All we can say is OMG - what an AMAZING day!!! The day started off with lots of relaxation and fun in the sun. Can we tell you how much we LOVE that our room has a patio with direct pool access?! Makes for a relaxing morning when you don't have to wake up at 6 am to claim a lounge chair by the pool. :) We did a lot of resting, sunning, reading and drinking. Turns out that I married a girl - Ed's favorite drink is a strawberry daiquiri and he is not afraid to have at least 4-5 a day!
The evening was even more fantastic filled with more romance than I have seen in a long time. :) It was the night of our romantic dinner on the beach. We headed up to the lobby a bit early to get a drink and enjoy the mariachi band that was playing in the center courtyard. It was Mexico night - Olé! At about 7 pm we headed to the beach where we were met by our 2 adorable waiters - Noe and "Teddy Bear". They led us to our table for 2 and popped open a much needed bottle of champagne. The ambiance was amazing - candle light, moon beams, crashing waves and a bit more wind than one needs. :)
Our 6 course meal started with a goat cheese appetizer followed by some tuna tartar and avocado. Before the 3rd course was served we were treated to some amazing music on the harp played by our good man Gabriel. Next up, vegetable soup followed by some strawberry sorbet to cleanse the pallet. Then it came - the main course of stuffed lamb chops with grilled vegetables and a sweet potato mash. Can you say YUM!! The evening ended with a pear tart and ice cream which, as you can imagine, was Ed's favorite part. :)
And if that wasn't romantic enough, when we returned to our room we were delighted to see that it was all decked out with more rose petals, more swan towels and a tub filled with hot water and bubbles. Seriously - you can't get more romantic than this! All in all it was an amazing day that we will not forget. Check out the video of our beach dinner here: http://www.flipshare.com/view.aspx
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
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 ro
am 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
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Day 2 - Excellence Riveria Cancun
After one of the best night’s sleep we have had in a VERY long time, we woke up to a gorgeous sunshine. Time for breakfast! We strolled over to the Barcelona restaurant and found a very enticing buffet stocked with gorgeous fruit, delicious omelets and all the pastries you could eat. DIET OVER!!
After breakfast we meandered back to our room and set up shop on our patio that resides next to the pool. It is so nice to just walk outside the room and BE at the pool! I don’t think we could vacation any other way from now on!! :)
At 1 pm, it was time
to head to the Miilé spa for our Excellence Couples Massage. OMG - what an AMAZING experience for us to have on our first real day here. The first hour of the experience was what they called Marine Wellness - a circuit that lets you work directly with salt water in aqua exercises, massages with jets, and cascades, with contrast with the iced pool and make the perfect preamble to the Hammam, the arab style steam baths. We also experienced a steam room, the sauna and several sensation showers included one where a bucket of lukewarm water is dropped over your head creating a wonderful sensation.
Our next stop was the Excellence Massage - Replenish and energize your body with this exclusive blend of Swedish massage, shiatsu pressure points, body stretching, aromatherapy and lomi techniques that will help to release muscle tension and ride the body of tiredness and fatigue.
I don’t think that we have ever been more relaxed than after that massage. We both literally fell asleep - there were actual snores coming from the tables! Once we left the spa we decided the room service was in order - especially since we missed lunch at all the restaurants. Another great meal! The food at this place is really great - and you know how much we love to eat!
We are back in the room after enjoying a night of music under the stars. Tomorrow we head out for our first excursion to Chichen Itza - should be a good time. Nighty night!!
Quick note - we do not have our camera card reader so you will all have to wait on photos until we return. We do have our Flip video camera so there will be video!
After breakfast we meandered back to our room and set up shop on our patio that resides next to the pool. It is so nice to just walk outside the room and BE at the pool! I don’t think we could vacation any other way from now on!! :)
At 1 pm, it was time
to head to the Miilé spa for our Excellence Couples Massage. OMG - what an AMAZING experience for us to have on our first real day here. The first hour of the experience was what they called Marine Wellness - a circuit that lets you work directly with salt water in aqua exercises, massages with jets, and cascades, with contrast with the iced pool and make the perfect preamble to the Hammam, the arab style steam baths. We also experienced a steam room, the sauna and several sensation showers included one where a bucket of lukewarm water is dropped over your head creating a wonderful sensation.Our next stop was the Excellence Massage - Replenish and energize your body with this exclusive blend of Swedish massage, shiatsu pressure points, body stretching, aromatherapy and lomi techniques that will help to release muscle tension and ride the body of tiredness and fatigue.
I don’t think that we have ever been more relaxed than after that massage. We both literally fell asleep - there were actual snores coming from the tables! Once we left the spa we decided the room service was in order - especially since we missed lunch at all the restaurants. Another great meal! The food at this place is really great - and you know how much we love to eat!
We are back in the room after enjoying a night of music under the stars. Tomorrow we head out for our first excursion to Chichen Itza - should be a good time. Nighty night!!
Quick note - we do not have our camera card reader so you will all have to wait on photos until we return. We do have our Flip video camera so there will be video!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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!
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!
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