Rio Secreto

We usually plan our trips far in advanced. Normally, we would have researched places we'd want to see and things we'd like to do. Due to the busy-ness caused by both work and school, I resorted to playing this trip by ear. Two days before our departure, I stumbled upon Rio Secreto's website while surfing the 'net. Upon our arrival in Mexico, we immediately met with the concierge and booked this adventure.

Both Marc and I have always wanted to go spelunking. What better way than to do it in an underground river? Our tour guide mentioned that they had just discovered this place three years ago and had just recently opened to the public in the last 6 months. We felt so privileged to visit such a new discovery. To get there, we had to ride a van across a road-less jungle. Translation=off-roading. The 45 minute bumpy ride was definitely worth it. We were greeted by the pouring rain and the friendly staff who instructed us to strip down to our swimsuits. Following that, we had to run across a wet jungle towards fresh-water showers. With both the rain and the cold shower, we were like icicles by the time we made another dash across the jungle to get our wet suits. But once we made our way down through the collapsed entrance of the cave, not a hint of wind or cold air could be felt. All the hassle proved to be worth the splendor we would experience underground. My favorite part was going to the deeper pools (about 7 feet deep) and floating on my back as I admired the natural crystal-looking ceiling above.

Don't be fooled by the lighting. Without our headlamps and random flashlights placed throughout the caves for photo-opps, it was pitch-black inside!

Thank goodness for a personal photographer and portable flashes spread throughout the caves.

I accidentally kicked Marc as I was startled by a catfish that swam by.

In the dark.

The two pictures above show us participating in a Mayan ritual of observing complete silence. We had to turn off all lights and observe the sounds around us. Nothing could be heard except for the drops of water coming from above-ground. Then when the lights came on, we marveled at the beautiful stalactites above and rubbed our hands with the sulfur below. It was like a personal spa treatment!

Somehow, I lost a leg in the cave. Not quite sure how. Ricky, our tour guide, is on the right in the black wetsuit.

I learned that the stalagmites and stalactites would cease to form once touched. As a result, we had to be very careful when walking through the caves. This experience made me more aware of the true meaning of conservation and preservation. I would be really sad if my children would not be able to experience this one day due to our carelessness. On a brighter note, if you're ever in the Riviera Maya, you must visit Rio Secreto. It definitely is an adventure of a lifetime!

Only in Mexico

I love traveling! Best of all, I love traveling internationally. Getting my passport stamped upon arrival at a new country makes me all giddy. Since I got married this year, I had to get a new passport with my new name. Oh how I wish I didn't have to as I would have to start from scratch in my 'stamp collecting.' This trip earned me my first stamp on my new passport. Now I'm even more motivated than usual to jet-set across the globe. Who wants to sponsor me by sending me some free airline tickets? :)

Our vacation was quite relaxing. While we spent most of the time in our private jacuzzi while catching up on movies, we took the time to enjoy the sun during the 'rain breaks.' We did so by exploring the streets, laying on the beach and passing time on hammocks. I'm more of a "let's explore the city" type of girl so for me to just kick and back and relax is unusual. But I'll admit that R&R was much needed this time around. It sure is great every once in awhile.

Anyways, here are a few more photos from our trip.

A trip to Mexico isn't complete without sampling some street food. This hole-in-the-wall proved that $1 can still take you very far. Marc concurs that the $1 was well-spent!

Individually-owned stores were at liberty to close whenever they wished.

What do you think? Can I rock the sombrero?

As tempting as it was, we did not go to Mexico for pizza.

I kid you not-there were scorpions in these bottles of Tequila.

I encountered my first luchador at a local gift shop.

Mayan hot chocolate-very pure and spicy. I loved it!

I've entitled this photo,"The morning after." Lol!

Colorful bar stools at a closed bar. It did end up opening at around 2pm-the beginning of "happy hour."

A live Mariachi band serenading a cute couple on the streets.

Coco Bongo discoteca!

Mexico's equivalent of Starbucks. They were scattered everywhere!

His and hers. :)

Definitely an 'only in Mexico' kind of thing.

I felt very rich with all my pesos.

Thanks for letting me share my adventures with you. My next post will be about our amazing spelunking adventure. Stay tuned!

Holiday update

Do not be fooled by the Christmas trees. This picture was taken in the tropics, I promise!

I am definitely enjoying my two weeks off and have been doing anything and everything to make it all worthwhile. I spent the first five days in Mexico with Marc. We had such a wonderful time even with the on-and-off rain that decided to pour during our stay. The Riviera Maya is such a pristine place filled with so many natural wonders. I'm so grateful that we had a few days to indulge in such a wondrous landscape. We stayed at the luxurious, adult-only, all-inclusive Royal Resort in Playa del Carmen. The staff members were super sweet and so attentive to our needs. I can say that we truly did feel like "royalty" at this establishment and would highly recommend it. Here are a few pictures.

We were upgraded to the master suite for the first night since they didn't have a room ready for us when we arrived. Boy, did we feel spoiled!

It was amazing! Our junior suite looked exactly like this except without the living area, 2 balconies, foyer, bar and extra bathroom. Haha!

A fully stocked bar. If only I knew this would be there, I would've invited you all to party with us. :)

Bulgari bath products are the best!

The view from the master suite. Yes, that is the Caribbean Ocean. We had 2 balconies to enjoy this view from. So breathtaking!

Breakfast delivered to the suite. Oh the luxuries of vacationing!

Even though the rain was pouring, we were still so happy to be there!

From this terminal, you can take a ferry to the island of Cozumel.

Strolling through the streets of Avenida Quinta (5th Ave) where shops, restaurants, and bars lured in both weary travelers and curious tourists.

During one of the sunnier and warmer days. This is the view from our super comfy cabana.

Marc read while I played around with the camera. Typical us! [below]

Countdown to the holidays

The Royal @ Playa del Carmen

I have yet to post about my super-chill birthday weekend of nothing-ness. = ) Well, one of the things Marc and I did was to make a spontaneous trip to our favorite travel agent at AAA and re-book our 'honeymoon' trip that we were supposed to take in April. We were trying to save it for our 1-year wedding anniversary but when wanderlust kicks in and the only words that come out of my mouth are "travel" and "vacation," then it's time to take action. As my friends jokingly say, "Alli can't go more than 3 or 4 months without hopping on a plane." My excuse this time is that I get 2 weeks off during the holidays since the campus shuts down so I might as well go somewhere. With that said, I am definitely counting down the days 'til my trip to another paradise. Who knows, this may be the last vacation in a long while, especially since we are contemplating a full-blown relocation to who-knows-where (crossing fingers for a green state!) in the near future.