Our Cancun adventure 2010

Last day before vacation~

We woke up & got our bags into the car & headed out to drop our baby Adrian off with Grammie. He did pretty well & didn’t seem to mind staying behind but of course I broke down & cried as I was getting ready to leave! All was well though, I knew Richie & I would have tons of fun & Adrian would be well taken care of & loved by each of his Grandparents. So then it was time to head out on the road set for Cotati (about an hour from San Francisco) to meet up with the rest of our traveling party. We got in around 4 & then headed back out bound for S.F. about 6 PM. We finally arrived at the car storage lot & then boarded a shuttle for the airport. We arrived at the airport around 8:30 PM & then waited around until our flight departed at 11 PM. We arrived in Mexico City around 5 AM went through customs & headed for our connecting flight which was departing around 7 AM. Things were going fairly smoothly when 4 people out of our party of 10 got picked to wait for the next flight due to the plane being too full. We later found out this happened due to the pilots family being accommodated at the last minute, what bs!! My poor sis in law Chely was none too pleased but nonetheless all 10 of us did finally make it to the Cancun airport & through customs headed for our beautiful resort.

Day 1~

We arrived in beautiful (but humid) Cancun at about noon. While we waited for our rooms we met with the wedding coordinator to have our blood drawn (mandatory in Mexico for marriages). Then we got checked into our beautiful & luxurious beach view rooms, we were all on the 12th floor. What a magnificent view we had!!! We ate lunch at the Mexican restaurant called Tequila, it was oh so delicious!! Then onto the pool for a little pool volleyball, boy was that fun & one of our favorite activities while here at the resort. For dinner we headed to the steakhouse where we ordered surf & turf which proved to be our #1 favorite meal which we ate 3 times while here!!!! The size of the steak was incredible, probably a 16 ounce steak for each plate, incredible! We then hit up one of the resorts bars for a little karaoke, that was a ton of fun & even I participated = ) There was a newlywed couple whom had just married that day & she did the bouquet toss which of course I won because of my “inspector gadget” (thanks Chely for the nickname) arms. LMAO!!!! Well that about sums up day 1.

Day 2~

What a beautiful day in Cancun, although pretty windy & humid. We got a much needed good night rest & wonderful buffet breakfast at the resort. Then we headed back to the pool for some more pool volleyball, what a blast! Then Richie, Andy & I decided to head downtown for a while, we had planned on catching the bus but we were told it was only about a mile so we decided to just walk. Whoa what a bad idea, LMAO!!! I’m pretty sure it was longer than a mile & with the blazing hot sun our asses got roasted!!! But we did have fun checking out the shops in the flea market (where you get harassed like there’s no tomorrow), stopped for some strawberry margaritas at Carlos & Charlies & then caught the bus (for sure this time) back to the resort!!! Then onto dinner where we had surf & turn again, which was the bomb even the 2nd night in a row. Oh & how could I forget the Brownie terraza is one of the best deserts I have ever had as well. Chocolate brownie with ice cream & drizzle, YUMMY!!!

Day 3~

We decided as one of our activities we would check out Wet N Wild the waterslide park. What a fabulous day of fun in the sun even though we were all burnt at this point. We all went on all the slides, even Richie who had a blast = ) We had tacos for lunch which were fantastic & filled us up so we could continue on. After lunch Natz, Andy, Chely & I joined in on the water balloon contest, Natz & Andy were runners up. Then Chely, Jose, Andy & Richie decided to join in on what they thought was just a simple beer drinking contest but little did they know. LOL! The beer drinking contest also included your best Tarzan impression & then dancing to whatever song they played. This was absolutely one of the funniest things to watch. All of them did so well, Jose broke up with the old school break dancing which in my opinion was a 10!! Chely ended u p winning which she totally deserved to win, she worked the stage with her sexy body shaking dancing…you go girl!!! Then the guys played some Volleyball & before long it was time to head back to the resort. We decided when we got back that we would all head back to the flea markets to do a little souvenir shopping, another fun adventure at the flea market but it was fun! Once back at the resort it was again time for dinner, on this night Andy, Richie & I decided to have Italian food which was as always amazing. This resort is impressive when it comes to the fine dining experience. Everything from the appetizers to the main course to the desert are phenomenal, they never miss a beat. Oh & the service is out of this World, for people who earn a mere $6.00 per for each 8 hour day, these people have my utmost respect. Your tips go a long way for these wonderful people, so if you go be prepared to give back all that they give to you. After dinner we all headed back to the resorts bar for some more dancing & fun.

Day 4~

We woke up early & boarded a tour bus for one of the last Mayan civilizations, Tulum. We stopped along the way at a gift shop where we bought some one of a kind necklace charms with our names inscribed in Mayan hieroglyphics. One for Adrian, Gabriel, Richie & I, we thought this would make for a great memory. Then back on the bus & on to Tulum. We arrived & then walked the 10 minute walk into this beautiful Mayan city where we got to learn a little about the culture, beliefs & ways of living. Then for a little free time we swam in the magnificent ocean off the shores of Tulum. Then we headed back to the bus & onto the next leg of this tour which was another Palace Resort called Xpu-Ha (pronounced Schpoo-Ha), it is an ecological park/resort. Once we arrived we ate at their buffet restaurant , which wasn’t our favorite meals during the stay but it was ok. Then we tried the snorkeling, which wasn’t the greatest either, it was in a lagoon which was pretty murky & fishless so this didn’t last very long! Next we played some more pool volleyball & then back onto the tour bus & back to the resort. All in all we had a good day & learned a lot. Once we arrived back at the resort we welcomed my wonderful Grandpa & adopted Grandma Ine to the resort. What wonderful people to travel such a long distance to give me away & then head back home all within 44 hours. I sure am blessed with such loving people in my life = ) We joined Papa & Ine for dinner at the Italian restaurants again, which even 2 nights in a row was delish!

Day 5~ Our wedding day!!!!

What a beautiful way to wake up on your special day. The day started out again with a scrumptious breakfast. Then Richie & I got our massages, me a 25 minute & Richie a 50 minute, even he loved it & admitted to falling asleep!! After my massage I got my manicure/pedicure & then hair/makeup done. The stylist did such an amazing job with my hair & makeup. I kind of gave her an idea of what I wanted & boy did she exceed every expectation that I had = ) Next I headed back to the room to get my dress. When I arrived my wonderful sis in law & niece met me & gave me my something old, something borrowed, something new gifts. What sweet & loving girls! I got a tooth (dolphin, shark or something like that), a hand made jewelry dish & the most beautiful turquoise necklace/earring set (which I wear a lot). Again I am blessed with such wonderful people. Then I headed off to my Grandpa’s room to get my dress on & finish getting ready. Boy was I getting nervous, after 10 years I did have butterflies in my tummy. LOL! The photographer showed up to the room & took a few pictures & then we all headed for the roof top which was the setting for our wedding ceremony. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting. As my Grandpa walked me down the aisle to give me away to the love of my life, I fought back tears while thinking of my Grandma, hoping that she was watching from up above (I know she wouldn’t miss it for anything). My Grandpa did such a good job holding back his tears as well. And there I was finally standing before my love, Richie Campos, the man I was about to marry once & for all! The ceremony was perfect, although a little hot & the sun was blaring down into our faces but that is the small price you pay for getting married in a tropical place. We said our vows, exchanged rings, gave each other a bite of cake & toasted with our friends & family before heading down to the beach for some of the most amazing pictures I have ever seen in my life. Thank you to our photographer for catching our day so effortlessly! Then onto dinner where we joined our part of 12 for a steakhouse dinner overlooking the pool at 7 o’clock. After eating our dinner (of course for Richie & I it was the surf & turf, LOL) we enjoined our strawberries & cream cake. Yum, yum!! At 9 o’clock they had the Michael Jackson show or as we called in the Miguel Jackson show. LMAO! It was great entertainment & we had fun singing & watching. Afterwards we headed upstairs to the bar for some more dancing drinking. I retired early as I was pooped from this long & eventful day. When I arrived in the room there was a bottle of champagne on ice, chocolate covered strawberries & a swan statue made out of towels. I was overwhelmed by this thoughtful act = ) What a great day this proved to be!!!!!

Day 6~

This day was pretty low key for us, we hung out by the pool some more & had another back massage. My Grandpa & Ine had to leave to go back home today so I visited with them until it was time for them to head for the airport. I sure love these two special people whom adore each other immensely = ) For dinner Richie & I decided to try out the oriental restaurant called Wok, oh man the food here never lacks! We had some sushi, sweet & sour chicken for me & teriyaki chicken for Richie. We also found our new favorite drink, Peach cooler, white wine, sprite & peach liqueur…yea boy!!!!!!!!!!! Then we hit up the sports bar where Richie watched as the Lakers did what they do best, WIN. Whoop whoop!

Day 7~

This day we traveled by ferry to Isla Mujeres, Island of the woman. What a fun ferry ride this was courtesy of Jimmy & his team! They sure made us laugh with their Jack & Rose (Titanic) impersonation & others! We arrived at this beautiful island after about 30 minutes. When we docked we got to see the dolphins swimming around but we decided not to pay the $129 per person to swim with them, next visit we will though. We did however decide to do snorkeling again here & boy was this fun, we spent about 45 minutes out in the ocean snorkeling & checking out the beautiful fish. Once back at the Island we stopped for some lunch at the buffet, which again away from the resort wasn’t my favorite but Richie enjoyed the ceviche. Then for a little pool time & then back on the ferry headed for some shopping. We shopped the small island stores for about an hour, we got some t-shirts, a few necklaces & a one of a kind wooden purse for myself = ) Then back across we came headed for the mainland. We got all cleaned up & Richie & I decided to once again have surf & turf since it would be our last dinner in Cancun. Again we understood why this was our fave! We called it an early night & headed to bed.

Day 8~ Our final day in paradise = (

We woke up early & went down for our last breakfast. Then we decided to get a little more pool time in & enjoyed our last few games of pool volleyball. We got everything ready for our checkout & picked up our wedding picture album, we were amazed at the quality of these pictures. These could not be duplicated in Southern Oregon, this only takes place in magical places like Cancun, with the beautiful beach as your backdrop = ) Next stop was the Cancun airport for two hours & then in route for Mexico City & finally onto San Francisco. We got in about 12:30 am & then got stopped by customs for a luggage check. Thank you for stopping the newlywed couple with 6 pieces of luggage & a bag full of souvenirs. LOL! The two boarder patrol officials were very quick & nice though, one of them even had family here in Southern Oregon so it was cool. Then we got to our cars & headed back to Jose & Chely’s where we got a little shut eye before driving back home, anxious to see our baby boy. We made it to Medford around 1 PM & boy was Adrian happy as ever to see his Mommy & Daddy = )