Riviera Mayan Adventure on the Reef Playacar
When Rebecca first mentioned going to the Mexican Riviera I was leery. Mexico? At the time, the only thing I knew about our southern neighbor was what the US Army taught me years before. That hard lesson was learned in 1998 while doing a short stint at Fort Bliss. For those of you unfamiliar with Fort Bliss, it’s a 1,700 square mile playground reserved exclusively for Uncle Sam. It’s the US Army’s second largest installation, home of the 1st Armored Division, and situated in the picturesque desert city of El Paso, TX. Any soldier who’s ever spent more than a day at Ft. Bliss knows the kind of world that exists once you leave El Paso and cross into that southern border town. Juarez, Mexico – the home of crooked cops, drug cartels, and a perfect place to get raped, robbed, or murdered. It’s not exactly the type of place you would take the kids to get t-shirts, postcards, or ice cream. Anyhow, you can see why I was so apprehensive about taking a vacation there.
As it turns out, all Mexican towns and cities do not rank the same. To make a comparison between Juarez and some of Mexico’s more popular tourist destinations is like trying to compare Detroit, Michigan with Cary, North Carolina. There just isn’t any comparison. So putting all reservations aside, Rebecca and I purchased a flight and headed out into Mexico’s lush Riviera Maya.
Following this truck, I knew I had to be heading in the right direction.
The Riviera Maya is truly a magnificent place. The entire area is a tropical paradise located on the Yucatan Peninsula. The region is famous for its Caribbean beaches, beautiful jungles, and warm tropical climate. There’s no shortage of sights to see, things to do, or places to explore here in this neck of the woods! (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Great Dining, South America and tagged mayan riviera, mexico, reef playacar by Big John with 2 comments.
Will Work For Vacation
Today I’m back at work and I wish more than anything that I was still on vacation. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my job. I find it to be a very rewarding career. With today’s job market, I’m very fortunate to have a steady paycheck when so many other Americans aren’t so lucky. I guess I just have that wanderlust spirit and most likely always will. There are really only two things I enjoy about being back in the hustle and bustle of daily life… Yes, really just two!
Back in the hustle and bustle of daily life.
The first thing I enjoy about being back home is definitely the money situation. I happen to be one of those less fortunate souls that goes on vacation for one week, and then goes on a diet for about a month afterwards because I can barely afford groceries. I always seem to come back home penniless. I guess when I’m vacationing, it’s easy to forget that I earn a meager living shaving the backsides of llamas. The trade-off always seems worth it though. Everything just seems somehow better when your away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Even food tastes much better on vacation. I could eat nachos out of a dumpster, if that dumpster was in… say….the Mayan Riviera… and they would be delicious! (more…)
Posted in Scattered Thoughts and tagged mayan riviera, South Carolina, vacation by Big John with no comments yet.