Since Ryan is a Rock Star, he was able to arrange for us to go in the back way and get into the Vatican in a painfree manner. It was an amazing thing to be given a private tour of the Popes gardens. Tourists are not allowed in the private gardens and it was amazing to be inside this quiet, peaceful area in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Rome.
The gardens are amazing with beautiful sculptures, fountains and every kind of flora and fauna known to man. They even have parrots in the gardens. It was gorgeous. We saw the helicopter pad and also the place that all the visiting presidents and heads of state stay.
Of course, St. Peters Basillica was mind boggling and beautiful. Ryan had much of the history for us and got us in the back door so we walked out into the middle of a roped off area, much to the surprise of everyone standing behind the ropes!
There are some special artifacts, like part of the holy cross (which came from Ryans monestary) and official letters and the like, that are hidden up in the basilica. No one has seen them in many many years and they are behind multiple locks, keys and safes. Ryan had to accompany a very very very VIP up to see them. Even the Vatican Historian had never seen them so he accompanied Ryan and the VIP up through a labyrinth of locks, tiny stairs and dank hallways to see the relics of ancient church history. It sounded very daggers and intrigue to hear Ryan describe it.
Perhaps the most interesting and strange part of the entire Vatican visit was the Vatican PX, for lack of a better term. They have ALL the designer clothes in there for cheap, cheap, cheap. Kelly and I thought we had died and gone to heaven (ha ha). She immediately bought a Burberry poncho for $1000 off and I tried on a Dolce and Gabbana dress (which fit but looked hideous!). We are going back today to all go shopping crazy. Chris is very happy that I am bringing my own credit card with me.
We spent that night at the Spanish steps, window shopping and eating. It was a magical evening, except for all the touristas and their trash and cigs!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Ryan is a Rock Star!
Wow! Chris and I will definitely take the prize for most weight gained in a week. We have lost all of our angular facial features and we both have little dough boy faces and bodies now.
It does not help that all of our food has been free except 2 meals. We are staying at the monestary hotel for the Church of the Holy Cross, or Sante Croce as it is called here. It is one of the official 7 churches in Rome. We eat all of our meals with the monks, generally in silencio, while a monk reads off latin text for our enjoyment. Something about the combination of FREE and latin texts causes us to all eat way more than we need to. Thus, the dough people. We are praying to be upgraded to first class because we fear Coach will not hold our expanded bottoms.
The first day, Thursday, we flew in at 8 a.m. and waited at the airport with trusting hearts that someone would pick us up. Two hours later, that trust was fraying. No one was answering their phones and there was no greeting party with open arms. Chris and I were bickering. We were hungry. We could not understand anything and EVERYONE was smoking. It was not much of a start to our so-called second honeymoon.
Winston and Ryan finally came to get us. Winston had a car arranged from the Vatican to come get us but for 10:30 and not 8 when we landed. It is nice to know that we were not completely forgotten.
We immediately got settled into our monk-like rooms, complete with concrete posts that double as beds, and took a short nap before dinner. Then, it was time to shower and get ready for Ryans ordination. What an affair that was!!
It seemed like all of Rome was out to celebrate Ryans big day. The Vatican sent the Secretary of the Vatican (so like Donald Rummie was for our president) over to do Ryans service and he brought his 8 secret service guys. The secret service guys scowled. A lot. The Vatican also sent over an entire contingent of red dressed priests. Ryan tells us that (1) the Cardinal has never done another ordination and (2) that normally there is only one Priest at each ordination. He expresses bafflement at why they are treating him so well and with such honor but it is very clear to his family that Ryan is destined for high places for the Church. After all, within 2 days of the ceremony, Ryans photos are available in the Vatican Gift Shop as a photo essay. It is not every monk that gets that!
The service was long with much standing and praying and Ryan spent half of it, fully flat out on his face on the floor. My snake skin, open toed, 3 inch heels had some trouble supporting me in comfort but they helped to set off the austere black suit. Ryan said he did not recognize me in such a covered-up outfit. I was not sure if that was a complement or not.
The big surprise came when the Renoud children were pulled from the crowd to be part of the ceremony. Chris delivered the Chalice up to the Cardinal on the steps and I carried the Holy Water. We made a little processional all the way from the back of the church to the front, walking slowly and with dignity, my little red toes winking all the way. Then, we had to deliver the holy artifacts to the Cardinal, who grasped our hands meaningfully. Apparently, we were supposed to kiss his hand but not being Catholic, we had no idea that we were supposed to be kissing random hands on stage. We made it back to our seats with nary a slip, which was quite a feat in my 3 inch heels on the giant cobblestones.
After the mass was over, there were hours and hours of celebrations where we met everyone who was anyone in Rome. The Princess of Italy was there. The Ferrarri family was there. There head of the Oil company for Italy was there. Everyone wanted to be there to celebrate with Ryan. Or, the cynical nature in me does wonder if everyone was there to curry favor with the next muckity muck for the Church. Either way, I told Ryan we would need to rename the Church Everyone Loves Ryan because he is very very beloved here. I can see why he loves it.
More on our travels to the Vatican, seeing the Holy Cross and almost dying on the way to Positano later ...
It does not help that all of our food has been free except 2 meals. We are staying at the monestary hotel for the Church of the Holy Cross, or Sante Croce as it is called here. It is one of the official 7 churches in Rome. We eat all of our meals with the monks, generally in silencio, while a monk reads off latin text for our enjoyment. Something about the combination of FREE and latin texts causes us to all eat way more than we need to. Thus, the dough people. We are praying to be upgraded to first class because we fear Coach will not hold our expanded bottoms.
The first day, Thursday, we flew in at 8 a.m. and waited at the airport with trusting hearts that someone would pick us up. Two hours later, that trust was fraying. No one was answering their phones and there was no greeting party with open arms. Chris and I were bickering. We were hungry. We could not understand anything and EVERYONE was smoking. It was not much of a start to our so-called second honeymoon.
Winston and Ryan finally came to get us. Winston had a car arranged from the Vatican to come get us but for 10:30 and not 8 when we landed. It is nice to know that we were not completely forgotten.
We immediately got settled into our monk-like rooms, complete with concrete posts that double as beds, and took a short nap before dinner. Then, it was time to shower and get ready for Ryans ordination. What an affair that was!!
It seemed like all of Rome was out to celebrate Ryans big day. The Vatican sent the Secretary of the Vatican (so like Donald Rummie was for our president) over to do Ryans service and he brought his 8 secret service guys. The secret service guys scowled. A lot. The Vatican also sent over an entire contingent of red dressed priests. Ryan tells us that (1) the Cardinal has never done another ordination and (2) that normally there is only one Priest at each ordination. He expresses bafflement at why they are treating him so well and with such honor but it is very clear to his family that Ryan is destined for high places for the Church. After all, within 2 days of the ceremony, Ryans photos are available in the Vatican Gift Shop as a photo essay. It is not every monk that gets that!
The service was long with much standing and praying and Ryan spent half of it, fully flat out on his face on the floor. My snake skin, open toed, 3 inch heels had some trouble supporting me in comfort but they helped to set off the austere black suit. Ryan said he did not recognize me in such a covered-up outfit. I was not sure if that was a complement or not.
The big surprise came when the Renoud children were pulled from the crowd to be part of the ceremony. Chris delivered the Chalice up to the Cardinal on the steps and I carried the Holy Water. We made a little processional all the way from the back of the church to the front, walking slowly and with dignity, my little red toes winking all the way. Then, we had to deliver the holy artifacts to the Cardinal, who grasped our hands meaningfully. Apparently, we were supposed to kiss his hand but not being Catholic, we had no idea that we were supposed to be kissing random hands on stage. We made it back to our seats with nary a slip, which was quite a feat in my 3 inch heels on the giant cobblestones.
After the mass was over, there were hours and hours of celebrations where we met everyone who was anyone in Rome. The Princess of Italy was there. The Ferrarri family was there. There head of the Oil company for Italy was there. Everyone wanted to be there to celebrate with Ryan. Or, the cynical nature in me does wonder if everyone was there to curry favor with the next muckity muck for the Church. Either way, I told Ryan we would need to rename the Church Everyone Loves Ryan because he is very very beloved here. I can see why he loves it.
More on our travels to the Vatican, seeing the Holy Cross and almost dying on the way to Positano later ...
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Wedding Reception
The wedding reception was held at Nimbus, which we now highly recommend for all wedding receptions!
Flowers and Gifts
Flowers from the reception, a $35 updo from Supercuts, and the overwhelming generosity of family and friends
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Birthday dinner!
My dear hubby took me into town last night for our birthday dinner and it was glorious! We had spicy mushrooms (me) and Chris had very super yummy chicken quesidillas. He got me a beautiful gold (plated?) Movado watch that I love and is looking very good with my now-tan.
And my beautiful, ethical husband is currently up at the front desk telling them that they missed billing us $300 in food charges (room service and a very pricey dinner). I suspect that they will correct that error immediately! I told you the food was expensive here (sigh).
We leave for the airport in a few hours and then our plane arrives at 1 a.m. on Thursday morning so I'll see Bramble Berry Thursday afternoon and BBF Board members, Thursday evening for dinner. =)
Hugs and kisses to you all and I can't wait to see you all! Norman, we have a very wonderful bottle of tequila for you for holding down the fort. We bought it with our new-found tequila tasting knowledge...
=) Anne-Marie and Chris Renoud
Headed to birthday dinner in town
Chris and I are headed out to a romantic birthday dinner (I turned 30 today!) We had a lovely couples massage that ended with a special Mayan blessing.
Romantic dinner on the beach in gale force winds ....
Our romantic dinner on the beach complete with a bottle of Dom, was beautiful and gorgeous. And, had gale force winds.
I tried to light the sparklers that the beach club in Isla Mujeres had gotten for me when they heard about our tragic "no sparklers on planes" setback and it was too windy to light them.
I finally got one lit back at at our villa and it stayed lit for about 10 seconds, long enough for Chris to snap a photo and that was about it! I guess we'll just have to light the 60 sparklers that I got for the wedding sometime back in Bellingham this summer.
We have a massage scheduled for tonight at 5, the last of our Honeymoon package and then it's off to the airport tomorrow at 5 p.m. We don't land until almost 1 a.m. so Bramble Berry, though I miss you all dreadfully and I am insane and stir crazy right now, I won't be in until noonish at the earliest.
Loves and hugs!
Anne-Marie and Chris Renoued
Mayan Ceremony
So, we've now been married legally in Isla Mujeres with our friends and family present, jumped into the special Cenotes pool to become one spirit (the Cenotes pool, for future reference is chilly) and been married in a traditional Mayan Ceremony.
There was much chanting in Mayan, we drank special drinks, were purified with incense and then, made our wishes for the future and gave them up to the Gods by throwing specially blessed petals into the water.
The entire ceremony, complete with special Mayan clothes that it took 2 people to tie me into, drum beating, singing and a procession from our Villa took about 45 minutes. Once it was over, there was a special fertility drink they had us drink, on beautiful leather lounge chairs they had set up on the beach. The flower, by the way, that Chris is wearing signifies a traditional Mayan ring. I got to tie it onto him in the ceremony. The one he tied onto me was white. White petals for the girl and yellow petals for the boy.
My husband is so hot
There is nothing much sexier than your husband, lugging all of your scuba gear, after a thrilling scuba diving trip. First, I love that he loves the water and scuba diving as much as me. He's already planning our next year anniversary scuba diving trip and seems even more excited than I am!
The scuba diving trip was amazing, spectacular, really one of a kind. As I mentioned yesterday, I had bad dreams all night about the cave diving and so, Chris very sweetly went and tracked down the dive master and changed our cave diving plans to open water diving with just 30 minutes to spare. It was definitely the right choice.
Chris doesn't know how amazing our dives were yesterday because he's a new scuba diver but they were incredible. There were not that many divers (unlike Cozumel which is like Disneyland for divers) and we had both dive sites entirely to ourselves. The first site was a baby reef with so-so coral formations. It was mostly so the divemaster could check out our skill before taking us to the more difficult second dive. But, even though it was the easier of the two dives, it was still spectacular with a massive school of shiny fish (no idea what they were - bigger than my fist, smaler than my head, silvery) of about 300 to 400 fish schooling around us, and not darting off as we got closer. We also saw 2 color changing flounders, 3 rays, 1 large wolf spotted eel and the best of all? A moray eel that was at least 8 feet long, with a girth bigger than my thigh, fully stretched out under a ledge. It was increedible.
The second dive really took the cake though. It was spectacular for clarity, there was a strong current so we did not have to swim which was nice and there were turtles everywhere. The dive site is actually called Tortuga because of the 30 or so turtles that live there. I actually touched a moray eel, which turns out is smooth and slimy feeling, and saw a frog fish (very rare, only found in Cozumel, which we were fairly near) swimming. That alone was worth the dive. But the coolest part of the dive was once in a lifetime, never to be repeated again - a school of terapin numbering 60 to 80 (our dive master said 120) that we literally stalked to get close to.
Terapin are these crazy large prehistoric creatures that are similar to a shark or a barracuda, only they are well over 6 feet long and hundreds of pounds. They are silver with teeth and are impressive in that they have dorsal fins that resemble sharks. And they swim around menancingly, like sharks do.
When we saw the school, we immediately deflated to the bottom of the sea floor (I stung myself on some coral getting down quickly, which burned the rest of the dive) and literally crept along the sea floor on our fingers, slowly getting close to the school. Once we were close, we stayed still until they tired of us and then, we just watched them swarm around us for about 10 minutes. Our divemaster, Pepe, got very close to about 10 of them and it was clear by comparing his size to theirs that they were bigger by maybe 6 to 12 inches and also a hundred pounds. He looked puny next to them.
I read through my entire dive log this morning and found that I had never even seen one terapin in all of my 13 years of diving and to see an entire school of them on our honeymoon, on Chris's third open water dive, was breathtaking. And then when you add in the turtles, there are not enough superlatives to rave on about the dive. It was once in a lifetime.
We saw a scorpian
It was menancing and scary. Now, I'm terrified of stepping on a scorpian in our very dark room in the middle of the night.
And in other honeymoon news, Chris and I both look like little fried tomatoes right now since our divemaster, Pepe, actually followed the rules and refused to let us wear sunscreen on our scuba dives. The sunscreen is bad for the coral reefs so the very attractive tomato look I'm sporting in the above picture is a nice matching couples thing right now. Chris is wearing the same shade of burnt orange red.
Since we leave tomorrow, we are hoping for a delightful miracle that turns the red into a tan.
Monday, May 7, 2007
We got married, again
I will post lots tomorrow, complete with photos but wanted to make sure that I posted something tonight lest my Mother think that we had died in the caves. It turns out that we did not even go diving in the caves because I had nightmares all night that we would die so we canceled the cave dives and instead, did some of the best open water diving in the ocean that I have ever done.
Then, we got married again in a a Mayan ceremony and now we are headed to a candlelight dinner on the beach where we will try to light our sparklers.
But I just had to post to let my Mom know that we are a okay and did not die in the caves.
Miss you all, having a wonderful time.
Then, we got married again in a a Mayan ceremony and now we are headed to a candlelight dinner on the beach where we will try to light our sparklers.
But I just had to post to let my Mom know that we are a okay and did not die in the caves.
Miss you all, having a wonderful time.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
We really cannot afford to eat here
We so cannot afford this luxury resort that we are honeymooning in. I mean, it was already a stretch for us to come here to start with and now that we are in paradise, with a $45 taxi ride to town, we have realized that $13 chips and salsa are not going to sustain us. Our lunch today wasn't enough to feed a church mouse and I'm not even going to tell you what it set us back. So we've been scheming, "If we eat the free included breakfast at 11 a.m., the cut off time, we can skip lunch completely and then if we just share an appetizer and our main meal and don't have dessert, we might be able to spend under $100 on dinner! And, leave hungry. But that's fine, because we gained weight the first part of our trip when our parents paid for all of our dinners."
A good example is tonight - a bbq on the beach. Amazing views. Spectacular food. None of which I can eat. They have not ONE meal that does not include fish or meat. And the meal tonight is $110 per person. All I will eat is salad. For $110.
So, we are going to ask the kitchen for a can opener and eat the can of fri chick (cold) that my mom brought us on Isla Mujeres. We are going to swallow our pride. Our bank account will thank us.
Horseback riding this morning at 9 a.m. was beautiful. It was a picturesque portion of beach, if you overlooked the massive amounts of trash that had washed up, and tried not to smell the horse droppings that seemed to appear out of no where all the time. There actually was a little guy that ran after us with a bag who picked up all the horse droppings from the water, put them in a plastic bag and then, when he thought no one was looking, tossed the bag and the horse droppings into the forest.
How not to spend the 5th night of wedded bliss
In terms of things that you do not want to do on your honeymoon, being sold into white slavery tops my personal list but I've now added a second thing - you do not want to spend a night on your honeymoon, sleeping in the bathroom, on the cold marble floor because you
a. ate food from in town and got sick
b. drank too much (3 baby drinks over almost 4 hours!)
c. got drugged by someone in the seriously sketched out bar that you dragged your beloved into in search of the best pico de gallo. "No really honey, you HAVE to go to the authentic places to get really good salsa. Come on, this place looks really local!"
I went from happy, iguana playing, hyper tourist to incoherant, no muscle control, very sick in the span of about 30 minutes. It was very impressive.
Chris bundled me up very nicely in the bathroom and then proceeded to watch all 12 rounds of the Oscar de la Hoya fight from our beautiful 4 poster bed, complete with mosquito netting, by himself. On our honeymoon.
Really, just not much of the great memory to have for the honeymoon but the drugging theory fits nicely with the white slavery ring that is clearly out to get us while we are here.
Even with the price of food...
We are having a lovely wonderful time. The horseback riding today could not have been more beautiful. It was a truly once in a lifetime experience. Our little villa is amazing and lush and shrouded in jungle splendor. Our private dip pool is perfect for the heat of the afternoon. The staff here are kind, helpful and very accomodating. The views are spectacular. Every day, we wake up and say "This could not get any more beautiful." And then, it does! Adding to our joyous time, we are going to scuba diving in the Cenotes (underground cave system) tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. Plus, we get to come back here next year for 3 nights for free because of that little pick up / white slavery ring mix-up.
Next year, when we come back though, we are going to bring one of those Costco buckets of emergency food rations and break out the ol' camp stove and cook our meals in our villa.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Three photos for my Aunt
Aunt Sharon, these photos should show off the wedding dresses, full length, for you. Notice the 3rd dress for the reception. The actual ceremony dress was made by White House Black Market and my friend Christin found it for me. She actually phoned me up and left a message with the web site, the # of the dress and the price. Since I couldn't fit into my chosen wedding dress, the one in all the town photos, I had the chiffon, very forgiving waistline, dress overnighted and ended up wearing it. It has a lovely beaded middle area that unfortunately, isn't showing up great in the photos but you'll have to trust me on that. The chiffon was beautiful blowing in the wind for the ceremony.
Things you don't want to hear your husband tell you
This morning at breakfast, Chris turned to me lovingly and said... No, before the payoff, picture the scene - a beautiful sea in front of us, wind blowing the table clothes, eating outside, gorgeous weather and your new bride in front of you. Things can come to mind to say are things like "Darling, I am so happy. You have made me the most satisfied man in the world by marrying me." Or "Darling, your hair is blowing so attractively in the wind. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met" or ... really, the possibilities are endless.You definitely do not expect to hear:
"Wow, you're like a little hamster on a wheel. I can see you slowly going crazy, running running running in circles. We need to get you around some people or activities, stat!"
And off my nuevo espousa goes to the front desk to double and triple book our activities for the rest of the trip. We are going scuba diving to the Cenotes, caves, on Monday with a private divemaster and he's dragging me into town right now and has changed the horseback riding to tomorrow so we can do two major activities tomorow.
I just love that man of mine. He is perfectly happy to sun himself in the pool (see above) but intead, is booking even more activities than I had done to keep me sane and happy. How lucky am I???
The view from the top
This is the view from the top of the ruin at Cobal. It was spectacular and other than the thousand people that were up there at the time we took the picture, practically perfect. That was the only time on the entire private tour that we felt crowded. It was really a beautiful, amazing site.
We climbed these stairs
All the way to the top. The guide said that no one goes up them like we did - on a death march, without stopping. I was using them for butt lifts. A week without lunges and squats and my rear end is sliding down my thighs faster than Amber eats all the dark chocolate at Bramble Berry.
The pants
Try to be seated prior to viewing this.
Don't we look like those horrible, awful tourists that you always see and make fun of? Well, that's us. It's a startling, scary realization. This photo is taken at Tulum, overlookng the beach. The Mayans built Tulum and all the structures at the highest point in the Carribean.
Photos of the soap
Luis, our butler, with the soap. They carved off four generous pieces for us. I love them all so much... I simply have to figure out a way to bribe the recipe off of him.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Everywhere we go, soap!
Pictures to be uploaded later, probably around 7ish Mexico time. My dear hubby is refusing to let me have the transfer cable right now because he knows I'll be here all day ("Just one more picture honey. Then, we can leave to tequila tasting. Oh wait, did I say one. I meant two. Or maybe three. Just another few minutes. Darling.") The lack of camera battery is also hurting my ability to post photos which is why you don't have photos of the hideous pants from yesterday.
When we arrived at our lucious spa resort in the middle of nowhere (no cell phone coverage), our little butler boy (who is absolutely adorable, by the way) brought us to our beautiful little bungalow in the middle of nowhere. He opened up a very rustic, authentic looking rucksack and you'll never guess what he brought out! Soap and more soap!
One of their beautiful little finishing touches here is hand made soap that they make at the resort. I was so thrilled that I literally slipped and practically fell on the marble floor because I was running so fast to see, touch and smell the soap.
I used the Lemongrass one in our outdoor shower this morning. It was amazing. I desperately want the recipe. I've tried explaining to our adorable butler boy that I'm a soap queen and simply must have the el secreto recipe but so far, no recipe has been forthcoming. I'm not giving up though. I'm going to send him a signed copy of our soapmaking DVD and maybe that will loosen some lips!
When we arrived at our lucious spa resort in the middle of nowhere (no cell phone coverage), our little butler boy (who is absolutely adorable, by the way) brought us to our beautiful little bungalow in the middle of nowhere. He opened up a very rustic, authentic looking rucksack and you'll never guess what he brought out! Soap and more soap!
One of their beautiful little finishing touches here is hand made soap that they make at the resort. I was so thrilled that I literally slipped and practically fell on the marble floor because I was running so fast to see, touch and smell the soap.
I used the Lemongrass one in our outdoor shower this morning. It was amazing. I desperately want the recipe. I've tried explaining to our adorable butler boy that I'm a soap queen and simply must have the el secreto recipe but so far, no recipe has been forthcoming. I'm not giving up though. I'm going to send him a signed copy of our soapmaking DVD and maybe that will loosen some lips!
Today...
This post could also be titled "How in the world do people sit in the sun and read all day for a week? And, what is wrong with me that I can't?"
I know that it's a major national pastime - reading in the sun for hours - and this resort is built so that no one leaves. Ever. It has 154 staff for 30 little cabanas. You want for nothing in this little eco jungle island paradise.
However, I think that I am somehow broken. When God was giving out realxing-genes, he skipped me and gave me a double dose of the multi-tasking genes.
I am going a bit stir crazy and we've only been here a day. Thankfully, it's too late for Chris to back out and we're definitely married so the tendency to not able to relax is like water under the bridge from that angle. He is el stucko with me. Chris was very happy and content to stare at the ocean for long periods of time all day. He is clearly a better person than I.
This is the first day since we left that we did not have a billion activities planned and only have the tequila tasting at sunset tonight. I finished a book. I worked out (swimming laps in pool with my swim goggles from grade school, I ran on the beach, I attempted yoga but couldn't sit still long enough). I sat in the sun for thirty seconds. I practiced my espanol with the friendly waitstaff. I started a new book. I moved locations fifty times. I had a long talk with the manager about the operations, budgeting, how things are run (Norm, they have a Daily Huddle!). We took a nap. I swam in our private dip pool. I cleaned the cabana. I spent 30 minutes trying to upload photos with no luck. I dressed up for dinner, make up and everything. I tried to keep busy but there's only so much you can do in a small eco resort secluded for relaxation in the middle of now where.
And so, I gave up and scheduled activities for us, every day, for the rest of the trip. We're going horseback riding tomorrow.
I'm going to hell, aren't I?
I know that it's a major national pastime - reading in the sun for hours - and this resort is built so that no one leaves. Ever. It has 154 staff for 30 little cabanas. You want for nothing in this little eco jungle island paradise.
However, I think that I am somehow broken. When God was giving out realxing-genes, he skipped me and gave me a double dose of the multi-tasking genes.
I am going a bit stir crazy and we've only been here a day. Thankfully, it's too late for Chris to back out and we're definitely married so the tendency to not able to relax is like water under the bridge from that angle. He is el stucko with me. Chris was very happy and content to stare at the ocean for long periods of time all day. He is clearly a better person than I.
This is the first day since we left that we did not have a billion activities planned and only have the tequila tasting at sunset tonight. I finished a book. I worked out (swimming laps in pool with my swim goggles from grade school, I ran on the beach, I attempted yoga but couldn't sit still long enough). I sat in the sun for thirty seconds. I practiced my espanol with the friendly waitstaff. I started a new book. I moved locations fifty times. I had a long talk with the manager about the operations, budgeting, how things are run (Norm, they have a Daily Huddle!). We took a nap. I swam in our private dip pool. I cleaned the cabana. I spent 30 minutes trying to upload photos with no luck. I dressed up for dinner, make up and everything. I tried to keep busy but there's only so much you can do in a small eco resort secluded for relaxation in the middle of now where.
And so, I gave up and scheduled activities for us, every day, for the rest of the trip. We're going horseback riding tomorrow.
I'm going to hell, aren't I?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Perfecto Dia!
Wow. There isn't much to say about today that isn't a crazy positive superlative. First of all, Dad, you are going to be SO JEALOUS! For those of you reading this that haven't had the pleasure of meeting mi padre, he loves adventure, authentic experiences and small groups.
And boy, today was a muy chica group (very small). It was solamtente (only) me and Chris in an air conditioned Escalade. With our very own expert guide, not hired by a tour company but a professional tour guide that freelances.
It turns out that the reason we were not picked up yesterday was the fault of the transporation company so they hired Hilda to personally take us around on a very incredibly busy tour day. She says not many people do all three spots like we do but we could because of our incredible physical health.
The only downside to the day was the pants I wore. Apparently, they are pants in the absolute worst taste ever. You'll see those photos tomorrow but brace yourself. Perhaps do a small meditation, cross yourself, and sit down. The pants are truly a menace to society.
So, the day started with us being picked up by Hilda in this amazing Escalade and we were off to Cobal, an ancient Mayan ruin. There, we hired a private guide so it was us and Hilda and the private guide. So one guide per person. And we went to all the ruins, climbed to the top of the largest one and learned so much about the Mayan culture - three hours of Mayan culture to be exact. It was muy caliente (super hot!) and we were sweating like little piggies by the end. We biked around the ancient site (which is quite large) on these rusted bikes with only one speed permenantly rusted on. It was a very authentic, amazing experience.
Then, off to the ruins of Tulum. Tulum was a very different site. Much more commercialized, no jungle, but a much more restored site with lots of history. And more touristas running around. It was also very hot. The highlight was perfect photo shots of iguanas sunning themselves at the top of the ruins. Truly a picture perfect moment. And mom, we saw these amazing pheasant-like birds that only eat figs. I hope the photo came out of them. Oh, and mating iguanas. That was interesting. It looked rather violent.
Finally, we finished our touring with the most amazing tour of underwater caves. We literally snorkled in caves, with stalagtites practically hitting us in the head, and teensy little crevaces to get through. There were scuba divers underneath us, which provided eery green light and were a joy to behold. I really wanted to join them but for this trip, snorkeling in the crystal clear, can-see-forever, water was definitely enough.
We actually took so long on this mucho frio (very cold!) snorkeling trip that we missed our dinner back at the resort and the private tequila tasting! Whoops. So, our amazing Hilda (her contact information will be at the bottom of this post), took us into Playa de Carmen and took us to her favorite Mexican Restaurant.
They made the gaucemole in front of us. Yes, right there, at the table. It was muy perfecto. We literally scarfed it down in an incredibly inappropriate manner within about 20 seconds. But, not to worry, my Mother in Law Kelly, assures me that avocados are good for my skin. Ha ha. I had spicy lime mushrooms (my lips were numb by the end of the platter but it was amazing) and a Caeser salad (prepared at the table, again!). Chris had chicken fajitas with straight habenero peppers on top. He loved them.
Then, dear Hilda stopped at the store for us so we could buy a bottle of chile tequila (chica - small) for the room and chips and salsa so we don't have to rely on the muy expensivo room service here.
All in all, it was a perfect day, a day to remember, and something that we would not have received had our honeymoon not started two hours late. As my new husband is always reminding me, Everything happens for a reason.
Good night! We miss you all!! Wedding pictures in the next post!
Hilda's contact info is:
Hilda Arista
Operations Manager
Luxury Mexico
52(998)112 12 95
sales@luxury-mexico.com
www.luxury-mexico.com
And boy, today was a muy chica group (very small). It was solamtente (only) me and Chris in an air conditioned Escalade. With our very own expert guide, not hired by a tour company but a professional tour guide that freelances.
It turns out that the reason we were not picked up yesterday was the fault of the transporation company so they hired Hilda to personally take us around on a very incredibly busy tour day. She says not many people do all three spots like we do but we could because of our incredible physical health.
The only downside to the day was the pants I wore. Apparently, they are pants in the absolute worst taste ever. You'll see those photos tomorrow but brace yourself. Perhaps do a small meditation, cross yourself, and sit down. The pants are truly a menace to society.
So, the day started with us being picked up by Hilda in this amazing Escalade and we were off to Cobal, an ancient Mayan ruin. There, we hired a private guide so it was us and Hilda and the private guide. So one guide per person. And we went to all the ruins, climbed to the top of the largest one and learned so much about the Mayan culture - three hours of Mayan culture to be exact. It was muy caliente (super hot!) and we were sweating like little piggies by the end. We biked around the ancient site (which is quite large) on these rusted bikes with only one speed permenantly rusted on. It was a very authentic, amazing experience.
Then, off to the ruins of Tulum. Tulum was a very different site. Much more commercialized, no jungle, but a much more restored site with lots of history. And more touristas running around. It was also very hot. The highlight was perfect photo shots of iguanas sunning themselves at the top of the ruins. Truly a picture perfect moment. And mom, we saw these amazing pheasant-like birds that only eat figs. I hope the photo came out of them. Oh, and mating iguanas. That was interesting. It looked rather violent.
Finally, we finished our touring with the most amazing tour of underwater caves. We literally snorkled in caves, with stalagtites practically hitting us in the head, and teensy little crevaces to get through. There were scuba divers underneath us, which provided eery green light and were a joy to behold. I really wanted to join them but for this trip, snorkeling in the crystal clear, can-see-forever, water was definitely enough.
We actually took so long on this mucho frio (very cold!) snorkeling trip that we missed our dinner back at the resort and the private tequila tasting! Whoops. So, our amazing Hilda (her contact information will be at the bottom of this post), took us into Playa de Carmen and took us to her favorite Mexican Restaurant.
They made the gaucemole in front of us. Yes, right there, at the table. It was muy perfecto. We literally scarfed it down in an incredibly inappropriate manner within about 20 seconds. But, not to worry, my Mother in Law Kelly, assures me that avocados are good for my skin. Ha ha. I had spicy lime mushrooms (my lips were numb by the end of the platter but it was amazing) and a Caeser salad (prepared at the table, again!). Chris had chicken fajitas with straight habenero peppers on top. He loved them.
Then, dear Hilda stopped at the store for us so we could buy a bottle of chile tequila (chica - small) for the room and chips and salsa so we don't have to rely on the muy expensivo room service here.
All in all, it was a perfect day, a day to remember, and something that we would not have received had our honeymoon not started two hours late. As my new husband is always reminding me, Everything happens for a reason.
Good night! We miss you all!! Wedding pictures in the next post!
Hilda's contact info is:
Hilda Arista
Operations Manager
Luxury Mexico
52(998)112 12 95
sales@luxury-mexico.com
www.luxury-mexico.com
The water here is so blue
Now that Chris has let me borrow his polarized sunglasses, I am a happy girl because apparently, the water here is way more crystal blue color than I suspected with my ratty ol' Fossil sunglasses (that I was perfectly happy with until I was introduced to polarized glasses on this trip. Why isn't the polarized glasses phenomenon discussed and taught at school, pregunata).
So, guess what we are doing today (I would put a question mark there but I can't figure out how to work that button this el especial espanol keyboard). A private tour of Tulum, Mayan ruins and a private snorkeling trip capped off by a private tequila lesson and tasting.
And how did we manage that (ditto the question mark note from above). Chris, my dear Chris.
Unbeknownest to me, while I was walking away, eyes downcast modestly, letting Chris negotiate mano a mano, he had said, "A three night free stay is acceptable, thank you for your generosity, but I want to know what you are going to do for us now on this trip" and voila, private chauffered air conditioned tour of the ruins.
Wow. And again, remember, I was happy with just a free dinner for the two hour wait in the hot sun, freaking out, thinking we were going to be sold into white slavery at any moment.
Must run. Chris wants me to try on fins now ... Photos later tonight. Hugs and all of that to everyone.
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