Our first full day we took a long van ride out to one of the world's wonders: Chichen Itza. I suppose this was one time where the heat got to Felix, though no more than anyone else. Around the Temple of Kukulkan (pictured), the observatory, and the ball court there was no shade. Particularly fascinating to Felix was the serpent heads at the foot of the temple and the story of serpents snaking down the staircase, an illusion created during the equinox.
The following day we spent familiarizing ourselves with the resort. The pool and the beach held particular interest. On the other hand he didn't care much for the food options; his diet for the week consisted mostly of hot dogs. But it's vacation, right?On Monday we took a trip to Xplor, an adventure park about an hour drive away. Much of the park attractions were inside caves, I suppose that is why we had to were helmets the entire time. Some of the activities Felix was too young for, such as the zip-lining, but those he could do he really enjoyed. One such activity was a "river" swim where we donned life vests and swam through a cave. Felix was very proud of himself for making the entire swim.
Tuesday was grandma's last day as she had to return to work. We said our good byes and the rest of the time is a blur, kind of. I don't remember the order in which we did certain things so I will just say that I suppose the order doesn't really matter.
Down at the beach Felix discovered the joy of body surfing. At least he attempted to, so good for him. For quite a while, he and I were having a great time together playing in the waves. He was learning to time his jumps over the waves, to look for swells to float over, and to turn his back when the oncoming wave broke. Eventually the wind picked up and the waves got too rough for him. Just behind the water line along the shore was a two foot drop that Felix accidentally found. I was standing near him when he stepped off the sand bar trying to make it back to the beach. The last words I heard before he went under were "Daddy help". Of course I got to him a half second later and no physical harm was done, but his plea really hit me viscerally. I held him close as I carried him to our towels.
He was wary of the sea for a few days after that, electing to do most of his water activities in the pool. He found a shallow area in the pool near the swim up bar where he practiced swimming. He became determined to swim on his own after watching a boy about his age that was very adept at swimming.Another activity that Tru took a fancy to was painting ceramic figurines. On certain days at the resort a man with scores of various ceramics would set up a little table with paints and you could paint your chosen figurine however you wanted. The man would then "Mexicanify" it; meaning he would add details that gave it an indigenous look, and then cover it in some kind of protective shellac. It really made a difference in the overall appearance. In all, Felix painted three: a rabbit, a dolphin, and an iguana.
One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Croco-Cun, a crocodile zoo. One of the first things we got to do there was hold three foot crocodiles. For whatever reason, Felix was apprehensive. He did touch them, however, while Renae held them. Later on we got to hold snakes. I think Felix was more comfortable by this time and relished the chance to drape a snake over his neck. Okay, this is going to be third time I've written the following because of a forced computer restart, and a cut and paste error. It really is frustrating and saps my enthusiasm. Sorry, the following won't have as much heart as it could have. In all honesty, you are being cheated.
Croco-Cun operates more like a reserve (I'm not sure if that is the right word) than a zoo. You can not wander the park by yourself; you must be accompanied by a guide. Which, it turns out, was really great. Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained in detail the animals we came across. Croco-Cun has free-roaming spider monkeys. One by the name of Panchita took a fancy to me. After following us around from the trees, she swooped down and sat upon my shoulders. Felix was very amused. After a few minutes our guide tried to get her off but she was determined to stay; she slapped at his hands when he approached. Eventually he was able to apprehend her. He flung Panchita into the trees, which she deftly negotiated and attempted to make her way back to us. Our guides shooing seemed to discourage her from leaping down upon us again... for a moment. I now know how prey feels. As we walked, we could hear, but not see, her stealthily following us hidden in the foliage of the trees. We would hear a little bit of rustling and then anxiously look around trying to locate her. This went on for about fifteen minutes. Eventually she found her chance and pounced down upon me and was again on my shoulders. I thought it was pretty cool, Felix was buckling over in laughter. The guide made some attempts to get her down without being too aggressive, but because I didn't seem to mind, he let her be for a little while. It was interesting, though, to watch her. She almost seemed like a defiant child; she would go limp (other than gripping my neck), slap at the guides hands, and cry out. It was all very funny.One of our last days, Felix, Renae, and I crossed the street to the Lagoon where we did a little kayaking. The wind was strong that day so we stayed close to the shore. In light of her self described canoeing fiasco, Renae did really well in a kayak. I was impressed.
Okay, I know there is probably some very important things I've forgotten, perhaps Renae will remember more and add to this post. Who knows? We can't know the future.
