Our Honeymoon!

Our wedding was wonderful but the only thing that kept me sane was knowing that it was going to end with a wonderful honeymoon to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. After we arrived at the airport, Trent had a question for the gate clerks and mentioned that we were on our honeymoon. Luckily enough, the atendants called us up before boarding and exchanged our boarding passes for ones in first class!! The extras that come with first class were very much appreciated, especially since the flight was one of the coldest flights ever and may have been especially uncomfortable otherwise!

We arrived in Cancun and were taken by bus to our resort. The main lobby area was gorgeous, and we were given a juice as we checked in. We then wandered over to our room, taking in the scenes that would be around us for the next few days. Our resort was made up of several room buildings with lovely swimming pools running all around them, which we made sure to make use of while we were there. The resort was teeming with wildlife, from the macaws hanging out on posts around the grounds, to the iguanas lounging in the sun and those strange monkey-type things we kept catching a glimpse of as they ran across the path (we never did quite figure out what they were).

We spent one of our sunny Mexico days exploring the Xcaret ecological park. The park was right next door and a quick walk from our resort, one of the things that drew us where we went. Upon arrival, we headed right for the river that ran throughout the park. The river, which was partially underground, was open for floating, so we grabbed some lifevests and a little waterproof camera and jumped in! The river was cool and beautiful (a little creepy in the underground parts), and we even saw some fossil marks in the limestone that formed the river walls. Also, I swear that I saw a live crab on a leash. I swear. The river dumped us out by the ocean, and then we rinsed off and headed back into the park. The park also contained a turtle exhibit.

Coming out of my shell

We also saw some Mayan dance rituals.

That afternoon we took a walk on the watery side. We went down to the ocean for what they called "SeaTrek." We donned some rubber shoes and went down to the deck. A worker gave us a quick scare by teaching us some communication for the trek, including placing a hand on the head which means, "shark is coming!" The workers there had some heavy glass-fronted helmets that received air from an oxygen tank. Trent, and then I, went down and as we climbed into the water the placed the helmet on us. With this weight, we continued down to the bottom of the ocean inlet and were able to walk around on the bottom!! The ocean inlet was beautiful from down there. We saw schools of little fish that enjoyed swarming around us, and occasionally some larger fish almost as big as me. This was definitely a unique and fun experience.







That night, we and the other visitors to the park gathered to the park's replica of an old Mayan ball game stadium. What a treat! (And by treat I don't just mean the crazy chile-covered apple we bought as a concession.) We watched as the park actors put on a reenactment of Mayan ball games, which included lighting the ball on fire and using lacrosse-style sticks to hurl it at each other!

Chile-sugar covered apple


Trent's first bite- not sure what to think

My first bite says it all



The next day we took a tour up to Chichen Itza, which we learned was one of the 7 wonders of the new world. I was excited but feeling somewhat under the weather. Turns out when they say "don't drink the water," they mean it, and that includes ice in your other drinks! Trent had some quick stomach problems earlier in the trip, but I think mine were worse and lasted longer. Despite this, we rode a bus up to the Mayan temple while the tour guide told us about the many theories of ancient civilizations in the area, including one from some guy named Joseph Smith. The bus ride was enjoyable, but traveling into Mexico definitely gave us a glimpse into how poor the majority of the country is.

The temple at Chichen Itza was amazing. Our guide explained some of the astronomical influences on its size and location, and also took us around to some of the other ruins that surrounded the temple and told us what they were likely used for. It was exciting for us to see glimpses of this old civilization and discuss influences that might be universal in all culutures.
While there we also found the souvenir that we wanted, and we got it after a half-hearted attempt at bartering. But hey, we liked it a lot and couldn't find another like it!

Beyond those two adventures, we didn't really leave the resort. For example, on our last morning there, we went down like we did the other days for breakfast at what they called "the beach club," a buffet setup right down near the water. But we got there a little earlier than usual, and so threw our towels on a beach bed and went and waded around in the little cove at the resort. The water was so cool and refreshing, and so clear you could look down and see some beautifully colored fish swimming around you. Then, after breakfast, we retired to our shaded beach bed for a leisurely day of reading and relaxing. Around dinnertime, we headed over to the resort's Mexican restaurant. There were several restaurants for us to choose from, but I think we were going to skip this one until it worked out best for our schedule. What a great choice- it was by far the tastiest meal we had there, from chips through dessert!

The view under the beach bed

All in all, it was a fantastic trip that we will always remember, and a fantastic choice for our honeymoon.