Adiós Cancun: Leaving Mexico and Heading to Florida

Adiós Cancun

Adiós Cancun! You have been an incredible adventure that I would happily repeat over and over again.

Before leaving, we made sure to sign the guest book at our “Cozy Studio Condo” to let the owners know how much we enjoyed staying there. It was the perfect little home base for our month in Mexico.

Goodbye tiny room that we somehow managed to keep messy the entire time.

Goodbye awesome little rental car.
You were tiny too, but that actually came in handy more than once when squeezing through traffic.

And of course, goodbye to the beautiful beaches. Those bright blue waters and soft sand will definitely be missed.

We boarded our plane and left Cancun on Friday with a layover in Miami. I have to say, I am not a huge fan of going through customs there when you still have another flight to catch.

By the time we made it through customs, picked up our luggage, waited in line just to walk out of the baggage area, checked our bags back in, stood in another line for security, boarded a shuttle, and then walked halfway across the airport, we finally arrived at our gate… and everyone was already on the plane.

They really don’t leave you much wiggle room.

Thankfully the final flight was only about 45 minutes to Tampa, where my brother picked us up at the airport.

Since arriving in Florida things have been nonstop. I am so happy to be spending time with friends and family again.

More pictures from our time here will be coming soon!

Coastal Exploring: Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos

Monday 11/5

We woke up early to watch the sunrise and plan out our day. For the first time since arriving, we had American coffee instead of Mexican coffee. We had to search a bit to find Folgers, and wow, it definitely tastes different.

After getting ready, we decided to take a drive south and headed to Playa del Carmen. We spent a little time relaxing on the beach before walking over to 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida) to explore the shops. The streets are lined with vendors, restaurants, and all kinds of touristy stores.

Eventually we realized we were getting hungry. Playa del Carmen felt a little expensive, so we decided to head north to Puerto Morelos instead.

Lunch in Puerto Morelos

While walking around, we stumbled across a cute little beachfront restaurant called La Panza Es Primero. It ended up being one of the best meals we have had so far.

Our meal was about $24 total, including drinks. It came with:

• 2 pieces of chicken
• 2 pieces of steak
• Chorizo
• Beans and onions

Everything arrived in a sizzling hot bowl and it was way more food than we could finish in one sitting. The price and the quality were both fantastic.

The restaurant also had really cool old Mexican wrestling banners displayed all around the walls, which made the place even more fun. Of course I had to take a picture.

After lunch we spent a little time at the beach in Puerto Morelos before heading back to Cancun in time for sunset. It ended up being one of those perfect days where we saw both the sunrise and sunset.

Evening at La Isla

Later that evening we headed over to La Isla Shopping Village. The shopping center is really unique because there are canals running throughout the area. It also has lots of high end shops, an aquarium, a movie theater, and plenty of restaurants.

We grabbed dinner at a taco grill and had some of the best chicken and shrimp tacos. It was the perfect way to end a long day of exploring.

Beach Day in Cancun

11/06/12

After exploring a few nearby towns, one thing became very clear. From what we have seen so far, Cancun has the most beautiful beaches compared to Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen.

We spent the entire day relaxing on the beach and swimming in the water while collecting shells. I will share pictures of our shell collection soon.

We ended the day with something cold and refreshing while watching the waves.

Another perfect day in paradise.