Cancun Memories

Many moons ago, my parents went to Cancun on vacation with some friends. They left little Lansing with a bottle of sunscreen and came back with purchased timeshares. That was eleven years ago. I've went with them down to Cancun every year since, with the exception of two of those eleven years. (Should I have a ten year anniversary next year??) :) 

I love Cancun because it's the perfect combination of relaxation and fun. I barely sleep six hours (if that) at home each night, but I get a solid eight or nine hours a night in Cancun! Being in the sun all day, having your mind totally relaxed and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean cures what ails in the stress department. 

This year's visit was extra special because my husband came along for the first time. We were able to fly out of Lansing and my grandma was nice enough to drive us to the airport at 5 in the morning. Oh, and she wore a fur coat to drive us to the airport. Seriously chic! :)

After checking in, we grabbed breakfast. 

My husband quickly fell in love with Cancun upon our arrival. 

My family upgraded their timeshare to "Elite" status a few years ago. After checking in at one airport, a flight, retrieving your baggage at another airport and a ride to the hotel, little luxuries like a personal concierge and being whisked to your room with very little wait makes the extra costs totally worth it. 

Here's a picture taken from our room.

OK, I know this is Mexico, and of course there is AMAZING food in so many restaurants. But there is a special little Italian restaurant next to the hotel we stay at called Dolce Mente. The restaurant is owned by an Italian family that lives above the restaurant.

We had dinner there the first night. And.....a couple of other nights.

Me looking at the menu (sneaky husband to get this picture!) 

Dolce Mente is hidden from the street 

The back of Dolce Mente leads right out to the ocean. One night my husband and I went there alone (without the family and friends) and had just dessert.

We sat in the part of the restaurant that is totally outside. I kicked my sandals off and sunk my toes into the white sand as I sipped black coffee and ate their delicious tiramisu. You haven't experienced romance until you've eaten by candlelight, touched the sand with your tootsies, and listened to the Caribbean lap gently to shore.

Back of the restaurant

The tiramisu!

Dessert (on another night)

The breakfast buffet at the hotel is something I was determined to take Thomas to at least once. The juice is fresh, the fruit is tasty, they have made-to-order omelets, a cook that rolls the tortillas right there for you and both U.S. and Mexican breakfast food.

One perk of the VIP area is a private reception area that has complimentary hors d' oeuvres in both the morning and afternoon.

There are three balconies on both sides of the VIP lounge for you to enjoy (oceanside and lagoon side!)

The VIP area of the beach (newly erected) has cabana beds, complimentary water and like everything else at Casa Maya--wonderful service! 

If you ever go to Cancun, you have to experience Market 28 (Mercado 28) at least once. It's a huge flea market with tons of souvenirs for good rates. Oh, and never accept the first price the vendors throw out! They purposely start out at a high price and you can dicker and deal to get a lower price. Various sources recommend you settle for  nothing higher than half of what they first offer. 

Afterwards, you can  help yourself to a cheaper-than-dirt lunch in a huge center they have right inside the flea market area. A mariachi band circulates and for a few American dollars (as a tip) to entice them, they will come and sing a special song for you at your table.

And of course, in Mexico, it's pretty much never a bad time for a refreshing margarita!

My family and I headed to Isla de las Mujeres (Island of the Women) one day on a ferry.

 

Coffee at the docking area as we waited for the ferry

  The ferry

We sat on the top of the boat and had a very windy ride over

Once we arrived, before going ANYWHERE on the island, we headed to our favorite restaurant--Rene & Renee's! Sorry, no English translation on this menu. :)

From my seat, I can see Rene & Renee cooking up our lunch!!

And there it is--the world's BEST guacamole!

And salsa....

 

I love that their sign says "Snack Rene & Renee". Adorable. Caught Thomas in mid-stretch, too! :)

 

After lunch, we all rented golf carts and zoomed around the island. Yep. Right after we pushed one golf cart back to the rental company as it ran out of gas five minutes after we left the company. 

On the hour self-guided tour, I had the chance to take a few pretty pictures.

We dropped the carts off, and waited for the ferry to come back and pick us up. As we waited, we enjoyed some drinks. 

Thomas at the oceanside bar

 



 Leaving Isla de las Mujeres

A couple of nights in Cancun, we decided to take it super duper easy and just eat dinner at the outside restaurant that literally sits RIGHT on the beach.

We took a day trip to Tulum--about an hour-and-a-half away from Cancun to see Mayan ruins near the ocean. It was extremely hot that day, but so beautiful!

Our hotel has Happy Hour everyday from 6 to 10 p.m. where you get two drinks for the price of one. Of course, I opted for the "Casa Maya" drink to introduce Thomas to the hotel's Happy Hour. He said it was dangerously good. I concur.

Captain Hook is another "must do" when in Cancun. It's a full evening of entertainment. I won't spoil it for anyone that plans on going there, but expect this: great food, a good time, lots of dancing, drinking and entertainment. FUNNNNN!!!!

 

OK, not the best picture of me, but Thomas and I were being goofy on the boat. (Seriously, this event is a BLAST!)

One thing I loooove about the Elite side of the hotel is they visit your room at night as well to replenish any supplies you need and turn your bed down for you. Oh yes, and they leave a little chocolate on your bed to say good night. The little touches make the stay so special!

We also celebrated my stepdad's big 6-0 in Cancun. Here he is in all his birthday party glory. (Pssst, you MUST go to Perico's! It's an experience you will NEVER forget!)

 (We'll forgive that U of M t-shirt he has on! Go Green! Go White!)

These are just some of the things we did in Cancun. There are simply too many fun things to fit into this already-long post. :)

The best part of Cancun was the lazy time, the relaxation, the sleep, time with family and friends and good food. But my absolute favorite part of the trip was sitting out in the beach chairs each night with my husband, listening to the ocean lap to shore under the stars.

Cheers,
Samara