Day 3 - Chichen Itza

Today started out bright and early. Our 7 am wake up call was greeted with a smile since the sun was shining and we were on our way to Chichen Itza! We headed to the lobby where we were picked up in a big ole' bus that we shared with 2 dozen other enthusiastic people. Our team - Luis the driver, "Tony" the operations guy and Carlos the tour guide. Tony provided us with some drinks and a lovely continental breakfast as we made our way to the Mayan ruins that date back to 1500 BC.

During the 2 1/2 hour ride we were introduced to the Mayan culture, rituals and their way of life. Our first stop was a Chichen Itza market filled with handmade goods such as carvings, smocks and all the silver jewelry one could need. After a quick bathroom break we were on our way to the archeological site.

Upon de-boarding the bus we were introduced to the 1 negative of the excursion - VENDORS. They were EVERYWHERE trying to pawn their goods on us silly tourists. What was so amazing was that everything was just $1. :) We headed into the site following our trusty tour guide Carlos. He shared with us interesting tid bits about the various temples and customs. The architecture was amazing and the Mayans were brilliant! After about an hour and a half he let us roam the grounds on our own. We did the best we could to hit each area, but with the blazing sun beating down on us we headed for some shade. :) We did manage to find the "Cenote Sagrado" which is really a big sink hole with some really nasty water. The reason - it was used as a burial ground where the Mayans made human sacrifices.

At 2:35 pm we headed for the bus and to our lunch spot. The buffet lines were long, but the food was worth it as was the entertainment. We were treated to a ritual Mayan dance which included a portion where the dancers balance bottles of Corona on their head. Now how authentic is that?!

It was back to the bus for our final stop before heading home. This time we headed to another cenote or sink hole, but this time, no human sacrifices. It was GORGEOUS! We had the opportunity to take a dive into the crystal blue water, but lamed out and just watched all the others enjoy. After another 40 minutes it was back to the bus for a siesta during our long journey home.

We arrived around 7 pm and headed straight for our room to wash off the stink that had developed during the very hot and sweaty day. We headed our fot dinner and drinks and enjoyed the "Circus Show" complete with acrobatics and the greatest hula hooping skills I have ever seen. The mud slides and strawberry daiquiri's were flowing big time leading to an early night in the room (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

All in all it was another great day in Cancun. Tomorrow - rest day and romantic dinner on the beach!

P.S. Here is a link to some of the video highlights we have so far: http://www.flipshare.com/view.aspx

Day 1 - NYC to Cancun, Mexico

The day started early with a 5 am wake up call but we popped out of bed with smiles on our faces. We were FINLLY going on our honeymoon!! I seriously never thought the day would come but - YAH it’s here!! Our bags were packed and we were ready to go. The wonderful people of Camelot Limos carted us to JFK in a black stretch and dropped us off in the new and improved Jet Blue terminal.

After one Ed meltdown and two puppy dog expressions, we were able to convince the Jet Blue lady to give us seats together on the plane. Granted they were the last aisle next to the restrooms, but they were together! :) We landed in sunny Cancun at 1:15 pm and were introduced to possibly the longest customs line we’ve ever seen. What was worse was the line AFTER customs to scan the bags. There were people EVERYWHERE! I’m shocked we made it out of there in under 2 hours. After the bag scan we had to press a button to see if we needed a full bag search and wouldn’t you know - RED LIGHT! Luckily the guy that searched us was nice and quick.

We arranged for a car service to pick us up and that they did - in a very hip white Lincoln Navigator. We arrived at the beautiful Excellence Riveria Cancun 20 mins later and were met with cool towels and champagne. So far so good! After a quick check in we were brought to our room - a Junior Suite with swim up pool. The room is OFF THE HOOK!!! Can I say jacuzzi tub both in the bathroom AND on the patio?!! Seriously - we are never coming home after staying in a room like this! Check out the video tour and photos of the room!

After some quick unpacking, we decided to check the resort out and book some excursions for the week. Dinner was at Agave Mexican restaurant where Javier took care of us and treated us to a delicious dinner. I can absolutely say that margaritas taste better in Cancun!! Our night was rounded out with a Micheal Jackson tribute show...some fun on the 4-poster bed (sorry Mom!) and a restful night sleep. All in all, a GREAT first day!