Cancun, Mexico, June 2021
After being pretty much stuck in Oregon for over 18 months, an overseas trip was well overdue. Usually I like to plan elaborate trips with full itineraries but for me, as for most people, 2020 was an unbelievably stressful year and for once, I wanted to take a trip where I had (almost) no plans or commitments. A trip to the kind of place where I can relax with a cold drink in my hand and feel the ocean breeze on my face.
That is how eventually we ended up in Cancun at the unbelievable Grand Park Royal Cancun resort located in the “Hotel Zone” of Cancun, a long, narrow strip of land sticking out far into the Atlantic, offering views of the ocean any which way you turn.
While the primary goal of our trip was to destress, our flight down to Mexico was anything but non-stressful. Our full day of traveling started off at Eugene’s small regional airport where, in the middle of a literally unprecedented heatwave, the inadequate air conditioning system just couldn’t possibly cool down the building enough to be anything remotely comfortable.
The misery only continued as we boarded the plane where once again, lacking the facilities of a larger airport, the one in Eugene lacked the A/C hook ups at the gate that keep the airplanes cool while they are parked. As we boarded the plane with our facemasks neatly snugged on our face we found ourselves walking into a plane turned into a sauna as the passengers aboard this fully booked flight emitted ungodly quantities of body heat and B.O.
When the main door was shut and the engines roared to life, an audible sigh of relief came across the entire cabin as the plane’s own air conditioning finally kicked in.
Arriving in Dallas’ massive international airport, we waited for our connection to Cancun. And Waited. And waited some more. Our original departure time of 8:45 got pushed back a full hour before we even left Eugene. Eventually, 9:45 came and went. The plane was sitting there waiting for us but it was missing one important thing: the flight crew.
With the pandemic winding down in the United States, more and more people are beginning to fly again and sadly, like with many industries in the country, airlines are having trouble with staffing and American had a huge pilot shortage causing numerous cancellations across the country. The gate agent behind the counter was less than helpful as she herself had no idea if our flight would have a crew that evening.
The minutes turned into hours and we couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread that our flight would be among those numerous cancellations American was forced to make. One last “fuck you” to us from COVID before we could put the pandemic behind us.
Cheering erupted from the people crowding the gate as the flight crew had to push their way through in order to board the plane before boarding could finally begin.
Having taken off a full three hours behind schedule, we didn’t get to Cancun until just before 2:30 AM and made it to the resort about an hour after that. When we were checking in I was pleasantly surprised to find that we had been upgraded to an ocean front villa in the newer section of the resort.
We were way too exhausted to appreciate the suite in any great detail and went straight to bed, hoping explore the resort in the after getting some sleep.
In the morning, it didn’t take long to fully appreciate our suite when I opened the curtains and looked out the sliding glass doors.
The suite was absolutely incredible with a private terrace and plunge pool with a spectacular view of the ocean only a couple of yards away. We hadn’t eaten much the day before since we were traveling all day so we were pretty hungry.
Our all-inclusive pass at the resort included all meals and drinks throughout the complex. We got dressed for breakfast and headed to the Cocay restaurant in the main building of the resort. After enjoying a decent helping from the buffet style breakfast and a nice mimosa, we went back to the hotel room to change into our bathing suits to enjoy some drinks and sun in one of the resort’s swimming pools.
A quick pit stop at the bar for some piña coladas and we were ready to catch some sun. A few hours and several drinks later we felt it was time to head back to our suite to take a midday nap. We unfortunately discovered shortly after getting back to our room that, despite the copious amounts of supposedly water resistant sunscreen we had applied, we had both gotten pretty decent sunburns on our shoulders, upper back, and face.
I went to a small gift shop and convenience store found near the front desks in a hunt for Dramamine and as luck would have it I also found some aloe vera gel for our sunburns. It truly is remarkable how draining it is to be in the sun all day. Even without having done much in terms of physical exertion Audrey and I were both spent for pretty much the rest of the day and went to bed fairly early.
Early the next morning we were jolted awake by my scheduled wake-up call. Although we wanted a trip of low stress and no responsibilities, there was one thing we absolutely had to do while we were in Cancun: swim with whale sharks.
Before our trip I scoured the internet looking for the best whale shark tour operators in the area and stumbled upon the appropriately named Whaleshark Tour Cancun. Our driver Julio arrived at 6:30 AM as expected in a large passenger van with a total of five couples.
The drive out to the docks took about 45 minutes where we were greeted by our two guides, Abel (AKA Gato) and Jose and were treated to a humble breakfast of what Audrey has appropriately dubbed the “Classic Latino:” a sandwich comprised of two pieces of white bread with a single piece of ham, a single slice of cheese, and the smallest touch of lettuce for health.
We boarded our boat, the Elayne Jesus shortly thereafter and set sail. The spot where whale sharks had last been spotted was about an hour’s trip away. On the way, Gato and Jose both gave us a rundown on what to expect and what rules we are expected to follow when we’re in the water with the whale sharks, the biggest of which is not to touch the whale sharks at all as doing so would damage a protective layer on their skin that keeps them safe from infections.
We arrived at the last known location of any whale sharks and spent about half an hour searching for any of them. We spotted a lone whale shark that had just surfaced. We would be going into the water in pairs of two and guided by Jose. Audrey and I were the first ones up and jumped in. Sadly, although we were able to catch a glimpse of the shark, he seemed to have been disturbed by our presence, submerging deep into the water and swimming away far too fast for us to keep up with it.
We climbed back onto the boat and Gato and Jose decided we needed to keep riding in search of more whale sharks before the rest of the groups would hop into the water. After what felt like another half hour, we finally spotted a large group of whale sharks coming up to the surface to feed.
At last it was time for an up close encounter with a fish the size of a school bus. My adrenaline was pumping and my heart was racing with excitement as I got to swim alongside these incredible animals. Unlike our last encounter, these whale sharks seemed completely unbothered by our presence, too preoccupied with what appeared to be lunch time for them.
As they fed, they swam at a slow enough pace that I was able to keep up with them for the most part. A few times I inadvertently got so close that I found myself having to evade getting bitch-slapped by the shark’s massive tail. The whale sharks were also accompanied by massive manta rays, some of which had 10-15 foot wingspans.
More than satisfied with our experience, our time in the water was up and we headed back into the boat, drying off in the sun while the other groups had their second turn with the sharks.
The boat began heading back towards the mainland once the last group was back onboard. Unbeknownst to us there was an unadvertised planned stop along the way: Isla Mujeres.
Located 8 miles off the coast, Isla Mujeres is known for it’s posh resorts. The jade-colored water and picturesque beaches, along with the increased difficulty of getting there, make it a hot spot for affluent tourists looking for something a little more exclusive than the sometimes Co-Ed infested Cancun.
Jose set anchor in shallows waters where we were told we could hop in for a brief swim in the perfectly tepid waters while he and Gato got lunch ready. We waded in the waters of Playa Norte having taken off the shirt I had been wearing on the boat and snorkeling with to protect me from the sun. It wasn’t long before we were called back onto the boat for a lunch of some of the freshest and best red snapper ceviche I’ve ever had.
We did another quick snorkeling excursion at some coral reefs nearby before heading off for the mainland. Upon getting situated on the boat, I dried off with a towel and shook my hand dry. In doing so, the residual water on my fingers caused my wedding ring to fly off, falling into the shallow waters below the boat. I jumped into the water quickly after it as did our guide Jose. Unfortunately, the surface below was covered with a thick layer of seagrass. Without SCUBA equipment to remain under water for a prolonged period of time, after a brief search, it was deemed a lost cause. A sour note on an otherwise great day.
We got back to the mainland and were eventually driven back to the resort, being the last group from the tour to be dropped off. When we made it back to our room shortly after 4:00 PM, we were greeted by a wide selection of fresh fruits, berries, and some champagne compliments of the house. The lovely spread was a pleasant surprise, especially considering the other surprise we were soon to receive.
Once Audrey and I both got to change out of our wet clothes, we found that, while the sunscreen we applied to our faces, arms, and legs did indeed protect us from the sun, our clothing, particularly the shirts we were wearing, did not. The sunburns on our shoulders and backs from the day before had only gotten worse.
It wasn’t until later that we found out that wet clothes are 50% less effective in blocking UV radiation than dry clothes, meaning the wet t-shirts we were wearing all day as we sat on the deck of the boat did jack shit to protect us from the broiling sun.
Let my mistake be a lesson to you: if you’re going to be out in the sun all day…put sunscreen on EVERYWHERE…even under your clothes.
With both of us looking like tomatoes, we thought it best to cover ourselves with as much aloe vera as we needed and stayed in our room for the rest of the evening, opting to order room service and watch TV in the comfort of our air conditioned suite.
Despite our initial plans to have a relatively obligation-free trip, my desire to do and see as much as possible during any vacation would sometimes rear its ugly head. Before our trip even began I had proposed that if we were up to it, we could do a tour of the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá on the condition that we would decide while we were in Mexico instead of booking something in advance.
