Lots of people visit Mexico. Especially the Cancun/Riviera Maya. We have had a blast meeting new people and making friends but recently we had our very first (people that know us from our “real” life back in the US) visitors.
Several months back I had an email from a friend saying that she and her hubby would be taking a special trip with her sister and brother-in-law to Mexico. She said, “Too bad it’s not anywhere near you.” (we were still living in Jalisco on Lake Chapala but their trip was going to be after we moved to Playa del Carmen)
Usually when people visit Mexico, they end up flying into Cancun and vacationing somewhere along that most delicious stretch of Caribbean white sand beach. That is exactly what happened. Our friends ended up staying at a nice all inclusive resort that is not only right in our neighborhood but a 2 minute walk around the corner. That was so much fun. We gave them all our phone numbers (currently we have 7 phone numbers for various reasons) and they called our new home number to ask, “Are you guys anywhere near our resort or do we have to drive?” 🙂 My response was, “Walk out your front lobby door and turn right and you should see us on the bridge.” Mikee and I were laughing because we know they had no idea how close we were. It was such a treat to meet up with old friends and catch up on each others lives. Another cool thing was that they were getting such fabulous food and drinks at their resort that we did not have to cook for them. Since we were just finishing unpacking in our new home, that was a great thing.
Since we have been here we have had contact with a load of people visiting the area. Seriously, this is a hugely popular destination.
A couple weeks ago we knew a family that would be staying in Cancun (at our favorite Royal Sands resort) for a couple weeks. They rented a car one day to head on down to this neck of the woods. We had an awesome visit.
It is funny to watch people as they realize that it is a realistic option to live here. Not just as a retirement destination but even a place to raise a family.
Those visits were super duper enjoyable.
Last week we picked up our first honest to goodness, made plans to come down just to visit with us and experience Mexico guests. We have been friends for over 20 years and met when we worked together in Wallkill, New York. In that time we have had kiddos and other life adventures. They lived several years in the African country of Malawi and brought home the best souvenir ever -their daughter. 🙂 We have been skyping since our move here to Mexico and they started planning this trip months ago.
Even in spite of some rain and Mikee’s extra busy schedule this week we all enjoyed each others company while visiting with the manatees, stingrays and dolphins; some seriously competitive jenga games; strolling down 5th avenue; hitting the beaches in Playa and Tulum and Akumal. Hopefully our friends were able to recharge their batteries and have a good time.
Oh, and I almost forgot that we also had other company during that time. We had Rich come in from Isla Mujeres and stay Friday night and then Ted came in from Cozumel and stayed Saturday night.
The highlight may have been being able to touch the sea turtles and discovering what it’s like to be in the middle of a fish ball and staring down a barracuda while snorkeling in Akumal.
This week we also said hasta luego to a couple families that have been visiting the area for the past several months and are going home to Sweden and Canada. Brrr…