We're Going to Mexico!

Actually, we've already been to Mexico, but I wanted to use one of my favorite quotes from Orange County (as in the movie; I would recommend it more widely but it takes a certain combination of cynicism and escapism that I'm not sure all of you possess). So we decided to get the feel of the real Mexico -- Cancun!!! We stayed in a super-nice hotel courtesy of some crazy discount and enjoyed the soft white sands, soft mattresses, ocean views, and great food (among the things we didn't enjoy: undertow, crazy monkeys, and customs lines).

Here's the view from our hotel room onto paradise:

Our first night there, we trekked on over to Hacienda Sisal for some great green-sauce burritos and banana-leaf wrapped fish (I also consumed roughly five pounds of chips and salsa; evidently sitting on a plane for eight hours was harder work than I expected). Next door to where we sat was an awesome dance show that we only caught the tail end of.

At the conclusion of the meal, Will was generously serenaded (and at the conclusion of that I forgot to tip the mariachis which gave rise to a significantly awkward moment where the mariachi and I stared at each other, me blankly, he expectantly, for a few moments; I looked away first).

And onto the beach, which is best to describe with pictures:

For verification of the softness of the sand, I refer you to the best source of all:

Initially Will was a bit intimidated by the water and would run up the beach away from it (though playing with the sand was fun):

(Peek-a-boo was also a main event.)

The pool at the hotel was almost as nice as the beach, and, bonus!, they would bring you pina coladas (conveniently billed to your room so you could forget about how much you spent, then rationalize it at the end because it's all in pesos).

The second night we decided to leave Cancun itself and try out the dance and equestrian show at the Hacienda Andalucia. It was a fun little trip, except for the hour-and-a-half they made us stare awkwardly at vendors and tried to get us to buy leather belts and take pictures with mini-ponies (I'm not sure such a thing actually exists, but it did look like a mini-pony). Will decided we would skip the equestrian show.

On Friday we spent most of the time lazing about and enjoying the sun and beach, and on Saturday, after nearly drowning ourselves in the "red-flag" waves, decided to go to Playa del Carmen. Which, unfortunately for Will, is where the crazy monkey lives.

In all honesty, the monkey was exceptionally well-behaved (as far as monkeys go). But the monkey at the last minute decided to jump on Will's head (not part of the initial arrangement) which caused Will to see the tantalizing tail of the monkey. Which he grabbed. And then the monkey tried to jump away, but Will wouldn't let go because this was quite possibly the funnest game he had ever played in his life. And so the monkey bit him. Yep, that's right, the monkey bit him. Now, before you get all crazy in the comments about how we're all terrible parents -- please remember that your comments are visible to everyone and if you have anything insulting to say I'd prefer it said to my face (or rather in an email). Luckily, the bite barely injured Will, and we've gotten him his shots since returning so no ill effects. Other then the incredibly awkward questions from Children's Services (I still maintain they have no jurisdiction over what happens in Mexico).

Since Giagia, Papou, and Michell overlapped with us on their own trip for a few days, we decided to have an impromptu early-birthday celebration for Will. We offered him a selection of mini-cakes, and he opted for the chocolate: