Catch-Up: Spring Break in Cancun

Spring semester was so busy that I never got to post about my first big spring break trip! So now that I have some time to relax, it's time to catch up!

Errol's family has a time share in Cancun, Mexico, and ever since we met we talked about the possibility of going there someday for spring break. Only took us 4 years, but we finally did it! And it was definitely worth the wait! 

We had been on numerous trips together around the country, but this was our first international flight (our first international vacation was the cruise to the Bahamas in 2010). It was still relatively chilly in March up here in Chapel Hill, and the stores don't have a pool section to buy snorkeling gear. But I managed to find a new bathingsuit at Target and some other beach-y outfits.

It took a few breaths to get used to the heat and humidity as we exited the Cancun airport. But alas, my skin was happily absorbing the Vitamin D and my melanocytes began to awaken from their hibernation. After a few speed bumps, we made it via shuttle to the timeshare: Club Regina!

The time share was great, with a private entrance to the beach, awesome pool bar, and a delicious restaurant.

Sites of Club Regina beach and pool

Inside, there is a master bedroom, kitchen, living room, and patio fully equipped with a jacuzzi and a hammock. Our suite faced the absolutely beautiful Cancun sunsets, which we watched with margaritas and Coronas almost every night.

Sunset view from the patio

During one of our walking excursions, we went to La Parrilla, a Mexican grill with traditional dishes. We even got complimentary margaritas! Also, Senor Frogs style, we got tall drinks.

Errol's parents suggested that we go to Xel-Ha, an all-inclusive day in paradise. It's a natural park where we had the day to snorkel, eat all you want, drink all you want, bike, zip-line, lay out on the hammock, and more. Of all the excursions we did, I would definitely go here again! 

Views from Xel-Ha 

Another excursion we did was a trip to Chichen-Itza, which was the main cultural part of the trip. This was one of my bucket list items to see in my lifetime! It was a couple of hours away, so we went with a tour on a bus. On the way, the tour guide took us to see locals making obsidian figures and hammocks. Obsidian is a very important stone for the Mayans, and we learned all about the meaning. On the top left corner of the image, you can see that without light, obsidian is black, but when the light hits it right, it shines gold!

The tour guide told us all about Chichen Itza and the vast city that was once there. My favorite fact about this monument is that each side has 91 steps, with one more step to the top. That makes the total number of steps 365, the number of days in our calendar year!

The day we went was a special one, with a full moon. So our tour included a second trip to Chichen Itza after dinner where we got to witness a light show under the moonlight.

Full moon over Chichen Itza

Our third excursion was a day spent snorkeling in the ocean with a group. I haven't gotten the camera developed yet (much to Errol's dismay), but it was my first open ocean snorkeling. It was exciting! We even met some guys who had just graduated from University of Central Florida and hung out with them! Must have been a sign of things to come for Errol, who is starting medical school there next month.

Errol and my first international vacation was definitely an amazing one. Cancun, despite it's rampant tourism, has a lot of culture and a unique vibe that makes it a wonderful vacation hotspot.

Hopefully the next international vacation will be in Europe!