My dad and step mom go to Cancun every
year for several weeks in November and asked the kids and me to join
them this year. I decided this was a good year to do so and agreed.
I made all the preparations in September and the kids and I had been
anxious to go. The wait was over and it was the morning of the trip.
The Driver came to the house at 8a.m. and the kids and I rushed our
bags out the door. We were off to the airport. As we pulled off the
exit for the airport, I realized I left Emily's camera and most of
my lenses at the house. With Lizzy's and my camera, as well as the
Kodak and waterproof we felt we were covered. We got to the airport
and got in line for our tickets. I reached in my pocket to grab my
cell phone and ended up grabbing my leg. I left my cell phone in
the car, I quickly grabbed Emily's phone and called my number.
Luckily the driver had just left the airport, so he turned around and
brought the phone back.
The trip was starting rather poorly.
Luckily we got through security quickly and grabbed some bottled
water for the plane. We had rented some movies for the tablet from
Amazon, so we started the Avengers and plugged in the headphones.
The volume ended up being too low on all of the headphones but my
noise canceling pair, so I gave them to Lizzy and I went to sleep as
Emily played on her phone.
Arriving in Cancun, the kids and I were
excited. Immigration was a well oiled machine and we made it through
quickly. While waiting for our bags, we laughed at the beagles they
used to sniff out contraband. That was until a lady next to us had
to surrender a half eaten banana. We quickly made our way through
customs. There was only 20 feet between us and the airport door. The
exit was in reach when a man came up and asked what hotel we were
staying at, he then corrals us to a map and begins to pitch a time
share. The kids and I continue out the doors to the warm Cancun air.
It is my and the kids first trip to
Mexico. We walk to the end of the vans and find the one that will
bring us to the hotel. Getting in the van, I realize that I do not
know enough Spanish to order a taco, none the less communicate in
Mexico.
My stepmother and her friend greeted us
as we got off the van. My stepmother helped us check in and we made
our way to the suite. Wow, the suite was amazing! It was designed
to sleep five, complete with two baths; two large bedrooms; one
double queen with a balcony and one king with a large balcony; there
were two Murphy beds in the living room and a full eating area as
well as a kitchen.
As my stepmother was getting ready to
go back to her suite, we heard a knock at the door. A young woman
announced herself as Rachael. A representative of the hotel. She
claimed to be there to help us plan our trip, but my stepmother
rushed her out and told her we were busy. She then explained to me
that it was just a 'time share opportunity person'. The kids and I
settled in and enjoyed the views of the giant pool and clear blue
ocean.
We explored our new territory and went
to the shops located at the hotel. Back at our suite, we sat on the
large balcony taking in the beautiful scenes before us. Lizzy went
off to bed while Emily and I talked late into the night.
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| Lizzy's Sunset by Daddy |
In the sounds of waves reaching the
shore, I was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. It was a deep
sleep... until... “Daddy, there is a lizard in my bathroom!”. I
opened one eye and and noticed it was Lizzy, she started, “Daddy I
was going to the bathroom and there is a lizard on the wall!”.
I groggily looked at my watch,
5:30a.m., and replied, “So? Talk to your sister about it.”
“Daddy, I did, she won't get up. You
have to get rid of him!”
“No, he lives here, you are his
guest. Leave him alone.”
“Come see him, he's on the wall.”
In a slightly conscious move, I grabbed
my camera and walked to the kids' bathroom. A tiny pink lizard was
on the wall near the ceiling. I took a few pictures of it and began
walking back to my room when Lizzy started again, “Daddy, what are
you going to do about it?”.
“Nothing.”, I replied, “I'll hurt
him if I try moving him. He'll leave on his own shortly.”
Lizzy didn't like the answer but knew
not to argue it. We moved to the balcony and began to watch the
sunrise.
 |
| Lizzy's Sunset by Lizzy |
The sky began to change from dark, to
cotton candy pink, to a fiery orange and the sun began to peek over
the ocean. We grabbed our cameras and started taking pictures. It
was an inspirational sunset. Lizzy and I played with the cameras'
apertures and fired the cameras at will. Cameras still in hand, we
decided to go shell collecting and headed for the beach. The sand
was cool and inviting and the air warm and gentle; the waves were
blue background noise to complete the scene. We walked and talked
for about 45 minutes before heading back to the suite with cameras
and shells in hand.
So when I started hiking the trails
in S.C., I was surprised to see signs pointing out varieties of
alligators. I decided to look up suggestions for dealing with
alligators on trails.
