A little time off in Mexico.

So we somehow managed to get away for a whole week sans kids, and I start missing them the day after we leave. How's that possible? We made plans to take the kids to Utah so my mom could watch them, and bought our tickets to leave from there. In the end my mom flew down here and we still drove out there because the tickets could not be changed. It actually worked out pretty well because I was dying to get some things at Ikea.

So we left snow drenched country to get to warmer weather and it felt so good. We tried the All-Inclusive resort thing and it was...alright. The idea of paying a bunch of money to be able to do everything you could possibly want to do while "in" a hotel, just isn't for us. It was a good experience and one that must needs happen. But the result is that Mike and I both compensated on the all you can eat buffett in order to feel better about spending so much money a day on this trip.

Our friends that came with us are fans of the all-inclusive packages and I agree with them that it does have its advantages and conveniences. But it still doesn't seem like it's worth every penny. If you haven't experience such a thing, allow me to explain: You pay quite a bit of money to have all of your food(all day long, drinks if you drink, the room mini-bar constantly stocked, all sorts of water activities and equipment to sail, snorkel, jet ski, volleyball, tennis, ping pong, and entertainers "unlimited". It may sound like a great deal doesn't it?

However, if you are going to relax and worship the sun as I like to call it, you end up paying all that for average food, and a beach chair........ We had lots of virgin piña coladas, ate way too much to compesate for every penny, and at most played a bit of tennis and moderate volleyball. The rest was untouched. 

Besides going to two Mayan cities in ruin, we hardly did much aside from walking 3 or 4 times to the small sleeping city of Playa Del Carmen where we were to get massages(because the massages were less than half the price we would've paid at the resort). We seriously "relaxed", fell asleep a quite a few times and that was seriously was the best part.

We're not the type to be tourists and hit all the spots of the place. We do like to stay and take in all that is around us. There is a certain je ne sais quoi about finding a decent mom and pop hotel, taking to the locals and finding out the good places to eat and visit. Unfortunately this time we missed that altogether. But all in all it was a great little trip and I take any day where I can just hang out in a swimsuit and fall asleep under a coconut tree.