Pictures from our trip

Here are some pictures from our trip to Cancun.

View from our deck

gift from the chef made out of food scraps

Art's view from his lounger

Our deck

Art at wet'nwild

the water slide...yikes

waterfall we saw on our boat tour

Birds at XCARET

Art at the romantic dinner on the beach

The show at XCARET

My fancy hairdo

Limo Home

Home

Whenever my parents and my Aunt Betty get together my aunt always requests my parents to play the song I wanna go home. That song has replayed in my head over and over. After our power nap, Art went to the hotel lobby to get us some breakfast while I got ready. It was a typical hotel breakfast. The orange juice was orange but it tasted like water. It was just weird. My darling Art went and got me a Dr Pepper. We headed to the airport. It took us just under ten minutes to get there. The night before it took the taxi over thirty minutes. Hmmmmmmm. Anyway, we checked in and we will fly to Los Angeles and then switch airlines. Because we are switching airlines we couldn't get seats on the new plane until we got to LA. Our hope was that we would be able to get seats on the first flight to Boise. The good thing is we didn't have to claim our luggage, it was booked all the way through.

On the plane to LA a young man (Nick) sat next to me and heard Art and I talking about going home and hoping we would be able to get on the flight to Boise. He asked if we were going to Boise and we said yes. He said that was what he was doing as well. So I asked him what flight screwed him up that he needed to do what we were doing and as it turned out he was on the same flight we were from Cancun. His brother got married on Saturday in Cancun. He is attending BSU. When we landed in LA we told him he could stay with us and we would get everything figured out together. He was relieved and thanked us a few times. The airport in LA is huge. We landed in building one and had to take the bus to building seven. We didn't have much time so we had no time to dawdle. We checked in a got a boarding pass but not a seat assignment. Nick had a seat assignment, so you know me, I was worried we might be standby. We hurried to the security point which was a little hike and oh my the line was really long. Art and I were hoping we could get through in time. After a few minutes in line one of the airline employees walked up to us and said come with me so we walked all the way back to the check in and went to another security check point and got right through. Whew. Once we got to the gate, we went to the airline agent and she asked what our last name was and when we told her she got a funny smile and told us we had seats (yeah) but they weren't together. I asked if it was on the same plane and she laughed and said yes so we said as long as we were on the same plane we didn't care. She said she wish all couples were like us. We said of course we would like to sit together but if it wasn't possible so be it. When we got on the plane we were just across the isle from each other and Art asked the guy sitting next to me if he would trade seats and he was more than happy to. We made it home and the Buddy and Miss R were there to greet us with loving arms. We arrived home safe and sound. AHHHH. You know if everything went smooth what would we have to talk about? This is what makes memories...............right?

Click Your Heels ThreeTimes..........

Click your heels three times and repeat there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home..............nope I'm still not home.

This post is going to be a long one so stop right here and go get something to drink and make your self comfy.

Ready? Here we go.........We were so excited for the trip home for a couple reasons. Yes it is good to be home but Art used our sky miles and got us tickets home in first class. Plus we had some of our palace dollars left so we reserved a limo back to the airport. We were going to go home in style. That helped lessen the sting of leaving paradise. We got up early and had our last breakfast and sat by the pool and said our goodbyes until it was time to grab a very quick lunch and head to the airport. The airport there requires you to be two to three hours early and we have been there that long and barely made it through the lines and security so we knew being there early was important. Our flight was scheduled for 4:00 so we headed to the airport at 1:00. A Lincoln stretch limo pulled up for us. (I will post pictures later). Wow it was fun. I felt so important. We got the airport and when we check in (here is where the fun begins)the ticket agent told us do to mechanical problems with the plane it was still in Phoenix and our flight would be delayed 2 1/2 hours. Oh dear!! We have a connecting flight we told her. She looked up to see what else would be available to us if we missed our connection and that meant spending the night in Phoenix so we really hoped to make the connection. We spent all afternoon in the airport. Sitting in the boarding area I felt something hit my arm really hard and when I looked down whatever hit me cracked the crystal of my watch. Woo dang! We went to Bubba Gumps for a salad and cold drink and watched the Cowboys beat the Giants in football. While there Art got an email from the airline telling us our flight to Tucson would also be delayed. We laughed and said we aren't going to Tucson we are going to Phoenix. A little later one of the men sitting down from us said did you hear customs in Phoenix is closed so we are going to Tuscon. WHAT?! We can't enter the US until we have been thorough customs so at least they found a customs office open. When we got on the plane they told us yes we were going to Tuscon to go through customs and then we would go back to Phoenix. For those unfamiliar with the customs procedure let me take a minute to explain. You get off the plane and go to baggage and collect your luggage drag it through customs, pray you don't get selected for them to search through yours, claim you items, have your passport scanned and send your luggage through a security point to be reloaded on the plane, walk what seems a couple miles back to the real airport, go back through security and reboard. Due to the late hour (after midnight at this point), the folks on our plane were the only ones in the airport. Plus everything was closed. Not even the escalators worked. We even had to use stairs to get off the plane as the jet way was also closed. As you can imagine getting a couple hundred people through this process took a couple of hours. We got back on the plane for a 25 minute plane ride and arrived safely in Phoenix. No the adventure doesn't stop there. They rebooked everyone and gave us a hotel voucher. You can imagine that many folks all wanting the hotel shuttle takes a while. So after picking up our luggage, we went out to join the masses waiting for the shuttle. Standing there Art suggested we just take a taxi. That way we could get there and check in before the big crowd. Thinking what a madhouse that would be all of us trying to check in at the same time I agreed a taxi would be the better plan. So we walked down to where the taxis where and told them we were staying at the Clarion. Our taxi driver Achmed was a foreigner and told us this was his second day on the job. We took off and he said he wasn't sure of where the hotel was. WHAT?!?! Art said you need a GPS and he replied he had one and asked what the address was. We said we didn't have a clue. He then pulled over and looked though some papers then said let me call my boss. His boss didn't answer so he put the taxi in reverse and backed back up to where we started. Got out and got directions from the other taxi drivers. After about 25 minutes of driving Art asked if he knew where he was going. He assured us he did and 5 minutes later we arrived. Some other folks decided to take a taxi after we did and they were already there. After checking in we got to bed a little after 4:00 this morning. Once we got in bed I was so tired and as I reflected on the day all I could do was laugh and laugh I did. We are rebooked to fly to Los Angeles this afternoon and then home tonight. We hope. I may be posting how I spent my vacation in Phoenix. Never a dull moment. Oh!!!!! I forgot to mention we are no longer booked in first class. We went from first class to the back of the plane. I think we may go shoe shopping. I am in need of ruby slippers. My black slip ons are working. Stay tuned we may make it home yet.

Last Day in Paradise

This was our last full day here in paradise.....dang! It was pretty overcast when we got up and it spit a little rain but fortunately the weather cleared and it turned out to be a nice day until about 5:00 and then it rained some more. We spent a good share of the day at the pool. With me in the pool. I even got talked into doing the aerobics class which is another story for an other time. Art held the lounger down. We did manage to take a little walk along the beach. One of the Mexican soap opera's cast came to the hotel for a big photo shoot and to film one of the story lines and then one of the Mexican talk shows came and the soap opera cast was on the talk show. The beach was full full full of people. They brought in extras as well to be in the soap opera scene. I didn't get to watch the talk show though because I went for a massage, manicure, and pedicure at the time they were doing the show. I would much rather do that. We played Texas Holdem and then went to dinner. Art loves the lamb chops here so we went for one last time. He said he has eaten a herd of sheep this week. And it is true. We even went late (10:15 pm) one night so he good have some He really loved them. We were tired after a day in the sun so after dinner we came back to our room and rested and watched some college football. I can't believe the week has gone by so fast. Back to the real world tomorrow. (heavy sigh) But you know what Arnold says...."I'll be back".

Ahhh what a relaxing day.

Today was very relaxing. We ate, relaxed at the pool for awhile then we headed to the beach. We hung out at the beach til lunch then took a very quick dip in the pool and relaxed on the lounger on our deck. I went to the beauty parlor to get some beauty. I had my hair done in a fancy do. It was fun. The folks at the parlor stood around discussing my hair. They all thought is was pretty and were surprised at all the colors. They all wanted to know if I had it colored that way or if it was natural. They were also amazed it was so thick. It was a pretty fancy do. I got a ton of compliments. Then Art and I had a romantic candle light steak and lobster dinner on the beach. It was great. We had planned to go to the casino night but we started watching the game and missed it. Go Broncos!!!! Now to bed. Ahhh what a relaxing day.

Today we went to...............

Today after breakfast we got on a bus and headed to XCARET. We spent the entire day there. It is a fun place and has a lot to see. Personally, I think they are expensive but it is fun and I had a good time. We walked our little legs off though as there is a lot of ground to cover. We played on the beach. We got in the water but didn’t swim…it was a little dirty for me. When Art asked me if I thought the yuk in the water was fish poop…..yeah I was done and so was he. But we enjoyed the beach. We took a boat ride down the river. It just so happened we were the only ones on the boat. Our own little tour if you will. The boat was powered by the guide’s legs. He had no oars and would kick the rocks to propel the boat. It was kinda crazy. We saw lot of animals, watched the dolphins play, saw a huge butterfly refuge. I couldn’t believe all the butterflies. They were really pretty. They also had bats down in a cave but I wasn’t interested in doing that. They also have an underground river that you can swim but it looked worse than the water at the beach. Yikes. At the end of the day, they put on a big show. It is of the Mexican history. I thought the show and music was awesome. My darn camera wasn’t working so I didn’t get a lot of pictures but I did manage to get a few. We got back to the hotel about 9:45 pm and had a little dinner and now we are tired and ready for bed. In fact Art is already in bed and almost asleep. Overall great day.

Disastrous Day Diverted

Last night it started to rain. It rained all night with thunder and lightning. Now let me tell you the thunder has to be extremely loud to be heard over the sound of the ocean. It even woke me up a couple of times. The rain was literally torrential. It was a little reminiscent of when we were here in February. We got up and it was still raining. Dang! We thought maybe we would have to cancel our plans for the day. We had breakfast and went to see our rep about cancelling. She told us she got up at 5: oo this morning and did a rain dance and the rain would stop by 12:00. We told her we were scheduled at 11:00 for our excursion and she assured us it would be fine so we kept our plans and……………..she was so right. Her dance worked. The rains stopped and it warmed up. So we were able to keep our plans.
We went to Wet and Wild and swam with the dolphins. Wet and Wild is a water park. When we got there the first thing Art said was “wow our grandkids would love this.” And he was right. We walked all around and then we went to swim with the dolphins. The dolphin we swam with was a male named Echo. He was a thing of beauty. Art wasn’t going to do it but the lady booking our tours told him he would like it and signed him up. He was a good sport and went. We had a good time. Dolphins are absolutely amazing. After the dolphins we went and played in the park. We rented some tubes and floated the Lazy River three times. We went down one of the water slides. We had to climb A LOT of stairs to get to the top. I got more scared with each step. I repeatedly asked Art if he was sure about it and he kept saying yes it would be fun and I kept saying I wasn’t sure. I thought I was going to have a coronary before we reached the top. We made it to the top and got in a boat and the worker pushed us off. Yes I screamed. We made it to the bottom…whew. When we got out I said wow that was fun do you want to do it again? Art replied No it wasn’t that much fun. HA HA HA we could have guessed we would switch. We spent the day there. The wave pool was fun as well. We gave our tubes away to a young couple when we left. That way they wouldn’t have to rent them. It was our act of kindness today. Art ordered chips and guacamole and shrimp from room service for us to munch on after we got cleaned up. Before dinner we played Texas Holdem. We had a late dinner and are going to watch the show from our deck. That is if we can stay awake. I think I reached my food max today. I am so full I can hardly move. We need to get our rest tonight because we will be doing a lot of walking tomorrow.

Such a Relaxing Day

Today was a very relaxing day. We got up and had breakfast and then went right to the pool. I lounged in the pool and Art lounged in the shade. About mid morning I went and played Texas Holdem until lunch. After lunch I went for the much anticipated hot stone massage. It was so heavenly!!! Then I showered and got cleaned up and went for a manicure and pedicure. Art sat on the deck and read his book while I was gone. We relaxed a little in the lobby bar area and then we played Texas Holdem until dinner. We had a late dinner and now back to the room to relax. The weather was so nice this morning but by noon it was getting pretty chilly. Hope it is better weather tomorrow as we will be out with a really fun activity. Some more folks arrived today but it is still pretty empty. I am just amazed. It didn't seem this bad in February but I can see why they are suffering. I guess the only constant is things change. I am looking forward to tomorrow's activity... should be lots of fun. Stay tuned to find out where we are going and what we are doing.

Monday

The weather today was mucho better. Yesterday it was chilly and rainy but today was sunny and warmer. We had a great breakfast and then went to the Cancun Palace for our presentation. After we finished with the presentation we took a taxi to the Beach Palace. We had lunch on the roof top. They have really good lunches there and normally they give you a lot. Today I ordered a ham and cheese burger with fries. It was delicious but I hated to eat the fries after I named them. Art got a lot and I got a few. I think the cook liked him. Then we hopped on the bus and went to Walmart for sunscreen, vanilla and sunglasses for Art. Then back to our hotel to sit on the beach. There isn’t much sun left after 3:30 so we headed in about 4:00. We have met some nice couples. One of the couples we met..just let me say I think the guy could be a stand up comedian. He was really fun to visit with. Before dinner I played Texas holdem and Art watched and drank a couple bumblebees. It is a new drink he discovered. We had a great dinner. There is a man that sings with his two daughters in one of the restaurants and we just love them. A few years ago we bought one of their CDs. They go from table to table and sing for you. Art always asks them to sing his favorite. I am not sure what the name of it is but it is the same tune as “Aye Aye, Aye, Aye I am the frito bandito”. They are very talented and we so enjoy listening to them. It is pretty obvious that business is way down. We were told that tourism here is down so low that the government has given hotels a stimulus to help them out. At dinner I counted 10 tables that were occupied. Normally the restaurant is packed with a lot of waiters and staff but even the staff has been cut way back. Even with all the cut backs the service and people are so attentive and nice. Some of the staff even remembered us from February. That is fun.
Now let me just say …yes I have green eyes and I am from America.

We’re Baaaaaack.

We’re baaaaaack. Wow we sure had to get up early….4:00 a.m. But it was worth it. MK and Miss R picked us up and we were on the way to the airport by 5:30 a.m. Thanks so much for doing that for us MK. The flights were good. We flew to Phoenix and from there to Cancun. On the flight to Phoenix two soldiers who were traveling together got on the plane. One was seated across and up one from us and the other in the back of the plane. A man who was in first class went up to the one soldier by us and told him he would like to trade seats. He wanted him to have his seat in first class. The soldier looked at him kinda funny and then asked the man if it was OK to give it to the soldier who worked for him. The man agreed. The soldier who went from sitting in the back to sitting in first class just grinned from ear to ear and was thrilled. I was so impressed by the events of kindness.
We were late taking off from Cancun. They had to rearrange the luggage to distribute the weight. Art said someone packed too much and we looked out the window to see our suitcase on the cart to be redistributed. Opps….must have been the extra shoes I packed. Anyway we were about 40 minutes late. I told Art they could make the time up in the air and I am not sure he believed me but we did. We got in on time. I was dreading customs as it took forever when we were here in February but we got through and had our luggage in about 30 minutes. Woohooo!!! We got to the hotel and met with our rep and planned out the week. Our plan to sit on the beach and veg out……….well ………that was a good thought but we managed to fill the week. We have a lot of fun things planned for the week. I am really excited. And the best part is I get to pal around with Art all week. Ahhhh life is so sweet.
We had a nice steak dinner and now we are in our room listening to the ocean eating chips and guacamole and shrimp cocktail. The feeding frenzy has begun. It will be early to bed for us.