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Oh, Mexico!

We recently traveled to Riviera Maya, Mexico. It was out of my comfort zone (aka Europe) but I am so glad we went!
Flying to Cancun
Passports & Boarding Passes - Check!
Although the heat was unrelenting, our resort, the Barceló Maya Palace Deluxe, was beautiful!











And our room was magnificent!







We took a day trip snorkeling to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. According to our guide, it is the second largest reef in the world. The portion we snorkeled in also happened to be a state park, so it is well cared for. 

Footage of snorkeling...It is quickly evident that I had a hard time filming with my iPhone in a waterproof bag; however, it gives you the general idea!
We took another day trip to the Mayan city of Chichen Itza. You can no longer climb the temple stairs, which was probably okay considering it was about 95 degrees at 10:00 a.m.! We learned a lot about the Maya from our guide Alejandro. Often times I wish I could go back and experience places or times in history. I can safely say I would pass going back to Mayan civilizations. I am WAY too much of a wimp!



An altar where the Maya would place the hearts of their human sacrifices
The ball used in a ritual Mayan ball game
The hole through which above-shown ball had to be passed through (without using their hands!)
The place where the decapitated heads of players of the Mayan ball game were put on display
The Cenote Sagrado at Chichen Itza where ritual virgin sacrifices took place 

After a VERY hot morning at Chichen Itza, we traveled to a cenote. The kids opted not to swim in the frigid water, but Bill and I could not pass up the opportunity! We walked down several flights of stairs to the water, which was about 150 feet deep. I used the ladder, but Bill jumped off the platform.

I really enjoyed my time in Mexico. However, the most rewarding experience of our trip was not one I had the opportunity to film or photograph. About 10 minutes after we first entered the Caribbean Ocean, we heard a ruckus. Our curiosity got the better of us, so we swam over to see what the fuss was about. It turned out that there was a family of wild sea turtles that lived near our resort, and so they would interact with the guests. We got to swim with them, feed them bananas, and even pet them. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life!

Location: Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico

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