Day 2: April 22nd 2009 - Wednesday

Day 2! Wake up we go and make our two reservations at the guest services desk in the meeting point. Then we head off to breakfast at "Festival" (which is the restaurant located between the meeting point at the "iztapalapa"... I'll just have to make a separate post so you can follow along... I know you'll want to mom, hee hee)

They had hot chocolate and the best coffee Kyle has every had!!! MMMMMM so good. I had hot chocolate every morning... it's different than American hot chocolate... I had actually had it once before with Josh's friend Avery when I was visiting California in May 07. Anyway we had mexican eggs, and a mullet (which was beans and cheese on a little bread thingy, good!)


Back to the hotel to toast our airborne for the day (gotta stay healthy!) then we headed to the beach!

We went snorkeling for a little bit. The resort provides the gear, but there's really not much to see locally, just sand and shells. Kyle said it was good practice for him since he'd never used snorkeling gear before.

Then we baked in the sun for a bit (although we were very conservative with the sun screen so we didn't get that much sun, but it's better than getting burnt) and talked with a family from Boston while having a pina colada. I got a picture with a tucan... which you won't see because we didn't want to buy the picture for $11. But we have the memory :-) .... it turns out our boston friend DID capture a picture with our camera, lol. The photographer in the yellow shirt kept saying "no, no you can not take your own picture", lol, but we got it!


We had lunch at "Iztapalapa" mmmmm our favorite thing was the guacamole and pico salsa!! It was crazy how the birds were just flying about enjoy lunch with us.


While eating lunch we enjoyed watching the aqua aerobics class in the pool. Nancy - we thought of you :-)


We walked around the resort a little bit, meeting new friends:


And stopped to look at the mini ruins that were on the resort grounds.


Then we decided to walk the beach to Playa del Carmen. It was about a 45 minute walk, I outlined our walk on the map below:


Our resort is the last one there on the map. There were resorts south of us, but outside of the little 'playcar' community.

We walked the beach for a while before it became private property then we had to cut back into a little back street. There were big mounds that looked like rocks along parts of the beach but they were just really big sand bags. Probably to break the waves for errosion control.





It seemed like forever before we finally made it into town, boy were we HOT! We walked the streets a bit looking at the stores and street vendors. Bought hats for our burning heads. We constantly heard "Hey honeymooners! Would you like to buy...." "Hey lucky man, hey you want cigar, it's cuban!" It was so funny, I guess they could just tell we were in love because we heard that from every other vendor the whole trip! lol... and Kyle must have looked like he really wanted a cigar cuz they always asked him, it was humerous. We bought a few little souviners and were on our way. Called a taxi and had it take us back to our resort.


Then we relaxed by the pool, we were so hot we started in the shade, then I got really cold so we moved to the sun lol. While swimming in the pool in between and enjoying some maragritas.


Then on the way back to the room we stopped to book our Chichen Itza tour for the next day and a Cozumel Jeep/Snorkel tour for Friday and then headed back to the room to get ready for our reservation at "El Gaucho" steak house. We both had fillet migons, mine was better than Kyle's but he didn't know that till we were both finished and he ate the rest of mine saying "BOY yours is good! That's how it should taste, mine was tough" lol. We weren't too impressed with the first 'reservation restaurant' it was rather dark in the room and our waitress was slow. We ended up leaving before dessert.

After dinner we were super tired and just headed back to the room, relaxed a little on the balcony and watched an older drunk guy fall into a bush and his wife pee on herself laughing and yelling "I can't stop peeing"... yeah that made us ready for bed, glad we weren't them the next day. Oh that night our remote broke and we called room service, Euseva came came and fix it right away.

Day 1: April 21st 2009 - Tuesday

Tuesday morning, flight leaves at 7:30am. We parked at an offsite lot and took the 'Park n Fly' to the terminal, here we are on the shuttle.

We had a layover in Dallas, which we have found out we love that airport cuz they have free internet. On the plane ride from Dallas to Cancun our pilot sounded like Sean Connery. Here is our first view of the beautiful blue waters. And Kyle is filling out our customs sheet and paper to get into Mexico as vistors.

We took another shuttle with LamosTravel (aka: funjet in the states) about 40 minutes south to our resort: Sandos Playacar Beach Resort, it's about a 5-10 minute drive south of the town Playa del Carmen.

We got to our all inclusive resort and checked in took our luggage to the room and headed straight for the beach!!!! Here is a view from our room. The resort was split into three different areas, the check in which was furthest from the beach had an area of hotel style rooms, then as you walk toward the beach you hit another area of rooms that are in their own buildings, (about 8-12 rooms in each pod) and each pod building had their own pool, here is our view of the other pod. Then you walk more toward the beach and you hit the 'Meeting place' this is where we are in the picture below, there was another information desk here and gift shop, then the stage for where the nightly stuff was and a restaurant then continue walking you hit the big pool by another restaurant then the beach. There were another set of hotel style rooms near the beach that were ocean front but you had to be an 'exclusive member' to stay in these. Some sales guy tried to get us to go to a 90 minute 'free' breakfast (hello we're staying in an all inclusive it's always free) to learn about becoming a member or some crap anyway we were happy with where we were. That guy was 'bad' Carlos (as you'll learn there was a good Carlos and a bad Carlos)... we saw him a few more times in the meeting place and just walked the other direction, lol.

Anyway a few views of our room, in the first picture our balcony is the one three doors from the left. The second picture is the other side of the 'pod' where we entered our room, went up the stairs and we were 7423. In the picture of the pool below I'm taking a picture back to where I was standing when I took the first picture (if that makes sense)

Of course we had to stop and get 'dos margaritas' on the way to the beach. Now I've never really been a fan of margaritas but this was the BEST one I have ever had... good ol' Carlos (Kyle's favorite bar tender)

After laying by the beach for a while, we moved in next to the pool and relaxed there for a while. You can see the roof of one of the restaurants. This is where the "Iztapalapa" Mexican Buffet was. This place also served Breakfast and lunch.

There were many different restaurants on the resort. There were a few where you had to make a reservation and they had a dress code (just long pants and close toed shoes for the men) Anyway depending on the number of days you stayed there determined the number of reservations you were allowed. We were allowed 2 reservations and I'll get to those on the days we went. Other than that, there were another handful of buffet restaurants that you were free to just come and go in. This one above, the mexican one was a free to come and go one. (they were all free, but you couldn't eat at the reservations ones unless you made plans ahead of time, they were order of a menu places).

So of course being in Mexico for the first night we had to go to the "Iztapalapa", duh!

Oh the guacamole was mua bien!!! (Kyle's just wearing the hat for the picture) Our waiter asked to take our picture, then went and got the hat to put on, lol. We also learned this night that we need to put bugspray on as soon as the sun goes down, lol. On the way back to our room at some point we stopped in at the little gift shop, where I saw these mexican whips... I ran over to them saying "OH LOOK, my brother's had these when I was growing up, they're so fun!" SO I attempt to try and remember how they work, swing, swamp, and SPLAT! Right on my back... that was the last time I touched one of those the whole trip, lol. Don't worry the red marks went away by the end of the night.

Each night had a theme, the sun went down early, about 6:30 which we weren't used to. We felt like old farts cuz it wasn't until the last two nights we were able to stay up for the 9:30 event. There was a disco that was open from 11:00 to 2am.... yeah we never made it to that! Anyway the first night was Mexican Theme and they had vendors in the open area (which at the time we thought they would be there every night) and the mexican band on the stage. They had stuff going on at the meeting point, which is where the below picture was taken, then at 9:30 every night (well in mexican time that meant about 9:45) there was something going on at the Theater... we didn't go to the theater until the 4th night which is a story all in itself... I'm trying to stay in order here so you'll just have to come back :-) Anyway so we enjoyed this music for a bit and then hit the sack, we were exhausted!

Wedding Recap

Alright... let me try and organize my thoughts! I don't have picture of the wedding yet but will post some or links when I know of them. Here is a sneak peak that my photographer put up on his blog: http://dcp.bigfolioblog.com/ just scroll down to where you see Kyle & Daisy's wedding: April 17.

So the wedding was wonderful, it was such an amazing feeling walking down the aisle to the love of my life. He was a handsome groom and is everything to me. The ceremony was quick, but great... I'd had a few people thank me that it was 'to the point' lol. We're not much for beating around the bush, hee hee.

The reception was great as well, I heard a lot of compliments on the food and all the work I had put into planning it. Which I was very appreciative to hear, I did work hard and I'm glad it did not go unnoticed. I'm really sad that I didn't get to visit with more friends and family, but I guess that's excepted being the bride and groom. I really appreciated everyone coming to share our day with us, it was such a blessing to see everyone. It was a beautiful day, a few slips but that really isn't want matters. I hope everyone that attended had a wonderful time, as far as the 'wedding day' that's really all that matters, I've learned that the wedding/reception is mainly for the guests because I know I didn't have time to sit back and enjoy it ;-) But I am also the one that gets to enjoy a lifetime of marriage and that I am now blessed with the most wonderfulest husband in the world!

Kyle's dad's significant other: Nancy (did you catch all that) wrote us a great little poem I want to share. This depicts perfectly what the day was like in much better words than I ever could! Thank you so much Nancy, this truly is something I will always cherish and I am so glad I have it to go back and read and share with others.

Thoughts for the Bowl

April seventeenth it was……….…the year two thousand nine
All the planning that it took to make this dream come true
Kyle and Daisy….it is their day
The nuptial knot to tie.

God is smiling….sun so bright
The most gorgeous day….. to exercise the rite.
People came from near and far
Witnesses to this solemn pledge of troth.
All four parents……..musing…….
Time has passed so fast!
My little precious baby…………………now about to wed!

The stage is set…….the church is full………..the music has begun.
The bridesmaids join the groomsmen
Aliyah precisely dropping petals in prelude of the bride.

The people rise……Canon in D
The bride is coming now.
Daisy is a princess vision
Her dress beyond the beautiful………like none I’ve seen before.
But what really strikes me deeply………. is her radiant smile
All her love and spirit……… so focused on her man.
Emotion catches up with Kyle
He sheds a tear or two……..he wants this more than anything…….his dream is coming true.
She clasps his hands………his nerves are calmed
A smile spreads cross his face.
Mutual love…..compassionate respect………..exudes and fills the room
Touching each and everyone………….. with love and happiness.
They take their vows
Declaring love to God…… and to each other……. in front of all of us.
Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Simpson
Presented to those present.

It’s party time………..let’s celebrate……..the holy union’s made!
The rock man and the child care girl
Have worked with diligence………to make this day just right!
Their life so far is chronicled………on bottles of the vine………
Great Stone Mountain, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Duluth.
Meal consumed…………music starts………they’re dancing now
And having so much fun!

Del stays until the very end……..a smile upon his face.
He does not want to miss a moment………of this important day.
His comment is………………he has not seen………….. his only son
So so happy… for such a long long time!

The day is ending…………..a drizzle starts………..
God’s gentle reminder
Some rain will fall in all our lives.
But with love for Him………... and for each other
The sun will shine again!

Advice to give?
I have a bit………
Do not lose you “Self”
But also do not let the “I” become so strong…….
You smother one another.
Communication and respect…..I think these hold the key………
Do not belittle or attack the spirit of the other.

I love you both and wish you joy
With rainbows after showers!

Nancy Ossenford
April 2009