Mike was awarded a trip to the Summit Club for Palo Alto Networks this year near Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. And the best part was the wives were invited! This trip was another tender mercy for me. Mike and I started a tradition when we went to Europe a two years ago of taking a trip together in the fall. With my surgery, it didn't seem like it would work this year so we didn't plan anything. Then we were invited on this trip, which fell right at the end of my 6 week recovery. Worked out perfectly. Jammie and Grandpa spend the week with our kids while we traveled to Mexico. I loved it! We fit in just the right amount of relaxing, learning, adventure, exploring, and socializing.
We started each day with breakfast on this balcony with the sun rising over the lagoon. We stayed at the Fairmont Mayakoba just north of Playa Del Carmen on the Yucatan penunisula.
We went on a snorkeling adventure on our first day. We snorkeled along part of the world's second largest coral reef. I held an octopus! Until I dropped it trying to take a photo.
We rode bikes down to the beach from our room. The sand was very fine and white. The water was so warm, at least compared to California. Toward the end of our trip, it was windy and the waves were choppy. There were also jelly fish (or something) hiding in the churned up sandy waves that gave us a mild sting. I asked the lifeguard how big they were or what type and he didn't know. He said you can't see them. We also enjoyed swimming in the fancy hotel pools.
We took a private tour to see the Mayan Ruins on our second day. Arnie, our tour guide, picked us up at the hotel and drove us to Tulum, Chichen Itza and a cenote (or sinkhole). Tulum was so beautiful. It is situated on a cliff at the edge of the Caribbean Sea. I loved the color of the water. After lunch at a spanish hacienda, with mexican dancers, we headed to Chichen Itza. It was fascinating to learn about the history and symbols at both ruins. They depict images of a descending God with his feet in the air. The architecture is integrated with astronomy and their calendar system. It was amazing how light hits certain symbolic places on certain days. As fascinating and beautiful the ruins were, it was a little disturbing to realize that they were also places of human sacrifice.
We spent our third day swimming in the hotel pool, on a shopping trip to Playa del Carmen and on the beach. We had lunch with our friends, Lee and Susan in town. We attended Palo Alto Networks dinners most evenings. Mike and I took a boat tour around the canals on our last day. We learned about the area's geology, ecology, and wildlife. We saw lots of birds. I wish I could remember all of their names. And we even spotted a crocodile!
The rest of the photos from our trip are on smugmug here.
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