Nine Days in Mexico
After one too many grey and cold Canadian winter days, we flew south to the Riviera Maya, in Mexico, for a week. The kind of escape where your biggest decision is beach or pool. We did both, repeatedly.
The beach was everything: warm water, hot sun, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and a bar close enough to never run dry
One detail I did not expect: the resort uses trained hawks to chase other birds away from the dining patios. Surprisingly effective and slightly intimidating.
Xcaret Park
One full day and about 25,000 steps. We saw most of it, but we were completely wrecked by the end.
The morning covered Mayan ruins, an aquarium with sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, and a manatee lazily eating vegetables. Two jaguars paced in their enclosure. A traditional cemetery and a colonial church sat side by side in the middle of the park.
After lunch, we took the underground river, a long swim through limestone caverns that drops you off at the beach. From there, natural ocean pools, a dolphin show, and a brief unplanned nap.
The day closed with a two-hour theatrical show tracing Mexican history and culture across the centuries. Elaborate costumes, live music, and full stadium seating. Unexpectedly moving.
Chichén Itzá, Valladolid and the Cenote
We stopped first in Valladolid, a colonial city about 90 minutes from the resort. Quick stop to walk the main square, peek inside the church, browse a few shops.
Then Chichén Itzá. The Mayan guide was the best part. He walked us through the pyramid's 365 steps (one per day of the year), the equinox snake shadow explained, the sacred numbers 7 and 13, the ball court where losers (or winners, still debated) were sacrificed, and the layered history of Mayan and Toltec co-existence. The stone carvings tell stories. The acoustics do too. Clap near the pyramid and it echoes back like a quetzal bird call.
It was brutally hot. Bring water. Bring sunscreen. Go anyway.
The day ended at Cenote Tsukan, a cavern cenote about 10 minutes from the site. 125 steps carved into the rock lead you down to the water. Three openings in the ceiling let beams of natural light cut through the cave, lighting up the stalactites and the crystal clear water below.
The Spanish
One thing I genuinely enjoyed was having an excuse to dust off my Spanish. It is a language I like, but back home there are not many natural opportunities to use it. Mexico gave me plenty. Ordering food, chatting with staff, asking for directions. Nothing fluent, but enough to get by and enough to feel the rust coming off.
Nine days. Two excursions. A lot of sun. Mexico delivered. 🇲🇽