Tuesday, April 12, 2022:

Our flight was late at night, after classes. I finished up my last minute packing and went with my family to get dinner at Chaat Bhavan because we wouldn’t get Indian food for a while and I wanted bhatura and aaloo. After dinner I took a quick shower and got ready to leave. We ended up leaving way earlier than we needed to because we had TSA Pre for the first time, so even though our flight left at 11, we were done with all of security by 9:15 and had a lot of time to spare. Since we upgraded to business class, we were able to spend time in the United Lounge. It took us a while to find it, because the one in our terminal was closed and we couldn’t enter the Polaris Lounge, which meant we walked all the way to another terminal. It was nice though—I had hot soup from their bar, my sister picked up a collection of brownies, and we relaxed on the couches. After eating we headed to our flight and got settled, ready to sleep through the flight. My sleep was very choppy and I kept waking up, but I slept through most of the flight, including the provided dinner, until we landed at the Cancun airport.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022:

We landed around 6 in the morning Mexico time, and I was quite frankly exhausted. Nevertheless, we made it through, picked up our bags from luggage claim, and went outside to wait for the bus that would take us to Hertz Car Rentals. It was a long wait in the heat, especially as I was in sweatpants and a warm shirt. After a bit we got the car, and talked to a tour guide over there about our drive and the xcaret resort we would be staying at later in the trip. He gave us a good deal for discounted tickets and breakfast at 2 of the resorts parks that we took, and then we left. Our drive was from Cancun to Tulum, past Playa del Carmen, but we did stop at the Playa for food, since we hadnt had breakfast yet. We wanted to stop at a restaurant called Camu Camu, but it was closed and we had a really hard time finding it, so we

went to the Nutriclub next door. The prices were really good: it was 215 pesos for a tropical fruit milkshake, aloe juice, a cold coffee, and two waffles, all freshly made in front of us while we talked to the woman who was running the place and making the food. We drove from there to Sac Actun, where we went cave snorkeling. There were bats in the cavern, and an article I read did say there might be tarantulas, but while someone else did hit one in a cave, I luckily didn’t deal with any spiders. As long as you don’t go shaking the ceiling, which you shouldn’t do anyway since the oils damage the stalactites, you should be fine. It was an amazing experience—the cave is pretty undiscovered and you have to go six km past a more famous cenote, Dos Ojos, to even find it. It was a near a small shopping area, were we did a bit of shopping and I haggled with people on behalf of my mom in Spanish; One guy’s name was Daniel, but his friends called him Barratero because barato means cheap in Spanish, and everything he sold was cheap. From there we drove to Tulum and checked into our hotel, before going out for a late lunch/early dinner at a small food truck called La Copabesita around 3:30. Their food was amazing, and all vegan: I tried all of their tacos, whose stuffings ranged from jackfruit, cactus, and poblano peppers to hibiscus, and by the end I was stuffed. The tacos were miniature, but each had black beans and rice in them, and were well priced. The stand also sold sandwiches and quesadillas made with potato cheese, and even though they were a smaller food truck, a bigger one a couple of blocks down also sold pizzas. Back at the hotel, I was exhausted. I took a quick shower and rinsed my hair out with water. Once done, I brushed and went to bed even though it was only 6:30. According to my parents, who were up for longer, it started raining on the rooftop pool and restaurant. The hotter it is, the more likely it is to rain I suppose. Honestly,the entire situation, including our stop for lunch in Playa del Carmen and all the downtowns, reminded me of visits to India: the humid heat, small stores with fans turned on, soda advertisements. I really enjoyed it because of the slightly familiar yet foreign feel.

Thursday, April 14, 2022:

The morning started out terribly: I had a fainting spell in the bathroom, most likely due to lack of water and low blood pressure. I was not expecting to get sweaty and then just collapse while calling for help in a panic. We had breakfast at the Agape Hotel Bar in the morning. They had a great spinach and goat cheese omelette and great avocado toast. Their acai bowls had literally no sugar which my mom liked, but I had an allergic reaction to the kale and beet hummus avocado toast even thought they said that there were no chickpeas or nuts in it. It was just an unfortunate morning overall. We got ready to leave for the Muyil ruins, which are right next to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Preserve. We took an amazing tour through the ruins which was absolutely worth it, the ruins would have been boring without it, and I learned a lot about Mayan culture. Our tour was with Bamby Tours Sian Ka’an: they were a smaller group run by the Bamby family, and I liked the smaller, less official feel. Then, we took a hike to the Lagoon Entrance of the reserve. We needed cash for the tour, 4000 pesos, because when paying in credit they make us pay extra: the price had gone up because of COVID. We weren’t sure if they were overcharging us because a blog post from before COVID said the price was 600, but it was 1000 both at the front desk and at the lagoon, where we bought it. It was amazing and so much fun—the water was really clear and pretty. Historically, the canals were used for Mayans to trade with people in other countries like Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. After a bit we got to a 1 km long stretch of lazy river, where we floated for 40 minutes or so. We ended our tour there, walking back so we could take the boat back. There is a longer version of the tour where after the float the boat goes another 10 km through the rest of the canal and hits the open ocean, where you can have lunch on a beach, but we didn’t take that tour. We changed in the bathrooms, which weren’t great, and drove to a restaurant in Tulum called Succulenta for lunch around 3. I was starving, and hadn’t eaten in 6 hours or so. They had good food, but I’m not a huge fan of tamales, which were our original order, so I got my own plate of enchiladas. After that we went back to the hotel and rested and showered. Dinner was just at the hotel. They were unfortunately out of most things, but they made us fajitas that we had with a mango guacamole dish and roasted corn. The guacamole was particularly amazing because the chips it came with were hot, fresh out of the oven, and we had vanilla ice cream for desert. My dad had left at the beginning of dinner to go to the ATM to take out cash, but he returned without any because there was a bank holiday the next day and they were out of cash.

Friday, April 15, 2022:

After packing our stuff, we went to Vitalis for breakfast after packing up our things. Their serving sizes were small and the food expensive, but it was really good and healthy and well made. I had oatmeal banana pancakes and Avocado Toast, but the toast had avocado, scrambled eggs, and tomatoes on it. They were both amazing, as were the smoothies and juices we had. From there, we drove to the Tulum Ruins after for a tour, but it was a bit too late in the day and was getting hot. The Tulum Ruins are some of the most commercialized ruins, so there were actual lines of tourists instead of it being empty like at the Muyil Ruins. The tour was cheaper, but it was also shorter and we were in a group of 15. To park we side-parked, and some guy tried to rip us off and said we had to pay even though we didn’t and there were no tickets. That’s something to look out for: random people telling you to pay to go somewhere. Without an official signboard, don’t pay, it’s probably a scam. They’re common in India too, so that’s how we knew. Tulum used to be a Mayan capital of trade before the Spaniards invaded and killed or enslaved the people, after which the city was abandoned for 300 years and then discovered by archaeologists in 1842. The temples were engraved with carvings of a Mayan Honey Goddess mainly, and a rain god. We took some photos with an ocean view, which were quite pretty, and I learned a lot from the tour. The educational aspect of these is one of my favorite parts. After we walked back, and stopped at a Mart for gas, fresh mangos, and some more water, before heading to the Gran Cenote: a giant swimming pool basically. The entrance was a bit expensive but the Cenote was amazing. The water was really fresh and clear and I could see the ground well. There were turtles and fish in the water, and when I took my life vest off, I was able to go diving a bit. It was busy but not crazy busy, and I found that I was really loving the cenotes in Cancun (Cancun is known for them). After we showered and changed, we got a couple more snacks and headed on a 1-hour drive to Valladolid. We stopped at one point to shop, and we bought a pretty blue and white painted dish I bargained down from 650 to 450 pesos. We stayed at the El Meson de Marques hotel, right in downtown, and with a great restaurant attached. After getting settled, we wandered through the park right across the hotel for a bit and then went to the hotel restaurant for food. They didn’t have too many vegetarian options, but we ordered pretty much 1 of every vegetarian dish. The lasagna was kind of bad and too cheesy, but the fettuccini Alfredo was good. They served it to me with chicken originally, and I had to ask specifically make me a new dish after they just took the chicken off and gave it to me. This happens a lot to me even with my allergies, and I hate it, especially since it has caused reactions in the past. The food was overall good, including the gazpacho, but the service wasn’t great and they were rationing out napkins even while I was dying of allergies and constantly blowing me nose. When I asked for more napkins, they counted out and gave me 4, and that was only after asking multiple times! Not the best service or awareness of allergies overall, if that is something you are on the lookout for. When I got back to the room, I realized that I had had a wicked cold of some sort. My skin wasn’t hot or anything, but my nose was really clogged and what I thought was allergies was something more. My parents, after they got back from their walk around the beautiful colonial town, had to go and get me medicine. After that, I was able to fall asleep.

Saturday, April 16, 2022:

We had breakfast at the hotel after my sister and I got ready and packed the suitcases. My parents had left early for a morning walk around town so I got up, wiped away the giant mess of Kleenex from the night before, and started my day. Our stop was the Chichin Iza temple, considered another of the “unofficial” seven wonders. It’s a really well preserved Mayan temple, but it’s super commercialized and even though we showed up early, it got hot quickly and the parking lot was already full. The tour was interesting, but the guide was an old man who rambled a lot and didn’t really know the answers to any of our questions, which was a bit disappointing. I think that it could be better based on the tour guide. We got some great photos near the temple though, and afterwards, got some ice cream and chips from a nearby store to cool ourselves off. I swear, I was melting in the heat. We Started driving back and stopped at a Subway for lunch, then stopped at Suytun Cenote for drying off from all the sweat. I wasn’t in a swimming mood, but I took a quick short shower. This Cenote had the best place for photos: it was a large cavern with a shallow, circular platform maybe a foot in the water at one end that was right underneath the only light hole, thus creating a spotlight. The photo opportunity was excellent there, and it was a great spot for freshening up. After the photos I had a popsicle and my mom and sister, who did swim, got changed. I took a nap in the car from there, and we drove about 1.5 hours to Playa de Carmen where we were staying at Fives from Hilton. We originally went to the wrong hotel, an all inclusive beach side Hilton, but ours was in the city. After checking in and having free hibiscus drinks we walked to a Thai Indian fusion restaurant called Yum Yum by George. The night was great and cool, and this was around 8, so I was having a great time. That all changed because they told me the food was cashew free, and it was not. There was some kind of cross-contamination in the peanuts, and I had a severe allergic reaction and ended up vomiting on the side of the road, which completely ruined my evening. That, the scratchy throat from stomach acid, and my stuffed nose that stopped me from breathing made for a miserable evening. I brushed again at the hotel which turned out to be too soon, because I vomited a second time, and then managed to catch a cold and need an extra blanket. Honestly, this vacation has had a lot of ups and downs: don’t forget your epi-pen if you have allergies!

Sunday, April 17, 2022:

It was my sister’s birthday today, and she was turning 14, to my delight. My cold had broken during the night and the other medicines I had taken were working through my body, which meant that I felt pretty good. We were planning on having breakfast at the Hotel Xcaret. It’s essentially a pyramid scheme: you get a free breakfast if you listen to their presentation on why you should get an Xcaret membership. The breakfast was honestly great, but not worth the hours we spent there. We were supposed to be able to leave after 90 minutes, including breakfast, but we ended up stuck there from 10-1. We didn’t even want the membership. After that, we were already good for lunch, so we drove back to the hotel and went for lunch at a small Italian restaurant called Romeo. They had great pizza, and we even got desert: tiramisu and affogato. It was 3 by the time we were done eating, and since it was my sister’s birthday, we sang her a song over dried out glasses of coke and tiramisu. Afterwards, she decided that she wanted to go parasailing, so while my dad rested in the hotel, my mom, sister, and I walked 2 short blocks to the beach. It was amazing – we managed to bargain down from 75$ to 65$ (US) for our trip, and instead of doing it tandem, we got to do it in singles. We even took a jetski to and from the boat, so I got a free jetskiing experience too. It was really fun, and we were bouncing up and down but going fast enough that my seasickness wasn’t triggered. Parasailing did, however. The actual experience of being up in the air like that was amazing: it was peaceful, and I felt like I was on top of the world. Unfortunately, the parasail rocked gently with the movement of the boat, and by the ending of my 15 minutes in the air, I was feeling nauseous. The coming down was wild; I wanted to take a small dip in the water, but there wasn’t enough wind and I instead got completely dunked, parachute and all. It got a bit hard for me to find air for a few seconds, and I got saltwater everywhere, even in my eyes, but it was totally refreshing stepping back in the boat before my seasickness kicked back in. The jetski that took me from where I fell in the water to the jetski took me right back to shore before I upchucked over the side of the boat. I avoided it thank God, and spent a bit on a beach chair drying off while my mom took her turn in the air. It had been my sister’s birthday, and funnily enough, she spent the least time in the air. We walked back to the hotel and while my mom and sister spent time in the infinity pool on the roof, I showered and changed. Back to the roof where my mom went to shower and I lounged on a chair with my dad on my phone, stealing sips of his watermelon drink. Once we were showered we left for dinner; we stopped at a tiny Mexican place a block away and their food was amazing. It was all homemade: we could see the fridge and the kitchen as they cooked in front of us, and the food was really good and well priced. The evening was funny because my sister managed to break her flip flop while walking to the hole in the wall store, and I broke mine while leaving the store. Luckily, there were plenty of stores to buy more shoes nearby.

Monday, April 18, 2022:

Today was our day at the amusement park Xcaret. We got up early for breakfast so that we could spend as much time at the park as possible. I had french toast for breakfast, and after we were done, we left the hotel and managed to reach the park around 8;40, only 10 minutes after it opens. It took us a bit to figure out where to pick up our wristbands, since we had bought tickets previously, but we figured it out and got into the park. Our first step was to the lockers that we got as part of our Xcaret+ plan. All of this + time at a buffet was for $100 and the presentation breakfast we attended yesterday. We had bought it at the airport car rental area, where the guy sold it to us. After changing and putting our stuff in the locker we spent time on the underground river. The first part was boring, and we realized that we should probably do the cultural walking sites right then in the morning, before it got hot. The underground river is long, so we exited early to have time for the cultural stuff and walked to the end to pick up our things, which we sent ahead in locked bags to which we had the key. Context: Xcaret is divided into different sections by color, each with a purpose. Black winds through the middle of the park, green is beach stuff, blue is for different sea creatures, and white and brown are for cultural stuff. We went from the end of the river in the black section to the white section, and from there we checked everything out: the chapel, cemetery, hall of candles, butterfly pavilion, jaguar island, and aviary. My recommendation is to follow the white path along the ground instead of going off trail: we ended up repeating and winding back through exhibits we had already been through because we went out of order, and it cost us a lot of time. It was amazing however. The hall of candles is beautiful, and theres a great place with a spotlight and a spiral of stones on top of water for taking photos. We were originally going to have lunch at Restaurant de Isla but it was closed, so we ate at a great buffet place with lots of options for vegetarians, international cuisine, and an entire desert bar! We rested there and ate from 3 – 4:30, and then set off for a Mayan Dance show that we knew would be at 5 in the Mayan Village along the white path. The dance was amazing; I couldn’t tell what they were saying because it was all in Mayan but the dancing and performance was great and they gave a basic description at the beginning in Spanish explaining that it involved a fertility circle and a corn god who dies and comes back to life. All the actors had traditional costumes and full body paint on, and the performance was happening on multiple platforms connected by bridges, and even in a canoe that floated below us. I recommend showing up 15-20 minutes early to get good seats in the middle area where you can see both stages instead of on the side. I myself showed up 10 minutes early and still ended up sitting on the stairs near the middle area, though my view was still fine. The show was around 30 mins and ended at 5:30, which was good because it gave us plenty of time to make it to the evening show: El Mexico Espectacular from 7-9. Everyone comes to this show; after emptying out our lockers and using the restroom we got to the auditorium by 6:30 and it was already packed. Our seats were really high up which wasn’t bad for the show, but made it hard to see the screen that had zoomed up shots of what was happening. The show was so cool: there was fire ball, traditional Mayan games that had us all cheering, fake fighting, singing, dancing, music, and more. We had gotten some snacks to tide us over, but some people had bought special tickets where they were served dinner while watching the show. I was too tired by the end, and my voice had given out throughout the day. I could barely speak in a hoarse whisper, and I fell asleep during the last 30 mins on my family’s laps. I highly recommend the show. Afterwards we left the park in an exodus and made it back to the hotel, where I took a quick rinse to get the sunscreen off and went to bed.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022:

I was exhausted, and we slept in today after our long day yesterday. After I got up at 9:30, I got dressed really quick and we took a 15 minute walk to a restaurant called Pura Vida by Evolve on 5th avenue for breakfast. The avenue is super commercialized but I highly recommend spending time on it; apart from an entire mall with stores like Sephora and American Outfitters, it’s really pretty and there are lots of small restaurants and shops. The restaurant had good food, but the dishes were a bit big and overpriced. The customer service also wasn’t great. After breakfast my mom stopped at a small shop for a massage, and the rest of us bought some water from an OXXO and headed to the hotel to rest. The plan was to hit up Xcaret Fuego at night, which meant that we would need our energy. We rested a while, and then headed out to get COVID antigen tests from a nearby place in preparation for our flight back the next day. We had to bring our passports and it took a bit because they only spoke Spanish and I had to keep translating. It was horrible; she took a thin stick and instead of just swabbing, really jammed it up our noses. We grabbed a late lunch at The Eat Bar around 3:45, but since it was Mediterranean and all the dishes were chickpea based I couldn’t eat there. I ended up getting Subway from a store one block down. I had the time of my life at Xcaret Fuego in the evening: it is full of high-thrill activities, which is just my cup of tea. We did ziplining while the sunset, which gave us an amazing, high up view, a hammock splash activity, and I even got to drive an ATV. The age for ATV driving is technically 18 but it was fine, though it took me a bit. The first ATV I drove, the accelerator was broken and it wouldn’t speed up a lot, and on the second go around, I went a bit too fast. I think the people working there knew I wasn’t the most experienced on an ATV, but they let it go because it was nighttime and there weren’t a crazy number of people. We ended with a nighttime buffet, and then headed back.

Wednesday, April 20, 2022:

We woke up late due to how long we were up the day before, and spent the morning packing for our flight that afternoon. I had an amazing vacation overall, despite the many medical issues and ups and downs. No COVID for us, thank god, and our flight was without bumps. Overall, Cancun, my second time in Mexico, was a highly enjoyable experience for spring break, and a great way to celebrate my sisters birthday!