The story got off to a bumpy start. A smooth connection from Cleveland to Newark was followed by an hour in line for takeoff, an aborted takeoff when a generator didn't power the engine properly, and another tense hour while they fixed things up and got us back on our way. Lots of frustrated people on the plane, but we all figured "hey, if the pilot thinks its better to turn around on the ground instead of 10,000 feet up in the air and he's sure he can get us there safe this way, we're with him." Good news was the kids were amazing under the circumstances, and we arrived safely in Cancun and were on our way to Puerto Aventuras.
One of the first things we did was walk around the marina where the kids discovered the dolphins, sea lions, manatees, and even stingrays in the "Dolphin Discovery" park. That along with all the boats, the great condo, and the gorgeous beach made the environment absolutely perfect and a place that was immediately comfy and relaxing. Of course getting out onto the beach, the kids started having fun, which meant that it wasn't all relaxation: Mommy quickly discovered that her lovely daughter loved the sand, and loved to share the sand. :)
The boys loved splashing in the ocean, Patrick got a boogie board for the waves, and Owen got himself a Mexican wrestling mask. But most of all, they loved being able to be silly, like hopping up on a rock in the marina and declaring that they were pirate captains. I'm sure the folks at Cap'n Morgan would love the "little captain in me" pose, and we got a big laugh out of it too.
Dinners were a bit rough at first. The kids had so much fun they were pretty wiped by the time we got out to eat, and Kate and Owen frequently fell asleep before dinner was over. But by the next morning, everybody was always ready and raring to go, usually at 5:30 - 6:00 in the morning, in plenty of time for sunrise. Not exactly sleeping in, but it was hard not to be up to enjoy every minute. It was no surprise to find us out on the balcony watching the gorgeous surroundings, like this one of Aunt Debbie and her two guys.
Video fun time: Kate was pretty clear about her thoughts on Mexico, and Patrick played along too, but not everybody can perform on command. :-)
Each new day brought all kids of adventures: Kate got an ocean-side, balcony pedicure from Aunt Debbie and Mommy; there was time for lots of play on the sand; and Kate got to splash around in the ocean. Uncle Greg and I even rented a car and took the boys to the Mayan ruins at Coba, featuring the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan at 126 feet.
The boys not only walked the 1.6 kilometers into the jungle, they climbed all the way to the top of the pyramid. They got up so fast, they were halfway up before I realized it was time to stop taking pictures and get my behind up there so they didn't fall off the pyramid. Imagine me huffin and puffin my way up, hollering at the boys to slow down, them hollering back to hurry up "isn't this awesome", and uncle Greg trailing behind me wondering whether I was going to have a heart attack chasing them up the stone stairs at breakneck speed. ;) Fortunately we all made it to the top and were treated to quite a view.
Next day, we took advantage of the rental car and headed down to Akumal and a little lagoon for Snorkeling. Owen and Patrick both got in the water to check things out, but Owen was happy to hang on the side with sis and watch the fun. Patrick braved the water and learned how to snorkel, having a great time checking out the sights with Uncle Greg and Aunt Debbie.
After snorkeling it was off to Akumal beach for some fun in the sun, including some boogie board time for Patrick with me helping run him out in very rocky water. Back at the condo, with everybody cleaned up, we got a great picture of my two favorite girls:
Then it was time to dogpile daddy....
Then it was off to Senor Frogs, complete with palm tree glasses for the kids, the wild and crazy atmosphere, the "butt-chair" barstools, and lots of fun. Aunt Debbie and Uncle Greg enjoyed the craziness almost as much as they enjoyed their margaritas.....almost. :-)
Next day, I took the boys down to Tulum in the morning where we got to explore more Mayan Ruins, something my two little "Indiana Jones" really loved. Patrick and Owen even got together and imagined a game of Mayan Musical Chairs under a tree where some benches had been setup. Owen provided the music in the form of a "baton" being drummed on a bench, while Patrick demonstrated going around until it was time to sit on a bench. But once you were out, they didn't move the benches of stone....that would be silly daddy. :-) They're hilarious, and an older couple sitting on one of the benches observing the combination "living archaeology" and "game design" were cracking up at their imaginations. We got a great shot of the three of us overlooking the beach at Tulum, too.
That gets us a little past half way through an amazing week. The rest of the week we enjoyed the beach and the pool and everything a relaxing Mexican holiday could provide. Patrick created a realistic replica of the pyramid at Coba, and quickly received lots of help from Owen and Kate (OK, most of it was help).
The rest of the week featured daily visits to the dolphins, Kate's friend "Pinko" the sealion, and checking out the kitties, err "meow meow's". Plenty more fun in the sun and in the pool and on the beach. We even made it out to the end of the marina channel to catch the sunrise. She may not like being in pictures, but I think this is an awesome picture of my lovely wife watching the sunrise. :)
More Video fun: By the end of the week, Kate had picked up quite a few spanish words and phrases and we got to practice on the beach. Hasta LuWEEgo is my favorite! And Owen, Kate and I practiced not only our spanish, but acting like pirates as we enjoyed some beach beverages.
We even managed to sneak in some adult fun. The kids came along on a boat ride with us out into the ocean, which they thought was pretty fun. Huge waves had us a little worried, but all three of them did great. The occasion? Greg and Deb and Beth and I went tandem parasailing. It was amazing and a lot of fun, although I don't think Deb or Beth were thrilled when each of us got dipped in the ocean. The boys however thought that was hilarious.
That wrapped up an amazing 10 day vacation in Mexico. The boys summed it up when they said "gosh, I wish we could spend another 10 days down here". It was awesome, and we'll definitely go back. So much more to do, and so much more to do again. The condo was awesome, and the guys loved their little loft which they called "our private space" looking out over the ocean and the marina entrance. Fitting that we bid farewell to Mexico with one last shot of them and little sis in their own little mexican hideaway. Tons more photos and a few videos out on Picasa. Enjoy the slideshow.
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| From PuertoAventuras |
