Mexico Aqui Vamos (Mexico Here We Come)

So in less than a week, Mr. Lovely and I will be picking up a rental car at the airport in Cancun and driving to our first stop just outside of Akumal, in the Mayan Riveria in the Yucatan Peninsula, Meh-"EEK"-oh! Al, who is a big punster set us up with "So would you say that where you are going, you will have an opportunity to be out in the sun or in other words the place you are going is a place where..You can tan". Yes, Al, I would definitely say that. He loves being able word play so this goes on a lot in out house when he's home.

We are pretty excited about the trip because it has all the elements we strive for in a vacation: Beautiful scenery, cultural input, physical activity and down time. First off and this was a big criteria given our FREEZING cold winter- (Do you mind- Ontario weather!)-it'll be hot, hot hot and I don't just mean the tamales!  For some chill time, we are staying in a hut off the grid in Tulum;  for exercise, we plan to snorkel in Akumal, bike in Coba to see the Mayan ruins in the forest, and also hike around the ruins in Chichen Itza, and elsewhere where we can find them; and for the cultural- well the ruins, - and in the colonial town of Merida, we plan to go English Library House and Garden Tour,  visit a couple of museums ( apparently there is reputed to be the best modern art museums in Mexico, here) a cathedral and the local market and one day hope to drive to see the flamingos in Celestun about an hour's drive west of Merida. We are going prepared. First off we spoke with our friends, the Terrys who had taken a similar trip a few years back. This was their route:

Cancun, Akumal, Tulum, Coba, Valladolid, Chichen Itza Merida, and back

This is our route:

Cancun, Akumal, Tulum, Coba, Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Merida, and back

Ya, ok we are copying them but why not- it worked for them. They also gave us their waterproof map of the area, their travel books, their tips on where to eat drink and play, difficult turns in the road, and when to get to a particular spot to avoid touristos and traffic and their wonderful enthusiasm for the place. They are great guides- for sure.

I also have been studying Spanish on my Duolingo app. What a world!  But in a good way- (not in the wicked witch of the west -"I'm melting WAW WAW"- way). It's a really great learning tool and I have learned invaluable phrases like "El pingüino contra el cangrejo"- Translation- "The penguin vs the crab". I don't even know what that means in English! Also "Nuestro elefante no es blanco." Translation- "Our elephant is not white". I am sure those will come up many times during our trip.  Seriously though I am having fun trying to learn the language and I definitely have memorized the important stuff like, aqua (water), cervaza (beer), vino (needs no translation), desayuno (breakfast), almuerzo (lunch), and cena (dinner), and the all important - where is the restroom "donde estan los servivios por favor"  (because this apparently more refined than say el bano- room that has a bathtub) and hablas ingles?

I think we are set! If you have any hot tips- kindly lay them on me within the next few days.  Hasta la vista baby!