Our first trip to Cancun for our honeymoon was bittersweet to say the least. It was our first international trip together, and it’s safe to say that we learned a lot about booking travel on this trip!

A little back story:

For our honeymoon, I thought we were going to Disneyland as we had discussed. However, Brad had made different plans. At our rehearsal dinner, my adorable husband surprised me with a trip to Cancun. He learned real quick, that you just don't spring things like this on a girl, especially on the eve of her wedding. I found out my mom & sister drove to Tucson (the wedding was in Scottsdale) to pack my suitcase on my behalf and this sent me into a panic attack while I was in a room surrounded by our closest friends and family. I was so overwhelmed that I had to go sit down outside to get some air.

People were telling me that I should be excited and that I shouldn't be upset. These were things I already knew (and I eventually was excited), but the issue wasn’t the trip itself, it was that I am a planner & an over-preparer, and rather type A. I didn't know what to expect, I didn’t know where we were staying, and worst of all, I didn’t know what was in my suitcase. I HATE NOT KNOWING!!!

It sounds absolutely ridiculous now, but that one move on Brad's part made me question whether or not marrying him was a mistake. So the next morning, I took some time to myself to calm down and gain some perspective away from the chaos of the wedding and family. I came to the conclusion that surprising me with this trip was a massive demonstration of Brad’s love for me, and that not marrying him would actually be the dumbest thing I could ever do.

Later on, I found out that Brad had booked the trip through US Airways' (now American Airlines) travel promotional sight, thanks to my mom. We were scheduled to stay in Cancun, Mexico for five days were booked at the all-inclusive Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort. The morning after our wedding we were up at 6 AM, and Brad’s parents were taking us to the airport.

When our flight touched down in Cancun, and we made our way out of the terminal, we were greeted with a stiff slap of tropical humidity. Our vacation had begun! We took a long taxi ride to the hotel, and when we arrived late that afternoon we were greeted & given an extensive and, dare I say, unnecessary amount of information about the resort. It was not your typical hotel experience. They want us to sign up for a timeshare, one of the most outdated forms of travel expenses that still exists in the 21st century!

Once we listened to that exhausting arrival schpeel, we were off to our room and finally able to grab a quick bite to eat. Because we got there that day, we were unable to make a reservation at the "good restaurants" which left us with two options: the regular buffet or the Mexican buffet. Since we were in Mexico, we went with Mexican, thinking we were going to die and go to heaven after a stint of food coma, but instead were in utter disbelief of how bad it was. It was worse than taco bell, and I actually don’t mind TB. As an Arizonan & a bit of a casual foodie, I have a strong opinion on the quality of Mexican food, & this just didn't have it. It was flavorless queso, bland refried beans, and guacamole that was basically just smashed avocado. My dreams about the street tacos & the limey guacamole that my mom told me about (granted she stayed at the Ritz) were going to be just that, dreams. At this point, we should have taken the food as an omen, and left!

This trip was just not all we hoped it would be, and that’s only because of the hotel which wasn't even in Cancun. It was in the Riviera Maya, hence the long car ride. The resort, despite being clean, lacked amenities to keep us comfortable. I woke up several times with a sore back because you could actually feel the springs in the mattress. Despite the fact that the resort did have fun areas to walk through with enclosed cocodrilos (crocodiles) and large iguanas throughout the property, the beach was so rocky you couldn’t go in the water, and the pools were noisy because of all the scheduled activities. ...oh, and I almost forgot, wifi isn't free.

The buffet got old real fast, and the themed restaurants (that you had to make reservations for the day before) didn't live up to the hype. As a food enthusiast, and a generally hungry person, I was so disappointed. Mexican brand ice cream kept us going, but it still didn’t cut it. Every night when we were walking throughout the hotel the air wreaked of old frying grease. The food tasted like the outside air (aka grease). It was truly "de-appetizing". In fact, I'll never get over it because I think I'm scarred for life.

1441214_10103167589497151_390037208_n (1).jpg

I know that was a lot of venting, but I can say that we had a nice view from our balcony where we got to enjoy watching some awesome thunderstorms roll through. Kayaking was available which we did the first day, and to swim all we had to do was walk about half a mile to the next resort over to wade into the ocean and play in the waves where the beach was clear, fairly rock free, and the water was so refreshing. Thankfully, we were able to participate in some off-site activities that saved the trip from being an absolute flop.

The first of these incredible outings was snorkeling. I will never forget our first snorkeling adventure in Mexico. We saw sea turtles, loads of fish, and the best part was at the very end when we were about to reach the boat’s ladder to to get back in the boat, we had the rare opportunity of seeing a massive Spotted Eagle Ray in the distance.

Our other big day trip was to Chichen-Itza (sounds like chicken pizza -jk kidding). What an incredible place to visit! We did our tour with Xcaret Experiences, and we were not disappointed. Our guide was great! He was humorous, very knowledgeable, and made sure we had a lot of fun that day.

When the bus picked us up bright & early at our hotel, the sun had barely been up. It was a long drive to Chichen Itza where we probably spent close to 3 hours wandering the grounds. When our guide was through educating us on the ancient Mayan village, we were able to wander on our own for a while, snap any extra pictures, and rest in the shade. It was fun to walk down the ancient roads & see all of the colorful souvenirs you could bring home.... Including toys that allow you to make sounds like a jaguar.

We were absolutely captivated at the grandeur of the Chichen Itza step pyramid, and we learned so much about early Mayan culture that day. It was an interesting place, with beautiful structures, and you can't help but wonder how an ancient civilization could know so much & then vanish, taking with them so much knowledge & wisdom of the working of the universe. Did you know they had observatories back then!?! They did!!!!

With everyone back on the bus, we were on to the next destination, and thankfully safe again from the intense tropical sun.

A wall of Diablo masks in the restaurant

It was lunch time! We were starving, and excited for the authentic cuisine which was different than northern mexico Mexican food, but it still good!. It was way better than what we had been eating at the hotel, that was for certain. The buffet had alot of options packed with flavor. One thing that my husband & I noticed is that in that region of Mexico it doesn't seem like they have or make flour tortillas - corn only, which was a little disappointing to me because I love a good flour tortilla, but the corn ones were still delicious!

The options seemed endless. You could have your rice and beans, guacamole, they had a variety of meat dishes... and let's not forget the chips & salsa. One of my favorite things was that this restaurant did not lack charm! It was absolutely beautiful through & through. From the festive masks on the wall, to the tucked away garden with the stunning mosaic fountain, it was a mystical place for dining. One where you could spend quite a bit of time relaxing & enjoying life on Mexico time.

When we finished lunch we were able to wander through the small town for a bit. There were several gift shops & a beautiful small Cathedral to visit. When we walked out of the church there was a horse & carriage next to the curb. I will never forget this precious sight because the horse was wearing a straw hat with red ribbon. It was one of the funniest and most adorable things I have ever seen! (Sadly, I don't remember the name of the town we visit or the restaurant we at.)

With lunch out of the way, we were all aboard the big buss again, and on our way to our last stop , the Cenote Azul located in Ik Kil. The Cenote Azul is a giant sink hole that you can walk around and swim in if you come prepared, and was one of the most interesting things that I have seen & would love to experience more of. Apparently, there are several of these swimming havens throughout the Yucatan.

The Cenote Azul was an intriguing place. You enter above ground and slowly make your way down and around. As you slowly shuffle your way through you have to watch for wet areas so that you don't accidentally slip, and keep clear of the cliff jumpers who are looking for a little adrenaline rush while they cool off.

This overall trip to Cancun was a little less eventful than we had hoped. We were far from the big city, and our hotel wasn’t condusive to our needs. By the end, we were definitely ready to go home. On the last day, Brad wasn't willing to eat anything else from the buffet except a yogurt. Yes, it was truly that bad. A 25 year old male, refused to eat anything, but yogurt... ...and no, he wasn't sick... well, just sick of bad food.

It's safe to say that our first Cancun trip was a little but rocky, but it was great bonding time. ...and we were forced outside of our box. We had some adventures, and we have memories that we will never forget!

At least now we can find the humor in how bad certain aspects were, like that we had to walk 1/2 a mile to go to another resorts beach, or the water aerobics, or that greasy goodnight smell that filled the damp evening air....

I think it’s safe to say that at some point, we should probably redo our honeymoon!

ISSUE 2 : Cancun, Mexico Honeymoon 2013