Well, I haven’t quite been keeping up with my promise to start blogging more frequently, but let’s just pretend like no one noticed, mkay? So! On to January. There is really only one event of any major significance to mark this January. An historic occasion for my little family: the first real vacation we’ve ever taken! By vacation I mean somewhere out of the country. We have taken a few smaller trips (see November’s post about our trips to Banff and Ottawa and Montreal and New Hampshire) and often getaway to my parents’ place in Manitoba for a little break from routine. But our first trip to an exotic and completely different place? That was this year.
And yes, I realize that this is most certainly what we should classify as a “First World Problem”. Clearly the fact that we don’t get away for a tropical vacation every winter is not of major significance when there are people without enough to eat or drink in this world.
Anyway…we had the truly fantastic experience of a week at an all-inclusive resort in Huatulco, Mexico. We booked the trip nearly a year in advance so by the time we finally boarded the plane it was still a little surreal.
Even more so when we were looking at this view from our hotel room by that evening. The first few days consisted mostly of this…
…and this…
…and oh my goodness was there ever a lot of this…
We eventually decided we should see more of the area than just the bar pool, so we took a short day tour to see some local attractions. We enjoyed many spectacular views and charming local shops and people.
Also, my husband ate a grasshopper in a questionable back room with walls filled with liquor.
We also discovered the cure for diabetes! Who knew it was a in a sketchy little back room in Southern Mexico?
We did end up spending the majority of our time at our resort and were satisfied just hanging by the pool or the beach. Except I quickly realized that the hubby should never be allowed to select headwear for my kids from vendors on the beach without my direct supervision. Ever. See what I mean? (Sorry if plastic-y cowboy hats with black spray painted band are a your style. I was just hoping to purchase something my son would actually wear, like, ever. He basically refused to wear it again after the day we bought it. My fault for forgetting hats back in Canada!)
My all-time favourite activity at the resort was feeding the fish. We got to do it 3 or 4 times and it was so cool! These fish were in the ocean and “wild” but were used to being fed by tourists/resort personnel daily. They swam all around our feet eating up the fish pellets we were feeding them. It was mildly terrifying at first, but once I got used to it, I could have done it for hours.
A few pics of us at the beach…
…and at the resort…
…and off the resort at a local restaurant (excuse the terrible picture. It was dark out and my iphone couldn’t handle the lighting.)
Like I said, this was our first trip of this kind. It was just what the doctor ordered and we couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more. I would go back in a second! I hope we will have the chance to do so! I would give this resort a very positive review to anyone looking for this kind of holiday.
And so, all I remember about January is that I got to miss one week of freezing cold temperatures and what more can we ask? (Except to miss all of it!)
