6 Days in Paradise

We certainly do live in the jet age.  After a 4 hour flight we went from THIS beautiful seaside resort in Cancun, Mexico.......

TO THIS!!


We recently retuned home from a wonderful 5 night trip to the Secrets Resort at Maroma Beach 30 miles south of Cancun, Mexico.   February 18th we left the cold behind and enjoyed living in the lap of luxury for 6 days in Paradise.  Our son, Jeff, invited us to join him on a well earned trip sponsored by Consoldated Supply, one of the suppliers for his construction business.  In spite of it being a very difficult year for Coate Builders, he managed to meet the purchase quota to be rewarded with this all expenses paid, all inclusive trip to Cancun.   Since we have a vested interest in the business we qualified to go along for the ride.  And what a ride it was! 

We were treated royally.  Our flight from Denver took us into Phoenix, AZ where we were greeted by a representative of the travel agency who planned the event.  There we met up with Jeff, and  the rest of the group from the Northwest, to fly on to Cancun.  There were about 200 of us in all.

The resort is hidden away in the jungles of Mexico.  They shuttled us by bus on a very nice highway from the airport to the resort.  Even when you got close you didn't realize it because it is still about a 6 minute drive back in from the main road.  The  photo to the right is the view from the main building looking down the center.  The buildings housing the 412 rooms are located on either side of this main walkway.  The curvy lines on the right of the walkway is a shallow water feature that is lighted up at night.







Our suite had everything a body could want.  It came equipped with a  king size bed, a large screen TV, 24 hour room service, a fully stocked wet bar, a jaccuzi tub, bathrobes, slippers, a beautiful view and more!

One of the highlights of the visit was our day trip to the Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins.  It was a 2 hour bus ride from the resort to the ruins location.  Very nice road but the scenery from the window is miles and miles of jungle!  On the way we stopped at this 'sink hole' where some of the Mayan people greet and sell items to the tourists.   Photo above: A picture does not do it justice but you can get a perspective of the size if you can find the man on the left of the pool getting ready to dive in.  The tour guide pointed out how tourism has given so much to the Mayan people in the way of sustaining themselves.  He said they are a very industrious people and you will never see them begging in the streets.   It is said that the Mayan's civilization disappeared but they are still in Mexico.  The Mayan's have a very distinct look about them.  They are very different from the Mexican in that they are smaller in stature and have almond shaped eyes.  The women traditionally wear beautifully embroidered dresses.  Left: This young lady was handing out keys to the dressing room lockers.

Our next stop was the Chichen Itza Ruins site.  There are countless opinions and speculations about the Mayan civilation and one can only guess which stories are true.  But, we do know that because of its grandeur, in July 2007 it was listed among the "New Seven Wonders of the World".  The photos cannot begin to convey the size and magnitude of these structures.  When you think that they were constucted about 500 AD it is mind boggling.  Again, you can get a feel for the size by looking at the people in the foreground. There is so much more to see than the camera eye can take in.   The photo on the left is the main attraction and the one on the right is a photo of part of the Market Place.

The Mayans were a very advanced civilization.  Above left is a shot of the observatory and on the right is one of the  many detailed carvings at the Ball Court, which is a large open rectangular sports center.

Our visit there really peaked our curiosity and made us want to read and investigate more into these facinating people and places.

And then there was the food!  Each day the big decision was what and where to eat that evening.  The resort offered several beautiful 5 star restaurants to choose from.  While there, we enjoyed Italian, Pan Asian, French, seafood and steak.  The night before we left we ate French cuisine (photo right) at the Bordeaux.  And, keep in mind EVERYTHING, including tips, was paid for by Consolidated Supply!  The only thing we had to pay for was our day trip to Chichen Itza.

They also had shows each evening.  We attended a Circus Cirque one evening,and went to see the movie "Avatar" another. 

It truly was 6 days in Paradise!  And thus ended a spectacular trip to remember!

Oh, by the way.  In case you do not recognize him, that really is Dale in the photo with me.  He's just gone wild on me!  :o)

Mixed Emotions

It's empty!  Well, today the new owner is moving into our 'former' place of abode in unit 102.  She is a very nice lady who is moving from Iowa to Colorado to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law.  Her son tells us she is leaving a 'boyfriend' behind in her little home town with TWO stop signs.  And, we thought this city of 260,000 was an adjustment for us!  :o)  But, she is a very social lady and I think she will enjoy all the activities offered here in Heather Gardens.

Our mixed emtions come from the fact that we put a great deal of work into this place when we purchased it in 2005.  We spent 3 1/2 months fixing it up.  We took it from a very dated 1970's look with lots of wallpaper and dark dingy cabinets to a bright and airy living space.  In addition to all new paint, we completely gutted the place removing and replacing all the carpeting, cabinets and appliances.

 It has been a great place to live but we are looking forward to life in the slow lane.  So, as long as our health holds out, we are moving on to other adventures.   I am getting excited to 'journal' and share with you all about our life on the road.