Bill’s Right On Blog: Vacation Report – Day 1 in Cancun, Mexico

photo by Bill Stevenson

It has consistently been +26 here with the humidity feeling like +35 and I tell you it is so fantastic to be sitting here on the white sand beaches of Cancun! This is my first time experiencing this type of winter vacation and I am completely enjoying it. We landed at about 7:30PM at the Cancun international airport off of a direct flight from Regina Saskatchewan – which was snow covered and blistery cold, after a short bus ride we arrived at our first resort ‘Secrets, The Vines’.

‘Welcome home’ the door man said, as well as the bellboy, and the front desk clerk. From there on they took care of our every need, explaining the various restaurants, the pools, the entertainment options and finally the all-inclusive beverage service. After a quick bite to eat at the best Mexican restaurant ever we both decided we were physically exhausted and retired to our rooms. The king size bed wrapped us up snuggly and we both drifted off in paradise. We were home.

We got up the next morning with the intent of laying on the sand for as long as possible, I who have never needed suntan lotion decided I still didn’t and thus began a series of ‘firsts’ in this trip and I both loath and fondly remember. After a couple hours on the beach I was red as a cooked lobster. This was when we met Quan a salesman to tourists looking for adventure. After some chitchat we bought a package that included a speedboat ride and snorkeling in the Great Mexican Reef. For the first time I was able to captain a boat through strange waters just like the rum drinking pirate I fantasize myself to be with my lovely first mate beside me snapping pictures with her iphone!

After about half an hour of boat riding we arrived at the reef and Shauneen jumped in without me. Those of you who know me know that I do not swim very well (like The Giant in The Princess Bride, I only dog paddle) so this entire idea of jumping off a perfectly good boat into the clear blue waters was complete and total madness to me. (It’s also the main idea I blame for me never actually becoming a pirate). But when facing your fears it’s best to face them head on and jump right in, so after whining to Shauneen for a few minutes, hearing the laughter of our tour guide at me, watching terrified little girl scream her way off another boat into the water I decided to man up and put my feet into the water…

From what I remember the tour guide actually came over and tossed me into the water, “You’ll be fine senor! The packs you wear! They make you float!” And float I did. Slowly I worked up the nerve to put my head in the waters and look down – it was amazing. Fish swimming by, colorful angelfish, blue fish, coral… my only disappointment was that I did not have an underwater camera. But the calmness, the silence of the sea, the gracefulness of each fish swimming, the wonderfully subdued colours of the reef could never be fully caught in a picture. For that experience you must come down to Cancun, you must visit Mexico.

Tomorrow I will write more.

– Bill Stevenson, Bill’s Right On Blog