Cancun, Mexico
Lee Hurley and his wife Anne went to Cancun, Mexico in July for their 20th wedding anniversary. They had planned to stay for five days but actually stayed six. Mr. Hurley asked me to ask him some questions about his trip because he was too lazy to write anything himself.
Holly Hurley*: When I think of Cancun, the words “spring break” and “tequila shots” come to mind- is that fair?
Lee Hurley: That’s fair because younger people frequent Cancun and many of them can be found shooting tequila and various other concoctions. The Senor Frogs party all night thing is popular.But thankfully there are also lots of older couples like us staying in 4 and 5 star resorts sipping not shooting Tequila (1800 is my favorite), dining in upscale restaurants and going to bed way before 3:30 in the morning. Cancun is a lot like New Orleans. One can get most any experience one is looking for. Except Cancun comes with crystal water and an ocean breeze. It’s good for hangovers.
Holly Hurley: What about Mexicans as people?
Lee Hurley: When it comes to generalizing about a whole nation, I have to say I like Mexicans better than most other sets of people. Better than Yankees and most Californians. Good sense of humor, laid back, optimistic, resourceful, accommodating, musical.
Holly Hurley: Is Cancun safe?
Lee Hurley: Safe as most small towns in Mississippi and much safer mentally.
Holly Hurley: What are the beaches and ocean like on the Yucatan peninsula?
Lee Hurley: Think Caribbean. Very salty water. You can see your toes at 6 feet. The diving is excellent.
Holly Hurley: Describe the food in this region?
Lee Hurley: The best in the world except for French food. Just kidding. I hate French food. We ate gourmet and we ate from a beachside shack. Nothing could have been fresher either way. I miss the salsa and guacamole. I miss the spicy pollo.
Holly Hurley: You stayed at the Aqua Hotel.Is that an American hangout?
Lee Hurley: Happily, no. There were very few Americans but dozens of other countries were represented. The Aqua is a fascinating hotel. It’s on the main strip, near the Ritz. We stayed in a suite high above the sea with a double private balcony. There were 6 or 7 pools some vertical some horizontal, all served food and tequila, one jutted out over the Caribbean. There were lovers hugging in one pool and kiddies jumping in another. We had his and hers massages outdoor in a private area, we swam in the salty water and then dipped back in the pool. The hotel lobby could have been a Frank Gehry design if he were into designing lobbies. The hotel artwork is worth seeing by itself. Lots of high end shopping across the street.
Holly Hurley: What is something you experienced on your trip that you would recommend to others visiting Cancun?
Lee Hurley: A. Before we went someone suggested we make a small online donation to a school on the island of Isla Mujeres which is a short ferry ride from Cancun. It’s called the Little Yellow Schoolhouse (LittleYellowSchoolHouse.org) and it helps special needs children. Not trying to get too squishy/preachy but I believe it’s good luck to precede a visit to a country by doing something for the needy. It helped keep my plane in the air.
B. We hired a charming gentleman by the name of Aurelio Gutierrez (you can call him Al) who drove us to the Riviera Maya, an hour or so south. We snorkeled from shore 30 yards out to a reef then drove a few miles inland and did a freshwater cave dive. He had a cooler of beer for the ride home.
C. Near our hotel we found a modest restaurant on the bay called El fish fritanga where we sipped on Negra Modelo, ate salty chips and watched the locals feed baby crocodiles. Heavenly.
*Holly Hurley is not related to Lee Hurley except perhaps several generations back in Ireland |
