Hola Amigos y Amigas.

I love Mexico. Always have.
This time was no exception.
Fun-Family-Fiesta.
It's about the 10th or so time I've been down there and I always have a good experience.
Yes I was staying in a resort and had limited exposure to the "real" Mexico but I've also spent a lot of time in Mexico city and other parts and I have nothing but good things to say about the people.
They are a fine, friendly, engaging lot who seem to genuinely enjoy the fact that your visiting and spending money in their land.
I know Mexico has had a few bad raps in the last few years and there are a lot of people who would never go there or go back, but I've always been lucky and I've had nothing but great experiences.
Having said that, I'm glad to be home. One can only drink so much Tequila and Cervasa and one can only eat so many "Spanish things made with ham!" The Mexican love their Pork and so do we Oakville Hebrews but I'm all hammed-out.
Other than...good times. Here's some highlights.

Day 1-2.
Plane lands. Start drinking beer at 9:30 in the morning on the bus from Airport to the resort.
Resort is awesome, best I've ever stayed in.
Everyone in the family cept Momma gets ridiculous sun-burn. (Apparently the sun is quite hot down there and get this, being in the water for 9 straight hours or so actually accentuates the suns rays! Did you know that?)
Strange dichotomy rears it's ugly head. I'm looking at hot chicks in bikinis while trying to avoid being caught by my wife at the same time young men are staring at my 13 and a half year old daughter and I'm trying glare them away. My head is literally spinning off it's meager hinges.

Day 3.
Pick up stomach bug. Charlie and me get Montazuma's Revenge for 24 hours. Me not so bad-managed to drink through it..Charlie-very bad but recovered quite nicely in time to...
Throw up....
....from sea sickness. She and I went Scuba diving but it was a day that featured the biggest waves I've ever been in a boat in, uh on. Whatever. They were fantastic. Up and down we rode these massive waves as we made our way to the dive site but the motion made my kid ill and she threw up all over the Mexican crew. They were cool with it and they kept on tossing big buckets of sea water on her. Definitely not something you see every day.

Day 4-5.
Left the resort and went to Play Del Carmen and bought sea shell necklaces for everyone my daughters knew. Saw a Monkey the size of a sandwich. A guy charged me 5 bucks for the kids to take a picture with him. Strangely enough, it was worth it.
Met some very nice people from England, became pals immediately. Wives both had Red hair and the husband and I both drank all day and bonded over our common fascination with How
Dumb Some Americans Are.

Actual America question to English guy and me.
"So are you all neighbors?"
English Guy and Me: Bland stares, then. "Do you mean are Toronto and England near each other?"
Actual American: "Yeah, do you guys live near one another?"
English Guy and Me: "Uh no, but we do have you to thank for a truly classic moment, now if you'll excuse us we have to go drink and laugh like the new best buds that this will no doubt make us. Thank you."

Day 6-7.
Some rain, some crazy wind and some more Spanish chit-chat. I've always been able to speak some local lingo down there but the problem is, I speak what I know very well but I don't know too much. Know what I mean? So I'll say something like, "Hey Mexican dude, hows it going and could I have some beer and ham" and He'll come back with "I'm doing great and then blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah thank you blah blah Tu Hablo muy bein blah blah" Most of which is said so fast that all I catch is a word every so often . Then its always followed by an awkward moment or two when we're both searching for the phrase "I'm/your a twit" in Spanish.

Day last.
Then it was time to go. Randee and I had a great time and I know the girls really enjoyed themselves. I'm also painfully aware that there won't be a whole lot more trips like this where the babies will want to hang around almost exclusively with us so I really soaked it up.
In the meantime I'm back and I've got work to do and more work to come. Some new, some old and some who knows-what on the way.
It was a fascinating week and I can tell you this it's going to be an interesting summer.
Hasta Luego Muchachos.