Spring Break

We're back, get a drink and settle in, this is a long one and it's all about our trip to Mexico.

What a long strange trip it's been. It all started last year when Pinky asked Mathgeek why we have never taken a vacation that doesn't involve a bike race. To make a long story short we have friends with a timeshare in Mexico and they go every year. This evolved into a phone call a week or so later from Mathgeek telling me that we had been invited to join our friends on their next trip........and can we go. If you know me you know I'm paranoid about something happening to my kids and taking them out of the country........well let's just say I surprised Mathgeek and said let's do it.

So after months of gathering paperwork, passports, and flipflops, we were off to the airport. Mathgeek was a bit nervous about catching our connecting flight in Atlanta but I thought it shouldn't be a big problem with a 2 hour layover. That was until we got to KCI and found out that out flight is being delayed by 1:45, hmmmm 15 min to make it across the Atlanta airport. We get to Atlanta and run across the airport/tram/airport praying for miracle as we are past the departure time. Wow, we got it...the plane is having a mechanical problem and is still at the gate, we made it just in time. Only one problem here, there is no way our luggage is going to make this flight. No problem, we were warned and brought swimsuits with us in out carry on bags and our luggage should arrive with our friends flight when they arrive the next day.

Only one issue here, our friends missed their flight in Atlanta and were stuck there overnight. Our luggage did arrive but when it didn't arrive as promised at the hotel we called the airline and they said it was lost on the island! Now if I'm going to be stuck somewhere I'm OK with being on Cozumel but we hoped to be on the 1pm ferry to Playa del Carmen. We finally got our luggage at 6:35, just in time to sprint down to the ferry terimal for the 7pm departure. Phew....made it, time to relax, on our way to the resort. Uh....we were warned in broken English that the seas were kind of rough, but the ferry staff spent most of their time handing out/collecting puke bags during the 30 min ride. The boys handled it well but none of us felt very good by time we hit the dock.

Now the good stuff, we made it! The resort is beautiful, it's called the Occidental Allegro Playacar Resort, Playa del Carmen, Mexico . Check out our pictures here, I took way too many to post and Mathgeek has even more.

Now before you get the idea that we had a bad trip, let me assure you, I don't think it's possible to have a bad trip to Playa, it's awesome. We hung out at the beach and body surfed, searched for seashells, and generally goofed off. Once we got tired of sand in shorts we headed off to the pool for a while. One day we headed off to visit the Ek Balam myan ruins and swam in a cenote

During the whole trip we were very careful about drinking bottled water and using clean water when brushing teeth, ect....... . So when our friends and myself all got sick we were a bit surprised. At least it was a rainy day so being stuck inside wasn't a total loss. Mathgeek got some quality time with the boys when they went into Playa to explore. The next day dawned bright and sunny with most of the crew moving a little slow but the warm sun made us all feel much better.

Unfortunately, the time came for a ferry ride back to Cozumel for the flight home. The ride on the ferry was great, the unfortunate part is that we were going home! We got to spend a few hours hanging out at the markets on Cozumel before heading off to the airport. Not much for excitement on the trip home other than the stress of going through customs. Even though it was easy for us I have heard it can be a pain.

What a shock it was to arrive back in KC, we got in around midnight Friday night and the snow was flying. After chipping the ice off the van we headed home from the airport at 35 mph the whole way. Brrrr, what a temperature change. I'm sitting here typing this with 8 inches of snow on the ground. Oh well, it will be warm soon enough.

I'm ready to start racing bikes, wonder if the Tue crit will go this week.....