Mexico - Playa Mujeres

Beach Life

Last year I was lucky enough to travel to Mexico with my family for my older brothers wedding. There was just over 20 of us, a small group travelling together to support the union of two people. While in Mexico, I enjoyed my first experience in a country that wasn't Canada or the United States. We were staying in an all-inclusive resort (another first), so we were sheltered from a lot of the culture there was to experience, but that didn't stop us from having a unique trip with lots of interesting stories.

Mexican Sunset

On the day that we arrived, after a long flight, we were greeted with cool cloths and champagne - treatment I certainly am not used to. Within the first hour, we were sending one of our members off to the hospital, her leg going numb from the sting of a sting-ray. Not quite the first day we were experiencing, and a terrifying experience for those who went to the hospital. Once you leave the resort gates behind, the world around you changes dramatically and the cultural differences become quite apparently. Seeking medical assistance in a country where you do not know their language posed a problem, but she was treated and was back to the resort before the night fell dark. Note to any of you who get stung by a sting ray and the entire resort staff don't know what to do (we are in MEXICO - how do they not know what to do???), put the stung area in hot water, which will relieve the majority of the pain in a matter of minutes.

Snorkeling

Isle Mujeres

The majority of our days were spent on the beach or in the pool (none of us went in the ocean again - a red flag was put up after the incident I mentioned earlier) sipping on fruity drinks all day long. With over 12 bars (including a swim-up bar!) as well as 9 amazing restaurants, we were certainly taken good care of. The day after the wedding the group booked a catamaran to take us to Isle Mujeres a nearby island filled with merchants so we could do some local shopping. On the way over we stopped to go snorkeling and swim with the fish. Once on the island, we were bombarded with locals trying to sell us product. I'm sure many of you have experienced this in some country, and it can be quite frightening the first time. I learned how to bargin with the merchants, and politely turned down the "mexican flowers" that some would try to sell me. The island was beautiful, filled with life and colour, but also a shocking scene of poverty, some living in a cramped room in the back of their shops.

Rio Secreto

On one of our last days my parents and I went to a place called Rio Secreto, an underground freshwater river. We put on our hard-hats, lamps and wetsuits, and went on a guided tour to explore the caves the water had carved. It was an experience unlike anything I would have imagined, seeing the beautiful sunken caves hidden in the middle of the jungle. Rio Secreto is a recently discovered phenomenon, previously unknown before 2007. Now they fight to protect the breathtaking caves from environmental damage, and promote environmental awareness.

City of Cancun

The few moments I have highlighted from trip to Mexico have not covered all the things there are to do and see there. With an unlimited amount of activities to do on the resort, and a world full of culture outside, Mexico was definitely an enjoyable place for any traveler, whether they are a cultural explorer, or a rejuvenator, looking for a place to kick-back and relax.

Wildlife

Pool Side