Back from Mexico

Our trip to Mexico has come and gone, and qualifies as one of the greatest trips we have ever taken! Devin and Shane drove us to the airport at a very early 4am, and we were very grateful...thanks guys! We checked in for our flight and got through security with no problems, so we had a quick bite to eat and boarded the plane for a short 5 hour flight. Matt and I arrived in Cancun to the sun shining and quickly grabbed a taxi to our hotel, not before stopping for a few cerveza's for the road!

The Riu Yucatan is located in Playacar, just outside of Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Coast. After checking in and getting comfortable, we went for a walk to check out the property...absolutely beautiful! The grounds were beautifully kept, the food was great, and the drinks were fantastic. Our room was on the second of three floors, about 1 minute from the beach. We had a beautiful garden view, and each morning we got a new piece of 'towel art'. The first few days were spent laying in the sun, swimming in the ocean, and enjoying a few beverages at the swim up bar! Each day on the beach we enjoyed a local band that played for a few hours. Our evenings here were pretty quiet filled with long dinners and great conversations. We took a little trip to Playa del Carmen Tuesday afternoon for some shopping and were sitting in a sea side pub having a margarita when Matt got a spanish harpist to serenade me...how romantic! We bought a few gifts for our friends and family back home, and enjoyed the leisurly walk through town. Wednesday, Matt and I decided to get our Level One Certification from PADI for scuba diving. We watched a video, then took safety training in the pool before going for our first dive in the ocean! We went with our instructor and two other 'first-timers' to Baracuda Reef, which is just off the coast of Tulum. I was very nervous, but the instructor put us both at ease. Here we dove 12m deep to a beautiful reef where we spent the next hour exploring. It was amazing to see baracudas and many other tropical fish in the wild! Diving is something that I'm sure we will continue doing on every trip that we take. Matt insisted that we purchase the video that was taken of our dive, and I'm so glad he did. We've already watched it 3 times since we've been home! Each night, the animation team at the resort preformed for all of the guests. The nightly entertainment was such a nice way to end the day. A storm was moving in Thursday night, which made the ocean so much fun during the day. Matt and I found ourselves playing in 10 foot swells for most of the afternoon. We took the water-proof camera into the ocean, I can't wait to get the photos developed!

Friday found us in another taxi heading back up to Cancun. We stayed at the Riu Cancun in the heart of the hotel zone for two nights. The property is magnificent, but maybe a little too busy for our pace! It definately felt like a high rise hotel in the centre of a busy city. It is in a great location, and there is lots of different things to do during the day to keep people busy, but a beautiful beach if you want to spend the day soaking up the sun. The property boasts a beautiful infinity pool where we usually spent the afternoons. They also have an activity pool, and a swim up bar in another pool that is filled with tables and chairs! The pools overlooked a soft white-sand beach and teal-blue ocean. We swam everyday, and Matt even snorkled right off the beach. We did some shopping in Cancun, but those markets can get really hot so we usually only lasted about an hour before heading back to the hotel. While in Cancun, we also took the opportunity to experience the nightlife. We went to a few different clubs within walking distance of the hotel and had a really good time. The Cancun area has a substantial amount of damage remaining from the hurricanes in October, and it was sad to see that many of the shops and hotels have yet to recover. Hopefully by the time we're back with all of our friends and family next year, things will be in better condition.

Matt and I really enjoyed our time in Mexico. We had the opportunity to get some much needed R&R, as well as spend some uninterupted time together, neither of which we seem to get much of anymore. It is nice to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of daily life for at least one week a year.

We got as much done for the wedding as can be done at this point, but we will be sending out little updates within the next few weeks. Nothing will be confirmed until July or August as the airline will not release their packages until this time. We will keep everyone as informed as possible, but feel free to call us if you have any questions about the wedding!!!

We'll put as many pictures as possible online, and hope to talk to all of you as soon as possible. Thanks to all who helped us make this trip possible (Devin and Shane for driving us to the airport, Mike and Caroline for watching our house and fish, and of course to Mom and Dad!!!).

See you all soon,
J