Mexico Way 6

My final morning here, I'm being picked up to go to the airport in a couple of hours.  I'm the last wedding guest here, the penultimate 8 people left yesterday.  I've packed and am now down in the lounge by the pool.  It's been a really good visit - the wedding, of course, provided many amazing highlights and the trips I took afterwards have been excellent too.  

Chichén Itzá is, of course, incredible.  I wasn't quite prepared for how vast the pyramid is.  If you're thinking of going there, do take on board that the heat is oppressive and the sun is very strong.  Not somewhere to go if you've got any breathing or heart problems.  The city of Tulum is easier, as it's by the ocean, so there's always a sea breeze.  I'll try to write more about the excursions when I'm home and can more easily upload photos.  

I haven't sorted out the other blog yet, I guess I shouldn't have expected to be bothered while I'm on holiday.  Once I've done it, I'll update it with what I've written here - but I'll also talk to Ronan about possibly exporting everything from the past few years to this site, as it's been on my mind for a while, long before the problems.  As it's a paid-for site, everything will be lost completely if the annual fee isn't paid for any reason and it seems a pity.  But that's for another time.

Although everything is very good at this hotel, I'm confirmed in my view that a sunbathing poolside holiday isn't for me in usual circumstances, after a few days.  There's a lot to be said for an all-inclusive holiday if you have children with you and need to know your budget, of course, but I'm very glad I booked the excursions once I was here by myself.  I've had enough of swimming pools and bathing in general and I've even eased off on the alcohol - a waiter coming to offer another drink every half hour is very nice, but I don't need it.  

I also wonder what happens to the leftover food?  The staff are amazing, very good quality food of all varieties - of course, in the restaurants it's cooked to order, but there are a couple of well-packed buffets too and there must be a lot left.  

I was pleased to see an agouti yesterday evening, on my way to dinner.  It was quite small, but I don't know how large they grow.  I'm envious of Charlotte, who saw a humming bird one day, I must walk round where there are trees in flower to see if I can spot one too.  When out and about, I've seen a few dogs but only one cat, which is surprising.  Maybe they sleep in the day and come out at night.  

Miriam and Zach set up a WhatsApp group for all the guests and it's agreed that it'll be kept - a lot if friendships were made and honestly, the warmth and fun of all this will stay with me forever.  Everyone was so lovely!  I've acquired an extra family myself - I'm not related to Miriam at all though, as I've said, our family friendships have gone down the generations for around 120 years.  But having now befriended the Scottish branch, we've arranged to meet over the summer - quite possibly both at home and in Scotland, if I can manage to get up there - and I feel like an extra granny to Kit and her brothers.  Also, Katie is quite interested in the tortoises, but was going to leave it until she got home before broaching the subject with her partner and son.  So we'll see.  I'll send her more information and some pictures.  It won't be until the summer, anyway.  

My flight leaves mid-afternoon and I'm due at Gatwick around 8.30 tomorrow morning, British time (which is 6 hours ahead of Mexico, thanks to Summer Time kicking in last Sunday).  Then I have to drive home, picking up some china for the auction on the way.  See you on the other side, darlings.

Mexico Way 5

 I'd brought four possible outfits for the wedding celebration - I usually make a point of not overpacking, but I just didn't have much time to think about it in advance.  I had looked for a new dress, but there was absolutely nothing suitable in the shops.  Dresses that might look right for a beach wedding in a hot country just aren't about for a short person like me, it seems - not in Norwich, anyway.  Anything not closely fitted is huge and long.  So the skirt I wore for the night before the wedding was one I bought in Yagnub last year, with a M&S teeshirt that I ordered online but was, by good luck, the exact shade of pink I wanted.  I'd bought another pink one that went pretty well, but this was just right.  For the wedding day, I wore the dress I bought for the first Indian wedding I went to, in 2000.  It gets hauled out a couple of times a year and the only reason it's not "vintage" is because I'm the original owner.  As it is, it's just "old."  But I'll probably wear it for the rest of my life.

As I said, the wedding was magical, very much in the Mim and Zach style, but the details were left to each person who took part, so there were many lovely surprises for them.  Afterwards, cocktails and a buffet dinner next to the beach and then dancing.  All the children stayed up for most of it, some for all - they were having such a great time and were very happy.  

The next day, we wound down - unfortunately, Miriam was bashed in the head when in the pool by an errant volleyball and had to lie down for the rest of the day, though she was up and about in the evening.  I didn't see her and, clearly, will have to visit Canada.  Farewells to as many people as possible and I posted a thanks and bon voyage on the group WhatsApp, as I was leaving for Chichén Itzá early next morning.  

It happened that Katie (another bridesmaid, from England), Matt and young Henry were on the same trip, so we had lunch together, which was nice.  I don't mind being on my own, but it's good to have company.  James and Christine have also stayed on and we're seeing each other for lunch.  They're Mim's Scottish cousins and their daughters and grandchildren had come along too.  One of the daughters is an artist, she  had painted and then had made the table runners for the wedding dinner.  Her website is here.

It just so happens that, years ago when Weeza had just moved to her present home, she wanted new bedlinen and asked me for a duvet set - it was one of Fiona's, though Weeza had no idea that she was anything to do with Charlotte's family.  I told Fiona the story, she was very pleased.  She and her husband have possibly the most adorable children in the world (apart from my family, obvs).  The two boys had a whale of a time at the wedding party and the youngest, Kit, is the most charming little girl who chatted to me as if we were old friends and ran up for a hug at her bedtime.  I'm in love.  I've exchanged details with J&C and we hope to visit each other (they're in North Scotland, so it's some way to travel).

I'm meeting them for lunch, so I must take my laptop back to my room and trot off to find them.  I'll leave my sunhat - I suppose I should call it a sombrero which I'm in Mexico - in the room too, as it's too windy to wear it safely.  We're right by the Caribbean but I don't complain about the wind - so very hot and humid inland, it's exhausting, though the actual temperature is much the same.  I don't really mind hot and humid, but fresh air is better.

Mexico Way 4

 This will be the third day of celebrations and tomorrow, the majority of people will leave for home.  It's been a most wonderful, magical wedding.  Miriam and Zach have been exceptional and so have all their family and friends.  

With a wedding to think about, you wouldn't believe that a couple could be the most considerate, vibrant hosts too, but they've looked after everyone, made sure everyone has been introduced to everyone else and joined in all the fun.  On Friday they had a rehearsal on the beach - I wasn't involved in that and went to the quieter adult pool instead.  In the evening, they hosted a dinner party for everyone, where there were speeches and so on too, and then we finished the evening dancing.  Yes, Z danced.  It would literally have been rude not to.  Even Charlotte, who has limited standing and moving abilities, found a pole to hold on to so that she could dance.

Charlotte has done fantastically well this week.  Although her balance centre is badly damaged and nothing can be done to cure that, it isn't completely destroyed (my friend Jo had that done when she was given antibiotics in hospital, with a known, but extremely rare side effect.  She had to use crutches for the rest of her life).  She's happy and relaxed and has also been taking a lot more exercise than usual, which she feels is strengthening her legs.

Yesterday was the wedding celebration.  It didn't start until 5 o'clock because of the heat of the sun earlier (even I had some pink on my back yesterday morning, despite my frequent applications of Factor 50, though it's gone now) but they'd had all the formal family photos done earlier.  When I say formal, I mean posed - as a family, they're anything but formal and Zach and Miriam themselves are exuberant.  

In fact, they were already married, back in Toronto, to get over any future questions of legality and so that they didn't have an extra level of complication here.  So Zach's sister acted as celebrant, which she did superbly.  

I don't know if I've mentioned that Zach is an actor - he's best known for a Canadian TV series called F@mily L@w, which I've not seen, but I'll have to watch, obviously - and Miriam is a scriptwriter and producer.  She has lived in the US, when she was at university in Florida, and in Australia, as well as her home countries of Britain and Holland and she has the knack of making and keeping friends forever.  That we all travelled from everywhere shows how she is loved.  Zach is her equal in this too, they really are a great couple.

I will add photos in due course, but I'll have to find the connector to upload them from my phone, as I don't really want to fill up my Cloud usage with all the junk photos I never delete from my phone.  Will I ever get sorted out?  It seems unlikely.

Mexico Way 3

 I think that everyone has arrived for the wedding on Saturday by now.  The Australian contingent turned up today, those from Scotland came last night.  

Whilst not pretending to be a better swimmer than I am, at least I can join in and not stand, looking awkward.  I've had enough sun and cocktails for an hour or two, however.  I'm sitting in my room, eating a banana instead.  I'm almost tempted to go to bed for a nap, but that could lay me out for a couple of hours and stop me sleeping tonight.  So I'll have a walk, now it's not so warm - it's actually been quite windy today - and then read for a while, until people start to gather together.  I've probably met about half the guests by now and maybe have around 20-something names pegged.  

I've booked a couple of excursions for next week, which should be enjoyable.  I'd planned to have a spa treatment day on Tuesday, until I saw all the prices and now I'm thinking about it.  Charlotte is leaving on Monday, so I'll have to say goodbye to her and anyone else who's going then too, because I'll leave for Chichén Itzá just after 7am.

Mexico Way 2

 By the time Charlotte was up, showered and dressed, it was 9 o'clock, which is a perfectly civilised time to have breakfast, but it felt like lunchtime to me and, though I don't tend to get hangry, I was decidedly hanxious and not feeling very well.  Fruit and yoghurt put me right and I carried on with cheese, onion, guacamole, salsa - actually, it was all fairly random.  But I'm not entirely sure about some of the Mexican breakfast dishes (for breakfast, that is. Fine later in the day) and I don't fly thousands of miles for egg and bacon.  I'll investigate the tortilla station and the omelette station during the rest of the week.  

Afterwards, we started to meet more members of the 111-strong wedding party, including the bride and groom.  I had a lovely day.  Everyone is so friendly and happy.  People have travelled from many countries, there are whole families, the youngest child being 104 days old and adorable.

We've all got inclusive packages, which makes food and drink easy.  There are different levels, mine being slightly higher than Charlotte's as I get a half bottle of tequila in my room every three days, plus some money-off vouchers for the spa (these will amount to 10%-20% off, so obviously the aim is to encourage me to spend more).

Today, there's the stag and hen dos, or rather bachelor and bachelorette parties.  They've hired a boat for a luxury trip.  Both the men and women on the same boat, which is a nice idea.  I don't know what I'll do yet, except that I want to book a couple of trips for next week.  Can't come without seeing some archaeological sites.  I might make it into the pool, who knows?  Yesterday, I opted out as, by the time we'd chatted and relaxed, it was after noon and the sun was too strong for me without a hat.

In the afternoon, we made bunting from cloth provided by various people.  Katie, chief bridesmaid, donated three dresses from previous weddings where she was a bridesmaid - they were all lovely, but you can't really wear them again.  Eventually, rather late, a group of us went for a Japanese meal, which was delicious.  In an international hotel, one might as well eat what's there - there are several restaurants - and not be hung up over local food, as it won't be local at all, anyway.  

The only fly in the ointment is a blister on my foot.  I brought some sandals - I had two identical pairs as they were comfortable and I liked them, and wore one pair last year, so brought the second.  Unfortunately, they rubbed.  Not much, but it's hot and humid and a fairly long way from my room to the hotel complex and walking there and back has done me no good at all.  I do have plasters and blister plasters,  but I need my foot to have recovered by next week.  

Mexico Way 1

 I've brought my laptop, which I don't usually do on holiday, but I'm expecting to wake up fairly early, so hoping to get some work done then, which won't take up the rest of the day and my thoughts - that is, I won't be worrying about all there is to do when I get home again.

Charlotte (aka MoB) had her centre of balance damaged some years ago.  She's not quite sure what happened to cause it, but it was trauma to the head in some way, not illness or a side effect of a drug.  Anyway, though she can walk, she is quite wobbly.  She'd booked assistance at the airports, but it was still useful for me to be there to help.  Unfortunately, I'm staying on longer than she is, so she'll have to make sure she isn't left alone on the way back.  She's resourceful and not hesitant about asking for help, but I do feel bad about it.

The journey was fine, right up until baggage reclaim, which took forever.  We were among the last 30 to get our bags back and then, unfortunately, we'd booked transport to the hotel with different companies, so I had to abandon her.  I haven't heard about it yet, we didn't catch up with each other later in the evening except by WhatsApp.

The good thing about travelling west is that you can have a lie-in and still be up early.  Now half past seven, I read in bed, had a leisurely shower, unpacked, made coffee (nice coffee machine) and I'll text MoB to see if she's up yet.  She must have been exhausted last night, everything is more tiring when you have a disability.

The room is very comfortable and spacious, with a balcony.  There's also a sofa with a coffee table and a small dining table with two chairs and a desk with another chair, which is a lot more sensible than many hotel rooms.  Of course, the bed is huge and very comfortable - it's true that the bed is really the point of a hotel room, but all hotels really go to town about that now.  Lovely quality bedlinen and I slept soundly - not too surprising, I'd actually been up for 24 hours at least, though I had an hour or two's sleep on the plane.

Ronan - not sure if I mentioned this - flew into the same airport a day earlier, for a business trip.  Sadly, he can't stay on - I asked if he could, it would have been lovely, if only for a couple of extra days, if he could have come on here.  But he's got the children this weekend and work on Monday, so it's really not feasible.

This may take a while...

 I have to submit an account recovery form and that wants a copy of a bank statement or utility bill, plus photo id.  I'm fairly sure they never asked for that when it was first set up, so I'm puzzled, but there we go.  Anyway, I don't have time at present.  I'm taking my laptop with me while I'm away, as I've got a lot of work to catch up on (this is dismal, I've never had to do that before) and I'll try to work it all out over the next fortnight.  I'm still getting emails about my account from the website host but, when I try to sign in, it says they have no record of that email address.  

Anyway, it's all been quite chaotic here, for one reason and another, every one of which is because I've been helping people.  Never a good deed goes unpunished, as they say.  I have, at any rate, managed to get my clothes sorted out and my papers together (not the work ones, but the travel documents) and it's suggested that I take US dollars for tips and so on, which I already had.  I'm not going to get any Mexican money, but will get cash out there if I need to - I don't expect I will.

Once I get back into my blog account, I'm seriously considering returning to this one.  I'll have to ask Ro if he can bring all the posts back here - he was able to migrate them from here to there, so it might be possible.  I'm paying for this and getting a poor service.  The host was bought out by another company and I don't think much of it.

I've realised that the hotel I'm going to is a rather dressier place than I'd expected, so I'm packing all my best clothes - not sure which I'm going to wear to the wedding. I have three outfits bought for weddings and I'm taking all of them.  

Next, I have to gaze dolefully at shoes and think, oh well.  They'll do.