Mexico days 10,11&12

We set an alarm but we didn't need it, of course we were up before it. I think I was excited, to finally get a chance to see ruins. Again a buffet breakfast, the truth is I am lucky, I have good metabolism I guess. My weight never changed even though I ate very well each day!! But I made sure I was good to go this morning. Also push a coffee in me so I can push whatever out of me and not be off looking for a washroom wherever we were headed. 

So we got a private tour. It wasn’t on purpose but we booked an excursion to a Cenote and Ek Balam ruins and no one else did so it was just me and the wife in the van. I would have been sketched out driving off into the jungle except it was a well marked tour van. Our tour guides' name was Hugo, he was great. Very knowledgeable with any questions I had. He said he had been a university professor earlier in life. Now that makes me wonder about Mexico. If it is a better life to end up a tour guide over a prof? The fact was he was decent enough to find a gas station and let us pee. It was about a two our drive into the jungle. He said we were seeing real Mexico. Tiny villages, with what I would call run down huts. People seemed to be going at there own pace. A ton of bikes on the road, they made me nervous as it seemed like sometimes we were going to hit them. Dogs just walking around these villages, not like pets here in Canada but just rambling around. The first part when we arrived was a nature sort of walk. We got to see what a Mayan village might have been like. Hugo had to tell us three was poison snakes and spiders but us walking would scare them away. I doubted that. And of course then I am staring into the trees. Then had a ceremony with a Mayan shaman. That was interesting. He spoke in Mayan and did some stuff with smoke, again no idea if that is true or just something they put on for gringos. Then they bring you to the cenote. I chickened out and by the next day I regretted it. I didn’t repel in, now I wish I had. We walked down rickety old stairs. This was kind of neat, it was like something you would see in an Indiana Jones movie. This started strange, literally it was just us 2 and like 10 workers. I ziplined into the water. Then some other tourists started to show up. Did some other things like a rope walk and swam in the cenote. It is actaully really neat and calming, I wish it was more lit though. I kinda of hate swimming then the water going black. Afterwards we walked out a cave and went to a “traditional” Mayan meal. Hugo introduced us to green sauce or sowas I think is how he said it. So good, so spicy but tasty not just hot for the sake of burning. Then of course they walk you through the gift shop and offer you the photos. This time I think we only got one. Also they served a margarita made from one of the plants they grow there. It was spicy and good! I never did see anywhere else that had one like it. 

The drive to the ruins wasn’t too bad. A half hour maybe. Now here we used the main modern buildings bathrooms because we were going to be given a couple hours to see the ruins and they had no modern facilities. I only tell you this because I was freaked out, not so you know my daily routine.... But in the washroom I saw my first nasty spider from Mexico, tarantula of some sort. Hairy, nasty and as soon as I peed I ran!! Hugo was given two more people, Brits to give the guided tour to. This part was pretty neat, he explained some of the rooms they had found. Explained a game they used to play, if you look up Mayans you will see the hoop one. Explained what it would have been like a thousand years ago and told us of the treasure they kept there. I guess it was called the White Library. It was a center for Mayan knowledge. He was honest though, all this is speculation. From glyphs, no one now will likely ever really know the truth. Then came the free time. I tried to climb the main ruins. I will be honest the going up isn't bad at all. I will comment WTF mayans why did you make such steep and small steps? These people were not big people but for some reason build stairs like they were. Not doors however, those are small. Anyways as I was saying going up isn't an issue, turning around was. Fucking vertigo like I have never had. So I sat down. Then like a giant dork slid on my ass back down. now to make things even better my leg got a cramp! So maybe going up wasn't so easy.... So I am sliding down on my ass, with a leg remaining straight. Ya I know I looked like a fool!! Then we had free wandering time to look in some of the smaller buildings. This was okay. The truth is I am glad we did see ruins, would I go again. Doubt it.... Maybe much bigger ones or something but not little ones again. Once it was time to go they walk you down a path were you can pay for a pic with 'Mayan" warriors. I did, sucker.... Then through another gift shop but we headed home. This was another long drive and it got rainy and grey. So I think that seems to make it longer.

So we got home and got ready, decided to try an a le Cart that night. They have done it kind of neat. The restaurants around the place are in interesting places. This one hangs over a pool and over looks the beach. It was actually very nice. Pretty sure I had another seafood pasta. That is something I love about Mexico, pretty sure I have some sort of seafood with 95% of my meals! Then we walked around a bit. The resort is very nicely lit at night. Pretty sure it was a cop show and fall asleep kind of night.

The next day was maybe the laziest day we had. The fact was we started same as always, buffet. Then we did our daily walk, but this one was longer than normal. Found a sign on beach said Free Sex. Well it really said FREE info no matter age or SEX but could only read it if you got really close. We booked another excursion. Snorkeling. Apparently the worlds second biggest reef is just off the coast here. We were going to go on a boat, snorkel then get some island time, another snorkel and come home. It was supposed to be a half a day thing for the next day. Then it was the first time we tried the martini bar. Well actually we were going to go for a late lunch but all the places were closed.... Need a buffet! So we stopped at martini bar and had a drink. I tried a "classy" drink. It might have been a dirty martini this time, not sure but let's just know it was nasty. I will stick to vodka or wine! Wife tried one possibly the grasshopper and loved it. Also I think I tried another one, the Godmother again NASTY. Martinis might not be for me. However we did start talking to a British couple, that was fairly interesting. My wife loves this show about buying homes in Britain. Neat homes, that used to be castles or churches or whatever. The British wife knew the show right away and I guess she loves it to. So we got onto how Canada and Britain are friends but maybe American tourists aren't "our cup of tea" Also did you know your Canadian passport says if you cant find a Canadian embassy go to the British one?  Or the Aussie one? Another neat thing these people liked plays, we got onto theater somehow and it turns out the wife watches Muppets Christmas every year. A tradition my wife has to. So we sat and chatted with them, they were nice. This was their 29th time at excellence. 29 Jebus! When I say this place is nice and has repeat clients, I wasn't joking. Turns out they were headed to lobster house for lupper as well. I had to laugh when they got there, the waiter had their table waiting. We got a table again over the pool! I had the shrimp fajitas which were awesome. Now the real thing I wanted was the green sauce again. I guess the resort doesn't mess around. This was crazy hot! Not like the day before. The "real" Mayan one, was much better. We headed up to the coffee shop after. I tried various different things, this was the only one sadly I didn't like. Pepper coffee. I love pepper and dark chocolate, I thought that was what this was. NO! it wasn't and if anyone offers you a pepper coffee. Just say no. The lady that worked in the coffee shop was the same everyday. The first day she seemed bitchy, I left hr an American one. The next day she was nicer and we started our spanish word of the day. I visited her daily and left her a one. By the end of the week we were pals, she was teaching me spanish. I sat outside in the early evening writing and watching the weather get dark. I moved inside and a storm broke out. A tropical rain is crazy! Pictures do not do it justice, I think that was the night I ordered nachos in and we spent the night watching a storm and the cop channel.

The next morning we did our normal routine and headed down for breakfast. Clearly there had been a storm. Branches were down, water was still on the walk ways but they already had guys out cleaning. After breakfast we walked the beach and it looked ugly. The storm had stirred the water and it did not look blue but brown. So we went to the excursion desk and asked would snorkeling still be okay. They said no, in fact it was cancelled. Did we want our money back? No, could we go tomorrow? Yes, so that became the plan.

See how brown it was? There was a clear dividing line!

During our walk I decided to stop in the jewelry store. I had my grandmothers pendant on a chain but it was very thin and I was worried about it breaking. I found a nice new chain, one supposedly 50% off. Everyday they said that sale, but I bought one. I would have liked to buy some other things but some of the prices were nuts! Way more than one would pay in Canada. I also stopped in the smoke shop. They had good cigars but I didn't buy anything. Just teased myself, I wanted raspberry ones but said no the chain cost enough. And they didn't sell raspberry by itself but in 15 packs. We really had nothing to do that day, so we actually spent the day at the pool. Had a couple drinks and then the resort started a music trivia game. I entered, see I thought it would be name the song. Nope what they did was 5 seconds of a song, then you had to name what movie made it famous. Some of course are crazy easy. I nailed Rocky and Indiana Jones. My wife nailed fast and furious and Lord of the rings. She was in the crowd but eventually everyone got in on it. Now Lord of the Rings was crazy hard it was some elf song BUT she had it on a tape she used to study with or I doubt anyone would have got it. The other team had an amazingly fast guy. Like I knew way more, but he got there first. You "buzzed" in by yelling tequila. If you were wrong, you had to take a shot. I got one wrong, but the bottle was empty by that time. That song Gangster Paradise, ya I said Coolio, dumbass I was supposed to name the movie!! It was a good afternoon.

So then we got ready and headed to the Martini bar again, I guess I never learn. I tried a Manhattan. WTF, that is nasty too! We went to the same place for dinner this time, all dressed up nice. It started so annoying. We got a nice table over the pool again but this time the pool had some loud and annoying drunks! So I asked for a different table and they got us one. Yes I slipped them a tip! Then they told me the specials for supper. Steak and Lobster, yum right. Also Pasta and shrimp with it! This here was the meal of the trip! It was the one meal you go home and tell everyone about. This was supposed to be our honeymoon, so I would say this was by far the most romantic meal we had as well. The weather however was still windy and we were still worried about our snorkeling the next day.