Bettermoon!

Remember when you were engaged and all you wanted to was to get married so you could finally just be alone, together, and do whatever you wanted to do?  Leave the worries and cares of wedding plans and family mergers (in-law adjustments) behind you, and finally spend some quality time with your favorite person in the world?

What did I think I needed to get away from back then?  When did we not get quality alone time together?  When did we need to actually plan to get a break so that we could enrich our relationship?

I'm telling you, a honeymoon 7 years and 3 kids later is WAAAAAAY BETTTTTERRRRR!!!!

Last week we did the best thing ever and we left the kids behind for FIVE DAYS with Spencer's dad.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Spencer's dad, usually referred to around here as "Gramps".

Since I'm not pregnant and all our kids are old enough to leave (barely), which hasn't happened, ever, and a fantastic neighbor of ours was willing to help us arrange travel itineraries, we planned a trip to Cozumel, Mexico!  Heaven!  Cozumel is just off the Yucatan Peninsula, about a 20 minute boat ride from Playa Del Carmen, which is about a 60 minute bus ride from Cancun, which is about the worst place on the planet, I think.  (It's like an international Vegas).  But south of Cancun is one of the best places in the world. 

After spending a week in worry mode, a week in hyperventilation mode, and a week in super-prep (and super-prayer) mode, I was ready to leave the kids behind with Gramps.  I knew the kids would have a lot of fun with Gramps, I just was worried that any of the million things that could go wrong every day, would-- while I was out of the country.   

So I made a ton of food and put it in tupperware, made lists for everything, and told them I loved them a million and two times each.   And when the time came, I was ready to say goodbye with nary a tear!

And then it was just me, my best friend in the whole world, and not even a cell phone to come between us!

 I held all the luggage because my poor husband had the responsibility of holding the camera.  Then I ended up with the camera because he was in the mood for a phone-game.  Ah, the things we do for love.

 First night: Playa Del Carmen.  Our hotel was cheap, but you'd never know it.  Oh, except I'm sure it wouldn't pass "code" if anybody were checking, and you had to pay extra for shampoo, it didn't even have a clock, and our "wake-up call" (which was supposedly a knock) never came.   But the towels were swans, so you know it was a classy establishment.

Spencer's such a sucker for romance.

Of course our first sight-seeing was to the Walmart of Playa.  We needed sunblock.  And flavors of yogurt you can't get in the states.  Plus, you know, Walmart. We're related.

Above: This is the scene just inside the parking lot under Walmart.  A local handicraft booth with festive music and decor.  Spencer also took a few photos of the impressive "health and wellness" department inside, (did you know that is his department for Walmart US?), but those might not be all that interesting...

Below: 7 am in Playa, not much foot traffic yet. We are headed out to meet our Adventure Tour group for a day of being awesome!

 First part of the tour: "mountain biking" (those bikes didn't even have gears, so it was more like "biking") to the zip lines.  Interesting: Spencer took this back-handed while riding in front of me.  Talk about high adventure!

 Getting ready for the ziplines.  I thought I was going to die.  Spencer secured his place as the "favorite" among the tour group by making a spectacle of himself each time.  You know, yelling, acting like he was running upside down, etc.  The usual crazy Clive stuff :)

 After the ziplines, we rappeled into a cenote (underwater cave lake).  I wasn't feeling so sure about this:

 But I did it.

 It was fun!

Below: After a CUH-RAZY ride in some 50-year-old all-terrain army truck type thing, where-in we all thought we were going to get crushed, we snorkeled in this beautiful cenote to have a geology lesson from our tour guide, Rodrigo (who was a Mexican Jack Black, only wearing more clothes).

Below:  Then we snorkeled in this, which was truly scary.  Underwater river.  I have a bruise all up my shoulder to prove how dark and small it was down there.  I think I hyperventilated a bit.  Just a little.  But then when we got to an opening and I found Rodrigo's flashlight I relaxed.  And then he showed us the hundreds of bats living just above our heads.  Thanks, Rodrigo.
Spencer was cool as a cucumber, as always. Or I assume so.  It was a little dark.

 After this, we went to a cenote that had a natural pathway into it, where a Mayan priest performed a Mayan prayer for us.  We ate lunch in a little place where a Mayan family makes food for the tours that come through.  The food was so good!  We hiked through the Mayan Jungle to a place where they gave us all Tequila shots (Spencer and I found some punch) and tried to sell us pictures of ourselves :) 

We finished the tour and jumped on a ferry to take us over to Cozumel.  Our hotel there was a great place that met our needs fantastically (other than sort of hard beds and some early morning construction).  It wasn't too fancy but the staff acted like we were paying top dollar, setting us up with anything we needed.  I like that.  So if you need a recommendation, please ask.  I'd love to discuss it!

That night we didn't feel like going out, so we went down to the game room in the hotel and played some pool.  You might be surprised that Spencer won, and he didn't even have to try too hard.  The picture below shows how steep the competition was getting.  Some serious stuff.  I'm all about good form.

The next day we slowly sauntered out of bed and eventually made it down to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast.  This was our diving day.  I was really nervous.  It does not feel natural to breath underwater.  I've done it several times before, but many of my dives have included crying and panicking.

It was a beautiful day and I'm happy to report that we had a great 100 ft dive!  This was really great for both Spencer and I.  The colors are so beatiful, the purple sea fans, the green and red sea sponges and all these corals and fishes...oh, it is another world.  And it was fun to let the current take us, hand in hand, through the silent water world, taking in all that we saw.

Our second dive of the day didn't go so well.  The second my head went under the water my sinuses would feel like they were going to explode, so I couldn't go down. 

 So I snorkeled above the divers and stayed where my head would remain intact.  I enjoyed swimming through the plumes of bubbles from the divers, and Spencer would bring things to the surface to let me see them (sea sponge, conch shell, etc)  and then take them back down.  Isn't he the cutest!?!

 I'm not trying to be cute here, I'm trying to squeeze myself into my wetsuit.  Have you ever tried that?  It's hard.  It's hard not to yell swear-words at the top of your lungs. 

That evening we rented a moped for the remainder of our trip and started to explore.  This little place is called "Corona Beach", which was a beatiful place to sit and enjoy some nachos (yum!).  We came back to this beach the next night to snorkel, and saw two HUGE lobsters fighting.  Senor Curious dove down and actually caught one!  Not kidding!  I about peed myself when I saw him coming to the surface with it, and tried to get out of his way.  We swam to shore and decided to take it to the hotel restuarant and ask if they would prepare it for us.  I honestly thought they would be really happy for us for catching our own lobster!  Javier, as we called him, was as long as Spencer's fore-arm (fist included) and two or three times the width of it. 

We got to the moped only to wonder aloud, "where are the keys?!?"  We looked everywhere.  Our best guess was either in the seat compartment or the bottom of the sea.  We put Javier in the basket and covered it with clothes so he couldn't get out.  His creepy eyes followed me everywhere, just to creep me out.  The sun dipped further into the sky.

A woman rollerbladed by and asked if we needed help.  We explained that we couldn't find the key and needed to contact our rental agent, Efrain.  She agreed to help and then asked about the lobster. 

"Oh, you know, that is disgusting, guys, really!  You know, this is protected waters, you know?  This is really illegal what you are doing, did you know?" She said in a spanish accent.  We had no idea.  In hindsight, maybe we should have thought about that, but we didn't know we were in the national park of Chankanab, so we thought it was okay, since it wasn't a shell or coral or anything.  Well, we put Javier back and so she helped us.  Sadly, the camera was locked in the seat compartment of the moped, so no pics of our almost hand-caught dinner.  Spencer deserved lobster that night but it was 30.00!  When we could have had it for free!  It was hard to pay up, under such circumstances.  Goodbye Javier, you were mostly just gross to me.  But to Spencer, you were everything!

Anyway, Corona Beach:

 Downtown Cozumel, the Plaza or square.  We loved this little area.  Especially in the evening when it was cool, and mostly empty.  So beatiful.

We are tragically (awesomely) frugal.  Here is our super awesome cheapo breakfast.  Mangoes, croissants, and private-label Nutella, with this really yummy drink called "Ades" which is nectar and soy milk.

 Thursday, our last full day, we packed a day bag, grabbed our snorkel gear, and let the moped cotroll our destinies.  We had not even a watch to tell us what to do!  We made our way around the entire island, stopping wherever we pleased and moving on whenever we pleased.

 What a hunk, huh? 

 While we're ridin':

 We spent an hour or so at this beach club relaxing in the shade while somebody brings drinks and food and you can jump in the water any time you like.  I told Spencer that my only requirement for planning the trip was that I could sit at a beach somewhere and somebody would put a pina colada (virgin, of course) in my hand.  This satisfied that requirement.  And felt so good!

 Punta Sur (South Point):  We would have had to pay to get into this beach.  Hah, we're no suckers.  Only free beaches for us, my friend.  But this was the turning point in the road around the island, we were leaving Carribean waters behind and entering Atlantic territory.

 Beautiful.

So, this is what we are supposed to look like after a day at the beach, right?

Okay, good, I think I've pretty much got the look down.  Yep.  Glowing.

We love our towel personalities.

Last day!  Enjoying the Plaza again.

 In attempting to get a good shot of my toenails (see below), we found ourselves enjoy the bench a little upside-down-like.  But it was fun.  And reminded me of being younger and more agile.

Isn't a good toenail polish a little bit like having a small reside of laughing gas leftover near your nostrils?  By that I mean, everytime I look down at these orangey-goldish toenails, I feel happy somehow.  And the color with the back ground makes me want to do some interior decorating.

If only we could have found a way to fit these sombreros in the overhead compartment.  Oh, and if they were free.  Cause we don't like to buy things.

 Sneaking some not-nutella before our cab to the airport comes: 

 Goodbye, island of our freedom!

I've got to tell you, back in the days when our first honeymoon was the big thing, I couldn't imagine loving this guy any more.  I don't even know how to describe now the ways I love him.  And we're just 7 years into this thing!  I can't wait to see the ways he makes my heart grow in the years to come.  I love you, babe.  More than ever.