Beep beep....kids love these cars
(and they drive pretty well too, I've never been hit!)


The McQueen car is very popular with the boys
(Max is at the back of the pack cursing the Sunday drivers)


No, we're not at war and these are not scary soldiers,
just cadets going through their drills

The marquesita and churro carts line the perimeter


Every Sunday the dancers come out to strut their stuff

I love watching these folks, good old fashioned romance

The acrobats---always in the park, always striving
to be bigger, faster, higher

The park is a great place to visit in the evenings, especially weekends. Easy enough for tourists to find, it's steps away from Tulum Avenue and worth the trip out of the hotel zone, though we only ever see a few obvious tourists. You can buy handmade jewelry and clothes, try a new food or just soak in the sights, sounds and aromas of this slice of life in Cancun.

Just "off"

I have been feeling out of sorts lately, can't put my finger on anything being specifically wrong, just feeling "meh". It could be a combination of things, my parents visiting then leaving, having a wealth of exciting adventures over the last few weeks and now having nothing planned, or just plain old "hot and sweaty" syndrome. You would think I would be riding a high after so much activity, but, for lack of a better turn of phrase, I feel like I am "coming down". And really, how can you beat whale sharks? Nothing is going to seem fantabulous after that adventure and since I have no plans and no "extra" work right now, I feel like I am just floating along with nothing to look forward to.

I've had recurring dreams all my life off and on and lately they've been coming at me strong and hard. I wake up feeling very emotional, either anxious or depressed depending on where in the dream's story I awake. When I was a kid the dreams were always about the "soap monster", a creature that came out of the drains at night formed from the leftover bits of bars of soap. In my 20's, the dreams were set in abandoned factories, twisty turny dark hallways and large cavernous spooky spaces. Lately the setting is a ridiculously huge hotel, pyramid shape, where the rooms are actually like wings of a building, interconnected spaces, hidden passageways and giant balconies. There is a pool on the ocean side which always sees the sun and the "dark pool" on the other side of the building which is always in shadow. The last few nights I've been in the dark pool, surrounded by friends from my past and present and internet friends whom I have never met. As I bob in the water I call out their names but they don't respond, just slowly sink into the depths, in the end leaving me all alone in the darkness. It takes me a few hours after waking up to shake off the feeling of loneliness and despair these dreams bring.

So, what's my point? I guess I don't really have one, but I thought perhaps writing about what's going on would be healthier than pretending that everything is peachy and burying my head in the sand. Maybe what I need is to literally bury myself in the sand, a little trip to the beach might brighten my day, sunshine and physical activity have often worked for me in the past. Maybe I need a new project, or a new adventure or a new friend. Heck, perhaps even a new bikini would do it, I know lots of women swear by retail therapy though it's never been my medicine of choice. Things are not "bad" here, on the contrary, things are alright, so maybe it's just a normal little case of the boredom blues and I'll be "peachy" again tomorrow. After suffering from depression for years, medication, psychiatrists et al, I know that I am NOT in the danger zone of a big crash, but I hope to pull out of this little slump soon.

Remains of Missing Tourist Found

Sad news from Cancun this morning as local media reports indicate that skeletal remains found near the Moon Palace hotel are those of missing Scottish tourist Julia Howard. State attorney Bello Melchor Rodríguez has confirmed that the remains found in the jungle in an area of jungle about 1.5 kms away from the Moon Palace are those of Ms. Howard. The identification was based on a metal hip prosthesis and other personal belongings identified as belonging to the missing woman, including a ring and a watch. According to Noticaribe's report, there were no signs of violence and the theory of the prosecutor is that the elderly woman wandered off and was unable to find her way back.

Ms. Howard was reported missing June 15th after she left her family at the hotel pool and did not return.

My personal condolences go out to the family and friends of Ms. Howard.

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Cancun

One of my dreams came true yesterday, a whale of a dream in fact. A few weeks ago my good friends called to ask if I was interested in swimming with the whale sharks. My heart raced as I enthusiastically told them to count me in and I was giddy with excitement in the lead up to the big day.

Whale sharks are fascinating and mysterious creatures, little is known about their habits though there are a couple of spots in the world where they appear every year for a short time. We are fortunate to have them visit the waters off the northern coast of the Yucatan peninsula every year around the same time, May through September. Scientists come from around the world to study them and lucky tourists have the opportunity to swim with these gentle giants.

Yesterday I dragged myself out of bed to get ready for my 7:00 am pick up, kicking myself for going out the night before when I had sworn to myself that I would be in bed early (and sober). My very good friends T, G and their daughter R (for their privacy I am not using their names, but they know I love them!) drove us down to Punta Sam, excited and a little bit nervous. We hung out for a while waiting for our group to gather then settled in for the guide to explain what we were about to encounter. Claudio was great, enthusiastic about the fish and the day we were about to experience, he told us that the day before had been fantastic, they had seen about a hundred sharks! I asked him for advice on getting the best photos and he suggested taking as many as possible on the first two "jumps" and then not taking the camera in for the next two. Sounded good to me, I was pumped that I would get so many opportunities.

We got on our little boat, happy to see cushions on the seat, we had been expecting wooden slats and were not looking forward to the beating on the bottom. And thank god for those cushions, for the next hour or so we took some huge hits on some very rough seas, holding on for dear life to avoid being thrown out of the boat! It was a loooooong ride out to the "zone", of the ten people on the boat I would say 7 or 8 of us experienced sea sickness. Including me, the girl who has been on boats all her life and has never, ever been ill! Now perhaps it was a bit of a hangover problem, but I blame it on the rough seas and I wasn't the only one feeling the effects. The captain finally slowed down and the 1st mate/guide got up on the bow to start looking for the tell tale fins of the whale sharks.

We searched for a while and then suddenly, there it was. I could only see the fin at first, and several snorkelers in the water around a big, I mean BIG dark shape in the water. Our first pair got in, had a little swim and got back on the boat a few minutes later after the creature dove to the ocean floor. There were about twenty boats in the "zone", all vying for a spot with the sharks. When one was spotted, the radios went crazy and everyone converged, trying to form a line of sorts and taking turns getting in the water. We had split into pairs on the boat and myself and R were number 5, the last team.

So, team number one was done and we searched again. Boom, team number two in the water, back on board ooohing and aaahing. A little while later and team number three got their shot. And then....nothing. Nada, no sharks to be seen! The captains were chattering on the radio (nice to understand the Spanish banter) and wondering what the heck was going on. The boats split up, everyone desperate for another sighting. The guide was going a bit crazy, he kept saying "but there were so many yesterday!". We finally got another chance and team number four (T and G) hit the water. T had been really nervous about it but came out all smiles and thrilled with her encounter. R and I were getting ready, masks and fins on and eager for our shot. And we waited. And waited. And circled and bobbed and bounced in the rough seas. Other boats started to leave, saying they couldn't wait anymore but our guide was insistent that we would stay until we got our shot. Some boats left without anyone getting their opportunity in the water! The guide finally spotted one and got R and I into the water, but it was a bit of a disappointment as our amazing creature was waaaaaaaaay down and basically all we could see was a shadow. Well, it was better than nothing but we were certainly bummed out.

Our disappointing shadow of a whale shark

The boat started to make its return to land and I was composing the blog post of disappointment in my head. We were really cruising back fast when suddenly the captain stopped the boat and said "Go, go, go, anyone who wants to go go now!", he had spotted another for us! We quickly got our gear on and headed over board. I got my bearings and suddenly I saw her (I felt like it was a "her", but who knows, I shall call her Belinda though). I screamed into my snorkel tube, "Wow, wow, wow, oh my god!" and started swimming with her and snapping as many photos as I could. She was incredible, so peaceful, so gentle and seemingly oblivious to the excitement going on around her. I got myself in front of her hoping to get a photo of her mouth but panicked when I realized her gigantic maw was coming right towards me and I didn't get the shot! I swam around and around her and then followed her as she moved away, slowly diving to the bottom of the sea. I was so sad to see her go, but so pleased that I didn't have to go home without having "met" her.

Belinda the Whale Shark
(my guess is that she was about 9 meters long, bigger than the boat!)

My gorgeous baby Belinda

T and G's shark, photo courtesy of G

The closest I got to a good mouth shot of Belinda

We returned to the boat excited and relieved that we hadn't gone home empty handed, tired from a difficult swim and a long boat ride. The captain asked us if we still wanted to hit the snorkel spot that was on the itinerary or if we preferred to go to Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres where we could get a break for the constant movement of the boat. It was unanimous, everyone voted for Playa Norte as some non-bobbing time sounded divine. We played in the water while the crew made ceviche. We ate a little, chatted a little and were happy to return to dry land a little while later.

So, while I didn't get the three or four "jumps" I was hoping for, at least I met Belinda and had the experience of a lifetime. I really want to do it again, but next year, I need some time to recover from the boat ride, my back is aching today! G made all the arrangements for us through EcoColors tours (tour can be purchased here through Amstar) and we were happy with their service and their tour. It's a pricey trip, one of the most expensive tours in the area, but well worth it (even with a discount I paid 1000 pesos). I do NOT recommend this trip for children or anyone with seasickness issues or that might not be able to handle a rough boat ride. If you are up for a real adventure, then I highly recommend it! Be forewarned though, most operations do not have a guarantee of seeing a shark, as our guide said "They are not on a contract". (Ecocolors does offer a sighting guarantee, but not a guarantee of a swim, you see a fin, the guarantee is fulfilled). You do run a risk of not seeing anything and you can't get angry about it. Before we spotted Belinda, I was getting depressed and sad, but there was no way I could complain or be mad about it, it's the chance you take with nature. I ended the day happy and looking forward to doing it again next year.

So, how was your weekend?

Rio Secreto - Hidden Caves of the Riviera Maya

Traditional Sunday morning conversation in the Canuck household....

Hubby- "Que quieres hacer hoy mi vida?" ("What do you want to do today my life?")

Canucka- "Something new!"

Yes, that is every Sunday morning, I am always looking to see something we haven't seen before, have a new experience, find a hidden beach. This past Sunday our conversation led to a call to Rio Secreto to find out if they had a discount for Quintanaroonenses. Upon discovery that yes indeedy-do the entrance fee is half price for locals (250 pesos instead of $50 USD), we hit the road in a race to make the 11:00 tour.

Oh, wait, where and what is Rio Secreto you ask? Rio Secreto is located just south of Playa del Carmen and is a series of underground caves and cenotes that are absolutely out of this world. Deep in the jungle, a local man stumbled upon the entrance to this amazing hidden world about five years ago. He contacted the local authorities and cave specialists and they discovered that it was a huge system loaded with incredible stalactite and stalagmite formations. Local eco-tour company Alltournative came on board to develop safety standards to allow tourists to experience the caves without injuring themselves or the delicate structures.

We arrived at 10:59 and got our tickets for the tour set to start at 11:00. There were quite a few people waiting for the transportation to the entrance, though I was surprised to learn that everyone was local, no "real" tourists to be seen. We hopped in a van for the 8 km trip to the caves and watched the jungle scenery go by on our bumpy journey. There were an amazing number of butterflies, I saw some colourful birds and got a quick peek at a monkey flying through the trees. It took about 20 minutes to get to our destination where we were greeted by our guide. He quickly got us set up with all the gear, helmets with lights, shortie dive suits, water shoes and life vests. Everyone was encouraged to shower first to remove any sunscreen, deodorant or bug spray to keep the caves contaminant free (yes, I stank the rest of the day and got eaten alive, but it was worth it!).

After a quick walk through the jungle, we headed down a dirt path to the entrance. I have to say, it literally took my breath away and we hadn't even entered the cave proper! The guide told us about the history of cenotes and the caves and their significance in Mayan history, he was obviously passionate about his job and what we were about to see. He asked us to be respectful and to remember that we were in a sacred place. We passed by an altar and the burning copal and entered wonderland.

Max and Hubby with burning copal

The tour was part walking on the uneven paths and part swimming in the chilly underground river where there was no path to cross. There is little life in the cave, though we saw a "pez ciego" ("blind fish"), a small catfish and a couple of large spiders (yep, after seeing the first one every drip of water down my leg felt like a tarantula!) Bats were evident, though we didn't see any that day, just their, ahem, leavings. For the most part you are walking in the dark, guided by the light on the helmet and the flashlight of the guide. There were certain areas that had been illuminated by artificial lights, perfect spots for the photographer to get some pics (which they later sold to us at ridiculously high prices) and for us to see the otherworldly formations.

Photo op! Looked like a snowy mountain at that spot

Photo op! Moon icicles anyone?

Photo op! In the jaws of the shark?

At a few points during the hour and a half tour, I felt a little pressure in my skull and got a little lightheaded. Nothing horribly uncomfortable, but enough that I knew we were pretty far below ground. We asked the guide how far down we were and he guessed at that point we were at about 25 to 30 meters underground. Nobody else seemed to be affected, I guess it was just my old ear problems resurfacing.

While I greatly enjoyed the whole tour (I must have said "Holy sh*t wow!" a hundred times), the highlight for me was the moment when we came to a large pool-like area of the river. The guide had us sit in the water as a group for another photo op, then he asked us all to shut off our helmet lights. He shut off his flashlight and we were in total darkness, black as pitch. We were completely silent, listening to the dripping water, embracing the magic of the spot, connecting with the history and the sacredness of the space. I forgot for a moment that we had a four year old with us, he was being a fantastic little spelunker, but you can't ask a kid to be quiet for that long and he got a huge belly laugh as he broke the silence with a long drawn out "Hellloooooooooooooooooooooooooo". I was embarrassed and apologetic that he broke the spell, but no one really seemed to mind.

Sacred dark quiet.....until comedian Max got his laugh
(Gotta admit, the kid's got timing!)

Overall this was an amazing experience. Hubby claims it's near the top of his list of "Best things to do in Cancun". Max liked it, though I don't think he fully understood the wonder of what he was seeing. This tour is great for families, though I would suggest that you be ready for a long walk and some swimming in cold water. The tour website says that children must be 6 years old, but they had no problem with Max joining us after they asked us some questions about his level of fear and abilities in the water. (The kid's not afraid of anything!) Be careful while walking, you don't want to whack your head on the stalactites (not because it will hurt, you are wearing a helmet, but you don't want to damage the caves!). Walking in and out of the water is tricky at times as visibility is low, I banged my ankle on rocks a couple of times. I wouldn't recommend this tour to people that are claustrophobic and I don't think it would be good for kids younger than four or elderly with mobility problems. Everyone else should certainly consider giving this one a go, history, culture, nature and spelunking, you just can't go wrong!

Bovino's Restaurant Cancun

One of the treats my parents gave us during their visit was a "date night", just grown ups, just Hubby and I. How odd, I forgot that we could go to restaurants that don't have play areas and crayons on the table! I had just read in one of the local "society" magazines about a new restaurant opening up downtown and thought we would give it a try.

Bovino's is a Brazilian-style restaurant located just across the street from Costco. I had no idea what to expect, though I knew we were going to be eating meat. (Bovino's, bovine, cow, yeah, you got it). We walked into the restaurant and were immediately greeted with a friendly smile and seated in the dining room. The place was lovely, warm woods, kind of an upscale cabin feel to it. In the center of the room was a large buffet, I thought it was just a salad bar at first but on closer inspection I saw the salmon, shrimp, prosciutto (one of my absolutely favourite flavours), a variety of cheeses, veggies, soups, salads, enough to feed us for a week. The waiter explained to us that there was no menu, you simply help yourself to the buffet and when you were ready for the "cortes" (cuts of meat), you turn a little card on the table to "green" and the servers start to bring out the carne.

Vegetarians may want to stop reading here....

Oh....my.....goodness. The servers not only brought meat, but it came skewered on swords. We started with filet mignon, moved on to a pork lomo encrusted with parmesan, smoked turkey, chicken, rib eye, sirloin, baby beef, the meat just kept coming! I am a real carnivore and I was in heaven. The meat was cooked "medium", normally I like it bloody rare, but the cuts were so tender and juicy and flavourful that I had nothing to complain about. When you wanted the meat train to stop coming, you flip the little card over to "red" and the waiters hold back. I didn't flip to red for quite some time, I honestly cannot believe how much I ate! I was getting really full when the waiter brought out the last cut. I wish I could remember what he called it, but it was the specialty of the house. I started to say "No", and he convinced me to just try a small slice. I wish I had started with that one, it was superb, melt in your mouth tender, hot and juicy, fantastic flavour.

I must have used the words "divine, delicious and heavenly" a hundred times that night, I was very impressed with the quality of the food. The service was top notch as well, the waiters were attentive without being overbearing and they went out of their way to ensure that we had all that we needed. They had an extensive wine list, Hubby had an Argentinian red wine and I had a Mexican sparkling that was actually quite good (normally I am quite snobby about Mexican wines). With the cozy atmosphere, good service and excellent food, I highly recommend that you check out Bovino's. As there is no menu, we really had no idea what we were going to pay for our feast, but it ended up being 318 pesos per person (plus drinks of course). I thought that was very reasonable for what we got, I've paid more and gotten less at other Cancun restaurants.

I wish this new restaurant lots of luck, I know it's difficult for new places to survive and I hope they do well. Spread the word, if you like meat like I do, you've got to give them a try!

(I didn't take any photos as it was "date night", pulling out the camera just didn't seem like the right thing to do, sorry!)

Akumal Beach Resort

When my parents told me they were coming to visit, we decided to take a little vacation with them and I started researching hotels down south. I hemmed and hawed about where to go, so many options and places I had never been, but finally settled on Akumal. I pulled up one of my favourite resources for the Riviera Maya, LocoGringo and checked out the specials and discounts they had for hotels in the area and finally decided on the Akumal Beach Resort. The deal just couldn't be beat, an all-inclusive resort on a great beach, close to snorkeling and at a reduced price, 40% off the regular rate (ended up being about $57 USD per person per day, Max was free). Living here we don't have a lot of experience actually staying at resorts, so anything was going to be a treat for us. I knew we weren't going to a 5 star luxury resort, and that was just fine by me, as long as someone else was cooking and cleaning everything was going to be A-OK.

We arrived at the hotel on July 1st and were greeted with a refreshing drink. Check in was a breeze, we got our bracelets (different colours depending on what language you spoke, I got the Spanish one so I guess I passed the oral quiz) and headed up to our rooms. The rooms were basic and clean, nothing fancy, but a good size, big beds that were only a little bit hard and fantastic views of the sea.

Our Building

View of the pool from our balcony

We quickly got into our bathing suits and headed to the bar. I mean, the beach. Ahem. Ok, ok, so we did hit the bar first (Carlos the bartender was great, been working there 30 years!) and then made our way to the beach for a peek at the sea. Glorious! A big stretch of sand, palapas and lounge chairs and very few rocks or coral. I had been concerned that being so close to the reef we would find the beach a bit rocky, but right in front of the hotel was a lovely spot for swimming and walking barefoot. One of the first things I noticed was the number of turtle nests dotting the shore, all marked with palm leaves and a sign noting the date the eggs were laid. There was not to be any beach volleyball this week as a couple of mama turtles had decided that the court was a great place to lay their eggs, but I'd rather have more turtles than sweat it up knocking a ball around anyway. There were very few guests at the hotel, bad for the economy but apparently good for turtles. One of the staff members told me that there were three times as many nests this year, mostly because only 1/3 of the hotel was being used, lights were shut off in the unoccupied wings, a big plus for attracting turtles who are repelled by bright lights.

Turtle Nest

The Beach on Akumal Bay

Beach closer to town of Akumal

We had a terrific stay at the hotel. Not fancy, but that is right up our alley, casual and relaxed fun with a great animation team. Normally I am turned off by the entertainers constantly nagging to play their silly games, but the staff at ABR were so kind and nice that we participated in a lot of activities without a whole lot of pressure. Dancing lessons, aqua aerobics, guessing games, bocce ball, archery, karaoke, sand castle contests, we got our fill of action and still managed to find a whole lot of time to relax or just play in the pool with Max the Fish. I was most delighted with the kids' club, it was small and wasn't filled with fancy toys or climbing equipment, but the "teacher" kept the kids busy and Max was begging to go every morning. Gave us some free grown up time which we greatly enjoyed.

Sand Turtle Competition, Part of The Winning Team!

Watermelon eating contest
(Part of the 4th of July celebrations)

Canucka practicing a bit of archery
(Boy did I hurt after that!)

The food was good, not gourmet but we ate plenty! We particularly liked the pizzas at the snack bar, real Italian style thin crust, I ate them by the plateful every day. There was one buffet restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and in the evenings you could make reservations for their special Italian and Mexican nights. The Italian fare was certainly a highlight. There is a huge Italian influence at the hotel, many guests from Italy. I spent our last night drinking with a whole group from Italy, it was great fun trying to communicate with a little Spanish, a lot of Italian, a little English and a whole lot of hand gestures. Max made close friends with a little Italian boy, they had a great time frolicking and trying to learn each other's languages.


So, overall, a good time was had by all. We would definitely return to the ABR, its laid-back atmosphere and fantastic location made it just right for our family. If you are looking to be pampered and fawned over, this is not your hotel but if you want a gorgeous beach, great snorkeling and a casual vibe, this would be the right place for you.

Max playing the harmonica blues for the turtles

What I Did on my Summer Vacation

I'm baaaaack. The parents have left the building and I am back in the land of online living. Two weeks away from the internetz was a nice break, but I am ready to jump back into blogging (and Twittering and Facebooking and emailing, etc, etc, etc.). There is just too much to tell you so I thought I would start with a general "Hi, I'm alive and all is good in the hood" post and a general wrap up of my vacay and then dig into photos, hotel reviews, restaurant reviews and tour and location reviews in separate posts.

So, it was fantastic to have my parents here. They are so good to us and excellent guests in our home. My mom turned into a silly little girl with Max, down on the floor playing cars and generally making him laugh and entertaining him every day. My dad was the "tough guy" with Max, hopefully teaching him some lessons about respect and listening and being a good boy. It was great to watch him get down on Max's level, force him to look him in the eye and with a calm, cool and quiet demeanour, give him heck for whatever naughty thing he was doing! Max was surprised, but oh man did he listen, Grandpa's word was law and he really turned his behaviour around. I love that they have such a good relationship with their grandson, even though they live across a continent, there is a closeness and love there that makes me incredibly happy. Of course they love him, but observing Max and hearing him tell me how much he loves them just makes my heart swell.

As it turns out, my folks and I have very different "schedules". I go to bed super early while they prefer to stay up late at night. It all worked out though, when we went to bed, they went out! Not drinking or partying, but late night Walmart shopping and a few nights in the casino. Those casino nights worked out in our favour for sure, they WON every night and thus, we have a big new tent, air mattress, camping chairs and a barbecue. Thanks Mom and Dad and thanks PlayCity! We'll be doing a whole lot more camping now that we've got our own equipment. Xpu Ha, here we come!

I was extremely sad to see them off at the airport, I held in the tears until they were out of sight but then I let'em rip. I sobbed like a baby and spent the rest of the day in bed in a blue funk. I know they'll be back, but it gets harder and harder to see them go. Maybe one day they'll stop talking about moving down here and just do it, we'd love to have them around to be with Max as he grows up. They're next big plan is to rent a place on Isla Mujeres for a month, hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later!

Ok, there's your "I'm back" post, off to edit some photos! I'll have posts this week about the Akumal Beach Resort (fun), Bovino's Restaurant (fabulous) and Rio Secreto (utterly fantastic). See you soon, hope you've all been well!

(Oh, just noticed in my stats that I broke 250 000 visitors, thanks so much to you all, wow!)

Snorkel Akumal- Turtle Heaven

Well, we're back from the resort portion of the family visit and we're exhausted. We need a vacation from our vacation! We spent a few days in Akumal, a couple hours down the coast and a spectacular destination for snorkelers and divers, particularly if you've got a love for turtles. We stayed at the Akumal Beach Resort (more on that later) and were able to snorkel right off the beach as well as in the nearby Yal Ku lagoon. The whole family got in on the snorkel action, even my mom who is nervous with a mask and tube. By the end of the week Max really had a handle on the equipment and was snorkeling like a pro! We've taken him out before but this was really the first time that he "got" it, he kept popping his head out of the water and screaming that he saw a "giant fishy!" I swear that my first time in the water I saw ten turtles in about ten minutes, I was ecstatic. The Yal Ku lagoon is a great place for beginner snorkelers, it's calm and protected and full of sea life, though in order to see the good coral formations you've got to be a pretty strong swimmer to get out near the ocean.

Here are some of the photo highlights of our snorkeling adventures...

Yal Ku Lagoon

Yal Ku Lagoon

Max getting ready to enter Yal Ku

Mom, the somewhat nervous snorkeler
did a great job in the ocean

Max the Super Snorkeler with Hubby

My Daddy in Yal Ku

Wittle Fishies

Lots of these yellow stripey guys in Yal Ku

Coral Formations in Yal Ku near the sea

Sea Turtle

A Little Guy

Same Little Guy Checking Me Out

Bigger Guy Having Breakfast

And there you have it, just a sampling of snorkeling photos from our adventures down south. I'll have more later this week about the rest of our experience, but I couldn't wait to share these with you.

Now, a wee lecture. It is against the law and a horrible disgusting act to mess with the coral and sea life. I was quite angry to see a tourist taking a piece of coral out of the lagoon and really disgusted to see people standing on the coral, kicking up the ocean floor and trying to touch the marine life. I also witnessed folks slathering on sun screen before getting in the water. PLEASE, please, please, RESPECT the incredible place we have, don't destroy it any more than it has been already. Do NOT touch the coral, do not stand on it, do not use your fins more than necessary (light, gentle, fluttery kicks do you more good than clumsy huge splashes), do NOT wear sunscreen, a t-shirt or snorkel shirt is much better than even the "eco-friendly" brands, do NOT try to touch the turtles or urchins or other sea life. It's sad to see people treat these natural wonders like they were built by Disney, once we lose them, they're not going to come back, no "Imagineers" can fix the damage, do all you can to keep the beauty of the region for years to come. Ok, off my soap box, I figure most of you probably know all this but I felt like I needed to rant for a moment.

More later this week!

Powdery soft sand, shimmering blue sea....

Phew, finished the travel writing project just in time for the parents to arrive! Glad to have a break from writing about beach resort hotels, there are only so many ways to describe the beach and ocean without losing your mind. I'm not complaining, I hope to have many more days writing about luxury, economical, bargain, land sports, water sports, volleyball, snorkeling, diving, swim up bars, jacuzzis, shopping, butlers, room service, restaurants, pillow menus, premium liquor, kids' clubs, adults only, turquoise/multi-hued/sparkling/shimmering seas, soft/powdery/glistening white sand.

The parents arrived yesterday and we couldn't be happier. We took them out to Fish Fritanga, Costco, Walmart (can NOT find a floating pool chair that my mom wants, what kind of beach town is this?) and played dice games all night. Max is beyond ecstatic to have his grandparents here, he's been a great little helper guy, telling them funny stories and making them laugh. I think they're pretty happy to see their grandson too.

Part of their visit will be spent at a resort, part here at the house. This may sound paranoid, but I am not going to say when we'll be away, no need to let the thieves know when we'll be out, not that we have anything worth stealing anyway. We've got a great housesitter/cat/dog sitter coming in (thanks friend, you know who you are!) so I'm not worried, but so many folks said "Oh, don't post on the internet when you are going to be away" that I will heed their advice and not give dates.

So, I'll be taking a little vacation, not checking in to the mail and such for a while, though I will pop in occasionally in case something urgent comes up (yeah right, never anything urgent in my life thank goodness). I'll have lots of tales to tell and photos to share when the parental units head back to Canada, hang in there, and as Arnie says "I'll be back".