Thanksgiving
November 22nd – Birthday Girl
We woke early and O opened her little presents I had got her, makeup, a Mayan zodiac pendant, Mexican egg person that she likes and some smellies from Senor Frog. She will choose her main present when she sees something she likes.
There are a couple of turkeys, ducks and chickens in like a pet coop in the grounds of the hotel. Being Thanksgiving today we were a bit concerned as to the future of the turkeys so we quickly dashed out in the morning and are glad to say they have survived and had not made the menu of the day – maybe Christmas will not be so lucky.
Xcaret was the destination today. As the marketing says, in Mexico all roads lead to Xcaret. It’s a natural tourist park – a small bit of everything from the region. We got picked up at 9.15 and by the time we had picked everyone else up and switched coaches we did not arrive until 12. A bit annoying as the tickets aren’t cheap and you want to get the most use out of the park. The park itself is huge, a bit of a maze as all the paths are surrounded by jungle. We did the underground river tour first. How can I explain it? We saw about 4 fish but were surrounded by the pink vested, flipper wearing tourist at every turn. It was so crowded that I got kicked in the head and legs pulled from behind, not as relaxing as I had hoped but I don’t blame the fish one bit for playing hide and seek.
We saw butterflies, parrots, monkeys, leopards and pumas to name a few. It was a very tiring day. We ate at the Mexican buffet (at an extra $30 each!) but the food was amazing and the chicken breast the best I have ever eaten. The kids stuffed up on desserts and cakes and had fun watching the chefs make quesadillas and tortilla chips.
The evening had a show. The theatre had a roof but no walls. On the approach there were actors dressed up as Mayans and the smell of incense in the air to add to the sense of drama. You were given a candle wrapped in a paper doll as you entered. These were lit at the beginning and as it was dark at this time looked very cool. The show itself represented firstly the history of Mexico from the Mayans to the Spanish invasion and then showed the traditions from the different regions. There was a live game of ball where the ball could only be hit with elbows and hips and a hockey like game played with a burning ball – yes an actual ball on fire! It was very fast and breathtaking. I was concentrating so much on the game that I did not realise my candle had burned down and my paper was on fire!
The best bit was a dance of men in Mexican costume (ponchos and white trousers) with masks of old men on. At the end they took off the masks to reveal – old men! This bought a huge roar and applause from the crowd. We were so tired we slept on the way home………
Tags: Central America, Travel
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