So here we go...
Off to Meh-He-Co. Come on people, say it correctly. This is Speedy Gonzalez territory. Ai yi yi!! Andele Andele! Arrrribbba! Okay, I know I'm not spelling any of that correctly. It's especially not the correct Esss-Pan-Yoll version, so I went with the phonetics for all you Americans (and a few Canadians) who would have no idea how to pronounce it anyway...
... if you saw it in the correct Spanich verrrr-siii-on that eeez.
Si! I just got back from 9 days and 8 beeee-U-tee-FULL nites at the Cozumel Palace. We arrived last Friday afternoon to a room on the top floor. Enter: king size bed, marble floor, split level: step down to a double-sized Jacuzzi, then on to a little sitting area, complete with wicker chairs & love seat. The whole room ends in a floor to ceiling window looking onto a balcony with a hammock and a straight-on ocean view. Twelve miles away, you can barely make out the Yucatan Penisula on the horizon. The water looks like a painter has tested every color of blue on his palette, looking for just the right color... or maybe just liking a little of each. Great job God!
Saturday, we hit the streets to do some shopping, and I got the biggest, pinkest sombrero I could find. My own person umbrella for lounging around the pool... Mexican-style. Oh yeah!
Our hotel sported an infinity pool built over the reefs out over the ocean. It was a split level creation of all blue tile that made it match the ocean colors as it spilled over multiple steps to the second level below. We enjoyed it daily. Dinner at their Flamingos restaurant featured a new and dazzling sunset each day as well. Yet another: Way to go God!!!
It was Casino night and I rocked @ Roulette, while Marty shamefully lost at Texas Hold 'Em... yeah... sadly on the first hand he bet big on a great hand against a guy who turned up pocket aces.
Sunday, we took a trip to the mainland to visit the Adventura Spa where I got one of the best massages EVER! We shopped in Cancun and ate at Senor Frogs right on the beeeesshh <-- Mexican version of beach. Took the make-you-sea-sick ferry back home and crashed.
Monday: aka 24th Anniverssary Day. We took the Atlantis Submarine to a depth of 103 ft. It was amazing to see the sting rays and sea turtles, huge crabs and angel fish up close like that. Which reminds me... due to the location of our hotel, we could walk down steps on either side of our pool area and jump directly into 20~30 feet of crystal clear Carribbean water and snorkel to our hearts' content... which we'd already done at this point. Obviously, I can't write about everything because this is a post of the highlights, and not a book.
The hotel had put together a romantic anniversary dinner plan for us at the water's edge, but it was threatening rain. Never fear! Manuel told us "How do you say it? I have an ace in my hand hiding?" He had an ace up his sleeve alright. ;)
We had a table for two at the big picture window in the Italian restaurant with a sunset view that was to-die-for. Afterwards, the rain clouds had run away, and the International Dance show was on... pool side. We got in on the Tango competition that followed and won. Thanks primarily to Daniel who filled Marty's request for a red flower (carnation will do when no roses are around), which Marty popped in his mouth when we hit the floor. It was the Argentinians in the crowd who swayed the judges in our direction. Woohoo!!
Tuesday, we hit the jungle on ATVs and got down and dirty. More snorkeling & pool action. And then we were off to the Lobster Dinner Cruise... Lobster Dinner Cruise?!?! That totally downplays this adventure. It was aboard a Spanish Galleon - a PIRATE SHIP! And if you know me, you know I love pirates. Well, Johnny Depp, Jack Sparrow type pirates that is. And all of these adorable Mexican guys on board this ship were sporting the Jack A'Sparrow look from their boots to their bandanas. They climbed the rigging, they swung from the ropes, they looted our purses lookin' for booty - Aarrrrgh!! They danced, they sang, they threatened to make all the men walk the plank so they could have their way with all the women. It was a blast! And the lobster was pretty good to boot!
Wednesday, we hit the spa for more massage relaxations. Wowza, I could go for this stuff daily! Then we grabbed our snorkel gear and a Jeep and headed for the "ocean side" of the island. We discovered why there is only one tiny hotel on that side. The waves were fierce and beautiful, breaking over rocks, spewing up through blowholes, crashing on the white sands. Hurricanes have taken their toll on anything built on this side, and so no one puts alot of money into attempting to build much there. It was a gorgeous sight to see though as we drove along the little two-lane.
That evening it was Mexican Fiesta nite! La Cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar. Porque no tiene, porque le falta, marihuana que fumar.
Thursday, up early and off to the Mayan Ruins. We'd met a young honeymooning couple who told us how unimpressed they had been with them, because they were "all broken down". LoL! I guess the meaning of "ruins" didn't register. Next we attempted the offroad beach route to the northern lighthouse, but even in 4-wheel our Jeep couldn't master the path. Back to the "ocean side" we discovered the lagoons at Playa Chen Rio and did some snorkeling. I love getting face to face with a fish... just floating there motionless until they are swimming all, up close and personal. Marty's yellow fins especially attracted the yellow striped angelfish. Can you say, "Mama?!?" I guess in his case it should be "Who's your Papi?". It seems they are as curious as we are. =)
As we headed back to our hotel, we spotted fellow Cozumel Palacians, who had buried their Jeep to the back axles in the sand, and so we gave them a ride home. We played Black Jack pool side, and I once again broke the house and everyone else with an Ace & a King in the final round. I won an ankle bracelet, which went well with my new Mexican dress, and gave me the edge for placing second in the bellydancing contest later that nite after dinner. Ooo La La! The guys from Ireland all said I should have won.
Friday: manicures, facials, pedicures, seaweed wraps ~ Man! this spa treatment stuff is addicting! ;)
More snorkeling and poolside pina coladas...
Another great sunset dinner and then it was time for the "Mr & Mrs Palace Competition". And yes! We were in it. Several of the friends we'd made teasingly told us that they couldn't wait for us to go on home so they would have a chance to win things. But they were all thankful because we'd been meeting couples all week and pulling them into dancing and competing... encouraging... prompting them all out of their shells. We were constantly saying "You don't know anyone here! Who cares if you make a fool of yourself... Have FUN!!"
And so the competition began: Name that Song! Marty knows all, and had to intentionally just sit there and give the others a chance so that our score didn't get out of reach. Next came the balloon popping contest... chest-to-chest, in his lap, on his booty... ooooo cutie! But we lost that part of the game... 20 seconds to the 14 second surprise winners: our buddies from Arizona! Next was the "Suck it up!" test with frozen drinks we had to suck through a straw. The infamous "brain freeze" dropped many out of this competition, but I have this down to an art form, finishing mine and half of Marty's in a record 18 seconds.
It was close, but we sealed the deal with the Tequila, Rum, Whiskey contest. We had to dance to the music and when the M.C. called out "Tequila" we had to get cheek-to-cheek (yeah, those 'other' cheeks) and Sh Sh Sh Shake it! When he called out "Rum" we had to: Beso! Beso! Beso! (look it up... you need to know a little SpaniCH). And when he called out "Whiskey", you had to freeze, no matter what you were doing... which often came in the middle of the booty shake or the beso-ing. This was so much fun, and we made lots of new friends after receiving our new titles. We gave away all of our prizes to others in the crowd. One newlywed couple paid us a nice complement in saying that they couldn't believe it when we'd said we'd been married 24 years and that "we hope we look as good as you two when we're your age". Haha!
Life is an adventure best lived with God making all the travel arrangments. You never know how good it can get!
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