Cancun Getaway

The week before Christmas we flew off to Mexico for a little getaway.. but before I get into the details a little backstory - that particular week M and I celebrated our 8th anniversary.. we planned it so that he and I could go away, just the two of us for a few days.. get some alone time.. it was something we were planning since H turned one. Weeks before our trip M's grandfather passed away and his parents our would have been babysitters left the country and so by default the boys were added to the trip.. and while we had a wonderful time we often caught ourselves imagining what it would have been like if it had been just the two of us.. oh well.. we shall plan again for another time.

Now as if all this wasn't enough I manged to trip on the steps and sprain my ankle days before the trip.. and while thank god it was a minor sprain I did not get a lot of time to rest it which is why weeks later I still sit with my leg propped up on pillows trying to squeeze in a little rest while the little munchkin naps.. and with an appointment to an orthopedic doctor scheduled :(. 

Enough back story.. now lets get to Cancun. We stayed along the hotel strip in the CasaMagna Marriott. we are reward members so got an upgrade to ocean view and their usually paid wifi was free. The view from our room



Day one was spent gorging ourselves on the delicious snack bar offerings and than a delicious Thai dinner also on the hotel premises.. and when we weren't eating we were on the beach.. H's first!



My ankle and I lounged on a chair while M and the boys played in the water.. a few things to note. The water in Cancun was very rough.. M had to be very attentive.. more than once the waves pulled the boys down.. the water was also very sandy.. with every wave the boys ended up more sandy than they would have if they were playing with the sand.. which in the end we preferred they do with the water being so rough and M tiring of playing lifeguard. Another thing about the water.. tons of seaweed.. and while the hotel cleaned the beach every morning.. more just kept washing up.. very unlike our trip to Aruba with it's serene waters.


Day 2 we got to an early start and binged on the hotels breakfast buffet included in our package. Then with a rent a car we headed down to Xcaret about an hour away in Playa del Carmen. While with little kids and now my ankle we were less able to swim in cenotes and be more adventurous so we thought that with an eco park we may be able to do it in a more safe environment. It was a nice park.. tons to do but H was too young to do most activities..And I had to sit out the underground river because it frightened the little guy. D on the other hand had a brilliant time. 


If you look close you may spot a few iguana's.. we encountered more than a few just chilling.. while the boys stared at them in awe a local stopped and informed us of what a delicious soup that iguana would make..!!




We caught a few cultural shows.. the night show especially spectacular though we left during the first intermission.. both boys had fallen asleep, my ankle was throbbing and we had a long drive back to the hotel.

D even stepped out of his comfort zone and held a parrot. Note: A lot of the activities didn't allow you to take your own pictures and if you wanted memories like the one below you had no choice but to buy a print.


Day 3 was another early start.. not that we had a choice with early riser H.. another quick buffet breakfast.. yum. No better way to start it than a clay pot of hot coco :) and the view of the beautiful pool and ocean while we ate



The itinerary for the day was a trip to Isla Mujeres and a dolphin swim courtesy of M's company. It began with a 40 minute ferry ride on a very windy rainy day.. by the time we finally got to the Dolphin Discovery Center we all felt a bit queasy.. and the cold rain was putting a damper on our day. Soon we were headed into the cold water with the boys clinging to us to meet Valariya and Sinbad.





AMAZING!

Next we grabbed a quick bite to eat and grabbed a taxi to downtown Isla Mujeres to rent ourselves a golf cart.. the preferred mode of travel.. the best mode of travel. The weather had started to get a bit better.. the sun came out. 



The island is very small.. and quick to drive through.. we made a stop here and there but out main destination was Punta Sur, the southern most point of the island. 


This was the highlight of our trip.. it was otherworldly.. the wind was too strong and we had to really work hard to keep firm on our feet.. and that was part of the fun I suppose. It was making us giddy.. is there such a thing? getting high on nature.. lol.. I sound insane. There was a small sculpture park, a temple, a restaurant and an amazing staircase that winds down the cliff.. with the winds and my ankle and the boys we didn't venture donwn the cliff.. but the sculptures and the views and the park itself was intoxicating..



We headed back to downtown to return our golf cart.. drank some coconuts and made our way back to Dolphin Discovery to catch out ferry.. the last leaves at 5:30 pm


Our last day was spent in the pool.. before we headed out to catch our flight back home.. 



 This may not have been the way we had envisioned this trip but it still turned out pretty great.. 


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Comments

  1. What a terrific trip. Happy Anniversary. You two were nice to take the boys along. The jellyfish shot is amazing.

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    1. thanks.. M actually took that shot.

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  2. sorry to hear about m's grandfather, hope you're all doing okay! and also hope that your ankle has healed already! but it seems like you had a wonderful holiday despite everything, it looks lovely! xx

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    1. Thanks Laura. The ankle has still not healed :( but yes, we were thankfully still able to make it into a pretty good vacation

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  3. Anonymous1/18/2016

    Thanks for sharing your holiday photos and hope your ankle heals soon. Swimming with dolphins looks amazing

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    Replies
    1. My pleasure.. it was amazing.. and I'm glad the kids were able to join in too.

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  4. Aw, happy anniversary. Love the photos and everything looks amazing! I want to visit one day.

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  5. Quite a splendid vacation. Well documented too. Will provide great memories someday.

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  6. Nice photos! Glad you had fun as a family... hope you do get to go back as a couple!


    Amber
    All the Cute
    Today's Post: Color Pop

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    1. Thanks... we may already be working on that.. not a beach.. but maybe something soon.

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  7. This looked like such an awesome getaway:) Despite everything not going as planned what with the ankle and the passing of a loved one, it's great that you guys were still able to get on with it:)

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    1. thanks.. we tried. and in the end it wasn't so bad.. and the kids had a blast!

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  8. Wow, that's interesting about the water. I've never thought about those conditions before.

    - Christina
    www.cityloveee.com

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    1. I hadn't either.. next time something to think about.. especially when travelling with kids.

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  9. I've been to Mexico once in my life durin Christmas and I have the best memories ever. Great choice
    xxx
    mari
    www.ilovegreeninspiration.com

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  10. Happy anniversary to both of you! Your trip sounds wonderful. I'm sorry about your loss and the changes to your plans, but it sounds like it worked out okay in the end. The boys look like they had a lot of fun. I especially love that photo of D with the parrot! How cool. They boys are getting so big. Thanks for sharing your trip, Hena. :)

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    1. Thanks.. yup.. glad it all worked out well in the end.

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  11. A tropical getaway sounds so nice right now!
    We visited Cancun a few years ago and thought the weather was a little chilly too. We barely got in the ocean at all. And we weren't allowed to take our own photos with the dolphins either. Had to pay for them all...ugh!
    Love the shot of your hubby "surfing" the dolphins!

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    1. Thanks.. the paying for the photo's really is such a rip off!

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  12. Oh my gosh, what a fantastic break! It look like you made the most of the kids tagging along. The photo with the parrot is beautiful and the dolphins?!?! Stop it!!! I hope your ankle gets to feeling better. Getting rest is easier said than done.

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    1. Agreed.. every time I prop my foot up H things it's a sign that he should jump on it.
      Glad the trip worked out as well as it did.. it was almost just what we needed.

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  13. I am so envious! Love the photos especially the ones with the dolphins. I am so adding Cancun to my bucket list.

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    1. Yes, do. Mexico is beautiful.. especially the rivera maya area.

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  14. I can see the fear and excitement in your son's eyes with the parrot haha. I would have felt the same. Also, that pic of your husband riding dolphins is awesome!

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    1. thanks.. i was surprised and proud of the fact that he did it.

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  15. This trip makes me miss the beach!

    God bless,

    XO, Claire

    Http://www.littlemissfashionqueen.com

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  16. thanks for sharing these memories with us. cancun is one of my fave places. i did the dolphin thing too one year.

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  17. happy anniversary!!! bummer about the ankle ( I repeatedly sprain the same ankle every other year ). Looks like you all had a fun time and the kids are so cute!!

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  18. Ahhh, this looks like heaven!! Love all of your pictures and so glad you guys had a great time! Happy belated Anniversary!

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  19. A trip to the beach sounds perfect just about now! Looks like it was a very good time.

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  20. looks likes a wonderful trip! I have never been to Cancun, would love to go, the kids seem like they had a great time :)
    http://www.footnotesandfinds.com/

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  21. Oh, your poor ankle! Looks like a beautiful, fun time :)

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  22. aaahh fun times!! vacations are the best!

    Animated Confessions

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  23. this sounds and looks like an amazing trip. i'm sorry about m's grandfather, but it looks like you made the most of taking the kids. hopefully you get a kid free vacation soon! happy belated anniversary :)

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  24. Even though it wasn't exactly as you planned, this still looks like a lovely family getaway. My condolences for the passing of M's grandfather. The kids looked like they had a lot of fun and it's good you were able to enjoy it despite your ankle injury. Take care of it now and here's to a speedy recovery.

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  25. Great vacation! I show my kids those dolphin pictures and they said they don't want to do it! What great memories for H&D.

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  26. While I'm sure it wasn't the romantic getaway you envisioned, it still looks like a nice vacation. I loved Dolphin Discovery the last time I was in Cancun.

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  27. We spent a day in Cancun last year, Hena! Our favorite part was simply a walk by the gorgeous water and a delicious lunch with our feet in the sand. Glorious!

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