Mexico 2013

 Our first trip to Mexico was in 2013. 

We decided to stay in a small hotel in Playa Del Carmen within walking distance of shops, restautrants and the beach. 

One of the things we love to do while on vacation is to find unique local places to eat so staying in an all-inclusive sometimes feels like a waste of money. This hotel was adequate but certainly nothing fancy. 

 We planned the timing of this trip so that it overlapped with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their daughter who were staying on the island of Cozumel so we planned a couple of days with them. We hopped on the ferry to Cozumel and learned a lot from that first ferry ride. 

We learned that you should always take gravol before getting on the fery and we learned that you should not try to be cool and sit on the upper deck in the sun. 

It was very windy and choppy that day and people were hanging their heads out the window getting sick. The people sitting in the open were getting splashed by waves, but quickly realized the splashes weren't all waves when they saw the people hanging their heads out the windows. 

 We aren't big on doing excursions and spending time with crowds so mostly we do things on our own. 

We did do one big excursion on this trip and it's one that I would highly recommend doing at least once if you get the chance. The day long trip to Chichen Itza leaves quite early in the morning and is about a 3 hour drive. This particular one stopped for lunch, at a really cool Cenote and the town of Merida as well. 

I believe these are the biggest and most authentic ruins around and the souvenirs you can buy here are even better quality and more unique to the Mayan people. 

On this trip we were also introduced to The Mission restaurant on Cozumel where we HAVE to go at least once every trip. It is definitely a little more pricey but so worth it! When you first drive up you will think you are in a ghetto with it's stone walls covered in graffiti but as you pass through the big iron gate there are beautiful gardens and an authentic Mexican building that used to be a mission. They also have a tequila factory onsite and offer a tasting tour. 

 Our family also introduced us to Xcarret on this trip, which has become one of our favorite parks. I remember running down the paths at the end of the day to get in one last float down the underground tunnels before they closed. Then we took in the Mayan presentation in a big theater like cathedral. Again, something cool to do once, but makes for a really long day as it doesn't get done till maybe 9:00 or 9:30 PM.

 Our favorite parts of these winter get-aways are just lazy days on the beach and playing in the waves with no worries and cares for the day.