Hola from Mexico

Well, I posted once before that we would be travelling during a pandemic, and I’m happy to report that time is finally here. Our flight to Mexico departed at 9:20 am, and it went off without a hitch. The airport was relaxed and well-spaced out. We never once felt crowded or uncomfortable.

But the thought kept running through our minds, what would Mexico be like? Would we be uneasy because people weren’t wearing their masks? Would social distancing be nonexistent? Would we constantly feel pressured into letting go of our new COVID norms?

The short answer is no! When we arrived in the Mexican airport, we found there were more COVID protocols in place than even in Calgary. There were morse signs around, there was more security monitoring mask usage, and there was temperature screening set up to monitor arriving guests.

But this isn’t just about COVID. We haven’t travelled in nearly two years, and we haven’t been to Mexico in almost seven. So to say we were a bit uneasy about the whole process was a bit of an understatement. I found my anxiety ran high even on the plane.

But arriving in Mexico was so simple. They had representatives set up to tell us how much the taxi would be to our hotel, even before we talked to any taxis. Then we found a process to pay for a cab before meeting with the driver, which meant that once we were in the cab, no money exchanged hands. It was a fantastic system.

Now on to the most amazing part of the whole experience, the all-inclusive resort. It would be an understatement to say that it was anything less than incredible. This resort, the Royalton Riviera, is a dream come true. Kyle and I have stayed in a lot of resorts, but this one takes the cake. Right from the moment we stepped out of the taxi, we were whisked away by an amazing concierge who graciously accepted our overly heavy suitcases and helped us get checked in.

The drinks started flowing immediately for all of us, virgin Pina Coladas for the little, and tequila shots for the bigs. We spent our first evening playing in the pool and dining at the buffet. And it has been an increasingly amazing experience since then.

Our hotel room, wow, let me tell you. It is the most fantastic room we have ever had. We splurged for the family suite, which boasts a balcony looking over the ocean, an upper terrace featuring a hot tub and stunning views, and a master bedroom with sliding doors to separate the second bedroom from ours. There are no words to describe how excited we were to find all the hidden gems of the room, and there were plenty.

The service has been incredible. We have never had to ask for anything twice; the bartenders have been courteous and prompt and even when we do have to wait a bit for something, they bring us drinks to ease the suffering of waiting for longer than two minutes for something. All in all, Kyle and I have had a consistent and happy buzz for the entire duration of our stay.

The last thing worth mentioning is the casino. I’m not a big gambler; I think I have only been in two casinos in my life, but the one here is awesome. Not for the selection or the winnings, but more so the staff. As you can imagine, all of the machines were in Spanish, and I was pretty intoxicated, but I never struggled. The moment my machine did something weird, a staff member was there to translate it for me. Even when I struggled to insert the card because I was a bit too tipsy to see straight, a lovely gentleman was there to help me out. Overall, I had well over two hours of fun on very little money. It made me feel like even the machine was catering to my vacation mood and letting me win!

Overall, we are just over halfway through vacation, and it has been a vacation of dreams. Our COVID fears were unwarranted, our hotel is by far the best one we have ever been to (and we have been to quite a few), and our unlimited family time has been a blessing. To all those considering a vacation, I highly recommend it.

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