The Trip.......

Day 1.


Could it really be that we are on a trip with no incidents? So far we've been on 2 airplanes (both left on time), and we have entered a foreign country with no visa problems. Could it really be???
No, of course not. We are the Rubenstein's and things always happen to us. Always. Or at least it seems that way.
Standing at the baggage carrousel in Cancun, Mexico it becomes very clear that the airline lost one of our suitcases. And how do I know this? Because there are no more bags going around and there is one lady from Mexicana Air setting up shop to take note of all lost luggage. It most happen quite often.
Well, she assures us that we will get the bag early next morning and not to worry. I am less worried when I realize that it is Joel and I's bag that they lost. At least the roonies (our word for children) can still go swimming the next morning.
Out of the airport and into the shuttle bus that is going to take us to The Royal Solaris 10 minutes down the road.
I have specifically booked this hotel as there is a mini waterpark for children and a decent size beach (Cancun lost a LOT of beach in 2005, due to Wilma, a hurricane).
By now, the roonies are so tired they are practically asleep.
We get to the hotel, get inside and try to check in, but we are told that we are at the wrong hotel and need to get back on the shuttle and go 1 minute up the street to The Grand Royal Solaris!!
Back on the shuttle, off to the next hotel. I am not surprised we are at the wrong hotel, this is not the first time I have tried to check into the wrong hotel, so I don't think anything of it.
We get to the next hotel, which is much much nicer than the first one, and I am relieved. Drink in hand we head up to the room to drop off our bags, oops make that bag, not bags.
We head to the restaurant and have some dinner, then we catch 10 minutes of the nightly show and then it's off to bed.
That night I dream of how nice it's going to be the next morning when we get our luggage and can go sit at the pool in my new bikini.

Day 2.
Well, we all know that dreams don't come true, and after having multiple people ask me why I am sitting at the pool in jeans and a long sleeve shirt, I feel like wearing a sign around my neck saying "The airline lost my luggage and I refuse to not take full advantage off my vacation."
It's hot. No, let me rephrase that: It is so hot that I am not sure if I can do this for a week in a bikini.
Well, the roonies are happy, Joel was smart enough to wear shorts on the plane so he's happily drinking the first of many many drinks and I am sweating profusely while holding a drink. Priorities, priorities.
The pool is gorgeous and the ocean is unbelievable. The color of the water can't even be described, that's how blue it is. But the waves are big and I already know now, that there is no way we will be swimming in the ocean this week. I am still tired and annoyed by the whole luggage thing that it doesn't occur to me that there is virtually no beach or a small water park for the children.
By noon we can't stand it any longer and we buy new swimsuits in the gift shop. And that is how I ended up being the owner of the very unattractive shiny dark blue bikini. The bottom is high waisted and almost covers my belly button. The top is skimpy and not a whole lot of support, but I am finally in the pool. Nice.
The rest of the day takes place right there, by the pool, chatting to a mom and her daughter from New York. They are so cute, going on vacation together. The daughter is 18 and her mom knows that this is one of the last chances she will have to have her daughter to herself. The daughter is excited that they went on vacation "as friends" and not "mother/daughter" and she is gulping drinks by the gallon. I think to myself that someday it would be nice to take my own daughter on a trip like this.
By dinnertime Joel and I are back in the clothes we've been wearing since we left home, since our luggage still hasn't shown up. The hotel assures us that it'll be there shortly!
By 9 pm we are all in bed, completely exhausted from all the sun. The kids are happy, I am smelly and Joel forgot to put sunscreen on his legs, so he is in pain.
The Academy Awards are on TV. A TV with a bad reception so while I am watching it, I am also watching a movie that is running in the background. It took me a while to realize that's what was happening, at first I thought they were all wearing psychedelic clothes.
The roonies are asleep and Joel and I are smelly. For the first time ever I hear Joel say he can't wait to put on clean underwear. That's how bad it is.
At 11.30 pm the phone rings and a man asks me if I am missing a bag. I say yes and he hangs up! 5 minutes later, the bag is finally here and Joel and I celebrate by putting on clean underwear.

Day 3.
Monday passes much like the day before. Lounging at the pool, reading, drinking.I have taken a liking to the "Solaris Special" and Joel favors the "Hurricanes". The kids are having a blast swimming up the bar ordering their own kiddie drinks named such exotic names as "Mickey Mouse", "Conga", "Superman" etc. We take a walk on the beach and all of a sudden I see the hotel we were first dropped off at, The Royal Solaris. It has a nice beach and oh, will you look at that, a mini water park for the children. Now I am so profoundly confused, because I know that that's the hotel I booked. Back at the hotel I find out that we were upgraded to this much nicer hotel. We didn't go to the wrong hotel, we were upgraded. I know this should be a good thing, but the other hotel has what I wanted: a beach and a mini water park. Everybody assures us that we should stay where we are, this is much nicer. So we stay and we enjoy.
On the beach we hit a "local" stretch which was very interesting. The public beach is filled with Mexicans in various stages of either undressed or drunk. The children are all naked, most of the women wear very little and most of the men are lugging around gallon sized beer bottles. Everybody is having a grand time, eating lunch on their blankets, petting their cats and dogs who are tied to stakes in the sand. Men and women are walking by selling fresh fruit or trying to get girls to get their hair braided. I like this beach a lot, but of course my brood want to head back to the nice hotel pool.
On the way back we pass a couple of hotels that have been abandoned since Wilma. It is spooky to see some clothes still hanging on balconies and the rest of the hotel in complete shambles. They must have been under insured and couldn't afford to re-build. What a shame.
Back at the pool we take part in a daily bingo game and we also watch the "young ones" (meaning the ones with no children) and the "old ones" (meaning the ones with children out of the house) getting more and more drunk and more and more sunburned.
Again, we are in bed very early, completely exhausted from the sun.

Day 4.
We get up early and head to breakfast. Today we have decided to rent a car and go to Tulum which is a site of a Mayan ruin. The night before we had told the kids of this option and especially Lucas was very excited as he has been studying about Mexico in school. However, while he was getting dressed, he announces," Actually, I don't want to see a Mayan ruin." Just like that.
Well, tough luck. We are going.
The car rental guy tells us what to do if we get pulled over by the Mexican police. "Do not, under any circumstance, hand them your drivers license, they will ask for money to give it back to you, and know that they can only arrest you if you have alcohol or drugs in the car. " How comforting. I am excited to bee sitting with the windows down, snapping a whole bunch of pictures of the local scene. Until we realize that the car isn't an automatic and I have to drive! Why Joel can't drive a stick shift is beyond me, but he breaks out in a sweat and starts hyperventilating whenever he has tried, so I get behind the wheel and know I can say adios to a lot of pictures. He is not a good photographer either and doesn't see the pint in taking pictures of chickens running across the road etc.
A hour and a half and countless "could have been wonderful photographs" later we arrive in Tulum. The sky is now a little grey, but it is still very hot. As we walk up the ruins we see many many iguanas along the way. We're not talking cute little lizards, but gigantic iguanas. I feel like I'm in Jurassic Park. The ruins are amazing and even Lucas loves it. He makes up stories of how people lived and surprises all of us when he asks, "At that time, were the people ruled by Cortez?" WHAT??? He is 6 years old for crying out loud. How does he know this stuff?
The view is spectacular and I wish we had worn our suits under our clothes, but they are in the car waiting for our next stop.
On our way back down from the top of the mountain, the skies open and the rain starts. It absolutely pours and after hiding under a palm tree for a bit, we decide to just keep walking. So we walk, we get drenched and we love it. When the rain stops, the sun comes out and in a matter of minutes, our clothes are all dry again. We get back in the car and head to our next stop which is Akulmar and YaKul. These are places that were recommended by a person at the hotel. After turning down the wrong road several times and asking for directions in our, surprisingly, good Spanish, we find it. YaKul is a lagoon that is so serene and pretty. We rent snorkeling gear and while Lucas gives it a good try he is not fond of the saltwater. Kirsten is a little squeamish at first, but after I literally drag her out in the water, she is mesmerized by the all the fish. After she and I snorkel for about 1/2 hour, Joel takes her out. She loves it, absolutely loves it.
Lucas explores the surroundings and is taking a heap of pictures. After a couple of hours we decide to head back towards Cancun, leaving ample time to stop at "whatever looks interesting". The dirt roads are narrow and there are stray dogs everywhere. The sun is hot and the kids are getting more and more freckles by the minute.
On the way back we turn into a town which consists of a dirt road whit little shops and houses on each side. Stray dogs, half naked children and large Mexican women are walking in the street while men are gathered around old cars trying to fix them up. One house has the whole family gathered in the main room around a table where they are all eating. These houses are not the kind of houses we k now. These are mostly one or two room schacks where everybody sleeps in the same room. It is evident that people here are very poor and I wonder if they have ever been to these beautiful beaches or even in the next town. I love every minute of exploring the local life and while I urge Joel to take loads of pictures he is not comfortable doing so. He feels like it is rude to take pictures of other people. I have to drive and I am not in the mood to argue with him to take the pictures. They are in my head.
Going back to the hotel we stop at a small sandwich stand. Joel has vetoed the "tacos out of the back of a car" idea as he is afraid we will all get sick, so we opt for a small sandwich stand. The food is great and cheap and the service terrific. The Mexicans wipe off the table after every bite you take. I honestly don't think an other tourist has ever stopped by here. Most tourists stay in all-inclusive resorts, as did we, and if they are eating outside the hotel it is mostly at American fast food restaurants.
Back at the hotel we catch a glimpse of the nightly entertainment and then head to bed. We are exhausted, not only from the heat but also from all the new things we have seen.

Day 5.
Today is the big day. The day that Kirsten and I have been waiting for. We are going to Isla Mujeres to swim with dolphins. We did a dolphin encounter 3 years ago in the Bahamas, but this time we are doing the full thing. I am very nervous as we set off for Isla Mujeres. Not because of the dolphins, but because it is very very windy and we have to take a 30 minute boat ride to get to the island. I know I will get seasick unless I zone out and focus on one thing for the entire boat ride. It's hard to do when traveling with children, but i sense that Joel knows how bad it is, so the entire boat ride I am focusing on a small red sign ahead of me while quietly singing along to the 80's music they have opted to play on the ferry. For the first time in my life I manage to endure 30 minutes of rough sailing without getting sick. I am not even feeling sick, it is a miracle.
After getting off the boat Kirsten and I attend an orientation session where the dolphin trainer tells us what to do once we're int he waters with the dolphin. It is very windy and the waves are high. We are freezing as we stand in our swimsuits and life vests waiting to get in.
We get in and we are standing on a platform along with 3 other people who are as excited as we are. All of a sudden, Picasso, the dolphin appears in front of us and he is ready to give us an experience we will never forget. First we do the kiss. We hold our hand together and he swims up to us and we lift his head up and kiss him on the nose, then turn our heads for a kiss on the cheek. He is so smooth and we feel very comfortable with this big animal. Then we do the handshake where he swims up, we grab the fins and do a little dance with the dolphin. Is it me or is Picasso smiling too? Then we swim way out in the water, I take my position and Picasso swims under me, I grab his two fins and I ride on his belly all the way back to the platform. It is amazing. We then do a big dolphin hug and then I head way out in the water again, ready for my "push". I sit in the water holding my buggy board with my legs straight. I see Picasso swim behind me and before I know it I am lifted out of the water, going really fast being pushed on the bottom of my foot by Picasso. I am literally standing up and it is unbelievable. The adrenaline rush is intense and I can barely wipe the smile off my face. Much to my surprise, Kirsten doesn't chicken out and the smile on her face when she get s pushed is worth millions. I am so proud of her.
After the dolphin program, we have lunch and get in a taxi to go downtown. The streets are filled with tourists trying to get a good deal on the usual trinkets that seem like such a good idea at the time. You know, the sombrero, the ponchos and all the other souvenirs that just doesn't look as appealing once you're home.
Unfortunately we only have about 1 hour before we have to head back to the ferry. We all agree that we would liked to have spent at least 1 or 2 days here.
Back on the boat, I take my position, staring at the same red sign for 30 minutes. The ride is not as choppy as on the way over and somehow that makes it worse for me. As soon as we get to the other side I just want to get off that boat....fast.
Back at the hotel we hang out at the pool and it's another early night for us.

Day 6.
We spent the day by the pool, reading, relaxing. The water is very cold due to the cold front for the past two days. The afternoon is spent going to a market, but Kirsten gets a really bad stomachache, possibly from the cold water, and we head back, order room service and believe it or not, go to sleep early.

Day 7.
We realize that this is our last full day and we need to explore some more. So after beach time in the morning, we decide to go all the way in to downtown Cancun. We hop on the bus (it is very easy to get around Cancun) and after 35 minutes get off at Ave. Tulum. We are looking to go to a market called Mercado 28. First we stop at the grocery store, just to check it out, and the kids are amazed when they see the different thing that are available. A guy is scraping cactus leaves and explains to us, in Spanish, how to cook them. I think I understand everything, but since I can't buy cactus leaves at home, it doesn't really matter. In the grocery store they also sell clothes. The same brand we buy at Target, but very different styles.
Outside we ask an older man (well, he looked older, he had no teeth) for directions and he proceeds to walk with us for the next couple of blocks. So friendly. We walk and walk and walk and stop in to check out the local kiosk which is filled with everything you could ever want. It is so cramped with school supplies, candy and leather bags and it is here we get a true feeling for what it is like to live here. We pass a school where girls in uniforms are dancing in the school yard. We stop to take a look and the roonies marvel at the playground which they think is fantastic and I think is depressing.
We realize that we must be lost, so we ask for help again. This time it is a young Mexican man with his girlfriend. They speak no English, but they literally walk us all the way to the market. We try to have a conversation and somehow we manage.
At the market we say gracias to our helper and marvel as he turns around and starts walking back from where he came from. He wasn't even going this way to begin with and yet he took the time (20 minutes) to walk us all the way to the market. So nice.
The marke tis yet another tourist trap, albeit a cheap one. Everything here is less than half price at the other markets. We stop at a stall where a guy is selling Tequila. Now, Joel and I aren't big Tequila drinkers, but we are willing to try something new. So I try a fruit flavored Tequila that is surprisingly smooth and actually very good. The guy tells us that the Tequila has been ageing in fruit for 2 years. It is the least strong of them all. I like it a lot. The strongest Tequila he has has been ageing in a barrell filled with chili peppers for......21 years! Joel decides to try it and let me tell you, I have never seen anything like it. He takes the shot and before he has even swallowed it, he is bright red and sweating profusely. He can barely breathe and starts shaking all over. The guy makes him drink another kind of Tequila that is smoother, but it does very little to help the situation. We leave with a bottle of the smooth, fruit flavored Tequila.
We then spent time just walking around and as it gets darker, the city comes alive. People are coming back from work and the grocery stores are packed. Outside there are many taxis waiting to take people home with all their grocery bags, I guess that's how they get around. Imagine if we took taxis everywhere.
We then headed to a restaurant and enjoyed some really good food for the first time in a week.
Then it was back to the hotel and again, a bit of a show, and off to bed. And oh yeah, room service. We all wanted dessert.

Day 8.
A couple of hours at the pool and off to the airport. Back in Georgia late at night:(

Will we go back? I would go back in a heartbeat, especially now that we know that there is so much more to do that just beach and pool. I wouldn't go back to the same hotel, only because the food was awful.

Pictures will come soon.