New Beginnings

I didn’t sleep very well last night. The noise just wouldn’t stop. Roar. . . shhh. . . crackle. 3:30 am and I was still awake. I really can’t complain, though. It was the sound of ocean waves pounding the shore so loudly I was sure if I stepped out of bed I’d go sliding […]
A Princess in Search of a Crown and a Castle

Hola mi amigos! I considered writing this article in Spanish but, as I’ve learned from my last few weeks in Merida, Mexico, mi español es mui mal. In fact, somehow, in the month since I’ve returned from Cuba, my Spanish has gotten much worse. I’ll need to improve on that as I consider opening a […]
The Good, the Bad and the Gracias’s

I’ve got a secret; I wasn’t thrilled to be going to Mexico. I’ve been there before – many times. From working on cruise ships and visiting many of the ports, both on the Pacific side and the Caribbean side, to my time in meeting planning when I worked for a week each in Cancun and […]
Adios Mexico

I wake up early this morning; earlier than I need to. As my flight from Cancun departs at 12:15pm, I’ve calculated that, if I leave the hotel by 8:15am, I’ll have time to stop at Turtle Bay Bakery to grab a cup of coffee and a pastry before driving the hour-and-fifteen-minutes to airport to return […]
Exit Strategy

Today I have a plan; to spend quality time with the beach. It’s the first day that I don’t set an alarm. Unfortunately, the construction workers did set an alarm and, by 8:20am, there’s pounding and my bed is vibrating, and not in a good way. This does not come as a surprise as, the […]
This Little Piggy Went to Market

I wake up this morning and join Stewart and Chucho for coffee before they go to work and I hit the road. I depart out of Cancun in two days and am driving back to Akumal to get a bit closer. Yes, I could stay in Cancun or even in Playa del Carmen, but they’re […]
Monday in the Mérida Mercado

Today is dedicated to Mérida, with Stewart showing me around his city. Remember, Stewart is either shady or an international man of mystery (IMM) – there’s a fine line and, as it could be guilt by association, we’ll call him an IMM). He’s lived in England, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the U.S., yet he’s […]
Making Willie Wonka Proud

We awake early this morning (well, early for Stewart and Chucho on a Sunday) and hit the road by about 9:00am. Today Chucho is driving us about an hour away to go to the ruins at Uxmal, as well as the nearby chocolate museum (it might be the best day ever!). After stopping for a […]
Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Feeling like new women after exiting the cenote, we change clothes, get back in the car and continue our road-trip through the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s now 4:00pm and we have three more hours of driving. We’re behind schedule, but schedules are made to be broken. We get back on Highway 180 which should take us […]
Winning Isn’t Everything

While I’m at the library for the third day (really, I’d only planned on one, but then again, I don’t really plan, and this is why), I attempt to speak with Stephanie’s grandmother outside (you may remember that Stephanie can neither hear nor speak). As her grandmother speaks no English and I speak no Spanish, […]