Riviera Maya, Mexico - The RC Bickett Gang

¡Vamos a Mexico a sentarse en la playa y beber mas cerveza! Translation: We are going to Mexico to sit on the beach and drink lots of beer. And that is exactly what we did…along with muchos tequila, strawberry daiquiris, and piña coladas… well minus the sitting on the beach part.

The Riu Palace Mexico was the grandest resort any of us have ever been to and the service from the minute we walked into the door was fabulous. By the time we got there on Sunday, January 11, booked our excursions, unpacked, grazed on taquitos and chips/salsa/guacamole (Nicole’s breakfast, lunch and dinner) at the buffet it was dark. But that didn’t stop us from walking on the beach under the full moon. It was almost surreal. We found ourselves at a sister Riu property settled in for the entertaining musical show with drinks in our hands. On the way back Rick and Brian enjoyed puffing on Cuban cigar along the beach.

Brian and Rick on the beach after sunset with their cigars and drinks in hand.

The next morning we woke and looked forward to relaxing on the beach. After hitting the buffet for some huevos rancheros (eggs Mexican style) and fresh papaya we lathered up in sunscreen, donned our sandals, sunglasses and towels and secured our lounge chairs on the beach under the palms with hundreds of other guests who looked like they had been there for a few days. Unfortunately the sunshine only lasted the morning when the clouds built up and the rain came down. We have never seen so many people flee one area at the same time. Even though it rained off and on we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. We ate dinner on the patio and settled in for the night’s entertainment: a show about Mexican heritage.

The festive costumes in all of the dances were just beautiful.

We woke early Tuesday, January 12 to eat a quick breakfast before we hurried off on our first excursion. The all day tour included the Mayan ruins of Coba, a zip line over and rappel down into a Cenotes (a cave—this one had fallen in and was open), an authentic Mayan lunch prepared and served by native Mayan people, a short kayak trip across a lagoon, a hike in the jungle, a swim in a Cenotes (cave with an underground river), another hike in the jungle all topped off with a shot of tequila. It was very eye opening to see how the people of Mexico live.

Since the sun was still hiding behind clouds the next day, we parted ways and went shopping in downtown Playa del Carmen where a ton of little shops lined the streets along with the “sales people” who tried to get us to buy everything. “Almost free” was their sales pitch. Brian was able to order his fish tacos for lunch at Señor Frogs. That night we toured up to the Cancun area for our Pirate Ship dinner show. Two pirate ships full of tourists departed into the bay where we were served dinner by pirates. After we ate the two ships came together for the “fight scene” with clashing swards and cannon explosions. Our ship, the green ship, was victorious over the Black Pearl. The boat ride ended with the ship deck turning into a disco party. Not quite what we were expecting, but entertaining to say the least.

The four stow aways on the Pirate Ship dinner cruise.

We prayed for sun on Thursday and woke to the peaceful sound of rain from the down spouts. After breakfast we stopped by the concierge desk to borrow umbrellas and we trekked back to Playa del Carmen for some more haggling where we were able to pick up a few more souvenirs. The rain subsided that afternoon leaving a few minutes to sit on the beach under the cloud cover and watch the waves come in before we went to our couples moonlight massages. It was too cold to have them done on the beach but they were very relaxing either way. That night we ate in the Brazilian themed restaurant and then enjoyed the last of our “all inclusive” benefits by the bar.

Out enjoying a fancy dinner at the resort.

Finally on Friday, our last day in Mexico, the clouds started to break up…as we were waiting in the lobby for our shuttle to the airport. It was a little disappointing that we didn’t get to sit on the beach much, but we all had a fabulous time anyways. One thing that we didn’t bring back with us was a sun burn! It was great to experience a different culture and we would recommend a trip to Mexico to everyone. By the time we got home we all were speaking a little Spanish.

Adiós amigos!