Greetings from Cancun, Mexico!

Hello folks!  Just checking in on the blog this lovely quiet morning here in downtown Cancun.  We've had quite an eventful trip so far and it's only day 3.  We flew out of NY on Thursday with a 2 hour layover for our adjoining flight.  I really will try to take non-stops these days because we've just had too many problems with connecting flights ... missing planes ... etc.etc.  And the airlines are not what they used to be for service, but I just couldn't justify an extra $300.  So we sat on the tarmac waiting for a part for our plane -- always a comforting announcement to hear on the loudspeaker -- for an hour and a half.  We were told "those with connecting flights will be met with agent to assist you at the gate.  Yeah right.  There were really no further announcements until we were already almost landing, local time or any such thing.  I will never again fly American if I can avoid it.  Gone are the days of seeing who has connecting flights when a flight is late and letting those people off first, knowing ahead of time what gate you need to book your butt to, etc.  By some miracle we were able to run 13 gates and make our flight which was like 2/3rds full and still AA was showing no adjacent seats to be assigned and we paid the $13 for upgrade.  Rip-off!  At least the curbside check in guy was great and we got our 55 lb suitcase past the heavy baggage rip-off charge.  I swear, if you have an allowance for two free 50 lb bags, they should at least allow one up to like 75 lbs like they used to ... but I digress.  All in all, the rest went smoothly and we decided to stay in town for a few days on the front end of our week at the beachfront resort.  

So yesterday we went exploring and were in the area where the locals eat and shop.  It's too easy to get lost here and end up in the wrong area so we walk a lot around where it's busy but take taxis back to the hotel.  I have an ankle that's not behaving for a while now and the airplane sprint didn't help it.  So I also tried to take it a little easy on it.   I had totally forgotten to get my brows done before we left so we looked for a place... like I said we were really local so nobody speaks English.  Hubs knows enough Spanish to get us into a world of trouble and I remember un poquito from my HS days - enough so I feel justified in mocking Mayor Bloombito but that's about it.  Anywho the first place wanted to color my brows!  LOL ... no ...  When we finally established they didn't do wax, we went down another block and the place did.  They don't do that often apparently so I had to wait for the wax to be heated, but the job she did was perfection.  Took a while, but perfection.  We stopped at one local eatery for tacos which were eh ... but I much preferred the a quarter chicken -- chopped with giant butcher knife -- with rice at another place.  I did check with my doctor before I left that the starch was safe to consume.  Everywhere here has amazing salsa.   Next little jaunt was to get a pedicure.  I gotta tell you ladies, if you ever forget to leave time to have this stuff done before you go to Mexico, go to the downtown areas, not the tourista places, and you will be well taken care of.  My toenails are PERFECT and she did the most exacting pedicure I think there's even possible.  

So, last night we went to a restaurant the hotel bellhop suggested and it was amazing.  Our eyes were bigger than our tummies and we ended up taking the entrees home!  Those will get eaten for breakfast shortly ;-)  But boy did we have THE most amazing zuppa mare with mussels, shrimp, clams and I think scallops.  I don't know what the green broth was but this was amazing.  We'll be coming back to this hotel on our last night and will definitely return.  I had forgotten the camera, which is too bad b/c what the heck, you only live once, and we paid an extra couple dollars to be serenaded by the mariachi band.  The couple next to us from Czech Republic took pics so we gave them our email to send them.  Dunno if that happens, but we made friends.  ;-)  The total bill came to $65 included two drinks.  That soup I'm still dreaming about was like $5 and could easily run you $20 for a smaller bowl in a restaurant in the US.  And it was THAT good.  All the food was.  I don't remember the name of the place, but I'll be sure to let y'all know when I get a chance if you're ever in the area.

Ahh so I'm really liking our hotel which I will heartily recommend upon my return.  One can never be too careful that the LC mafia might put a little hit out on me here in Mexico ;-)  We only paid $55/night for it, and I'm being serenaded by birds here by the pool in the enclosed courtyard while equilibrating this morning.  

Blog?  What blog?  Well, I have two posts to share with you while I'm "gone" and will bump a few others from the way back machine.  Otherwise I'm not blogging ...  I'm RELAAAXING and having a blast ... and makin my VitD the good ol' fashioned way.  See ya around, and y'all behave now ya hear?  I'd so very much like to keep the Asylum doors open while I'm away.

OK gang ... we're off to explore some more and boost the downtown Cancun economy ;-)

Evie :-)