Long weekend in Cancun, Mexico

What an amazing way to spend a long weekend! Cancun was the perfect get a way at the perfect time for me!

Cancun was the perfect get away at the right time. After the loss of my mother, there was a real need for me to escape and reset. This trip did just that! It was 4 days which seemed short but we were able to participate in a couple of activities and enjoy one full beach day. If anything, we could have done good with one additional beach day! Let me tell you what we did!

“You have to visit #Xcaret! The Espectacular Show with the added 7-course dinner is worth every penny. The show was put together in a wonderful way that showed the spirit of Mexico”

I had the pleasure of visiting #Cancun with two amazing friends, Deborah and Ofelia! We call ourselves "The Three Amigas"! (there is the number 3 again!) As we planned this trip, we agreed on where we would stay (we changed locations about a month out), activities (we prepaid) and transportation needs. Both Ofelia and myself had visited Cancun but over 16 years ago so it felt new again. It was Deb's first time. We leveraged sites (#Viator, #visitacity and #expedia) for ideas and friends/family's recent visits to settle on our agenda:

• Arrived in Cancun - Thursday

• Visit to #Excaret - Friday (this ended up being all day)

• Beach day - Saturday

• Visit to #ChichenItza - Sunday

• Return home - Monday

Hotel Accommodations

We decided on an adult only all inclusive. With no kids in tow and not want toing drive around Mexico, we thought this was the best option. Our final choice was the #RoyaltonChicCancun by Marriott. It had several restaurants to choose from, 24 hour room service and a roof top bar/pool. When we arrived, we loved it right away, it had great curb appeal. There was a guard booth where we had to verify our reservations before going in, this aided us in feeling a bit safer. The lobby area was beautiful with clean lines and amazing views out to the beach! We were greeted with a cocktail as we went through the check in process. It was pretty smooth except for the up-sell part. They wanted us to spend more to have access to a "private pool, beach sitting area and upgraded liquor. We opted out and went on our way.

Our room was on the 10th floor facing the ocean. The views were spectacular! We looked right down to the beach and over the pool. The room was nicely furnished with two queen beds and sofa bed - which they had opened due to there being three of us (that was a nice touch). The toilet was in its own room, the shower had a waterfall head with a bench, two sinks in the vanity and plenty of towels (one thing I look for). If you are with people that don't like to change in front of each other, there isn't much privacy so be aware. We all enjoyed the robes and slippers provided. We had a mini bar frig that was included in the price that had a variety of drinks (water and sodas).

Remember I mentioned the various restaurants? Well we tried 3 of the nine. Our favorite was the steak house. The buffet was ok and didn't really enjoy the Chinese restaurant. We used the TV to order room service but there was limited options and ordering was a bit confusing. I had a lot of margaritas as there wasn't any cocktail menus and every time a waiter came along that was the only drink that came to mind! LOL

What we did really enjoy was the entertainment! They had poolside events during the day and nighttime shows. The burlesque show was actually really good! The dancers were excellent and the pole dancer was truly talented. We also went to a casino night, played roulette, blackjack and poker (with fake money the hotel provided). At the end of the night there was a dance performance that was really good. The last night we were there Deb went to the fire show - they had individuals dancing with items set on fire. Ofelia and I were too lazy so Deb took a video - it was cool!

The beach had soft sand and the water was cool enough to walk in and get adjusted without getting goose bumps! My type of water!! Little waves with a bit of a current but nothing too strong. They had plenty of lounge chairs (so we didn't need to upgrade) but could have used a couple more umbrellas. There were waiters on the beach that brought food and drinks on request. You could also play volleyball - we did not! I enjoyed the water and took the chance to get a little reading in! We never got in the pool but it did have a swim up bar. Tried the jacuzzi but it never worked - they needed to fix that!

Overall, we felt the hotel gave us the experience we were looking for with just minor snags!

Visiting #Xcaret Park

There are several parks in the Cancun area (never would have known!) but we chose #Xcaret. We chose this one because it was a bit more relaxed than several of the others. Since our goal was to relax with just a little excitement - this was the perfect option. The park provided transportation which was perfect for us! We had to be ready by 7ish - it's about a 90-minute ride out to the park after we picked up all the other folks and stopped for drop offs. Prior to the trip, a friend told me that we had to stay for the show at the end - it was a must - so we chose a package that included the show and one buffet meal during the day. During the bus ride, Ofelia was paying attention to what the guide was saying and found out there was a "healing" type session they offered (its actually called Temazcal ceremony). To get around the park, there are various colored lines you should follow, she provides us with the best order to follow but we all kind of forgot....so...we floundered a bit a times. She also mentioned a Mexican coffee and donuts in the old city part (we never found it).

Once in the park, there is a number of "additions" you could choose. They have a photo package where you use a wrist band and take pictures at various places in the park (we didn't choose that), swimming with dolphins (Deb should have done it), shark encounter, speed boats, etc. I think you would have to stay for 2 days to participate in everything! We added in the 7-course dinner for the #espectacular dinner and the #Temazcal purifying ritual. We took advantage of swimming in the underground river, horse show, snorkeling and turtle exhibit.

The underground river was so much fun! I'm not the best swimmer but they provided life vest, which I appreciated and there was a rope that hung on the wall for most of the way. The water was cool and refreshing! I hadn't been in a underground river before but really enjoyed being there, seeing the natural gaps to the surface and was amazed at the depth in places. The river ends at a small beach where you could lounge in hammocks, swim in small water holes or shower! The views were beautiful, and we took the opportunity to take some photos.

We were looking for snorkeling and found out they had swimming with the dolphins and a off-site snorkeling - it was a lot going on! We finally found the included snorkeling hole and found it lack luster. We didn't stay there long! We stumbled onto the turtle habitat and boy - those were the biggest turtles we had ever seen!! They were magnificent creatures moving with such ease thru the water! By now we were hungry and headed to the Mexican buffet. The food was actually really good - yes, I ate too much, but I loved it! I got a Mango margarita which was delicious! Deb ended up getting one as well...HA!

Next, we went to participate in the #Temazcal purifying ritual. We were blessed by a Mayan priest then taken into an igloo hut for the ritual. After adding extremely hot coals, the door was closed and covered with a curtain, making the room totally dark. As he splashed water on the rocks, steam filled the room, and he began talking to us. Encouraging us to think of loved ones and to release pent up emotions. As the steam built up so did our sweating, I could feel the tension in my back as I thought of my mother who recently passed away. I had been filled with grief and it was showing in my body. At some point, we were instructed to scream out loud (to aid in release). I think because it was pitch black, no one was shame and we all screamed at the top of our lungs! It was amazing and I instantly felt a release!! It's hard to explain but something happened spiritually for me. After we screamed again, we left the room and got into the cenote next to the igloo. It was cool and refreshing after being in the steam! It was great! I think we all had similar experiences with it.

The night ended with us at the #espectular show! It was amazing! The costumes, the music, the dancing, singing, everything was done very well. The 7-course meal was worth every penny! We ate throughout the entire evening. Because we chose the dinner, we had great seats right next to the stage. Two alcoholic drinks were included which was nice.

It was a long day but exciting and filled with great experiences! I would definitely recommend it!

Experiencing #ChichenItza, Mayan Village, Tequila tasting and #Saamal Cenote

Ok, so I had visited #ChichenItza over 16 years ago and the thing that stuck out in my mind from that visit was the heat! I wasn't sure if it was because I was pregnant and had a toddler that it seemed so hot but after this visit (none of those things are with me now), I know that it is just HOT!!! OMG, don't get me wrong - it is an amazing place to visit but you better be ready to SWEAT!!! The structures are amazing! How the Mayans created them is nothing less than spectacular but after 30 minutes, I was ready to get back on the bus! I have pictures where you can see the sweat dripping from my chin...lol! Anyway, I am happy we had a guide for this trip, he gave us the history of the site (didn't have that the first time). After the tour we all eagerly loaded back onto the air-conditioned bus!! We then went to a Mayan hotel where we were served a buffet lunch. I thought the lunch was ok and appreciated learning a bit more about the Mayan history from the women there.

After lunch, we headed to #Saamalcenote where we took part in a tequila tasting. The tequila is supposedly only made and sold in Mexico. I enjoyed the tequila and did purchase some - the mango was the best (more like a liqueur than a tequila though). We then went down to swim in the cenote. Everyone had to wear a life vest (again perfect for this not so good swimmer)! It was super deep - I tried not to think about it! It was amazing to be in a freshwater cenote where the walls were covered in moss and vines hanging from the ceiling. It was very surreal!

The tour company we choose started super early! We had to be ready to pick up at 4:25am, yes, I typed that correctly!! We had no idea of the pick-up time until 24 hours before!! The sun was not even close to coming up when the bus pulled in. I was annoyed at first, but we had prepaid so went with it, However, I will say it ended up being great because we hit #chichenitza early (first tour bus there), it wasn't as hot as it would have been later in the day (still super-hot though!). We were the first tour bus at the cenote, so we beat the crowd! We also got back to the hotel early enough to hang at the beach one last time and enjoy dinner. Kudos to #amigostours for having this itinerary!

Hopefully, you can see why we had such a great time on this long weekend! I hope you too get to enjoy Cancun for either a long or short weekend!!