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Published: January 24th 2016
"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us". ~ I love a good quote, but whoever coined the above phrase never had kids or a crappy job because who the heck would they be fooling?! Of COURSE we travel to escape life! And quite often we travel to escape freezing cold temperatures like we've had at home. It's been so cold that irritated drivers aren't giving each other the finger, they're giving the
mitten. (Smile)
TWO FOR TEQUILA Happy to report Allan & I have escaped on a couple-only getaway. Insert loud trumpet sound here! In our 19 years together, we've only had one trip alone, and that was back in 2014 to Isla Mujeres and I hadn't had that much fun since I got kicked out of religion class 😊
Al & I don't seem to know how to do ALONE. Even on our honeymoon we had 3 little girls snuggled between us. But hey, that's what you get when you meet, then have your kids first and THEN get married. (It was still a great honeymoon sharing it with our girls who were part of our wedding!)
So we're
going solo - no kids, no family, no friends, no cat, no dog (OK we don't have a cat or a dog but you get my drift...) Our own little getaway ? & a chance to
regroup,
relax,
rejuvenate and any other word starting with "
R".
I'm sure many of you can relate to trying to carve out couple-time in a busy bustling home. And there's no end to the "MOM MOM MOM" loop that goes on. While I enjoy being
popular around the house, it's nice to take the MOM hat off & throw it in the back of the closet.
We recently celebrated an anniversary and when we each read the other's card, we laughed. The common theme was our longing to get away on a trip alone. And this time of year all you see on TV are commercials depicting gorgeous couples frolicking in the ocean somewhere tropical. Al & I stare glumly at the TV thinking the exact same thing: "That will happen when pigs fly past the window wearing tutus". I guess when I wasn't looking pigs flew by, because somehow we made this trip happen and now I can't wait to see
Al "frolic" in the ocean like one of those commercials.
A vacation requires quite often mucho money, vacation time, research & wonderful people to take over the controls when you've got kids. And it's not something you want to ask anyone to do very often. And it takes planning; we almost had to bring in the G7 countries to help plan this excursion due to the kids' schedules, school, extracurricular activities etc.. My lists have their own lists.
We are very grateful to Marth for holding down the fort & keeping an eye on the kids. (Or is it the other way around??!! HEH HEH!) None of this would be possible if not for your help so big thank you Martha you are THE best. I will bring you back an avocado. OK I'll bring you two because you are so special. I know you are laughing out loud right now.
I know we've instilled enough common sense in our girls for them to handle their normal routine. Kids are great imitators, so hopefully having seen us slaving around the house has paid off. Thank you Mom & Cindy for your hands-on loving care - girls are
excited to spend time with you. And Judith & Kyleigh for helping with Ava. So APPRECIATED! And a little nod to Sponge Bob & Netflix for doing your part too 😊 Oh & thanks to our wonderful gals who reallly are excited mom & dad are getting this trip away (and did not grumble about not going with us). ❤︎❤︎❤︎
So we're off to our favorite location (the Riviera Maya, MX) to a spot we've wanted to visit for some time, Puerto Aventuras which is a beautiful seaside resort town on the Mexican Caribbean between Playa del Carmen and Akumal. This area offers the only deep water mainland marina located between Cancun and Belize. What fits us to a "tee" is that it's not a huge tourist spot, which means less people, and the beaches tend to be really well-kept, and the area isn't as over-developed or over-commercialized.
We wanted a change of pace from "Playa", but that meant my twice yearly perks of free or comped condo stays with my work for Playa Beach Getaways would not work here. So I put on my used-car salesman's hat and after some research, pitched an offer to a few
owners of an exclusive condo duplex. Most of these owners do not rent out their exclusive condos & those who do, make it clear they only do so a few times a year to cover their taxes/utilities etc. and they DON'T give discounts. So what's a girl to do? (Keep reading).
This condo just had our name written all over it. Quiet, on the ocean, luxurious, private, in a small condo duplex yet with beautiful manicured lawns & gardens, and the complex's walkways, bridges and lounging areas were built around a natural lagoon with natural salt water whirlpools. A natural lagoon? Natural salt water whirlpools? Hot diggity dog!
And so it began...Emails back & forth with me trying to
wear down earn the trust of an owner to work with me on a discounted rate. Finally I got a BINGO & I was able to secure the exact condo we really wanted. Now keep in mind, I waited till THE last minute to pounce to get this discounted rate. It's a game that requires patience. And with my best "puppy-dog eyes" I mentioned the dropping loonie and the fact many Canadians are forgoing travel due to the
low dollar which means a downturn in the vacation rental business. To keep to a budget, prior to renting the condo we booked our flights as they were the lowest rate we've gotten in years. Fuel is the biggest expense for an airline, so with the price of oil dropping like a stone triggered a seat sale.
I'd like to say it was my winning personality that got us the condo (sshhh keep it a secret cause that's what I told Al 😉 but it was more the fact I worked in the high-end vacation rental business and they could vet me through my work blogs. It didn't hurt I told them we aren't twits who run the a/c with the windows cranked open. Hydro is very expensive in Mexico but we know all about that because it costs 2 arms and 4 legs at home too.
Since they want to know who they are letting in, I assured them that we are also not raucous partiers which was music to their ears. However, I then had to sit Al down and give him a talking to. There'll be none of his getting all jigged up on Tequila,
dancing with a mop in his underwear on the dining room table. He will have to save that for another trip. (Honest to god I'd love to see Al doing that just once before I meet my maker 😊
Planning and researching a trip is a big pain in the 'Royal Canadian' that requires time and patience to get a good deal. We aren't rich, nor do we want to go into debt to travel, thus the benefits of working for a vacation rental company in Mexico 😊 And traveling with a family adds to the cost, which we don't have to worry about this time since the kids are staying home slogging it out. 😞
TRAVELING ON A SHOESTRING... Since getting away is so important to us, we have had to find ways to cut back (it's not as if pesos grow on coconut trees you know!) It's like boot camp around our house trying to cut back on utilities or this and that. Sometimes it means reminding the kids about the length of showers and turning off their laptops, lights etc. Bottom line is if we want to travel, we ALL need to find ways
to do so. Now before you call the Children's Aid Society on us, our children are not showering in cold water, nor are they eating cat food...YET. We'll see what 2016 brings (haha) Geez I hope the girls aren't reading this blog (and further I sure hope they don't notice the cat food tins lined up in the cupboard...come and get 'er).
We all throw money away willy-nilly: that frappe lattee 'whatchamacallit' Starbucks coffee, the newspaper, the sub at lunch, that pack of gum - it all adds up. It's just taking the time to think about it & cut back where possible. (I mean we are driving a 10 year old van for god sakes but it's still a great van and we've got friends in high places! I'm talking about our great mechanic (and good friend) Henry & his do-anything-for-you wife Linda at Imperial Auto. (They're the best in the business!)
It helps to set up an account to tuck away a few bucks a month that we can cash out for a trip, and that helps to reduce running on credit card debt to enjoy a vacation. We also spend cash as we go which
is easier to keep track of what we're throwing around. It's a bummer to come home to a credit card bill that is enough to make us to keel over causing a head injury. So we try to avoid that by being as frugal as we can so we can keep on tripping!
However if one day my lottery numbers come up and I strike it rich, (I've been playing the same set of numbers for about 18 years now) watch out. I'll dare to do my laundry any time I want instead of having to wait for the magic hour of 7 PM. And I'll run the damn dishwasher whenever the heck the urge hits me. Maybe I'll even run it when it's empty. Frankly it could get scary...
Speaking of rich, I remember reading Oprah Winfrey felt she was rich when she could just throw away a pair of nylons after wearing them once. (For those of you who have followed my blogs, I always say on vacation, "Life could just not get any better unless Oprah adopted me".) Yoo-hoo Oprah...Are you there? Oprah is busy packing these days as she just bought a $14 million
ski home in Telluride, Colorado. Apparently the home has a "wine mine" that holds 1600 bottles of wine. Wait a minute?! It just occurred to me, maybe Oprah IS planning to adopt me with all that wine supply! Wahoo, 2016 is going to be my year after all!
HONEY I'M HOME (Our Casa Awaits...) You can read the glowing reviews about a property, and look at the gorgeous photos, but until you actually walk into the condo you've rented, you're sorta flying on a wing and a prayer. As for this condo, when I say the pictures don't do it justice, it's truly an understatement. (My pictures don't do me justice either - sadly they just look like me.)
I do believe Al's jaw dropped to the floor (almost like the first time he laid eyes on me - heh heh) when we walked in the condo. Once Al picked his jaw up off the floor, we found ourselves in absolute awe of our surroundings. Could this be real? Is it really ours? Insert happy dance here.
The condo is stunning, with Italian marble and granite throughout the condo. Its bright open concept design situated on
the ground level offers amazing views, and it will be handy for coming and going to the pool or the ocean. There's a gourmet kitchen which has everything you could want or imagine but ahem, I really don't plan on using it as this 'mother' is on vacation. There are floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors that open to a travertine patio (*travertine is much like marble/granite) with loungers and a dining area all built to maximize the views of the turquoise Caribbean.
The condo (which translates in English to "The Waves") sits at the end of the building offering fabu-licious views of the ocean with nothing but palm trees and lawn between us and the view. They built this duplex on a huge space with manicured lawns & flowers, boardwalks and wood bridges (pergolas) built around the lagoon. Everywhere you look there are hammocks, palapas (covered shade) with plenty of loungers, tables and sitting areas both at the infinity pool or at the lagoon. Now we're talking. And due to the space and privacy it looks like I will likely avoid some guy wearing a Speedo who decides to do yoga right directly in front of me. This happened to
me a few years ago when I was sitting on a lounger minding my business when he walked up & started doing his downward facing dog (or was it an upright chicken? 😉 right in front of me. Frankly I had to give my head a shake a bit as I thought I was hallucinating. There are some things in life you do not want to see up that close (trust me, this is one of them).
So all the condo stuff aside, one of the most unique perks of renting at this particular place is how the grounds were designed around a protected natural lagoon which has 5 natural salt water whirlpools you can relax in. The manager raved about taking a drink and sitting in these warm little coves. They have built steps down from the natural rock-face to step into the lagoon. And some genius (probably a tired mother) built stone loungers to sit in while relaxing in the lagoon whirlpools. The lagoon is all sandy bottom which is a real treat, and we brought our snorkel gear because it's also a perfect place to explore. This is not always possible at many places because the
ocean is too rough, but here is the ideal spot to see some multi-colored fish etc. It is SO very private which is ideal for us. We are just not resort-type people wanting to deal with lounge chair wars or fighting for space in the pool all at a heightened cost.
The Yucatan Peninsula is made up of limestone and fossilized coral beds and this has been left intact at this location. It is just so fascinating...And we're within kicking distance to the 2nd largest reef (Mesoamerican Reef) in the world. Since we travel here regularly, we've come to see how fascinating the coral reefs are. They can rival rain forests for their richness in life as they are home to the most fascinating animals and plants in the world. No wonder Al loves to dive.
It's been rather quiet here from the start, and I can't tell you how much Al and I value this type of privacy. All I want is my book, a drink, ocean views and a handsome cabana boy. HOLA Allan!
The marina is about a 15 minute walk away filled with shops, restaurants, and beach bars where you can enjoy dolphin
watching. Puerto Aventuras has 3 stunning bays offering spectacular beaches, shallow and calm seas, and offering loungers and beach bar service if one chooses. This gal chooses!
There's a large grocery store across the highway, and a Mac's Milk type of store a few stores away (they are called OXXO here). I was told to check out the Italian Deli which makes cheese plates to go and freshly baked baguettes. The restaurants offer fresh fish & seafood from the boats coming in to the marina, and they offer well-priced daily specials. And of course we stopped at Wally-Mart to stock up on breakfast items, snacks and our bar 😊 Maybe I can sell a few of my signature margaritas around the pool. ?
There's lots to explore in the area, so we just rented a golf car from Bruno who is from Quebec. Where's our designated driver when we need one?! (Last time I was on a golf cart was last April in Isla Mujeres with my niece Megs at the wheel and what a &^%%$$##@ adventure that was. I think Meg, Sherri Lynn & Manon would agree!? I swear I will never forget that no matter how
bad my memory ever gets!) I do believe at one point we were on 2 wheels only or was that my imagination?
I made a promise to Al on the plane that I would relax, & not worry (too much) or get homesick for the kids. It is time to enjoy the rest and break from the rat race. So this rat is going to gaze at the sea or my navel, Al won't care as long as I put my mind in park, and my derriere on a lounger. It's hard to imagine there's no one to worry about or look after. God I really hope nobody has a few too many cervezas & slips and falls at the pool and breaks a leg and I end up trying to help them. (That happened to me in 2014 in Mexico and that was NOT fun to witness. It was almost as disturbing as that lad doing yoga in a Speedo in front of me a few years back).
If I play my cards right, I can see myself on our patio, on a lounger, with the turquoise ocean glimmering, a cocktail in hand, a grin on my
face while Al gives me a wonderful foot rub. Ahhh, well off to see if my husband is good for that foot rub. I think I see him swinging himself silly in the hammock with beer in hand.
So if you want, come along with us via my good old travel blog. Wish you were all here, but I just don't know where we'd put you - maybe in the lagoon? I actually said to Al, this place is so special and unique, I'd love to bring family and friends here sometime.
So this senorita is signing off from heaven, or in Spanish, al cielo (heaven). Well gotta go. A lime just rolled my way, asking to be squeezed into a margarita. Limes are trained quite well here. PS Pics of the condo and the area we are in are below. Well that's all for now! Hope to hear from you all!
Sal and Don Julio - aka Al 😊 xo
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Cindy Foran
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Lucky bums!
I waited all day to get your blog and photos. Have a wonderful time in your fabulous surroundings and soak up every second of it! Got my cooking off to a great start --touched base with Ava, Martha and Lara about the plans. There's going to be some fab gluten free food served in the next few days that I've enjoyed preparing and excited to eat. Methinks my enchiladas will be better than yours... HA! On that note, pour yourselves a marg cause sadly that ain't the case around here:). Have a ton of fun, frolick in the sun and get frisky in the dark! xoxoxo