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.

Fun in the Bay Area

Two weekends ago, my husband Marc and I made a trip up to Northern California’s beautiful Bay Area. We both have been yearning to go up there but grad school was in the way for quite some time. Following that, there was wedding planning, job hunting and moving. It felt like a never-ending train of events for the both of us. Not to mention, Marc started his CPA Review Classes in May immediately followed by rigorous testing.

We planned our extended weekend getaway around Marc’s week-long break and it was all I imagined it to be and more. We didn’t really have an agenda for once which is rare for a planner like me. The purpose of our trip was simply to connect with family and friends and to get a better feel for the Bay Area. It’s definitely one of the places we both would like to move to in the future and this trip affirmed that statement even more.

Santana Row in San Jose

I love Santana Row! It's a gorgeous residential complex with its own outdoor entertainment/shopping complex. I visited this place a few years back when it was still 'in the making' and it was nice to see the completed site. Marc and I sat outside for awhile in one of their garden-like seating areas while waiting to meet up with cousins.

Nor-Cal + So-Cal

Mariel (in the purple) drove down from So-Cal and together, we met up with these crazy cats: Kuya Melvin (yellow tie), Kuya Michael (back right) and Ate Chie (green sweater). It has been nearly 10 years since I've seen them and it was great to catch up! It was also Marc's first time meeting them. They are my 2nd cousins from my maternal grandmother's side. They are some of the most humble, down-to-earth and extremely fun people to be around. We had a satisfying lunch at Banana Leaf in Milpitas followed by an impromptu visit to Wells Fargo.

With Errol Viray from Kai

After lunch, Kuya Melvin invited us to go to Wells Fargo where he worked to meet his boss. We got there only to find out his boss was Errol from Kai. Kai was a popular Filipino boy band in the late 90's. Of course, we had to take a picture! We hung out at Wells Fargo for awhile since it wasn't busy. For a moment, I thought we were at Central Perk especially when Kuya Melvin busted out his guitar. Yes, this was during his work hours and yes, we hung out at a bank. We had to leave b/c everyone else had separate agendas for the afternoon. It was so hard to say goodbye. Thanks for the fun times and delicious lunch cousins! We had such a blast and we will definitely have to do this again....and more often too!

Palace of Fine Arts in downtown SF

Later that afternoon, Missy picked us up from our hotel. Missy is my aunt from my maternal grandfather's side but I often refer to her as my cousin since we are the same age. I also do that to spare myself from telling the tall tale of how such relation is possible. It's a long story, trust me! With Marc so peaceful and quiet in the backseat, Missy and I talked each others ear out from San Jose all the way to San Francisco! I failed my job as a navigator even with a GPS as I was too caught up with all the storytelling. Though we got 'lost,' we managed to get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. We made it to the Palace of Fine Arts where we walked around and snapped photos in San Francisco's chilly air. It was such a beautiful site to see! I can't believe I had been going to SF for years and have missed this attraction each time.

Missy & I
Me and my super patient and loving husband, Marc
Chinatown, SF

We took in the scenery of the Palace of Fine Arts then headed to Union Square. From there, we went on a hunt for what is supposed to be, the largest Chinatown in North America. Thanks to the iphones, we found it! We spent some time walking through the streets. We picked up some pastries at a Chinese bakeshop and explored one of the many bazaars.

For dinner, Missy took us to eat Indian food at Roti in the West Portal area of SF. The food was so good-fresh and flavorful! I can't wait to write my Yelp review on it!

Tired from the previous day's activities, Sunday was somewhat of a lazy day. We woke up late and met Missy for brunch at noon at Sweet Pea's in Los Gatos. Oh how we love brunch! To have brunch with another brunch lover at a really good brunch place made it even better! I think I mentioned the word brunch too much in that sentence-oh well! We explored the cute town of Los Gatos for awhile and had awesome cookies from this bakery.
You can probably tell by now that Marc & Alli vacations tend to consist of lots of food. Let's just say that I'll get around to all my Yelp reviews for this trip in the distant future. : )
We had to say goodbye to Missy later that afternoon. I was pretty sad as we had such a wonderful time. In the past, we've kept up on each others lives through our AIM, Facebook and the occasional e-mail. She used to live in Texas so it was almost impossible to get together! Then we both started blogging and I'd say we became somewhat closer with our comments back and forth to each other. Missy-thanks for treating us and for being a wonderful tour guide! We had such an awesome time with you and can't wait to hang out with you again!
It was move-in day at UC Berkeley hence the crowded streets. Marc had never been here before so I took him around campus and down Telegraph. We were only there for a short while as we got stuck in an unfortunate traffic jam on the way. I love Berkeley as it is a very eclectic town with unique shops and sights...and people too.

We spent our last evening with Jackie as she treated us to a delicious dinner at Rivoli. I was excited to see that they had my favorite-risotto! She even bought a birthday cake for me to celebrate my birthday a whole month early! It was a delicious mango mousse cake. Since we didn't finish it there, we took it back to the hotel where Marc and I scarfed it down before our flight the next day.

Jackie was my supervisor when I worked as a Legislative Intern in Sacramento in 2005. I like to call her "Diva" because of her sophisticated ways. Nonetheless, she has a wonderful and caring spirit that is so contagious! We've kept in touch over the years and we even took a trip to Chicago together last year. She has been more than a mentor to me. Over the years, she has become the big sister I've never had.

I started missing everyone the moment we got back on the plane to return home. I love the Bay Area and can't wait to return!

Journal of a Travelbug

Wanderlust Journal by: Troy M. Litten

Status: Retired

My trusty old Wanderlust journal has gone through countless number of security x-ray machines. As I pulled it out to take on my short journey to the Bay Area, I realized that every single page had been filled. For the past 3 years, I have lugged this prized possession with me on my numerous trips to record the highlights of each place I visit.

I didn't have the time to go out and scout for a new one (trust me, it takes a good few weeks for me to find the perfect journal) so I made my own. I found an old sketch book and made a collage of random travel-related photos and prints that I dug up from past trips. I have yet to laminate the covers but I can truly say that this one is mine!

Front Cover

Inside front cover (above)

Inside back cover (below)

Back Cover