The last few days were spend enjoying the amenities of the resort - swimming, dining, drinking and relaxing. Lemurs lurked beyond our cabanas and the kids enjoyed the pool some more. A week sure comes and goes fast, but we had a blast with our family and good friends!

Next, we stopped for lunch at one of the hundreds of cenotes in the Yucatan. Cenotes are sink holes in the porous limestone of the area. They fill with water and with no natural in or out flows, they remain amazingly clear. Some have underwater caves that go on for miles. I took the plunge into one, the Santa Cruz Cenote, and swum around diving down to look into the cracks and crevasses of the unique underwater formations. After the dip in the cool water, we co...

Today I booked a tour to see some sites in the area. First stop, Tulum, an ancient Mayan ruin on the coast with stunning views of the sea. Some buildings are amazingly well intact. Apparently this was an important sea port and a center for trade in the Mayan empire. Iguana's roamed the grounds freely. Unfortunately the sandy beach below the ruins was "off limits" due to high surf and high tides. Bummer - it looked fun down there!

Today I decided to take a walk just over a mile down the beach to the edge of town. I had to jump a few small docks and then rounded a fence that let me to a nice shaded street leading a few blocks inland. After a few minutes it intersected the main drag into Playa del Carmen proper. It was a mix of the typical touristy tropical street with a Senior Frogs and Starbucks and loads of cheap souvenir shops and sidewalk vendors hawking their goods but further in there...

After a quick flight and transfer from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, we checked into the "Family Concierge" section of the gorgeous Paradisus Resort and Spa. Multiple pools and restaurants surround the property which was located right on the white sand beach. All inclusive too, so drinks were on me (including those from the pool bar - yes, there was a swim-up bar - no need to even dry off!). We hung within the walls for the first few days relaxing and soaking up th...