Most of the best trips I had last year were totally unplanned. I was thinking of visiting family in Malaysia, and had zero plans of heading to New York after Groupon Philippines, but ended up booking a ticket for a plane that was scheduled to leave three days after I handed in my notice. Lori had mentioned she'd be going to L.A. for a favor for her nephew, so I figured, "Hey, I'll kick it with my uncle in New Jersey while she's away," but ended up in California anyway, which also led to a weekend in Vegas. I had also ended up going to Houston and Nashville as well... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
A week before my flight back to Manila, Lori had the sudden urge for a vacation away from our vacation and wanted to spend a week in Cancún. I would be completely off my rocker to say no to that! After making a call to Delta and pushing my flight date back by another month, I used up my SkyMiles to book a round-trip ticket to Mexico, made a quick visit to the Mexican Embassy on 39th st. to apply for a visa, and was pleased to find out that as long as you have a U.S. visa, you can stay in Mexico for up to 90 days, no problem. Sweet!
I was super psyched, this being my first time in Mexico! Cancún is the go-to beach destination for Americans who want to escape the chilly weather, are sick and tired of Florida's beaches and would rather lay out in the Mexican sun.
We stayed at The Westin Resort & Spa, a 10-minute ride from the Cancún International Airport. I wish I had taken more pictures of the place. Built like a Spanish Villa, the resort had white washed walls, the lobby painted in bright reds, oranges and pinks with rustic tile floors. We picked the perfect time to leave, as Tropical Storm Irene blew through New York a few days later.
The weather was gorgeous during our whole stay, and we made the most of the sunny weather, laying our on the beach working on a tan. The place only had a handful of people since it was still summer on the East Coast, which was just perfect! I hate big crowds.
Cancún is much like the Mexican version of Boracay, it's an island where people party and get shitfaced, but we came for the azure blue ocean and fine sandy beach, to just get away from everyone and everything and relax. I treated myself to a chocolate scrub at the spa my first day there and just melted into the massage table. It was that good!
We'd have our breakfast buffetss at El Palmar, lunch out on the Sunset Bar or by the beach, and dinner either at back at El Palmar or under the traditional palapa (straw hut), enjoying meals custom-cooked on hot stones at the restaurant, Sea & Stones.
The popular fine dining restaurant, Arrecifes, is also located at the W, but they served almost the same food as El Palmar but with high prices, which was just weird. There was one night where we were just too tired to go downstairs, ordered room service, and had dinner out on the balcony instead.
My hard work at getting a tan worked! I left Mexico with the best tan ever, and I was glowing from the inside out. My only regret was not taking enough pictures of the trip. I think it's about time I invest in a decent camera.
Thank you Quintana Roo! If you ever find yourself mucking around this side of the continent, book a suite at the Westin Resort & Spa!
The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancún
+52 998 848 7400
Boulevard Kukulcan KM 20
Cancun, Quintana Roo
77500 Mexico
