Mexico!

We were fortunate to spend last week relaxing in Mexico for AGM. We were able to go a few days early and have my parents go with us. After a lot of hours flying and what seemed like the same amount of hours getting through customs and getting our rental car we headed through the jungle to Chichen Itza. As we drove through a small Mexican town in the dark we questioned the hotel I had found but all our fears were erased when we reached the Mayaland Hotel. It was amazing. You could see the observatory in Chichen Itza from the front entry. The staff was very friendly and my dad enjoyed using his Spanish and making friends. We spent Monday just recovering from the flight and naming the many iguanas at the resort.

Tuesday we went to Chichen Itza. The kids enjoyed it more than we expected. Our tour guide was great. It was incredible to see how advanced the Mayan society was so many years ago. The stairs are built at a specific angle that causes and echo like a bird when you clap. They sacrificed young children covered in jewels and gold as well as captains of winning ball teams. They were amazing astronomers. Kyle's favorite thing he learned is that Chichen Itza is where El Dorado was believed to be. We stayed for a couple hours then went back to the pool to cool off. Kyle, Alexander, Dad and I went back for souvenirs and Kyle talked a guy down on a big wooden mask. We also got some prints on leather and I got a shirt as well as some whistles. We heard thunder as we walked back and got to our room just before the sky fell out. I haven't seen a storm like that in quite a while. You could hear electricity sizzle in the air. We celebrated Mom's birthday with some flan to end our day.

Wednesday we went to XCaret. It is sort of a nature preserve of Mexican culture. There were ruins, an aviary and butterfly garden as well as an aquarium. There were depictions of Mayan cities. There were pumas and spider monkeys and giant sea turtles. The most rewarding and challenging part was swimming through the underground cenote where our kids tried to drown us and Mom tried to drown Dad. Looking from above it looks like a relaxing lazy river. That it is not. There was no current unless you were working against you. Kyle and I towed Zachary and Isaac and Dad towed Mom. It was really neat though and not something I think we would see anywhere else we travel. I was glad we did it.

We left XCaret and went to the Hard Rock Resort. It was beautiful as all AGM resorts are. We had one major complication with still having the rental car (which was an Odyssey that made me really miss mine) even though from my research beforehand it seemed as though the drop off location was just a couple kilometers away. One bribe to a Mexican cop to avoid a ticket and two frustrating attempts to get rid of the thing and we were on to AGM. Thursday morning was just spent at the pool and napping before the AGM welcome party. They had some fun activities for the kids. Mine really liked the tortilla toss and riding the bull. There was a show during dinner with Mexican dancers. Isaac and Benjamin were so tired they both fell asleep during it. I also took advantage of babysitters and went to the spa. It was pretty fantastic.

Friday was another beach and pool day. We all got a little too much sun. We had a foam party, held a Capuchin monkey, went down the water slide, Kyle played beach volleyball and the kids snorkeled. That night was formal night. The kids made hats and watched movies and played games. Zachary had his own party where he danced with Barney. The formal was probably the least exciting part of the trip with the worst food. Unfortunately one of the partners loves to get dressed up so we will probably always have a formal night.

Saturday we spent a few more hours in the sun, held a lemur, snorkeled and had a glow party. Fast knows how to throw a party. The entertainment was amazing and the fireworks were spectacular. It was a great vacation. Can't wait for the Paradise Island Bahamas next summer.