During fall break, Paul and Bonnie invited Corey and I to go with them to Cancun, Mexico for a wonderful 8 day vacation from October 9th to 16th :)
The weather was perfect, the fish were ferocious and bit Corey and Paul’s toes, the food was delicious, the resort was huge and beautiful, the rooms had outdoor jacuzzis, the snorkeling was exciting, Corey and I dived and touched the bottom of the ocean, the Mayan ruins at Tulum were fascinating, the beach was relaxing, the jungle-buggy was hilarious, the cenotes were neat, the roller coaster zip-line was entertaining and threw me around like a rag doll, the shopping was fun, and, best of all, the company was amazing.
Day 1 (Oct 9.)
Arrived at the Grand Palladium a little exhausted from the flight and long shuttle ride but very excited. After exploring our rooms at the Royal Suites, we went to dinner at El Jardin and enjoyed some fresh lobster.
Day 2 (Oct 10.)
We ate breakfast at the buffet and found our own special box of “Zucaritas.” We spent the rest of the day exploring the resort and relaxing at the beach. The Grand Palladium had its own private beach for tourists with beautiful blue water and only a five minute walk from our room. Corey and I snorkeled for the first time and had a blast splashing around. We all dressed up for dinner and enjoyed some mexican food at the resort.
Day 3 (Oct 11.)
Today we went to the Mayan Ruins of Tulum with an amazing Mayan tour guide, experienced a mexican taxi, held an iguana, ate dinner at the beach, fed raccoons, and watched a evening show and shopped at the resort.
Tulum was very neat. There were flying acrobats, large iguanas, and we had a wonderful mayan tour guide who took us throughout the ruins and explained their significance and answered our questions.
For dinner we had a huge platter of sea food with lots of shrimp, scallops, and muscles. During dinner a raccoon came up and snatched Bonnie’s roll off of her plate. Paul joined in on the fun and fed many raccoons throughout dinner. We had about five raccoons coming up to him for pieces of food.
Each night at the Grand Palladium, there were merchants that would come in to sell souvenirs and there were evening dance shows for the guests to watch. Corey and I practiced our Spanish bartering for items.
Day 4 (Oct 12.) Snorkeling Day!
Today we woke up and went snorkeling at Yal-ku and saw tons of cool fish. We had a french dinner and then I danced the merengue on stage before the evening show. I performed in the pre-show entertainment by dancing the merengue (“pee-pee” dance) while trying to hold down my skirt and not trip on my feet. It was hysterical and the audience loved it :)
Day 5 (Oct 13.) Relaxation Day at the resort.
Corey and I played mini-golf, had a massage, and experienced the hydrotherapy spa. Paul and Bonnie spent most of the day at the beach and the spa. We had a flaming Japanese dinner with an amazing chef. After dinner, Corey and Stephanie took a half hour confusing but fun walk through the resort back to the Royal Suites.
Day 6 (Oct 14.) Hidden Worlds Cenote Park.
We zip-lined, dived to see stalagmites, and rappelled into a cenote. Corey and I got to drive the crazy Jungle-Buggy to the cenote and I was thrown around by the roller-coaster zip line.
We ate at the buffet for lunch and indulged on dessert :) There were no spoons left out so Corey ate his pink ice cream and sprinkles with a knife. I used a fork and Corey gave me a taste of his ice cream with his knife.
Then we went to visit Playa del Carmen to experience real Mexican shopping. There were human statues, open air markets, restaurants, and the beach near by. We bought the remainder of our souvenirs, bartered, and had fun :)
After, we ate dinner at El Jardin. The waiter let me help him prepare the food and it was a lot of fun :)
Day 7 (Oct 15.) Akumal
The best snorkeling was at Akumal. We spent the whole day exploring the ocean floor. Corey and I saw two sea turtles, Corey chased and caught one. There were two sting rays and many bright multicolored fish. Paul and Corey explored the shore and found seashells. Bonnie bought us all ice cream after swimming and we all enjoyed the sun.
Day 8 (Oct 16.)
The last day in Cancun we spent packing and driving back to the airport. We ate at Bubba Gum’s for lunch and tasted the many ways to cook shrimp. The vacation was amazing, but it was nice to be home .
