Mexico Day 1 - Travel day

We are off on another adventure! With David and Xander we are spending a week in sunny Mexico at Playa del Carmen.

Jon and Xander at Logan airport

Christian at Logan

Waiting for our flight

It has been a very long time since we've traveled, far too long. Long enough that I had forgotten how long it actually takes! Door to door it was 14 hours! Our plane was bare bones, no screens, no chargers, tight space, and $3.25 for a drink. Not the most glamorous introduction for Xander's first flight. Our flight also had the most kids I've ever seen on a plane, certainly the most I've seen on an international flight. It was wonderful though, when we took off all the children let out a loud cheer and Christian, excited to introduce his friend to traveling, yelled out "Xander we're flying!"

 

Leaving Boston (Xander's picture)

Jon and Xander on the plane

Will on the plane

Video games

Our day was full of long lines, at the airport, at customs (although at the counter it was very fast), and at the car rental. But we were so thankful to get a car that could fit all 7 of us! And at the advertised price. We'd heard about the sales pressure in this area, the pressure to buy, to upsell, the haggling. Mostly it was completely fine, we didn't engage and said no politely when we couldn't avoid an encounter. Christian though was affronted at the pressure "We don't want it! Stop following us!", he said loudly as we walked through the gauntlet of car rental booths at the airport. 

Arriving in Cancun (Xander's picture)

By the time we got into our rental we'd been on the road for 13 hours and without any meal. It was already dark and we'd been warned about the driving here so James was a bit nervous as we set out for the hour long drive to the hotel. The other drivers seemed fine, but the speed limits really keep you on your toes! We'd go from 100 km/hr to 40, for seemingly no reason. Then it would be 80, then 100 again, then back to 60. All the changes were random and short and all on the same flat straight road with no traffic lights. None of it made sense! Until we saw the police in a small guardhouse on one of those 100 to 40km changes. 

Three sleeping boys

The road, what I would consider a highway, was also punctuated by lots of speed bumps. Mostly fairly random, although all in those slower areas. Although there was one section which must have been a checkpoint for the police because there was a huge line of speed bumps leading to another larger police guardhouse. That's probably the wrong name for them, but they are too small to be a police station. Anyway, all that made for a very interesting drive. We were so glad to get to the hotel!

Tired Christian waiting to check in

We are staying at the Sunset Fishermen's resort in Playacar and it is gorgeous! But we got in too late to explore and even too late for a meal at the restaurant. Tomorrow we get our 2 bedroom suite but tonight we are all packed into one room.  The kids each got one blanket to sleep on the tiled floor but we were all so tired it didn't matter. They all went to sleep with no complaining.

Beach chairs waiting for the morning

Jon's picture from our balcony