Take me back to Tulum

Ugg. If my inner history nerd and intense love of beautiful beaches were to have a love child, Tulum would be it. This is the only known Mayan city built on the coast and was an important seaport for trading jade and turquoise. I soaked up all the historical ancient Mayan ruins, especially the insight given by our very knowledgeable tour guide with Alma's LDS tours. I love how he tied the Book of Mormon into the history of this region, showing proof of Christianity in the carvings and stories. Showing references made in the Book of Mormon to things such as an expansive "highway" connecting ruins hundreds of miles apart that was recently uncovered. Something that Joseph Smith as a 14 year old uneducated boy would have had no knowledge about unless the Book of Mormon and the translation of it was divine. This experience really helped strengthen my testimony of that. I soaked up the information about their calendar system, sundials, the way they studied the solar system and used the moon to determine when to plant crops. It was all so intriguing. But besides the fascinating history and culture, the setting was nothing short of dreamy. Nestled high on a cliff surrounded by pristine white sandy beaches and the warm Caribbean water, it's no wonder this spot was reserved only for the very elite and is considered a treasure of the ancient Mayan world. Loved spending the day exploring this area. We started out with Jason adding his commentary to the tour. Never a dull moment when this guy is around.

This cut out was used to track the sun. I can't remember all the details of this one in particular, but I think the sun shines directly through that hole only once a year. On April 6, a significant date in Christian history.

This carving is "the god descending", found on several temples around Tulum and Coba.

Hola!

Jason and I have been so looking forward to a couple's trip to Playa del Carmen with our friends, the Herrera's and Hancocks. White sand, warm water and not a care in the world. We drove our kids to my sister Janessa's home in El Paso, she is like an angel on earth. My kids had the best time at her house and it was nice to be able to relax and not worry about the kids at all. So grateful for her. I woke up feeling so sick but wasn't about to let that stop us from taking our flight that morning. It was a long travel day with two flights and a layover but we eventually made it there, met up with our friends, grabbed some Mexican food for dinner and settled in for a good night's sleep and nothing but relaxing on the agenda for the next day. And thankfully by then I was feeling better. 

Melissa found the perfect condo on VRBO that we shared. So peaceful and serene, nestled in the jungle (complete with monkeys!) and only a short walk from the beach and the shops and restaurants on Avenida 5.

We also had our own private cenote. They are common all over the Yucatan, they're sinkholes caused by a collapse in the limestone bedrock that exposes the groundwater underneath (thank you Google). The water is freezing, but it's such a romantic setting. Definitely the stuff The Bachelor scenes are made of. And then here's like two dozen pictures of Jason swimming. I didn't have kids to take pictures of, what can you do. 

Talking business in the pool. They didn't get the memo that no work is aloud on vacations.

That first day was spent relaxing. Pool, beach, wash, rinse and repeat.

That evening we walked to Walmart for some groceries and basics. It ended up being a lot farther than we had thought, but on our way home we did find the best spot for el pastor tacos that our driver from the airport had recommended. I have never seen anyone quite as excited about food as Marshall was for that meal. It was quite entertaining. And he picked up the tab, so we decided we like when Marshall gets excited for food. It was a beautiful night for a stroll, except that our arms and shoulders were about to die from carrying all the groceries (should have rethought that watermelon). We eventually made it back and stayed up late into the night talking. It was only the first day and the vacation was already off to a great start.