Cancun - October 2009!

Just two weeks ago, our good friends from Wyoming - the Haslams - called and told us they had scheduled a week in Cancun and asked if we would like to tag along!  Is that really a question?  We made arrangements and it all came together - very quickly.  This was NOT my typical trip - kind of spontaneous!  It fit Kim perfectly.

I arrived home from a business trip on Friday and we left Saturday morning for Cancun.  Kim couldn't wait to try out her new "modest" beach attire shown below-

 Just kidding!  This was just a casual late afternoon walk along the shore.  The skies were beautiful-

We didn't do a whole lot other than swimming, eating and some training for the upcoming Triathlon.  The food was great!

 The evening skies provided some very lovely sunsets on several different nights-

Here we are one "early" morning - almost 10 am - in front of the sign for The Royal Caribbean.

 The view toward the ocean was spectacular!  Our two bedroom villa was on the 10th floor with quite a nice view of the pools and ocean below.  Look at the color of that water!!

 Jerry and Gwen both got sunburns early in the week so we soon found ourselves swimming early in the day (from 7 to 9 am) and then later in the evening (4 to 6 pm) when the sun was not so intense.  We were often the first ones in the pool in the morning and the last ones out in the evening but were absent during the scorching hours.

 Because the sun was so intense AND Jerry and I share the same distinguished hair-do - we ended up with Do-Rags to protect our hairless heads!  Jerry could pass for a mean biker dude if he wouldn't smile.  I just look like a nut case!  Kim thought we looked like we belonged in surgery as doctors - a scary thought!

 This was our attempt at a timed - self-portrait.  It worked pretty well and the camera didn't even get wet.

 

The ocean waves were pretty high all week but Kim and I ventured out and had a great time getting pummeled by the waves in the warm, warm water.

During the heat of the day, Kim and Gwen found some crafts to do at the resort.  They both painted some pottery items that the staff then put the finishing touches on, sealed and gave them back.  They both looked very professional.  Kim wanted to make sure hers wasn't damaged on the way home so she put it in her carry on bag.  It fell off the counter in an airport restroom and chipped an edge.  It's not completely ruined - just slightly bruised.

Jerry re-discovered fruit smoothies and couldn't get enough.  He experimented every morning with a new concoction.  We had strawberry, mango, black berry and mixed fruit smoothies - and the secret ingredient turned out to be...  Lime Sherbet!

And of course - there HAD to be a little time to keep up with work back home!  What would a Comin vacation be without a little computer work to keep me anchored in the real world?

We took a trip down the coast one afternoon to The Royal Haciendas where the Haslams own a timeshare.  Kim and Gwen found shade and relaxation and both gave it two thumbs up for comfort!

The grounds were gorgeous and I snapped a few pictures of the flowers-

We also hit the local Wal-Mart for a few groceries (AND a lot of frozen fruit)!!  This was a display just inside the front door with a skeleton and several tiers filled with various foods and items.  We learned that this is how they celebrate Halloween in Mexico.  It is a little diferent and is called "Dia de los Muertos" - or Day of the Dead.  They decorate the graves of their loved ones who have died with things that were special to them in life.  They then celebrate on October 31st while the spirits of their loved ones come back to enjoy the day.  You'll see a little more of this further on.

 On October 30th, we attended a theme park called Xcaret which holds a celebration for the Day of the Dead in addition to their normal activites and historical pageant.  Kim was greeted at the main gate by this "skeleton" who was back from the dead to the enjoy the day!

There were plenty of shows and dances to watch as they celebrated this age old tradition.  Notice the "skeletons" inter-mingled with the live ones dancing to the music.  The dresses and costumes were beautiful!

 We later toured an area of the park that was set up like a cemetary.  Each of the graves had been decorated and covered with candles, food and drink for the deceased.  This was really quite a fascinating part of the day.

We met a very nice little family as we parked our car and then ran into them again inside the park.  They told us that they come every year for this celebration and all of them dress up to participate in the events.  Each of these dresses was hand-made by these two women with hours and hours of needlework.

 

Kim couldn't take her eyes off this darling little girl

The evening ended with a two-hour historical pageant extravaganza - about the history of the Mayan people and the events that have shaped them into the people they are today.  Here are Jerry and Gwen as we waited for the show to start and wished for a cool breeze to come through the outdoor pavillion!

Everyone was given a candle as they entered the show.

Just before the show started - everyone lit their candles.  This would NEVER happen in the US!  There was a nice glow in the pavillion and then the action began!

The following people were located along the walkway to the pavillion and then took part in the show.

The music of the flutes and drums carried through the trees and the smell of incense carried on the breeze.

We started with the Mayan people and saw a reenactment of the Mayan ball game where the players used only their hips to hit a ball and make it go through a stone ring many feet up in the air.  Very impressive!  They then took us by way of dances, mariachis, gauchos and so much more through being conquered by Cortez, the influence of the Catholic church and...

 

then ended with a dance that represented each of the states of Mexico. It was really well done!

This was the perfect way to end the week - with a very nice cultural event.  We woke up Saturday morning to quite a rain storm - the worst weather we had seen all week.  We packed up and headed for the airport and back to regular life!  A very BIG thanks to Gwen and Jerry for inviting us along to share their week in Cancun!!