Riviera Maya, Mexico

January, 2009

We had a perfect holiday (photos).

It was two weeks of heaven at a resort on Riviera Maya in the Yucatan in Mexico. The resort was laid out on a property the size of a small town, amidst dense jungles and the ocean. The food was terrific and the service, first-rate. Beautifully landscaped gardens surrounded winding corridors and footpaths. Low-rise guest rooms scattered inconspicuously apart. Our suite had a "swim-up" pool in front of it. Jeff wet his feet in there once or twice. He preferred the giant main pool and the beach.

Each morning we woke up to the sound of birds chirping. After showering and dressing at a leisurely pace, we walked to one of the main dining rooms for a drawn out breakfast. Sauntering back to the room to put on bathing suits, and it was time for the beach. Everyday at 11, I joined other players in a game of beach volleyball, hoping that an hour of running in the sand would make it easier to justify my eating so much good food.

Now that I was dead tired, I ran over to join Jeff for a little quiet reading on the beach. From time to time, a waiter came over to take orders for drinks. They made a wonderful fruit punch, my favourite. As I read my book, I kept an eye on the Hobies sailing from the beach out into the ocean. I thought I'd be able to sail the catamaran, but was a little nervous about taking Jeff with me. Maybe next year.

At some point, we rose from our beach chairs and walked over to the restaurant off the beach for a slow lunch. The turquoise water sparkled in the bright hot sun. Iguanas crawled out of their caves to soak in the heat, their little heads turning this way and that. Sometimes we would decide to move to the side of the main pool. More reading. More fruit punch. A swim. Maybe a little nap.

When the air cooled off somewhat in the late afternoon, we changed into our tennis clothes and played tennis. After the game and a quick shower, it was time to put on something respectable and go to dinner. There were seven excellent restaurants severing different styles of cuisine, each one decorated in the most tasteful way. At night, different shows were staged, but too often by then, I was too exhausted to stay up, and only wanted to read and fall asleep.

The next morning, we would do it all over again.

The only disruptions to our routine were the days when we went outside of the resort. Once, we spent half a day in Playa del Carmen. Another time, we hired a driver to take us to Tulum and Coba, two Mayan ruins in the area. Tulum was beautiful but completely swamped with tourists. Coba, being mostly unrestored and physically much larger, was blissfully deserted. We rented two bikes and went from pyramid to ball court to ceremonial hall. I climbed the tallest pyramid, feeling my legs shaking from exhaustion and fear, but the view from the top, of jungles stretching as far as the eye could see, made it all worthwhile. On the way back, we stopped at a "cenote" where I snorkeled in the fresh water running through the caves. Yet another time, I went on a snorkeling trip to Isla Maujeres. While the fish and the reef were wonderful, it was slightly annoying that most of the day was wasted getting to the spot.

So it was with much regret that we left our tropical paradise. I hope it won't be long before we return.