A Quick Peek at Cancun

A long time ago, I opted for my first ever "destination vacation", which of course had to include beaches and water and sun. The choices were baffling and many. Which one would be right for me? Having about 5 different locations on "hold", and a very patient travel agent, a date was finally selected, and Cancun became the winner.  And it was not due to the lively party atmosphere. Could I go to a foreign country and relax, not speaking the language, needing to navigate around, worried about currency exchange, and having to eat somewhere on a daily basis? Why not, everybody else is doing it.

This first experience started with good luck. Upon picking up the reservations, I had been upgraded. From a regular hotel room, to a one bedroom condo suite! Separate bedroom, living/dining room, full kitchen, laundry room, and bath. It was very nice. And soon discovered, in a better area.

If you travel, or have traveled here, you may never see the city of Cancun proper. It is on the mainland. The development for tourists is called the "Hotel Zone", and sits on a small island separated from the mainland by a lagoon. It is shaped like the numeral "7", with the top part being on the Gulf side, and the leg of the 7 being on the Caribbean, and about 15 miles in length.

I was now on the Gulf side, and eventually discovered that the beaches here are better and more expansive, and the swimming is nicer than the Caribbean side of the hotel zone.

This is from the beach looking toward the condo unit.

There was an excellent expanse of white sandy beach to the waters edge.

The beach waiter quickly learned I liked Happy Hour and Margaritas, and came to my chair first every day at 4:00. Within short walking distance were ample restaurants, markets, and an outdoor shopping bazzar.  You can spend USD, but learn how to count your change in Pesos. One evening I actually jumped on the bus (15 ¢) for a ride to a huge modern shopping mall. Beach vendors also ply their wares. If you didn't know, all beaches in Mexico are public, only the resort part is private.

For extra fun, I selected 2 adventures. Although on the Yucatan Peninsula with lots of Mayan history, something near cool water was more my style. One choice was XCARET, an eco-adventure state park about an hour from Cancun. Transportation happened to be an older bus, decorated up like the Partridge Family. Ha. And the ride will expose you to the real Mexico, quite different than the hotel zone. Your normal lotions and tanning oils are prohibitted at Xcaret, you must get their biodegradable lotions, or do without.......preservation of the aquatic life. The big attraction here is to snorkel the underground rivers (included in the admission). Donning a life jacket, fins and a mask, you more 'float' than 'swim' with the current, almost 20' underground yet well lit to see the amazing rock formations. There are areas to stop and rest, and several exits if you feel too tired to complete the 1 mile trip. By the way, that water is pretty chilly too.

This is the entrance to the underground river.

There are also 2 nice lagoons on the Caribbean to swim and snorkel and observe lots of those beautifully colored tropical fish or sea turtles. Swim with Dolphins is an extra fee. Wander the jungle trails, flora, fauna, birds and animals, see miniature Mayan ruins, and maybe stay for the evening show/dinner. There is enough to keep you busy all day here.

 One of the lagoons for snorkeling.

My other adventure was a fishing charter, party boat style. They go in the evening, about 6pm til 1am. And I had to be up at 4am the next morning to get to the airport! Did I mention party boat? The fee included lots of Tequilla, and a delicious fresh snack on board when returning to the harbor. Woo Hoo. With about 25 people on board, the crew quickly took up a collection for the 'contest', 4 different categories to win. It was a nice boat ride, UNTIL they departed the Gulf waters and hit the Caribbean waters......boy did it get rock n' roll rough. 75% of the people were hanging over the side, making contributions to the sea.  My sea legs were well balanced to ride the waves ...... let's fish. Shots of Tequilla had to be downed fast, or spilled. It was a crazy 4 hours drifting around out there in the dark. When it was over, other passengers wondered how I had won 3 of the 4 categories in the contest. First fish, biggest fish, and ugliest fish.  Walking up to collect each prize during the ceremony also required a shot of Tequilla. Winning the cash prize(s) almost paid for my adventure. Woo Hoo again. I did make it to the airport that morning.

Cancun can be wild or relaxing, your choice. I like it because it's affordable (you can go high class extravagant too), and an easy 3 hour flight to get on the beach faster. Other trips have included the Riviera Maya area, about an hour from Cancun. Much more isolated and laid back than the active city life.

Thanks for a quick peek at Cancun today. If you go, have fun. Although poor timing for posting this article, it never hurts to learn what you can. I think there will be some excellent travel deals coming up in the future.