Friday, November 26,2010

Instead of a cold early morning rush to find great deals in the stores as per a traditional “black Friday,” we had a leisurely breakfast, packed up the cars and headed to Puerto Juarez to catch a ferry to Isla Mujeras.  The main road that goes under the bridge and straight to the port was blocked off for some unknown reason so I got turned around a bit and we had to have Grandpa ask for directions at the Pemex station but I managed to get us to the terminal and over to the island by about 11 am.   We hired a boat and went snorkeling several places before we were tired and hungry.  The water was a bit choppy so Austin didn’t have the best time but we saw a lot of cool fish (even squid) and we all were pretty impressed with this little island and we hadn’t even spent time on it. 

We walked down the shore to the public beach and ate our lunch in the sun.  Keith needed to worship the sun god belly side up so he could “even out” after snorkeling belly side down so he laid out for a bit while the rest of us checked out the little port town.  Same stuff for sale as all the other towns.  Cute people for Grandpa to talk to and funny little guys saying, “come in here because I really want your money!” 

The ferry trip back to Cancun went really fast because I fell asleep.  I am getting tired.  I am losing patience for the lack of good street signs and the one way streets and all the topes.  Anyway I was a bit frustrated as I was trying to determine if I was going down the right road in Cancun when a policia walked out in front of me and herded me over to the side of this fairly busy road. At first I thought he just wanted me to change lanes or something but when I changed lanes and continued onward he waved violently for me to stop.   He didn’t seem to care that the traffic became a mess as they tried to get around me and also Keith who stopped as well.  The guy tried to wave Keith to go on but of course Keith wasn’t going anywhere.  Anyway he didn’t speak any English and so I had to look over at dad when he leaned into my window.   He soon realized that I didn’t understand a word he said so he let out a frustrated “aaah!” and walked around the car to dad’s side.  I don’t think dad understood him much either so things got very frustrating.  Dad kept trying to ask what we were pulled over for and apparently he said something about me not stopping.  I looked back down the road and there were not lights or “alto” signs.  We still don’t know what brought me to his attention but the guy quickly moved on to proclaim that my license plate wasn’t right.  Dad tried to explain that this was a rented car from Alamo but the guy kept repeating that the licence plate was all wrong.  Dad was asking what he wanted from us, what we were supposed to do about it.  I heard something about calling Alamo and having them come switch the car and I lost all patience.  I said, “Are you kidding me?  I want to speak with your supervisor.  I can not believe that this is the proper way to deal with this situation!  We rented this car from a company run by people from your country who know your laws and regulations and you’re telling me that we have to be punished for their mistakes?!  I will not tolerate this, young man, so you had better get your boss on the phone because I am hungry and tired and I WILL NOT wait around for Alamo to come switch out the car.  That is absolutely ridiculous.”  I pretty much said that all in one breath and of course it was all in English which the guy obviously didn’t understand so all he got was a tirade from a screeching fat American woman and I think he was a bit overwhelmed.  Dad started to talk soothingly to him and Keith finally came over.  I of course got my camera out while they were doing this.  When the guy saw me he said, “you camera licence” I thought he wanted a picture of licence plate for some reason...which I thought was just as ridiculous but he kept repeating that.  Dad told me later that he was saying “take a picture of the plate-that’s the problem not me.”  Dad and Keith got him talking again  and between the two of them they talked him into to letting me go.   As I was starting to go the guy leaned into my window and said, “you, no problemo?”  I sort of rolled my eyes and dad hurriedly told me, “say your sorry” – I felt like a little girl who stole candy at the store but I obeyed my dad and said, “lo siento.” 

I was ticked the whole way to Puerto Morelos where we planned to eat dinner.  This La Panza place was recommended by some guy on one of the message boards I was reading as I was researching the town on the internet before we left.  It sits right on the beach and is quite clean and pretty but being in the cranky mood I was in I was quite perturbed when they told me I couldn’t bring my own water into the restaurant and that I had to buy their water at $2usd a bottle.  I almost packed everyone up and headed for Playa Del Carmen but my calm husband just said, “what ever.”  The food was good but sparse for what we paid.  Everyone was still hungry-ish when we left. 

We had an hour long drive to the Hotel Banana in Playa del Carmen.  Keith pretty much led us right to it which is really amazing with all the one ways in this town.  Also traffic is very heavy around here as there is a Jazz festival going on over at the beach just down from our hotel.  The hotel is okay.  You can’t drink the water and you can’t put the toilet paper in the toilet but our two rooms are across the hall from each other and it is close to all the hustle and bustle of this very touristy town which is fun.  We are right on 5th Ave.   As I am sitting here in bed writing this there are little tiny ants and bugs that keep landing on me and my screen.  I hope they don’t bite.  Sleep tight...Life is an adventure.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

We woke up around 7ish this morning and had the hotel’s continental breakfast.  Then we walked down 5th Avenue for a bit and onto the beach.  It was already pretty hot by 8:30 in the morning.  We decided to go do another scuba dive down in Akumal.  Grandpa wanted to stick around Play del Carmen and look around so he took a day off from the Snows.  He has been fun to have around but we understood that he would have been left on the beach while we were diving anyway so we hugged him and set out. 

I really like Akumal.  If I come back to this area I think I would try to stay there.  We went out about 20 minutes by boat and down about 60 feet to “lobster reef.”  I had forgotten to charge the battery on my dive camera so I left it back at the hotel and decided to just enjoy the view on this dive.  I did have a few times where I really wanted my camera but it was actually quite nice to just hold Keith’s hand and watch my young ones looking around and fluttering along behind the dive master.  We saw a couple of sting rays and several lobsters including a very large one that would have fed the whole family if we had snagged it.    There are lots of beautiful fish on that reef.  The reef colors are not quite as vibrant as the ones at Cozumel but they are beautiful and we really had a nice experience.  I love this family activity!

We all snoozed in the sun for a bit after the dive then played some more in the water.  We looked around at some of the shops before we headed back to the hotel.  Grandpa was waiting for us in the room when we got there.  He had done some reconnaissance and found us a restaurant to eat at.  Everyone sang him praises because we were very hungry.  Of course Grandpa had become best pals with the guy that runs the place and knew his whole life’s story.  The place is just up the street from that fountain round-about on 5th.  We got a great table and were attended by Dad’s friend as he made sure that his waiters were getting us enough chips etc.  He didn’t mind at all that we brought our own water.  The food was amazing!  Grandpa said that his burrito was the best he’d every had.  (I sneaked a bite of it and it was really delicious).   I wouldn’t mind going back there.  It was a bit hard to order since the menu didn’t have any English on it.  Dad had found a place that the locals like to go and so it didn’t cater to the tourists as much as some of the others places do.  But Grandpa helped us all get some great food and there was enough of it to satisfy our hungry tummies.

After dinner we walked down 5th looking for trinket that the kids could give their friends.  Keith also wanted to buy more sandals since he loves the ones he got last time we were here so much.   Grandpa and Seth got bored after a while so they headed back.  What a zoo...or rather circus that place is.  It reminds me a bit of bourbon street in New Orleans or a street in Las Vegas.  Austin got approached by some guy asking him if he wanted some weed!  I heard him say it and turned and glared and shook my finger at that guy.  He just put his hands up sheepishly.   Austin was lagging behind us enough that the guy didn’t realize that mama bear was close by.

We soon found our selves on the beach listening to loud jazz music.  That particular group was lousy.  I actually like jazz music but this group was nothing like the New Orleans jazz that I could sit and listen to all night.  Manhatten Transfer is going to be there tonight but we couldn’t take the first group very long so we went back to the rooms.  It has been a great trip.  Tomorrow we will go to church and relax the rest of the day.  Monday we fly out. Life is good.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Luck is shining on the Snow family.  There just happens to be one car rental place on site here at our condo and it is Alamo which is where our flat-tire car is from.  Gramps and Keith took care of the swapping-the-car business while I made cream cheese eggs and bagels for breakfast and the kids lounged around.  After breakfast Keith took the kids to the pool for a bit and grandpa and I relaxed in the condo.  I ended up snoozing instead of reading but luckily Dad woke me up in time to make spaghetti for lunch before the kids got back then we gathered up and headed to Xcaret.

We decided to just do the swim and show tickets for Xcaret.  Those are half the price.  I remembered that Heather had said the show is the best part and worth the ticket after she went when we were down here a couple years ago.  Xcaret is beautiful and I probably would have liked to spend more time there but we had fun lazily snorkeling down the river and seeing the pretty fish and even a turtle.   We saw a few of the exhibits after the river but then we headed over to the spectacular. 

That show is the Mayan answer to the Polynesian Cultural Center show.  It was fabulous.  Grandpa really loved it.  He said “Your Ma would have been beside herself over that show.”  She would have.  She would have been planning to make one of the hundreds of amazing costumes they showcased and she probably would have videoed the whole show (instead of just snips here and there like I did) hoping to show her family what she saw.  The show is over 2 hours long and is packed full of great music, costumes, singing, drums, dancing, and energy.  I couldn’t believe that more than two hours had gone by when it was over.  It is a pageant about the history of the Mayan people through the centuries including the Spanish conquest.  Heather was right...worth the ticket.

After the show we looked around some more at the animals and some exhibits.  Most things were closing up though so we were in the car headed for home just after nine.  We ate a very late dinner of pulled pork sandwiches and mashed potatoes and then prepared for our scuba day in Cozumel.  The alarm is set for 5:30...I better hit the sack. Life is exciting!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wow is the word of the day.  I actually opened my eyes a few minutes before the alarm went off.  I had taken care of all my camera equipment last night so I just had to get the kids fed and out the door.  Keith and I had gone in to Playa de Carmen just before Xcaret yesterday to scout out parking and figure the timing of our trip.  We left in good time to make the 7am ferry over to Cozamel.  We parked at the public library which is free parking and just a few blocks from the ferry.  We only bought one way tickets thanks to the advice of Rita at Albatros Charters.   She didn’t want us to have to commit to a particular company both ways since that may mean waiting two hours for the next ferry from that particular company.  It proved to be invaluable advice!

I have to take a minute and praise Rita.  I came across Rita a few weeks ago as I was researching scuba companies on Cozumel.  There are hundreds of them since Cozumel is one of the premier places to dive in the world.  Well, I found a few that had great web sites and competitive prices so I emailed them all asking for more details and about some of the logistics etc and also explaining our situation–four teenage novice divers (just finished with certification) most likely going down for the first time in the ocean on Cozumel and a snorkeler along for the ride.   All the other companies sent back an automatic reply telling me to refer to the web site or a short message about prices and address and what ferry to take to make the morning dive (“6am ferry for the 8:15 dive”).  Rita with Albatross Charters wrote a long detailed sales email explaining their philosophy of bottom time based on air use and safety rather than time or person with highest air use.  Also they are a school so they are very accustomed with working with newbies and making sure they are confident and well cared for.  She suggested some dives that are gorgeous for scuba and attractive for snorkelers and was willing to travel the extra time in the boat to get there.  I was sold and called her on the phone number she gave me to ask more questions.  She was so helpful.  I told her that Keith and I had tried to dive Cozamel a couple of years ago but the ports were closed on the day we came over so we missed out.  I didn’t settle anything with her on that day but told her that the plan was to spend Saturday, November 20 on Cozamel and she put us on the schedule in pencil.  Anyway, a couple of days before we flew out of Utah she called me to let me know that she had been watching the weather and could see that a “Norte” was coming through Cozamel the weekend we were planning to be over there.  She remembered what had happened to Keith and I and didn’t want it to happen again.  She said that ports close if winds are at 16 knots.  She said that she wouldn’t know until that morning around 7:15 if the ports were going to close.  I didn’t want to chance it.  If the ports weren’t closed the water would be choppy and I really wanted the Cozumel dive to be perfect.  She said she had spots open throughout the following week so we tentatively moved our Cozamel day for Monday.  Well Friday night here at our condo I got a call from her and she was still watching the weather and she said that Monday still looked bad. She looked at Tuesday and Wednesday and compared the predicted wind speeds and Wednesday looked to be the best day.  I became a fan of Rita and Albatross charters just because she obviously wasn’t just trying to fill a schedule but actually was interested in making our experience the best it could be.   She arranged to meet us with our equipment at a pier just a block from the ferry terminal instead of making us come to the shop like several other companies wanted us to do.  She asked what time we would be there instead of telling us what time to be there.  She spent time giving instructions on how to prepare the kids that had been suffering with a cold and what to bring and determined what she would bring in order to make us the most comfortable.  I felt very well cared for and I knew that my young ones would be in good hands.

We arrived on Cozumel at 8ish.  It was earlier than we had told Albatross so we walked down to the pier and Keith stayed with the stuff while we visited the shops that were already open across the street.  Big time touristy places and sales people.  Seth got perturbed enough to say “I am going to make a t-shirt that says, ‘If I want it, I will ask for it’ and on the back it will say, ‘no gracias!’”

Edwin, the dive master, and Daniel, the boat captain, came in a big beautiful boat with a canopy and comfortable seating and all our equipment ready to go.  They helped us load all our stuff and stow it in nets on the ceiling so it wouldn’t get wet.  Ashlyn opted to use a wet suit but the rest of us were comfortable in the water the other day on a stormy day so we were sure we would be okay on this most perfect of days.  It took about 40 minutes to get to the spots that we had picked for our family.  Edwin made sure we were well outfitted with the proper weights etc on the way.  The boat was big enough and fast enough that the ride was pretty smooth so Austin and Ash and Keith were very comfortable.  The rest of us don’t get motion sickness so we weren’t worried.

On the count of three we all fell backward off the sides of the boat and sunk into the clear blue water.  My camera is very heavy and I found that I can stay horizontal and control my buoyancy better as I swim around with it.  I really love being able to record this unbelievably beautiful family activity.  “The family that dives together, thrives together.” 

It was immediately apparent why Cozamel is such a diver’s paradise.  The reefs are like the best of the scuba pictures you see.  The color’s are vivid and bright and full of life.  It was fun to see the kids pointing out all of it to each other as we went around the reef wall and through tunnels and caves in the reef.  About half way through the first dive, Edwin got our attention and pointed out Grandpa to us about 60 feet above us.  He was wearing a red t-shirt which we could see clearly through that amazing clear water.  We all waved.  Apparently, Grandpa had gotten into the water just after we did and had followed us around looking down on us from the surface.  The water was so clear he could see a lot of what we saw (besides he can “see the fleas on a dear’s back from a hundred yards out”) and their were quite a lot of fish that came right up to him out there.  He and mom had come to Cozumel about 10 years ago but they had just snorkeled off of the north shore so this was a great experience. 

After coffee cake and water and fruit on the boat and a 15 minute drive from the Palancar gardens and caves to the Columbia shallows we dropped into a beautiful world that truly looked like a wonderland of sea life.  We felt like we were in an aquarium with such a diversity of colors and sizes of fish.  This was a shallower dive so we were only 20-30 feet below grandpa the whole time.  Edwin just led us slowly around the reefs, allowing us to explore and move around.  He kept an eye on us and pointed out with hand signals all the coolest species like lobsters and grupers and even an amazingly friendly sea turtle and an eagle ray.  I got a lot on video but I ran out of battery after the sea turtle.  The kids ran out of air well before Keith and I so Edwin took them to the boat and let us continue until our air was used up.  We got to look around for at least another 15-20 minutes.  We got to see a huge morey eel.  He was at least 7-8 feet long and over a foot top to bottom and the prettiest bright green color.  He slithered into a cave in the reef and wouldn’t come out but we got to see him.  Way cool!

After unloading onto the pier, we walked to the Mega store and used their clean spacious bathrooms to change our clothes (we used the hand driers to dry some of our stuff too).  We bought rotisserie chicken with rice and coleslaw and some yummy Mexican cookies which we ate at the tables by a big window.  We were hungry even with the snacks provided by Albatross.

Shopping was next.  Grandpa bought a pair of full alligator skin boots.  I don’t know what he was saying but he negotiated with the guy for quite some time and finally the guy relented and gave dad his price.  I think he originally wanted $500usd.  We found trinkets and presents for friends. And I found earrings.  Keith got a “dive Cozamel” shirt and we all got on the 5:30 ferry happy, satisfied and tired after an amazing day.  Life is beautiful.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!  Well, I didn’t cook a turkey or even fix yams and apples but it was still a fine Thanksgiving.  We originally planned to go to Isla Mujeras today but everyone seemed a bit tired so we decided to make it a lounge-by-the-pool day...at least for Keith and the kids.  Grandpa and I left after breakfast to explore Puerta Morelas and find a Lavanderia del ropa (laundry).  They did not have a self serve laundry.  We only found a laundress in the Pueblo area who charged 10 pesos per kilogram.  We had 14 kilograms of laundry and we left it all with a cute lady who had three little ones clamoring about her legs and she promised to have it for us by 7pm tonight. 

After we left her establishment (which was a cinder block cubby with a roll down front and her living area behind a curtain in the back), we drove down to the beach.  The beach area was obviously a more affluent area.  The Pueblo area was so run down and full of rubble.  The only part that looked livable was the area around their school.  So I was pleased that their children seemed to be a priority.  Dad said that this town brought him back 50 years to the type of towns he served in on his mission.  Meager and poor but friendly and busy.  The beach is beautiful and you could see the reef from shore so I am sure that snorkeling there would be great.

I was driving around looking for a particular restaurant that was recommended to us when I saw a hostal.  We decided to check it out.  It wasn’t as nice as the one in Vallodollid and they charged more.  Still it was clean and much cheaper than the hotel...but I decided against it.  We are going to the Hotel Banana in Playa del Carmen tomorrow.  The host of the hostal gave us directions to La Panza el Premier (the restaurant) and as we were following his directions we started down a street going the wrong way (in my defense it was not marked in any way that I could see) and there just happened to be a policia right there (@#%$!).  He jumped out of his car and waved me over.  While I was turning around I debated whether to give him my real drivers license or my paper copy.  A friend of ours who travels to this area a couple of times a year told us to have a paper copy of our license to hand to police because sometimes they see the rental car and pull people over then hold their license for money.  He had been asked for $200usd once but luckily was able to talk them down to $40usd. I was pretty nervous but I had dad with me so I didn’t panic.  I decided to hand him my real license.  He spoke in Spanish but I got the gist of what he wanted me to do.  I had the Alamo rental agreement in my trunk so I got out and opened up the trunk for him to see that it was empty (now that the stinky laundry was out of there).  He actually was quite nice.  He didn’t seem like the power monger that some of the machine gun wielding guys along the 307 seem to be.  Anyway he studied the rental agreement and my license for a few minutes then gave them back to me and said a few things to dad and we were off.  PHEW!  We parked the car and decided to do the rest of our exploring of that place on foot.

We have gone through 120 bottles of water so after Puerto Morelos we headed to Cancun for water bottles.  We decided to stop at the Walmart just into town but the Walmart was ridiculously expensive and they didn’t have a Mexican flag which Gramps has been looking for so we decided to go all the way in to Costco.  I made a big boo boo and missed the turn to Kabah Avenue and we ended up spending the next 45 minutes maneuvering through the city and trying not to get smooshed by the weird traffic here in Cancun.  These people don’t get the stay in your lane thing.  Even if there are clearly only 2 lanes marked on the road there may be one car straddling the line or three cars practically mirror to mirror across the road.  And roundabouts!  Gees talk about scary!  Again, I didn’t panic since I had dad with me but I was building a raging headache and a mound of frustration.  We got to see the whole town after all.  It was definitely the scenic route.  Some people (my husband included) seem to have a built in GPS unit in their brains.  I do NOT.  And neither does Dad.  Well, we finally made it to Costco and I treated myself to a pina colada and Dad got a bottomless soda-which he filled up several times.  We got 60 more water bottles and a pumpkin pie to celebrate Thanksgiving with then we headed for the barn.

The kids had made the fourth and final pot of spaghetti for the week (yes I am sick of it but it is an easy, filling food and we made the mistake of buying the supplies at Costco and I hate to throw food away)  and had already eaten when we got home.  I snarfed some down and we all went to the pool to see if I could catch just a few rays of sun before it went down.  It goes down around 5 here.  Seems really early.  Grandpa stayed at the room to snooze.  Apparently the kids had had a great time at the beach while Gramps and I adventured.  They played volleyball in the sand for most of the time and worked up a great appetite.

When Grandpa and I went back for our laundry it wasn’t quite finished so Dad chatted with the lady’s husband and played with the children for a bit.  They all took to Dad so fast just like just about everyone else we meet down here.  A couple of kids brought a load of laundry in and the little sister was so dirty that I thought she should have been left to be cleaned along with the clothes. 

When we got home we had bbq beef sandwiches, salad, strawberry fruit drink and the rest of the spaghetti.  We had that yummy pumpkin pie for dessert.

We are all packed up and ready to check out tomorrow.  We will explore Isla Mujeras tomorrow then eat dinner in Puerto Morelos at that restaurant that we finally found...at least that is the plan tonight.  Life is bountiful.

Sunday, November 21, 2010


We had a wonderful sabath day. What a blessing that we are a world wide church and can find a place to take the sacrament every where we go. We attended the Playa del Carmen ward at 9am which is the ward where Alma, our guide, goes to church and so we had people we knew. The best part is that it was the primary program and we were treated to a sweet Spirit brought to us by those darling children. I am the primary chorister in our ward so I knew all the songs that they sang. All the children in this ward sang and had their parts memorized. I didn’t understand their speaking parts but I could tell that they are being taught the gospel and it is the same gospel that is being taught all over the world. My testimony of the fact that this is the only church that has the fullness of the gospel grew today.



After sacrament meeting I led the way to the Coba ruins about 2 hours away where we hiked around and climbed on the stuctures and just enjoyed each others company. I love how Coba is still very interactive. There are so many structures that are still covered in vegetation. I am totally impressed at how Grandpa keeps up and even exceeds our pace. We aren’t the lay-around-the-condo type of travelers. We pack each day as full of sight seeing or tourist activities and then fall into our bed at night. He is all for it. The only part of the ruins that Gramps didn’t climb on with the kids is Nahoch Mul (the large mound). It is the tallest structure in Mexico and is a beast to climb but it is terrifying to come down. It is very steep with tall narrow steps. They have a rope going down the middle but it is not very helpful as it is just laying on the steps. He was a bit nervous about his balance coming down. Stamina wise he probably could have beat us all up to the top. Anyway he sat in the shade while we went up to the top and back. We ate sandwiches and apples that we had packed while we rested from our conquest.



Ashlyn is collecting nature pictures for biology and she has gotten some extraordinary pictures of beautiful, tropical plants and amazing bugs including this river of ants that were crossing one of the paths today at Coba. I am not exaggerating when I say river....well maybe a little, but the stream of ants was about 4 inches wide and diverged and converged and flowed in this amazing superhighway of black ants. The pictures don’t really do it justice but it was sooo cool.



After Coba we went back to the church to see a baptism. Alma’s son’s fiancé got baptized tonight and Alma invited us. It was beautiful and, again, just the same format as any baptism I have witnessed only a different language. I loved it. Alma’s family is beautiful and Mar, the fiancé, is gorgeous so she will fit right in. Miguel, the future groom, not only is handsome but he seems so “with it” that I get the impression he will be a leader in the Church down there in the not so distant future. There is just an amazing spirit about him and a charisma that is undeniable. He sought Grandpa out to talk about their mutual Mexican mission and sat and conversed for quite some time. Grandpa came away a big fan of Miguel’s. Grandpa is really in his element at church here in Mexico. He gets these people and they are very attracted to him. It pleases me to see him so happy. He has been told by several people on this trip that he speaks like a native with no American accent. He was “tickled pink” and “pleased as punch!”



We came home to eat a steak and potatoes dinner and just chill the rest of the night. We have hot water finally tonight so our showers were much more comfortable. Everyone is sleeping great. Sandra’s cold is over and Austin’s is getting better. Life is a blessing.



Monday, November 22, 2010



Another fabulous day down on the Yucatan Peninsula! We started the day down in Tuluum with Alma and a very nice tour of the most beautiful ruins of all. Seth said he liked them best because he could really imagine being in Book of Mormon times while he was there. The ruins are all immaculately excavated and the carvings on the building are much better preserved than all the others. He also said that they felt complete where the other ruins were not even close to being fully uncovered. I love how Tuluum seems to show an underlying understanding of the plan of salvation by the ancient Mayan people. My favorite part is the god head shown on the big temple. There are three carvings above the lintel– one is blank (the Holy Ghost), one is upside down called ipsama (?) which means “morning dew” and is a god that descended from heaven to the earth and brought light to the Earth (Christ), and the other is the father of ipsama or the God of all knowledge. Also it is interesting that the Mayan shifted from the feathered serpen god-Kulkulcan (creator of heaven and earth or Jehovah) to the morning dew god-ipsama (Jesus) although they depict him as being the same person at Tuluum. Anyway, Alma’s sweet testimony was wonderful to hear. Keith and I enjoyed being able to take our time in Tuluum. Last time we were there we got there just before closing so we were rushed as Alma tried to get as much in as possible before the park whistlers physically kicked us out. This time Alma had plenty of time and answered any questions and then after her tour she left and we strolled around some more. We had apples in the shade of a beautiful tree with blue and brown birds chirping and the sound of the oceans in the background. The beach that is part of the ruins was closed today as it was way to choppy for safety apparently.



When we left Tullum we headed to Akumal. It is a little town on the beach that a friend at work recommended for scuba and snorkeling. Right on the public beach is a dive shop and my young ones were able to complete their first ocean dive. It was spectacular! I got some great video with my new dive camera. The kids all got down okay and everyone stayed together and pointed at all the amazing sea life on that Palancar reef. We saw two huge sea turtles and a good sized sting ray as well as a few barracuda, lobsters, crabs and lots of purple and yellow and green fish. Our dive master was so great. He went nice and slow and pointed out lots of the things we saw. He also payed more attention to our air than to the time. There was a second guy down with us so when Austin got to the 700 psi point first he sent him and Sandra (his dive buddy) up with that second guy and took us around the reef some more until our air was down. I thought that was remarkable. All other dives I have been on was cut short due to one person in the group getting low on air well before I have even used half of my air. I still had almost 1000 psi left but I was so grateful for that extra time. Apparently it was a blessing that Austin got low on air first as he had started to feel yucky and upchucked the sandwich he had for lunch soon after he got on the boat. I guess he had swallowed some salt water and it was not sitting well with him. In spite of that though, he said he had a great time and is excited to go down again. They all did just wonderfully and they were bubbling over with the thrill of their first ocean dive. Their enthusiasm and gratitude made it worth every penny. My kids really are a joy to travel with. They get along so well when we travel and they are always so grateful for the adventures we have on these family vacations.



Grandpa was invited to go out on the boat to snorkel around while we went down but he wouldn’t have been able to see much so he opted to stay on the beach and snooze and then walk around and explore this little beach village. He found a ripe coconut which he absconded with and hopefully will share a sip of its juice. He said he had a great time and the time went really fast. He is a champ. I am loving having that guy around. The boys like to pick on and tease and wrestle him every chance they get and the girls like to fuss over him and he is great for telling me stories to keep me awake on some of these longer drives.



After a walk on the beach and some seashell hunting we headed for home. Just as we got in the car it started to pour rain. It was like a toilet was flushing on us and the lever was stuck. The windshield wipers barely kept up with the rain and visibility was not very good. I was a bit nervous. Then, just after we passed through Playa del Carmen construction zone Keith radioed that he had a flat tire. Thank Heaven we were just passing a gas station and he was able to pull in and have them fill it up. We made it back just fine . The rain hadn’t let up yet and we got soaked as we went from the car to the condo.



BLT sandwiches were on the menu for tonight and they hit the spot almost as much as the hot shower did. The best part of the evening though was a call from Justin to tell us that they are having a BOY! We have been spontaneously proclaiming, “it’s a boy!” every few minutes ever since. Oh I pray for Shawna’s health and the health of that baby boy. Life is precious!

Saturday, November 20, 2010
Well, our big hiking-around-the-ruins day was a huge success.  We got up and took cold showers again and were treated to toast for breakfast.  The kids got ready well before we were to meet Alma, our tour guide, so they walked the two blocks down to the square to shop around if possible.  It wasn’t.  Apparently there was a town celebration going on complete with a children’s parade and everything was closed.  Grandpa hurried down the street to join them.  He got a big kick out of the whole thing.  He was reminded of those years in the late fifties that he spent in Mexico.  Keith and I hurried to call Alma to tell her that meeting her at the church was not exactly possible and we soon were on our way hoping to intersect with them.  Alma was driving into town and saw four gringo teenagers and their grandpa looking very much like foreigners so she pulled over and yelled, “Wendy?” Seth called dad and we soon were following Alma out of town to Ek Balaam.

The drive wasn’t too far and we got to go through a couple of villages including one that was big enough to have an LDS church right across from the big Catholic church of the town.  Ek Balaam is a small archeological site which was apparently very sacred.  Several things impressed me about this place but a couple were high on the “wow factor.”  First there is a special area where a feet washing ritual takes place complete with a small trough built into the floor in two spots.  Second there are these carvings of angels on the most holy building that have their hands in positions that I recognize from the temple.  It actually was quite astonishing.  I told Seth to remember them.  That young man will soon be going through the temple himself.  He got his patriarchal blessing a few Sundays ago.  He may have a mission call when we get back....aah! 

After Ek Balaam we were taken to a large buffet restaurant and we stuffed ourselves with very yummy food.  The rice, beans and fried fish was the best ever and their fresh tortillas were divine.  We had rice pudding, pork, yucatan chicken, fruit, etc. Delish!

We headed over to Chitzen Itza next (affectionately known as “Chicken Pizza”).  That place is truly remarkable.  The astronomy that they had to know to build that place.  I love the feathered serpent mythology that Alma tells us.  She connects Kulkulcan with Christ as the Creator of Heaven (the feathers) and Earth (the serpent) and as the God who came from heaven to earth.  She also showed us in Old Chitzen Itza a place that looks an awful lot like a baptismal font and also a temple in homage to “three brothers” that some LDS scholars think might be referring to the three Nephites since there are paintings inside of three white skinned men teaching dark skinned people.  Also Mayan cosmology sure has a lot of symbols that reflect our LDS faith.  My young ones thought Alma was amazing.  She kept us all completely interested through out the whole 2 and a half hour tour of this big complex– even Grandpa got excited and started joining the kids in asking questions.  I could really feel the Spirit when Alma stood outside one building rich with symbols and bore her testimony.  She said to my children that she, a Mayan descendant, is grateful to us, the Gentiles, for bringing the Gospel to her people and she feels very blessed to be in a position to pass it along.  Anyway a couple of things that are interesting about the place this time is that they started last January to excavate near the big temple and have uncovered what appears to be a whole new layer to the complex.  Also there is a carving on one of the building in Old Chitzen Itza that is obviously a horse.  It dates back to hundreds of years before the Spaniards came so the Book of Mormon is not wrong when it mentions horses being in that area. 

The weather yesterday was almost perfect.  It was a bit too humid for my liking but it was not overly hot and every once in a while a breeze blew through so we were actually quite comfortable walking around that large complex.  We were tired and a bit hot at the end however so we were delighted when Alma led us to a cenote just a few minutes from Chitzen Itza.  She left us there after getting us a discount on the tickets and we splashed and dove into a very large and deep pool of beautiful, clear, fresh water.  They had a 20 foot platform to jump/dive off and Grandpa can still dive with the best of them.  The kids had fun doing goofy frog dives just to wrinkle Grandpa’s nose who insists that diving with good form is not just prettier but safer.  I think that water had some healing powers or something because any aches and fatigue were gone after an hour in that hole.  We teased Grandpa that he looked 10 years younger and that he ought to stay in there another hour or two.

We headed toward the place we are staying in for the week at around 6.  It is dark by then and I was a bit nervous.  I didn’t have to worry though.  Alma had given us good directions and, although it was a long 3 and a half hour drive, we didn’t have any trouble.  The roads are actually well marked too so we found our place just fine. We got there at 10ish and we were all tired and ready for bed.  We had quite a walk from the parking garage to our place and poor Austin doesn’t have wheels on his big case which also has many of the girls things in it.  I thought he was going to loose the use of his one good arm after that long hike.  Our room is nice and there is a bed for each of us but we got nervous when we realized there was no hot water.  I called the desk and apparently they were having trouble with pipes and “oh, by the way we recommendo you no drink from the tap.”  Good thing we had water left from our Costco trip! We got unpacked and showered and finally at about midnight knelt to thank our Father in Heaven for a marvelous day.

We are staying at the Mayan Palace about 6 miles south of Puerto Morelos.   It is a huge golf/beach complex.  Our condo is about a half a mile from the beach but it is a nice stroll through tropical foliage.  I guess you can call for a golf cart to come take you but we don’t bother.  Originally we had planned to go over to Cozumel today but a lady that I have been working with to scuba over there called and warned me that there was a storm coming in and she recommended that we put off the trip.  Sandra and Austin have come down with a mild cold so we thought that was a good idea.  We decided to make this day a restful day.  We slept in until 9ish– well Grandpa slept in until 6.  I cut up apples for breakfast and some of us ate protein bars too.  We gave the kids the task of exploring the complex– and staying together– while we, Keith, Grandpa and I, went to Costco for food.  We have a small fridge, stove and microwave so I had to be a bit creative on the menu planning so we could fit all the perishables in that mini fridge.  When we got back we found the kids back at the place.  Apparently they had fun at the massive pool area until Sandra picked up the towel that Seth had stashed his phone in and the phone when flying into the pool.  Things went sour a bit after that.  They did not find the laundry room or the cyber café and they didn’t figure out the prices of either of those places so I am not sure when I will be posting this. 

I made spaghetti for lunch and after clean up we trekked down to the beach.  Ashlyn and Grandpa napped, Keith and Sandra beach combed, Seth and Austin checked out a soccer ball and had a vicious game of one on one (they had a one-on-one court complete with small nets).  I, of course, set about filming these activities.  After a while a group of guys came down to the volleyball court and recruited the boys to play with them.  It turned out to be a great game and was fun to watch.  Sandra wandered over and was soon invited to be on the team.  The game went on for quite a while.  The rest of us came back after a while and made some yummy strawberry juice from concentrate that Costco sells down here.  Bagels and cream cheese for dinner when the volleyball crew finally came back.  Harry Potter on the tv.  Family time.  Another great day!

Hello from Mexico!

We have begun our family adventure down here in Book of Mormon land!  We left home last night after a long day at work and school and boarded the plane at 12:15 am (yes, we took the red eye!).  Most of us were able to sleep the few hours to Atlanta and then we crashed on the airport benches for the three and a half hour layover.  Well, grandpa didn't sleep.  He walk/jogged around the airport and got his exercise in.

We arrived at Cancun International Airport at 11:30 and stood in long lines to get through customs.  I am so glad my kids are big--yes, I just said that.  I didn't have to take them potty or wipe their nose or listen to them wine about the the long boring line they had to wait in. 

We rented two little cars since that was so much cheaper than renting one big car and I was elected to lead.  I have never been in this postion and I was slightly terrified but I had done all the research and grandpa didn't bring his license so I needed to drive not navigate (which is my usual employ) so for the first time in my life I am leading the journey through our adventure.  aaaH!  I managed to get us out of the airport after circling three times and I got us to Costco without any altercations or backtracking.  Keith said I must have had my Costco homing device in.  We picked up 60 water bottle and some apples and ate yummy food from the food court - including the most amazing pina coladas ever!  Then, with a prayer constantly running I led the way to Valladolid in the middle of the pennisula about 120 miles away. 

I was feeling fabulous as I got us on the 180 and exited into the charming colonial town of Valladolid until I realized that google directions wanted me to turn the wrong way down a one way.  Valladolid is one big mire of one-way streets and I wasn't feeling the charm any more when I became totally turned around.  Thank the Lord that my daddy was in my car to keep me from a melt down.  He used his excellent Spanish to ask a gas station attendant where our hostal was and we proceeded to follow those directions.  Well, we missed the diagonal off-shoot the first time and had to navigate those %$@# one-ways to get back to that gas station and start over.  We made it onto the narrow cobblestone street that time but we didn't see our place and soon I was leading our crew past that gas station AGAIN!  This time I  pulled into this cobbled patio area just after that narrow turn off and I started to panic.  It was getting dark.  We were way later than I had told the people we would be there and I didn't know what to do.  Dad, just got out and walked up the street, determined to find the place.  We sat in the cars and waited.  A couple of minutes had gone by when a four-foot-nothing young man came up with a very stern look on his face spewing Spanish of which the only word I caught was "policia."  He started gesturing to our cars when he saw our blank faces and we soon realized that we had parked in the wrong spot.  I was looking forward to Policia coming so they could take me to a bed where I could sleep and eat so I said, "Yes, please go get the policia!"  The little man gave me a look like I was from Mars and stalked off around the corner only to return thirty seconds later with a cart full of pastries which he proceed to tug into place between our cars.  Seth and I started to giggle a bit as we realized that we were in his vending spot.  I felt a bit bad. Then I felt tired and lost and Dad hadn't returned and the tears welled up and spilled over.  Like a super hero Dad appeared walking quickly and giving me the "breathe-because-everything -is-fine" signal.  He hopped in the car and said, "No worries I found it."  Apparently he had to talk to about 5 people before he got real directions.  Asking directions here is almost pointless because no matter who you ask they "know" exactly what you are talking about  and are confident in giving you directions even though most of them are making it up.  Anyway he went in and talked to the guy and he was expecting a party of 7 so he hurried back to collect us.

We are staying at Hostal de Fraile.  Hostals are much cheaper than hotels.  We are all in a tiny room with four sets of bunk beds.  We actually have our own bathroom but the other rooms have to share a common bathroom.  We unloaded our stuff and stripped our Utah wear off and got into shorts.  It is much warmer here---yea!  It is pretty muggy though since it has been raining. Anyway,  we walked a couple of blocks to the town center and toured the cathedral which they have all lit up at night. We walked around then found the restaurant that Carlos (our host) suggested and we ate a most delicious dinner.    After dinner we shopped around a bit then walked back to bed.  We all took cold water showers (there was no other option so cold was good) and they are settled in bed.  We have a big hiking around the ruins day planned for tomorrow.  I have hired someone to lead us around so I am sure I am going to be much more relaxed.  I really am so happy to be here with my sweet family.  I will try to keep you posted throughout the trip.