So... I just got back from Mexico..

People at church probably think I've gone inactive... an idea I contemplate sporadically but always have the good sense to reject. Last Sunday Bill and I were on the road, driving from Florida to Dallas; this morning we were traveling as well. Bill's company sponsored a company retreat of sorts to a resort that they designed near Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancun. All of the employees plus one guest each got 3 nights in a lovely room at the resort and transportation on a chartered flight. Such a nice fringe benefit!! We were on our own for most meals and entertainment. Bill and I - skinflints that we are - took instant oatmeal and had breakfast in our room. Our one splurge was an all day trip to the Mayan city of Ek Balam, an archeological site that has been partially restored. Bill and I even climbed to the top of the acropolis! Our tour guide was very good and our group was only 10 people, all from Bill's firm. After Ek Balam we visited a family's home business and saw them making hammocks and hanging chairs. Then we all got on bicycles and rode around this mainly Mayan town. Many of the people in the area are still pure Mayan and speak both Mayan and Spanish. After that we drove out to one of the many cenotes in the area. We hiked about a half mile through the jungle to it. It was not especially commercial. It was underground with a fairly large opening. It looked like the roof had caved in some time ago forming a sort of island in the middle of the pool. The water went around the island like a moat. The 6 younger members of our group rappelled down into the cenote, but we over-50 wimps took the ladder - which was a bit of an adventure in itself, as it was very steep and made of wood lashed to trees and such. At that point we were hot and tired and most of us took a swim in the cool, cool water. Our group was the only tourists there. It was kind of off the beaten path. The dressing room was a three sided little hut made of wood and palm fronds lashed together and open to the sky. I should have written down the names of all the fruits we saw. One was from a cactus I think, and grew in the manner of sunflower seeds, only they were on the ground and each seed pod was about 2-3 inches long. You could slit it open and just eat the fruit from the pod. I wish I had written down the name of it. It was a greenish pod with little brown hairy things on the outside; the flesh was white and sweet with hard black seeds. Very interesting. Lastly we had a home-cooked meal with a Mayan family... not exceptional food, but interesting to see how they prepared it. I told our guide that I got more exercise that day than I normally get in a month. Not too far from the truth. But because I was interested and involved, I did just fine and was not even sore.

Notes to myself - next time, if there is a next time... I hope there will be but it depends on how successful the company is over the coming year... Anyhow, next time I should get more excited and prepare better. I am so used to traveling non-rev that I forgot that normal people wear jeans to travel. I did not take the right kinds of clothes. Actually I do not own resort clothes. So if it happens again, I can use it as an excuse to shop. I took my mom's Florida straw hat... which was fine, but not really MY style and it was a pain to keep track of since it wasn't squashable. So next time: take a hat that I am comfortable with. And next time, if Bill plays in the company golf tournament, DO book a session at the spa. I am not a spa person and it seems a lot of money to invest in something so transient, but if Bill is going to abandon me for most of the day, I may as well have a cool experience of my own. If not the spa, then plan something fun. And I came out of my shell a little and got to know some of Bill's co-workers and spouses. This mostly happened when I was on my own.. not a bad thing. I went to the beach at about 11AM on Saturday and left Bill a note, thinking he would be finished with the golf thing at 12 or 1PM. No such luck. I visited with some of the group during the three or more hours I spent at the beach waiting for Bill. I finally gave up, but I still had a good time. One of the best experiences was dinner Thursday evening at one of the resort restaurants. It was not crowded and there was a great live musical group. Our table was next to the balcony overlooking one of the ponds/canals, and there was a nearly full mooon rising. The food was great and the mood was magical. Very nice. They are now involved in building a new resort in Costa Rica... that would be nice!