Cancun

The beach is beautiful here. The combination of the soft sand on the beach, the sunshine, and mid-80s temperature of both the air and water make this what has to be one of Earth’s most perfect places.

Earth's perfect water.

It took us a while to find church on Sunday. The church’s mapping program didn’t match the maps of the city we got here, and neither of those maps matches the actual roads. We drove around a lot of the non-touristy part of Cancun asking several people. Four guys in white shirts and ties asking for directions to church. One lady asked us if we were “Mormona.” That got us excited, but she sent us the wrong direction.

Finally, one guy knew it was just around the corner. So we got there after the sacrament and during testimonies. I of course couldn’t understand anything except the end of everyone’s testimony—even Adam’s, when he bore his. Good meeting, though. A sister talked to Adam after Sacrament because she used to live in Mexico City where he served his mission. No connection other than that, but good conversations. Mormon’s are cool.

On the flight out here from Phoenix the flight attendants asked if anyone was there on a honeymoon, which I guess is a common thing on flights to Cancun. There was one couple, and we all cheered. They were at church, too. In fact, the groom had been roped into playing the piano for the hymns. We talked to them after Sunday School, and it turns out they are coming along on our trip to the Mayan ruins on Wednesday.

Monday was our first excursion. We met at the mall where a local dude, Merak, took us around in Hummers to see some Mayan ruins, ride some zip lines, swam in a natural cave pool populated with bats, and went to an interactive zoo.

That's Merak on the left.  He says that Mexico means "Belly Button of the Moon."  We aren't sure if we believe anything he said, but he was a fun tour guide.

That's Adam Harward driving the ATV.   The best part about riding the ATV through the jungle is arriving at the cenote, below.

The cenote is a natural underground pool.  Water is cooler there because the sun doesn't hit it, but the water is still clear and refreshing.  Too dark to take pictures in the sinkhole itself, so you don't get to see the bats or the zipline.

The zoo was small, and if it hadn’t been interactive it would probably have been boring. But they actually let you in to the habitats and can hold and feed some of the animals. I held a crocodile and a snake, and fed deer, birds and monkeys. Many of the monkeys are wild and just hang out at the zoo for the free food. I would do the same because free food is a motivator for me. I’m not that far removed from the monkeys in that respect. Also, I have that big gap between by big toe and the other four, and can curl them all under.

The most amazing part was the macaw. We got to feed this bird some peanuts. She’d take the peanut and softly crack the shell with her beak. Then she’d stick in her tongue and fish out the peanut, and put the shell with the other nut in her claw. Then shed hold the peanut gently with her beak, put on enough pressure to break the red skin that’s on the actual nut, and peel it! She’d drop the skin and eat the peanut. Amazing. She could get the whole peel off in a single piece. I wish I’d have video taped it.

After we came back, we went back to Tacos Rigo to get some more of their delicious tacos, and then went to see The Avengers, because why not see the biggest American movie when you’re in Mexico? It had Spanish subtitles, so we figured that was perfect. But there’s a part of the movie when the talking is in Russian. The subtitles were still in Spanish. Luckily, we had one return missionary from Mexico, one who took Spanish in school, and one who missioned in Russia. I had already seen it, so we ironed this unexpected wrinkle pretty easily.

Tuesday was a beach day. We woke up and pretty early made our way to the beach. It was warm and sunny, as it has been every day here. We rented a few boogie boards, but the waves were a little small to make much use of them. But we all spent plenty of time swimming in the Caribbean, which is gorgeous in every way.

Yesterday on our excursion we stopped by a little vegetable market and bought the ingredients for guacamole. I made that today after the beach. It was delicious, though I could do better in a full kitchen with a pantry that has kosher salt, fresh pepper, and people who like cilantro.

Then tonight, in what will probably be the highlight of the trip, we went to the ballpark downtown to see the Tigres play the team from Tabasco, whose name I can’t remember. I thought baseball in Mexico might be the same as in Japan with the extra rowdy crowds, but nope. It was almost like an Owlz game, except with cheerleaders and better food.

I cut my foot twice since we’ve been here. The first was in the cenote on Monday. There’s a zipline in it, and I rode it, dropped into the water and my foot hit a rock on the bottom. Then yesterday we went to a flea market thing to buy a few souvenirs. I got three cool looking tshirts. I stepped on a big crack in the sidewalk in my flip flops, cut my foot on the jagged concrete and fell down. I brought bandaids, but it’s a bummer to be here at the ocean with an open sore on my foot.

Today was no ocean, however. It was another excursion day and we went to see Chichen Itza and Tulum, to famous Mayan ruins with temples and stuff. Our tour guide was Helaman, a member from down this way who’s been a tour guide for thirty years or so. He told the story about how he’d always been showing people around these sites, but when he got a call to teach seminary and was reading the scriptures more and more, he decided he should specialize in touring LDS people. He thought he could show people like us how the Mayan ruins and culture are consistent with the Book of Mormon.

Chichen Itza.

That's Tulum, with its main temple in the background.

We looked at the design of Mayan temples and he showed us how similar in design they were to the description of Solomon’s temple in the Old Testament, which was based on the Tabernacle from Leviticus. The Mayan calendar I almost the same as the calendar as Leviticus describes also. We learned about the symbolism of figures on the Mayan ruins and he pointed us to scriptures that explain them and show how the Mayans traditions are described in the Book of Mormon.

We’d actually look up the scriptures right there, since many of us had our phones with us. It was awesome. We also planked and Tebowed at the ruins, which was cool.

We all love Tim Tebow.  We're respecting him, not mocking him.  Or, we're just acting like goofs.

It was so hot out there away from the water. We were inland, but it was still very humid, and we all sweated plenty. When we got home I took a dip in the pool and made fruity frozen drinks.

Thursday was another beach day, with tacos in the evening.  That might sound boring and routine, but in Cancun the routine is relaxing and refreshing.  And AWESOME!  More time in the pool than the beach today, mostly because of the open sores on my foot, which aren't getting better.  No worries, though.  The pool is fun for its own stuff.  Like, I found out I can beat Adam at HORSE when we play in a pool.

We played some Texas Hold-em that night, and I won at that, too.  We just played for M&Ms and Jolly Ranchers, and in the end everyone ate it all anyway. (Except the Jolly Ranchers.  Who buys Jolly Ranchers to bet with in poker?  Devon Ellis, that's who.)  I ended up with bragging rights only.

Friday we rode SeaDoos on an Ocean Safari, which is properly named only if you consider safari to be synonymous with riding SeaDoos.  We did park in the sea and jump in with snorkels for about 20 minutes near a reef.  There weren't a ton of fish, but there were some, including a school that kind of followed us around.  There was also a sea turtle.  I only brought my phone as a camera, so I have no pictures of anything under the water, but the Caribbean is as clear as the air.

When we came home the next day I couldn't walk from riding the wave runners, so it was just as well that we sat on airplanes for seven hours.  By the way, US Airways sucks.  I guess all airlines suck, but at least the others don't try to push a credit card application down your throat on every leg of the flight.

The vacation was perfect in every way, including the length.  A week away from real life is just right.  I got tan enough, rested enough, and energized.  Now I'm ready to get back to work with gusto.  Everyone should spend a week in Cancun.  I'd like to do it every year.  Maybe next time with a girl.

Please?

Or not.