Mexico!

Now I am finally going to take the time to write about our Mexico trip.

Day One - Wednesday
We got there in the afternoon, and it was so freaking hot and humid. The resort was great - we went and ate then checked in, then sat by the pool until we had to get ready for dinner. I actually sunburned a little that day - which made it difficult to tan the rest of the trip. Kaylah, Deborah and I had our own room, and Mom and Dad had their own room. That night was pretty uneventful.

Day Two - Thursday
We pretty much laid by the pool all day. We swam in the ocean too - I have never seen such clear ocean water before - it was amazing. Mom, Deborah and I went sea-kyacking, which was fun but a lot harder than I had anticipated. I also got suckered into playing this game at the pool with Kaylah and Deborah and 5 other ladies. We had to stand on an upside-down kyack, two at a time, in the pool, and try to rock the other person off without touching them. It was really embarrassing to be standing on the kyack in front of the whole pool. But I won and got a free t-shirt, so I guess it's ok. One of the hotel staff members from that game remembered my name the rest of the week. Whenever he would see me, he would be like, "Selah!" and I would be like, "Hola!" It was really cool to hear Spanish everywhere. That night we went to the beach where they were supposed to be having a beach dance party, but it was more like Mexican men trying to sing Neil Diamond and Bob Marley, not exactly dancing music. But it was fun nonetheless.

Day Three - Friday
Again we spent the day at the hotel pool and beach. I went snorkeling, which I didn't really like. I liked the clear water, but I didn't like the taste of the water and I kept forgetting to breathe only through my mouth, and I didn't like knowing all those animals were beneath me. So now I can say I snorkeled, but I don't know if I will do it again. I can't remember anything else significant about that day, it was just relaxing.

Day Four - Saturday
This day we went to a jewelry factory. We thought we were going to get to see them make the jewelry, but they just wanted to sell it to us. It was cool though because once we wanted to leave there, we were told to go stand on the other side of the road and a bus would pull up and take us to town. So we did, and we were just standing on this random road in Mexico with these Mexicans and then got on this bus with the locals and rode to the market. I felt pretty cool to be doing something not touristy, even though we were going to Playa Del Carmen, a tourist hub. So we got to the market, and it was exactly like I thought it would be, except 100 degrees hotter. I am not even kidding you, I have never ever been that hot in my life - it was unbelievable. Mom got a dress and Dad got a hat, and I got some cheap souvenirs and postcards. We saw the beach, then we were like, we are dying, let's go back to the hotel. So the 5 of us rode in 2 taxis back to our hotel. The drivers were CRAZY!!! It was like there were no lanes, and we could just drive into oncoming traffic if he felt like it. I am surprised and grateful that we all made it back to the hotel in one piece. We ate dinner in a really nice restaurant at the hotel that night. That night we tried to watch a show by the hotel staff, but the power went out due to road construction, so we just sat around until they finally cancelled the show. Then we went to bed.

Day Five - Sunday
This day was Mom and Dad's 23rd wedding anniversary. We stayed at the hotel again this day. Every afternoon after lunch, I took a siesta under the shade umbrellas. Ah, I tell you, that is the life. And it was so cool because the waiters would just walk around and ask you if you wanted a drink, and you would be like, yes I would thank you, and they would bring you whatever you wanted. Once I got home, I definately missed my siestas. I think we watched a show by the hotel staff again this night, but I get the nights kind of confused.

Day Six - Monday
My 20th birthday! Today we went on an all-day excursion to see the Mayan ruins, caves, and village. Again, it was unbelievably hot. Where I was sunburned, I got these weird heat blisters that made me peel really badly and now I look like I have leprosy or something. Anyways, the ruins were built in like 600 A.D. The one pyramid was super tall - it was like 120 steps and looked over the jungle. They did human sacrifices on the top of it, which was kind of creepy. It was so weird to think that they killed people up there to appease the pagan gods. It was sad. And then we went to this cave with water in it and stalactites and stalagmites. You could swim in it, but the guide said there were catfish in there, so I opted not to swim. Then we went to the Mayan village, where people still live in little huts and cook over a fire. I did NOT want to just parade through their homes like they were in a zoo or something, but the guide said they got paid for it. But it ended up being pretty cool because I got to talk in Spanish to this woman in the hut, and we talked about her house and kids and her wedding. I was like, this makes all my Spanish classes worth it. And we gave the little village kids apples and they gave us flowers. It was so cool. I wish I could have brought the kids back with me and show them a better life. But they were happy, so I guess they were ok. Then we went back to the hotel and I felt super guilty that we had so much and they had so little, and I couldn't do anything about it. We had dinner in a pretty nice restaurant again, and then we watched a dancing show again. Happy Birthday to me!

Day Seven - Tuesday
Our last full day at the hotel. We hung out at the pool and beach again. My last siesta.... It was fun, but I was ready to come home. We ate at a nice Italian restaurant that night. Deborah, Kaylah, and I watched the movie Patriot Games until we fell asleep.

Day Eight - Wednesday
We left the hotel at 8:30, rode a bus to the airport, stood in line for an hour and a half, then flew home. I finished my summer reading book on the plane, so I guess it was a success. :)

And our vacation is over. Back to reality. I am going to babysit all next week, then work with Dad the next week or so, then pack and head back to Furman! I am so excited, I cannot wait until I get back to school! But I will make the most of my last few weeks here. Last night I went out with Necole and Angela after the MILL. Good times, good times... :) I am grateful for those girls! Well, I am tired of typing, so that's all for now.