Believe It or Not, Now I'm Going to Cancun!

[jazzy mary]

That's right, I got an incredible deal on AA vacations and I and my family are flying out of NYC on Sept. 2 and coming back Sept. 7. We're staying at the JW Marriott resort. It looks GORGEOUS on the web site. I get 10,000 extra ff miles too 'cause I booked it on the web.

I've never been to Mexico and a "beach" vacation isn't really my vibe--although I LOVE water but I'm looking forward to the Mayan ruins and some day trips like that. My kids are overjoyed about taking a resort-y vacation. Anybody have any suggestions? Jimmy, weren't you just there?

[clinthopson]

Mary, take lots of sunscreen with anti-bug stuff in them. Off! makes one.

It will be hot and humid so you don't need any clothes.

[Chris D]

Um, this still is tropical storm season, you know.

For the ruins, Tulum is OK but Chichen Itza is the one you need to visit.

Isla Mujeres is a cheap ferry ride from the peninsula and one of the less developed areas. Great snorkling everywhere!

[jazzy mary]

Originally Posted by Chris D

Um, this still is tropical storm season, you know.

For the ruins, Tulum is OK but Chichen Itza is the one you need to visit.

Isla Mujeres is a cheap ferry ride from the peninsula and one of the less developed areas. Great snorkling everywhere!

So, that's why it was such a good deal! I really, really hope it doesn't rain every day.

[Dr Dave]

Party dinner: Pericos, Yaxchilán 61, Cancun City.

Romantic dinner: Aioli, inside the Le Meridien Hotel, on the island.

Coco Bongo is the biggest club. It's huge, it's loud, it's full of very young drunk people. I hated it. Your kids will love it.

There are probably still guys offering para-sailing. Watch them take a few people up before you decide to try it. They don't have insurance, and every now and then somebody is "unlucky," as one operator told me.

A couple companies offer ATV trips into the jungle. I've never done it, but it looks pretty cool.

Chris D is right about Chichen Itza. Very freaky.

[jazzy mary]

My girls are only 11 and 14---too young for the clubs.

[Uli]

Yeah, Cichen Itza, baby! They have good deals from Cancun too. $ 58 for grwon ups and half for kids.

Other, I liked Merida a lot.

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by jazzy mary

My girls are only 11 and 14---too young for the clubs.

They'll still love it. Wear earplugs. And maybe carry a small cattle prod to keep the guys away

[Valerie]

jm: i was there many years ago, actually before it became so commercialized. tulum was fun and less hot than chichen itza as it's on the ocean and the other site is inland.

isla mujeres - definitely. we met a very fine gentleman there who was known as the mexican jacques cousteau. at that time, he had a television show out of mexico city. i'm sure he's completely retired by now - if still with us!

most of the clubs were just as described above and not for me or my friend - even in our younger years!!

definitely be prepared for the heat and humidity! we were also there during the month of september.

one of the great bonuses we got was a latin music festival that was actually taking place at our hotel. that's where i first heard los van van!! in those years they weren't allowed in the states.

enjoy, my dear.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Yeah, I guess the ruins are cool if you like that sort of thing. I went to Tulum to please Joanne. It was a big ho-hum for me. Chichen Itza was too damn far. Like I told Joanne, "History, it's yesterday's news, let it go". Time to party.

To me, Cancun is about enjoying the sun by the pool, sipping cocktails, and eating. The snorkeling is pretty good as well, in between drinks and snacks, of course.

And as Dave suggested, stay away from those dopey bars. It's like being dropped into a frat house filled with a bunch of drunken children.......

[Richardo Caerleoni]

JM ..have a good one !

We have three weeks in France (Paris) and thus far it is…



"But that's (almost) September...In the...Rain..." (c) Dinah

[Valerie]

p.s. the hotel i stayed at was brand-new at the time: fiesta americana. must be old hat by now but it was very nice then.

[jazzy mary]

Guys, I'm starting to get ready for my trip. Should I exchange some dollars HERE before I go? Does anyone know the exchange rate?

[clinthopson]

Mary,

They have ATM machines in most airports. Bank ATMs usually will give the best exchange rate. Hotel desks rip you off on the exchange. Use credit cards wherever possible. You get the best exchange rate that way.

The exchange rate fluctuates between 9 and 10 peso per $.

[jazzy mary]

Yes, I'm aware of that. And ATM machines are plentiful? In Brazil, they were as scarce as hen's teeth and most were only for Brazilian banks. Are you sure I ought not have a few pesos for when I arrive?

[Chris D]

You shouldn't need them. The airport has at least one ATM. The advice on using a credit card is spot on.

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by Valerie

p.s. the hotel i stayed at was brand-new at the time: fiesta americana. must be old hat by now but it was very nice then.

Valerie, we must've been there at about the same time... I was there in August... eons ago... and the Fiesta Americana was brand new...

Mary, I also think Chichen Itza is a MUST visit... and most of the time you will wear nothing but a swim suit and a smile. too darn hot! We found the cheapest food to be the best... little ramshackle places run my natives... but I hear there are not many of those left around Cancun.. that it's one big "resort" now.

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally Posted by jazzy mary

Yes, I'm aware of that. And ATM machines are plentiful?

They have plenty of ATMs in the one-horse town I come from (Durango, Mexico), and they all worked with my American card, so I'm sure you'll find them in Cancun.

[Al in NYC]

Well, I couldn't disagree with my friend Jimmy more. When I was a kid we used to go to the Yucatan to pursue my father's hobby of studying pre-Columbian Indian cultures. Back then, before the development of Cancun, the area was still pretty remote once you got outside of Merida, but the ruins were endlessly fascinating to me.

A few years ago I got a similar special on a cheap trip to Cancun. As soon as we got there we high-tailed it to the local bus station and headed for Chichen Itza (beach vacations are not my thing either). Then we continued on to Merida and rented a car to explore some more remote sites like Uxmal and Kabah, finally ending up in Guatemala at the unbelievable Tikal. Even though the sites have now been cleaned up, prettified, and cleared of the jungle undergrowth, they were every bit as fascinating, haunting, and beautiful as I had remembered.

The major problem of going there on a day trip from Cancun is that you get there at the hottest part of the day when the site is at its most crowded, but even with that caveat I say GO! You, and your girls, will never forget it.

Later on that same trip we did do the Jimmy thing and spend several days on Isla Mujeres (NOT Cancun), and I agree with all everyone here has said about the place. Also, at the time we were there one could get much more authentic Mexican food, and much cheaper beer, on Isla Mujeres than one could get in Cancun, which was basically set up and priced like the states.

[Lenny D.Guitarist]

Went to Cancun last year. The beaches and the ocean were beautiful. The night scene was beyond wild; your kids will enjoy every minute of the night life even if you think they're too young. The Mayan ruins were excellent, but be prepared for some brutal temps; Cancun and the whole peninsula is very caliente in all respects. I played tennis everyday, the soles of my sneakers wore out from the turf temperature which was never below 110. You'll have a blast!

[jazzy mary]

I got back last week. Cancun was great but boy was it hot! 95-97 degrees every day. We got in kindof late on Thursday night and we were greenhorns so we got stopped by some time-share guys trying to get us to visit a time share, we extricated ourselves from that and took our van to our hotel. Immediately, I could feel the hot temperature and I realized that, once again, I did not really have the appropriate clothes. Our hotel was gorgeous! It's the JW MArriott in the hotel zone and our room had a private balcony overloooking the ocean and the pool was spectacular! It's a huge,lagoon type pool with an infinity pool so you looks like the oceon begins where the pool ends. The hotel was quite luxurious and everyone was so nice. My kids were eager to swim, so while they swam while we ate dinner at he Mexican restaurant at the hotel. The food was fabulous. I think it was sort of "haute cuisine" or however one would say that in Spanish.

The next morning, I looked out the balcony and could not believe how BLUE and beautiful the water was. The Carribean is the most beautiful sea I've ever seen, it even has the Mediterranean and the Aegean beat! The dark blue and turquoise colors are really gorgeous. We spent a great a deal of the day at the new "Isla Mujeres" shopping mall where I had to buy some t-shirts, really cool, comfortable sandals and even a sun dress. Those who know me know I NEVER wear a dress, so that gives you a good indication how beastly hot it was. The kids had the required picture with the parrots taken--quite fun really. Liz got to hold one in her arms like a baby. Then that night we went to a retaurant that was supposed to be "fun" called "Mango Tango". The food wasn't bad, but it was outdoors (although by the ocean) w/ no air conditioning w/a floor show that was so cheesy and "Las Vegas-y". We got theree at 8, because we were told the floor show started at 8:30--finally, after we were almost having heat stroke, the show started at 9:30!! They had lots of pretty scantily clad show girls w/ feathers dancing around and these handsome guys w/ the ruffled sleeve sirts dancing and playing congas. Actually, they weren't bad, it was just it went on so long and all the choreography was all the same. They mixed things up a bit by having this guy who did this really good "whip" routine. One guy in the audience kept getting up to play the congas and I have to say, he was pretty good! They had the audience forming a congo line at the beginning and then going up on stage to dance to disco music and do the limbo! My daughter Liz wanted to do that so we did, although I had a badly bruised foot and ankle from a somewhat bizaare accident. A few days before the trip I was in the pantry in my kitchen and a bottle of wine fell
and, instead of hitting the floor, it came crashing down on my foot and ankle. My anle and foot really swelled up and it hurt like hell. It is still bad, actually, Fortunately the wine bottle did not break (it was wine from my CA. trip!) but my foot is still messed up.

Gotta go, more tomorrow. And I'll tell you about Xel-ha and Tulum!

[Pete C]

Isn't the hurricane on its way there? Good timing, JM.

[jazzy mary]

Yes, we did have good timing--sunny, blue skies the entire time we were there except for the very briefest little spritz when we were at Chichen Itza.

The next day we got up very early to take a bus tour to Xel-ha (I don't know how to pronounce it, but it's a wonderful lake and water ecological site wher you can go snorkeling and other things. We went snorkeling---my first time and saw some interesting fish. They also had this hammock park where they had tons of hammocks all over the place attached to trees, we all got in one and it was so relaxing--I could have stayed ther forever. My girls would push the hammock really hard and swing me until I felt like I was going to throw-up but then as it eased up a bit it was so great and relaxing--like "rock a bye baby".


We had to go catch the bus to take us to our second part of the tour to Tulum. Tulum is a Mayan site which is way up high on a cliff overlooking the Caribean Sea. The view was magnificent!! The cove where the beach was was so beautiful and then you would wander around the ruins and look out and see the sea.

That night we got home late and ate at a seafood restaurant not too far from the hotel. We had some good Mexican wine too.

The next day we were to see Chichen Itza and that, for me, was the absolute HIGHLIGHT of my trip!!! It was a fairly long bus ride (on a very modern, air conditioned bus) away and on the way there we went through small Mexican villages and you could really see the way Mexican people who lived in the Yucatin really lived. There were these little thatched huts with nothing inside them except a hammock as they do almost all of their activities outside. There were quaint little stores and bars and corrugated lean-tos , basically where one could buy "Coca-cola" or "Fanta" . We stopped for lunch at a hotel not too far from Chichen Itza--it was an intersting hotel and was set up like a hacienda. We had a nice lunch and some girls and guys did some traditional Mexican dancing. Afterwards, we went a bit further to a big shopping area--a flea market, I'd guess you'd say it was, and we were able to buy a few things. My rock & roller daughter Liz got this really cool silver skull ring and the mouth is on a little hinge, so I like to take it move it and have it say stuff like "Hi Liz, I'm one of those sacrificed warriors you saw at Chichen Itza, I'm glad you took me and now wear me on your finger". I have to get my jollies somehow. Between her leather bracelets and the skull ring, she's looking more and more like someone in Metallica. Except she's a sweet and beautiful and darling 11 year old girl! Yesterday, near her school in Brooklyn, a Kerry worker who was trying to get pople to vote asked her "where did she get that ring, and did her Mom know she was wearing it?" We laughed as I bought it for her!!

My other daughter got some very pretty silver and enamel earrings, I got a frame and that was about it. Oh yeah, Liz got some bongos too. She plays them pretty well, too!

Chichen Itza was absolutley amazing! I had wanted to go there ever since I was really little and saw the pyramid through my "Wonders of the World" wheel on my "View Master". The whole place is truly amazing! They have the ball court with the rings still in tact, the castle, of course, an observatory,and this really creepy place that has all these skulls (like Liz's ring), tons of them, carved into the limestone. The Toltecs had human sacrifice and would put their enemies' skulls on sticks in this place to scare people. We also saw the cenote where they would sacrifice young girls, children and old people. Then there was the market place and the thousand columns. All it was just amazing. For those of you who have been you know what I'm talking about--for those of you who haven't been--I very, very much recommend it!! It's completely different than Tulum, so it really makes sense to do both! It's an amazing place. Without a doubt one of the most important ancient sites in the the Americas and the world, even too, I think.

Liz scampered right up to the top of the pyramid. I was dismayed when I saw that she had gone up there by herself as there are NO railings or anythig to keep you in. She knew she was supposed to wait. But, she just couldn't! She was calling me, "Mom, get Dad". She could get up but she wasn't sure about getting down. I understand that that IS the HARD part. Her Dad went up and Catherine scampered up too and they were all able to come down all right. They even went up again. They said the view was amazing and there was an iguana up there. I have terrible vertigo so I was truly afraid to go up--being way up high with nothing to hold onto or nothing to close you in completely freaks me out. I get a little freaked out even in box seats at the ballet. I'm afraid I'll pitch over. It's irrational, I know, but it's vertigo.

We stayed for the light show which was ok--they had headphones in various languages so you were able to learn quite a bit about the Mayans--as far as they know. The civilization died out and no one is quite sure why. There are Mayans in that area of Mexico today and you couold tell who they were. Our guide was 100% Mayan. We then took the bus home and got home after midnight, so no swimming that night!


In the middle of the night, Liz got up groaning and pacing the floor--the poor little thing was so sick. We think it was from the lunch she had the day before. She wanted to throw up so badly and spent an enormous amount of time bending over the toilet until finally she did throw up. That made her feel better and we were able to continue our plans that day. We went to the downtown section of Cancun to the flea market. We could have skipped that because all it was was booth after booth of all the same stuff we'd seen before. My girls were very upset by the hawking. The prior day, at Chichen Itza, they were so dismayed to see little girls and boys selling "Mayan Statues" and shouting "one dollar, one dollar". It upset them a lot that these kids had to work and they were really uncomfortable with it. I guess I'd better not take them to India or Egypt for awhile. All the while Liz was dragging because she was so worn out by her being sick. We then took a boat to Isla Mujeres and had lunch there. I wish we could have spent more time there but I had to get back to my hotel for my spa treatments!

I'll have to tell you about that stuff later. I have to go.

[Chris D]

Glad uou made it to Chichen Itza and Isla Mujeres, Mary. Those definitely were the two must-visit places on our trip.

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by jazzy mary

We then took a boat to Isla Mujeres and had lunch there. I wish we could have spent more time there but I had to get back to my hotel for my spa treatments!

I'll have to tell you about that stuff later. I have to go.

can't wait for the next installment!! sorry though that you didn't get to spend more time in isla mujeres. you can have a spa treatment *anywhere*!!

when is your next trip? i'm living vicariously these days!

xoxo

[jazzy mary]

Ah, but these were special "Mayan" spa treatments! Actually, I don't usually have time for any spa thing unless it is on vacation--and the spa at the hotel was fabulous!!

I won't be taking any vacations for a long time now, I don't think. Soon, I'll be working part time for about 6 months and, given my economic status soon, I don't see how I can afford anything. I don't know how I could have afforded Cacnun--I haven't gotten all my credit card receipts yet but everthing was expensive. Of course, it was for 4 people too.

[jazzy mary]

ok, we got back Liz immediately went to sleep as she was pretty worn out after being so sick, I went to my spa and hooked up with everyone afterwards. After Liz woke up, they went swimming. The spa at the JW Marriott was wonderful. It was so beautiful and it smelled super-duper good. The hot tub has a beautiful view of the Carribean. I had time to sit in the sauna too. I had a special "Mayan" massage which was really just a body scrub, exfoliation thing except before it began the woman put her hands on me and said some Mayan chant. LOL! The "spa" music was Mayan spa music--so spa music w/ drums. It was pretty cool. Then I had a facial, a special Mayan facial. It was a good facial though because my skin was really sopft and looked pretty good afterwards. It was all very relaxing--even though the prices were American style.

That night we ate in the Italian restaurant in the hotel as everyone, especially Liz, had had their fill of Mexican food. The restaurant was very good. We tried a really good tequila which the waiter recommended--1800.

The next day was to be our last, the kids were dying to "swim with the dolphins" which you can do virtually everywhere in Cancun, but we chose to go to the aquarium to do it because it was closest. Swimming with the dolphins does not come cheap--$115.00 PER PERSON. Only the kids did it. It was sortof cool and sortof jive, as they had 2 groups of about 10 people in a group so there wasn't a lot of "face time" so to speak with the dolphins. Our 2 dolphins kept swimming back over to the other side of the tank and I was thinking "hey, at 230 bucks you guys had betta get your dolphin asses back over there!". But, the girls did get their moments w/ the dolphins, giving them a kiss and touching their fins--of course we bought the pics of these noteworthy events which were on sale in the gift shop. As we told the girls "this is a once in a lifetime experience (at those prices!)!"

[jazzy mary]

At the aquarium we got to pet a shark too, which was pretty interesting. You had to wash your hands before, I guess so the shark won't smell any food on your hands? The aquarium guy held the shark and we patted his sand paper feeling stomach. There were these stingrays in the tank w/ the sharks and I NEVER realized stingrays could be so funny and animated. One kept jumping up on the side of the pool and flapped his fins wanting food--it even looked like he was smiling. It really was something to see!

We hi-tailed it out of the aquarium because we wanted to spend some time at the beach and in the pool before we left. Our transport to the airport was coming at 1:20 and we got out of the pool at 1:15!! Of course, I had packed the night before and I STRONGLY recommended that the girls do the same. I have to "recommend" and "suggest" that they do something, otherwise thay get all bent out of shape and think I'm telling them what to do. I try to explain to them that, as a parent, that is one of my major duties, but they don't get it.

So, my kids wildly threw everything into their suitcases and somehow Liz lost 3 of her hats, including a really cool one w/ a fire design that I had gotten at the client when I went to Detroit last year. Again, I "suggested" that she not bring a bunch of hats or too many pairs of her Converse sneakers--I limited each kid to one suitcase. But do they listen?

We ran down to the lobby and then commenced to wait 15 minutes for the van to show up at 1:45. Our driver got a speeding ticket on the way to the airport. He was going 45 in a 40 zone and the ticket was $50.00! I felt bad for him.

We had very little time in the airport to do duty free--so basically we just very hurridly threw some bottles of tequila into the basket and checked out. We did buy the 1800 which we had sampled at the restaurant and it is really good. A shot of that can be sipped all night.

We had to go through customs in Miami and finally got back to NYC at midnight! Then work the next day and the first day of school for my older daughter who has started a Catholic H.S.

I'm really sold on the Caribbean now and can't wait to go to another island again. Does anyone have any recs?

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Cayman Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John more so than St. Croix.............

[Valerie]

Thanks, JM. May I say, once again, I just love reading your travelogues!

St. Thomas used to be my vacation destination for many, many years, but that goes back quite awhile ago. I almost moved there in the 60s and would have if I hadn't met my husband-to-be!! The island is so changed now, mostly for the worse, that I no longer would even recommend it. St. John, however, has maintained, thanks to Rockefeller, but there isn't much "night-life" to speak of there. But if you're looking for natural beauty, rest and relaxation, it's the place. However, your kids would probably be bored there although there are plenty of kids their age who go there with their parents.