My Girlfriend’s Cancun Mexico Travel Adventure
This summer I went to paradise! My mom was planning to attend the world convention for doctors (WONCA 2010) in Cancun, Mexico. I was so excited because she took me with her. I’m the luckiest girl on earth!!!! To reach such a gorgeous place as Cancun, we had to travel for 20 long hours. We had two options: First, we can take a connecting flight from the Philippines to LA, LA to Mexico City, and Mexico City to Cancun. Second option: Philippines to Dallas then Dallas to Cancun. Since we were on the waiting list for the second option we chose the first one.
We arrived in Cancun at around 12 or 1. To our surprise, we were not able to claim our checked-in baggage. The airline left our baggage in Mexico City. It’s a good thing that Mexicans are very friendly and accommodating. We waited for the next flight to arrive and finally claimed our bags. While waiting I browsed the Cancun Maps they gave out for free and the tour packages offered.
We rode a taxi to get to our hotel and it was not cheap at all! It cost us $60 “mickey mouse” dollars. Well I learned beforehand that taxi from the airport to anywhere in Cancun will be very expensive. It’s cheaper once you are in the hotel zone and even cheaper if you are in Cancun center. It will cost you about 20 Mexican peso.
Cancun is amazing! It is divided into two areas: hotel zone, a strip of beach front hotels and malls, and Cancun center where the locals are. It’s like an improved and bigger version of Boracay but much more peaceful.
We arrived at Cancun Clipper Club at around 3 pm. The location was perfect for us. It’s near to just about anything we need. Just right across the street where Clipper Club is, are the convention center, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Looking for souvenirs is not a problem. You will definitely find shops almost anywhere you look. You can find shot glass, shirts, key chains, hats with Cancun labels or Mayan designs. They also offer Mexican traditional clothings, tequila and other liquors, colorful potteries, silver and semiprecious stones, leather, and of course the famous sombrero.
The first thing we did… hmmm… EAT! What else? We had our early dinner at a Mexican restaurant (sorry forgot the name). They served us some corn chips and salsa. It is a staple in Mexican restaurant to serve chips and salsa while the customers wait for their order. Mom ordered Caesar’s salad (Mexican style) which was composed of lettuce, bread crumbs and the dressing. The dressing was a bit sour. I think they added lime. For the main course, mom had angus steak con arros (with rice). Their rice is never plain. It’s always with herbs and carrots or java and in very little amount (well for us Filipinos). I had chicken with some kind of Mexican sauce. It’s like a yellowish gravy with some spices. It has very light taste.
The next day, mom registered and received her kit for the convention. Since the next program or activity was not until 4pm, Doria, the Mexicana doctor we met that day, invited us to go to ‘mercado’ meaning market. Mercado 28 is just like 168 Mall in Manila but it is not air conditioned and not overly crowded. It is located in Cancun centro. We got there by bus which cost us 7.50 Mexican peso (way cheaper than riding a taxi). It’s easy to commute since the buses indicate their route and you can wait or get off at any bus stop. To get to Mercado 28 from our area, the bus marked route 2 or R2 should be taken. Once you board the bus you have to pay the driver immediately and he will give you a ticket. The bus will not drop you off in front of Mercado 28. You will have to walk a few meters before reaching it. The shop caters mostly to tourists. They usually sell souvenirs and Mexican stuff. You can bargain with the sellers. Tip: once you see something you like don’t buy it immediately. It is better to look around coz some stores might offer exactly same thing but a cheaper price. We went back to our hotel so mom could attend the opening ceremony.
That night, we went out to check the nearby mall, Plaza Caracol to book for a tour. We chose to tour Xcaret Park the next day. Pick up time was 7:30 am. At the hotel lobby. We also booked in advance to tour Interactive Aquarium at Plaza la Isla scheduled at 11am.
Xcaret Park is a definitely must go place in Cancun. It is so big that it is impossible to finish everything in one day so most travel agency offer a discount for a second day tour in Xcaret. You can enjoy just about anything there: swimming or snorkeling both at the underground river and at the beach, site seeing, shows, and shopping. There are activities which required advance booking and extra payment at the booking area: swimming with dolphins and other marine animals, snorkeling tour and spa.
First we went to visit the capilla de Virgen de Guadalupe (Chapel of Virgin of Guadalupe). At first you will expect a traditional church but once you get in… whoa it is simply amazing. The image of the Virgen is made of a tree trunk. You can still see the roots. The interior of the church is more like a cave. The way to the altar is a small bridge because it is surrounded by water. Right beside the chapel is the casa del artes (house of the arts) where Mexican art is exhibited very cool.
The next stop was at the Xcaret plus where we got our locker key and towels. Since we booked for Xcaret plus package we can use snorkeling gears, locker, and towels for free. Buffet lunch at your choice of restaurant inside the park (included in Xcaret plus: Dos Playas, La Peninsula, La Cocina, and La Laguna) was also included. We went to look for the entrance at the underground river and when we were finally there I was in awe! The water was cold and salty but not enough to keep me from getting into it J. It will take you a while to reach the end of the river. There are several exits just in case the tourists get tired. You don’t have to worry about missing the moment since there are lots of Xcaret staffs who would take your picture. You can claim it at the main building at the entrance. The bad thing is the pictures are very expensive: $13 US.
By the time we finished swimming, it’s time for lunch. The restaurant we chose was La Peninsula which offers international buffet and mostly seafood. It was recommended by our guide. I don’t know if it’s because it is the best among the 4 mentioned or if he had commission for recommending it. Anyway, the drinks are not included in the meal, but the Xcaret plus package includes 2 free drink coupons you can surrender at any store in exchange for water, juice or cola.
After lunch we went to see the butterfly dome and the stained glass. We spent some time at the Mayan village and bought some souvenirs. We also watched Mayan performances: like a ritual or something. After that we went to the cemetery which does not look anything like a cemetery. The tombs were like miniature or figurine churches or houses.
Not far from there was the St. Francis de Assisi chapel. It was open-air just like the one in Laguna near the High School for the arts. The view from the top is amazing. There is a night show at the theater at around 6pm, but we did not watch it since we have free tickets courtesy of WONCA scheduled the next day. While waiting for the show to end we did some shopping. We were able to reach the hotel at around 11pm. When the bus dropped us off near our hotel, we bought some quesadilla for 12 Mexican pesos. You can order natural (cheese) or with slices of meat. The cheese is superb! There are also side dishes ranging from rice, pickled vegetables and chillies which are all free. The seller was so nice he gave us 2 free quesadillas YUM YUM!!! The day was very tiring but so much fun!!!!
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