The Cancun Recap - Part Two

I can't keep a story short to save my life, so this is part two of our Cancun adventure. Go here to read part one. 

Sunday
This was the day we had reserved to go on our excursion to Isla Mujeres. I learned quickly that I should've asked more questions when we signed up. Haha. There was no kind of confirmation or brochure or anything. I remembered we were supposed to get a meal and ferry ride, plus some kind of shopping and/or beach time on the island. At least I made a note in my phone that the shuttle was going to pick us up at 11:00. So we slept in, grabbed a late breakfast, packed up some sunscreen and towels and headed off into the great unknown . . . If only it was actually that easy. Lol. I was fine until we sat down on the bench outside the resort waiting for the shuttle. All of a sudden, I was struck by massive anxiety. I was mildly nervous before, just because of the unknown, but it was suddenly a very physical onslaught - stomach roiling, feeling lightheaded . . . basically the beginning of a panic attack. I cursed myself for not thinking to pack my Xanax, but there was no time to go back up to the room. We boarded the shuttle with one other couple from our hotel and I did deep breathing exercises during the 40 minute drive. 

Great for the anxiety. 😂 

We had been told that there was a $20 docking fee, so we brought a $20 bill, a ten and couple fives and a bunch of ones for tipping. I figured I'd use my credit card if we wanted anything on the island. So the first surprise was that we each had to pay the docking fee - in cash. I guess I should've anticipated that, but it wasn't made very clear. So we scrounged up $40 in cash. I think we had $9 left. Lol. Then we were told to wait on some benches while we waited for the rest of the tour guests to arrive. Adding to my nerves, every single other tourist already in attendance was speaking Spanish or a European language. I kept my eyes on the couple from our hotel and vowed to stay near them, hoping they knew what they were doing and would ensure we got back to the resort. Lol. Justin and I wondered if this experience was going to be similar to Mackinac Island - you take the ferry to the island, do what you want, then have to report back to the ferry at a certain time in order to get back. Even he was starting to worry about the plan, so he finally went and asked someone. The guy explained that this whole thing is a tour and we'd all stay together. He promised not to lose us and I started to feel a little better. 😂 Finally, the last guests arrived and we were given the OK to board the ferry.

They made us take our shoes off before we could get on. 🤷

Shoeless in the sunshine, trying to convince myself everything's going to be ok. 

Fortunately, as everyone started filling in I noticed a family that was speaking English! The dad spoke Spanish, so they weren't at quite the same disadvantage as Justin and me, but the wife and kids were speaking all English. The alcohol started flowing almost immediately, but I drank plain coke because my stomach was still churning. We ferried for a while, then the workers started walking around saying, "You snorkel? Go upstairs." I wanted to try it, so I followed Justin upstairs where they put life jackets on us, handed us a mask and snorkel, then told us to sit on a bench. One of the workers who spoke good English came over and gave us instructions. Basically, "stay by me. Put the snorkel in your mouth like this." That was the extent of it. I made it to the stairs to go back down before I could feel the panic taking over. I ripped off the mask/snorkel/life jacket, said "I changed my mind," and booked it back downstairs before anyone tried to stop me. Haha. (Another lady made it into the water before saying, "Nope!" and climbing right back out, so I wasn't the only one!) I'm honestly not heartbroken about missing it. Justin still got to do it, so I'm glad my issues didn't hold him back. 

We dumped them, them drove away! Another reason I'm glad I didn't do it. I would've freaked out if my escape route left me.

The best picture I got of Justin. Haha. Look at that beautiful water, though!

When he came back aboard, Justin said I would've hated it. It was surprisingly wavy and the masks didn't seal well and I would've hated getting so much saltwater up my nose (#delicatesensibilities). He was happy to see some cool fish, and I was content to stay on the boat watching him and soaking up the sun. 

Finally, it was on to the island. It was a good half hour trek, and I was feeling more and more nauseous by the minute. I don't know if it was straight up anxiety, sea-sickness, or a combination of both, but I ended up leaning on Justin with my eyes closed and doing those darn deep breathing techniques again for the remainder of the trip. The guy had told us we'd be back to the mainland around 6:30, and I was terrified I'd feel like that all day and be stuck on an island for hours. I was relieved to finally dock and be allowed to disembark. The tour guide told us loudly and repeatedly, in multiple languages, to stay with him until we got to the buffet, then to meet at 2:50 to go to our next portion of the day. We walked past some mangroves up to a cute outdoor buffet restaurant.

I ate rice, tortilla chips, and watermelon, but Justin got our money's worth for us. 

I noticed that when everyone else was done, they left the restaurant. I wasn't clear on where we were supposed to meet at 2:50, so I was hesitant to leave, but eventually decided just to keep an eye on our fellow tourists and make sure to follow them when it was time. Haha. We walked through a little shopping area, past the ice bar (people go inside this huge cooler that's 18 degrees below zero and drink alcohol for fun - no thanks), and down to a small beach with some fun photo opportunities.

So bright!

Big swing in the water

Water hammocks! I laid in one for a long time. It was lovely. I'll never get over how warm the water was in November! Lake Michigan doesn't get that warm in the dead of July! 

Eventually the tour guide came by shouting, "Vamanos!" and thanks to Dora the Explorer, I know what that means. So we headed back to the boat (after using the tiniest bathroom stall of my life - my knees touched the door when I sat on the toilet! Lol #tmi). I was finally starting to feel a little less anxious/nauseous, and accepted the cocktails they were handing out. 

Captain America and Rum Punch. We each took one sip, then traded because the Rum Punch was much more up my alley, and Justin preferred the Captain America. Haha.

We made it to the main strip where the tour guide shouted again for us to follow him. We crossed a busy street of golf carts and scooters, and followed him straight into a jewelry store! Very random. Haha. Apparently he has an agreement with the store, though, because he declared it our meeting place. At this point, he was talking in Spanish, then translating to English, but I think he forgot to translate a few times because I was a little lost. He said something about how we could use the jewelry store's bathroom - but for pipi only, no brownie. I missed where you were supposed to go in case of brownie, but fortunately I didn't have to find out. Lol.

He wasn't kidding. There's a sign and everything.

The tour guide told us we could shop, rent a golf cart, or walk a few blocks to the beach, and return at 6:10. He also warned us, "People will pretend to know you. They'll say, 'Hey, I'm the bartender at your hotel!' They are lying. You don't know anyone on this island." Lol. My cousin had told me the same thing the day before, and I was thankful for both of their advice. As we were walking to the beach, someone called out to me, "Hey! I know you from the Wyndham!" I'm just amazed he was able to recognize my hotel bracelet that quickly! We ignored him and passed all the shops in favor of the beach.

This beach is a big deal, but I didn't think it was that much better than the beach at the resort - the difference is that the water by the island is way calmer. No waves.

Lots of beach vendors hawking their wares.

Walking back to the jewelry store.

I was tempted by all these cheap pharmaceuticals, but decided not to risk it!

Back on the boat in time for a beautiful sunset! (I was glad Justin had suggested bringing a couple long sleeved shirts. It got chilly fast!)

#nofilter

I made sure to face the direction we were going on the ferry ride back, and I felt totally fine. Whew! We had an uneventful trip back to our hotel, talked to the couple we rode with and found out they're from either farther North than us (Calgary)! (Although they weren't speaking English most of the time . . . French maybe?) We purposely hadn't made a dinner reservation because we didn't know when we'd be back, so we ordered room service and settled in to watch the Lions game in Spanish. 

In my opinion, the island wasn't worth the anxiety, but many people would probably feel differently - especially if you did something more exciting on the island than sit on the beach. Haha. Justin was happy to have the experience. 

Monday

For our final full day, I was devoted to getting as much sun as possible. I made my dinner reservation at 9 a.m., then headed to the pool while Justin went for a run (he's bad at relaxing on vacation). 

It was the calmest and hottest it had been the whole time we'd been there. Even at 10:00 a.m., I had to get in the water every few minutes because I got hot so fast!

One perk of Justin going for a run - he picked up some more DP for me while he was out! I asked the waiter for a cup of ice, and he said, "Ah! For da pepper!" Haha. 

We spent a long time at the beach, but I didn't take any pictures apparently. Then back to dinner at our favorite restaurant.

Rum Punch for me (much "rummier" than on the boat - made me a little woozy!)

Chamo Chamo  - some kind of mango/tequila concoction with something spicy on the rim. 

Finally starting to look tan!

Tuesday

On our last day, we didn't have to leave for the airport until 11, but we decided to get up for the sunrise anyway. It didn't disappoint.

Justin went for another run. I ate breakfast by myself, then headed straight to the beach for a last dose of sun. 

I had to get a pic on the fun swings at the beach bar.

The concierge helped me book a shuttle to the hotel. We told him our flight was leaving at 1:45, and knew the airport was about half an hour away, so we were a little worried when he said the shuttle would be there at 11, but we decided to trust him, and it was totally fine. Security was easy and we had plenty of time once we got to our gate. I did a little shopping, popped a Xanax and hopped on the plane back to the cold and darkness. 😭 I actually fell asleep for a while on the plane. And the flight was shorter than on the way down somehow (shortcut?). We had a four hour layover in Chicago, but I was grateful for it. I had read that even though we were on a connecting flight, because it was international, we had to collect our luggage from baggage claim in Chicago and then re-check it before getting on our next flight. It was all very efficient, and customs was super easy again. But I was relieved not to be in a hurry throughout the whole process. We had an expensive dinner in the airport, and when it came time to board they announced that it was going to be a light load - 100 seats were empty! They told us to spread out - everyone could have their own row! So Justin and I sat in window seats on opposite rows and then a random guy sat on the aisle seat by Justin. Haha. It was fine. I listened to the sermon we'd missed on Sunday, and it was almost the perfect timing. 

Justin's dad picked us up, and we were home by 11:15. Lena was up waiting for us, but the other two had gone to bed. My wonderful mom stayed here all week with the kids - and cleaned my house! Like things I never clean - the shower, the microwave, even the toaster! Man, that's love. 

Overall Impressions
Ok, so here are my overall impressions of the whole foreign all-inclusive experience:

1. I was amazed how many groups were at the resort - girls trips and multi-generational families. I expected it to be mostly couples, but I'd say that couples were the minority! Again, I say, where do you get friends like that who have the same taste and budget for vacations?? 

2. I was surprised how few Americans there were in Cancun. Everyone assured me that it's so touristy and everyone would speak English, and it wouldn't even feel like we left the states. The employees all spoke good English, but they were the only ones. Every time we were at the beach or the pool or the restaurant, almost everyone around us was speaking a foreign language. I definitely should've brushed up on my Spanish more before going. Lol.

3. The other thing that stood out to me was the Tik-Tok/Instagram lifestyle. Every day, on the beach I was witness to women filming Tik-Toks or making their friends take pictures of them from every angle to get that perfect Instagram image. Don't get me wrong - as this post attests, I take a lot of selfies. But I snap one and move on. I don't make Justin take them, check the angle, adjust, add filters, and take 30 more. It was kind of depressing to watch. Like, are you actually enjoying your vacation in the moment, or do you just go on vacation to take pictures to post online? 

4. I missed snacks. All the meals were included, and you could eat as much as you wanted, but I like to have a bag of chips by the pool or some candy in bed at night. And I had to buy that from the resort store or 7/11. Lame. 

5. Not paying for meals is so fun - as you know, I'm a cheapskate, so I would never order something expensive at a restaurant. But knowing that the meals are already paid for let me try new things and fancy things and all kinds of different drinks. That was definitely one of my favorite parts. 

6. Justin was a little bored. I'm 100% content to lay in the sun reading and drinking strawberry daquiris, but he wanted more entertainment/adventure. There were lots of options available off the resort, but they all cost lots of money. If we were to do it again, I'd either find a resort that had entertainment we'd be more interested in or budget for more excursions. We also decided it'd be more fun with another couple - especially one that's more extroverted than us. We were so uncertain about random things, but neither of us wanted to ask questions. Haha. 

7. We should've brought more cash - specifically small bills. I was unprepared for how much tipping we'd have to do. Of course none of it is required, but I paid attention, and everyone tipped their waiter at each meal, plus the bartender, the bell-boy, the masseuse, and the shuttle drivers. We had a couple 50 dollar bills, and it was surprisingly difficult to get them broken into smaller denominations. The store in the resort didn't take cash, the front desk didn't have small bills, and the concierge didn't have cash. We ended up begging the bell boys to make change for us, and then had to tip them for the trouble! Haha. 

8. I do not think my kids would've enjoyed it. The pools weren't heated, the ocean was rough (and Lena would be terrified of sharks), and they wouldn't have eaten anything. They would've been bored and ornery the whole time. 

9. Overall it was glorious and I'm so glad we did it. But I really do appreciate vacationing in the U.S., where I'm familiar with the customs and expectations. Where everyone speaks English and uses US dollars, and takes credit cards. Every time I used my credit card in Mexico, the total was in pesos so they could've charged me anything (and probably did!). Lol. 

I was depressed for two days when we got home. I hadn't reached the point of the vacation where I was ready to go home yet. I begged Justin to let me stay longer, but he said we couldn't afford it. So then I tried to convince him that I should stay and he should go home and send me money, but he wasn't a fan of that option either. 😂 The only thing I missed was my kids and my bed. And if we're being honest, I could've gone a few more days without missing the kids too terribly. Lol. 

Thanks again, if you read this whole thing! I'm almost as bad as the tik-tokers, making sure each moment of my vacation is shared. But it's as much for me as anyone else. At least that's what I tell myself. 😎 We probably won't be able to afford another vacation of this caliber until our 30th anniversary, so that's my excuse to over-share. 😁