Cancun...

Our last full day as a group was Saturday. Everyone's plane left at 11 and we had to head up to Cancun to get them to the airport. We, of course, spent our last morning at the pool. I was sitting comfortably in the shade of a sofa, while Emily and Delphia got the last bit of sun they could. (those are their legs!) :)

You know it's been a good vacation when your balcony looks like this:

After dropping them off at the airport in Cancun, Ben and I got our own car for the rest of the day and toured around Cancun. We were so sad to see our friends leave. We had such a great week with them. Seriously, so relaxing and fun all week long, we did nothing but laugh and joke and have fun the whole time!!! We're grateful that they let us tag along on their trip! :) But then felt bad when they found out that their plane got delayed and then they missed their connecting flight in Salt Lake due to the polar vortex that we were luckily missing. :) We decided that every few years we are going to start visiting all of the seven wonders of the world. We are going to make our rounds and I think that the six of us make some great travel companions--and I can't wait for our many adventures to come. :) (we'll see if that actually happens...) :)

 Anyway, Cancun wasn't too impressive to me, I'm glad we spent the majority of our trip down south more. They did have a Costco, though, so you know we were there trying samples. It was kind of a joke the whole time that Ben wanted to find a Costco, and there was one in Cancun, and after they all left, he told me he really did want to hit up Costco. I obliged because I thought that they might have some good souvenirs. I preferred the local trinkets from the streets and flea markets, but it was still fun trying the Mexican Costco samples. :) We also had a joke that we were going to come back one day and Ben is going to give us a tour of all the convenient stores. He wanted to stop at them all the time to get a drink and a snack and everyone gave him a hard time for it. :) The man loves him a diet soda, what can ya do?

{Like a kid in a candy store!} :)

We did find a great little taco joint and they seriously had THE BEST tacos. This is authentic Mexican at it's best. Seriously, nothing better! Tortillas, Steak, onion, cilantro and a little lime and salt. perfection.

We then went to a beautiful beach and just hung out...

It was seriously the best afternoon. We hadn't brought our swimming suits, but it was just such a perfect afternoon and the beach was so beautiful that we couldn't help ourselves. Well, I could. But Ben couldn't. He just jumped right in in the shorts he was wearing. And I just enjoyed every beautiful second just people watching on the beach! It was the best!

We made friends with these two cute boys playing next to us, and I think I fell in love with them because they reminded me of the friends we have made in the Spanish branch over the last few years. Ben was finding them shells, and they would give them to me. People were always shocked when we started speaking Spanish.

This lady asked to take a picture with us. Well, we were walking by her and her family and one of their sons was taking a picture of the rest of them, so I just offered to take it for them so he could be in it. Then I asked one of them to take a picture of the two of us, and she asked if she could get one with us. So, we got one with her. :) 

I had been searching for a headband all week, and finally found one in Cancun. They did have some pretty good shopping there! Cancun Selfie!!!!

After Cancun we headed back down to Playa del Carmen. They had a shopping area down there that was pretty popular called 5th Street, (calle quinta) and we hadn't been at night yet. We heard there were lots of cool shops and good resteraunts. (Although most of the times we were in Playa, we asked the locals the best resteraunts, and they weren't on 5th Street. And we had some great food outside of calle quinta.)

Fish spa, where you could sit and let little fish swim around your feet. I saw these in some random stores:

Looking down one way on 5th street. It was actually really cool, and fun. Totally toursity, and lots and lots of people, but lots of fun, and cool to just hang out and walk around.

We ate dinner and were serenaded by an awesome mariachi band. They even sang 'Guantanamera' which is one of my favorite songs!! It was so fun!

And I got my last Pina Colada of the trip that night.

I was sad to see this week end. It was the perfect mid-winter break from the throes of reality and weather in Spokane. I really do hope one day to get back to the Yukatan! Maybe I should have been born a Mayan???