The Cancún Experience: Two Trips, Two Chapters
There are destinations we visit once and remember forever.
And then there are places we return to years later, only to discover that while the destination may be familiar, everything else has changed.
For me, Cancún became both.
My first trip to Mexico came during my honeymoon. Years later, I would return to the Mexican Caribbean with Rose for what became our first truly serious vacation together.
The two trips couldn’t have been more different.
One survives today through a handful of vivid memories.
The other lives on through photographs—and the details those photographs continue to unlock.
But both became important chapters in my own travel diary.
The First Cancún
My memories of that first trip are admittedly scattered.
I don’t remember the name of the resort where we stayed. I couldn’t tell you exactly how long the vacation lasted. Although I had a camera with me, photography wasn’t a priority at that point in my life, and the photographs from that trip are now buried somewhere in boxes.
Many of the smaller details have naturally faded with time.
But some memories have refused to disappear.
We stayed somewhere relatively close to the bullring and Señor Frog’s, and one evening we decided to experience something completely outside our normal world: a traditional Mexican bullfight.
Before the event began, English-speaking guests were given a very direct warning.
We were told that 99 percent of the time, the matador wins.
Anyone uncomfortable with what they were about to witness—or squeamish about Mexican tradition—was encouraged to leave before the event began.
Fair warning.
But before the bullfight itself, the arena came alive with incredible pageantry.
Beautifully dressed women rode horses around the arena in elaborate traditional attire, wearing magnificent hats that reminded me of a combination of sombreros and bonnets. The color, movement and presentation immediately established that we weren’t simply attending an ordinary sporting event.
Men dressed in elaborate traditional equestrian attire performed remarkable feats on horseback, at times standing on the backs of their horses as they moved around the arena.
There were traditional costumes, sombreros, music and an atmosphere that felt like one enormous Mexican fiesta.
It was colorful.
It was exciting.
And it was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
The Macarena, the Pirate Ship and Limbo for Lobster
As if the bullfight wasn’t enough excitement for one vacation, we also booked a lobster dinner cruise aboard a pirate ship.
Now, this happened during the height of the Macarena craze.
Unfortunately, there was apparently no escaping it—not even somewhere off the coast of Cancún aboard a pirate ship.
What we expected to be a relaxing evening cruise and lobster dinner quickly became considerably more interactive.
We did the Macarena.
And then, somehow, things escalated.
Before enjoying our meal, we had to participate in a limbo contest.
Yes.
We had to limbo for lobster.
I also remember visiting Señor Frog’s for dinner and drinks, another colorful chapter in our introduction to Cancún.
To this day, I don’t remember every detail of that first vacation.
But I remember the bullring.
I remember the horses and the incredible pageantry.
I remember the pirate ship.
I remember Señor Frog’s.
And I sure as hell remember…
Limbo for Lobster.
Some memories simply refuse to disappear.
Returning to Mexico—and Seeing It Differently
Years later, I returned to the Mexican Caribbean.
This time, I was traveling with Rose.
It was our first serious vacation together, and unlike my first trip, this one became much more deeply preserved—not only through memory, but through photographs.
There was another important difference between the two trips.
During my honeymoon, I had a camera, but photography wasn’t yet a priority in my life. I took photographs simply to document where I had been.
By the time Rose and I went to Mexico, things had begun to change.
I had recently acquired my first DSLR camera and was making a conscious effort to carry it with me. I wasn’t simply interested in taking vacation snapshots anymore. I was beginning to learn the intricacies of photography and understand what the camera was capable of.
I was beginning to see things differently.
And years later, those photographs have become something more.
They have become memory triggers.
Each image unlocks another detail.
Another experience.
Another moment I may not have remembered otherwise.
Playa del Carmen: Paradise… Until My Sneakers Disappeared
Rose and I stayed in Playa del Carmen, where our room overlooked the beach and the Caribbean became part of our daily view.
We had premium status at the resort, which gave us access to a private spa area and additional amenities. We enjoyed a couples massage, relaxed by the pool and took full advantage of the all-inclusive restaurants.
One of the things I remember enjoying most was trying different foods and cuisines. We moved beyond simply ordering what we might normally eat at home and enjoyed a variety of ethnic dishes.
For two people discovering just how much we enjoyed traveling together, even dinner became part of the adventure.
Of course, there was one small problem.
At some point—possibly while we were enjoying our couples massage—my sneakers disappeared from the pool area.
So much for luxury.
Somewhere between relaxing by the pool and enjoying the private spa experience, somebody apparently decided they needed my sneakers more than I did.
The problem was…
I had to walk to the local plaza barefoot.
There I was, enjoying a premium Caribbean vacation, staying in a beautiful resort overlooking the beach, enjoying all-inclusive restaurants and couples massages…
…and suddenly walking barefoot to the plaza because somebody stole my damn sneakers.
Once there, we bought a pair of chonklas.
Apparently, even a luxury vacation can become a shopping expedition when somebody steals your shoes.
That’s travel.
The Wildlife Around Us
One of the things I remember most about Mexico was realizing that wildlife wasn’t confined to places like Xcaret.
It was everywhere.
Around the resort and surrounding areas, we encountered agoutis, small native rodents that reminded me, in some ways, of the rabbits we might see regularly back home.
Then there were the coatis, another curious-looking resident of the tropical landscape that immediately caught my attention.
And of course, there were the monkeys.
I remember watching howler monkeys moving through the branches, a reminder that even while we were enjoying the comforts of a resort, we were still visitors in an entirely different environment.
But perhaps the animals that made Rose and me laugh the most were the burros.
There were a couple of donkeys fenced in on the property.
And there was a very personal reason why we couldn’t simply walk past them.
When Rose was a small infant, she became seriously ill with a raging fever. According to the story passed down through her family, a local doctor recommended feeding her donkey milk.
Her fever eventually dissipated, and she recovered.
So naturally, whenever Rose and I come across a donkey…
We wonder if we’ve found one of her cousins.
To anyone else, they were simply a couple of burros standing behind a fence.
To us?
Potential family!!
Xcaret: Butterflies, Monkeys and Jaguars
One of our adventures took us to Xcaret, an enormous eco-archaeological park filled with nature, wildlife and Mexican culture.
I had quite a collection of photographs from that visit, and the images have helped preserve some of the strongest memories from the trip.
Among the most memorable was the massive walk-through butterfly pavilion.
Walking through the lush tropical environment while butterflies moved freely around us was unlike visiting a typical exhibit. You weren’t standing outside looking through glass.
You were walking through their world.
The photographs from that visit also reminded me of the monkeys we encountered among the trees and foliage.
Some appeared curious.
Others seemed perfectly content watching us from a safe distance.
And then there were the jaguars.
Magnificent animals—powerful, beautiful and unmistakably impressive.
Fortunately…
They were in a fenced enclosure.
Xcaret became one of those places where there always seemed to be something else to see, photograph or experience.
And as someone beginning to take photography more seriously, it provided plenty of opportunities to put that new DSLR to work.
Xel-Há: The World’s Largest Natural Aquarium
Another unforgettable adventure took us to Xel-Há, widely promoted as the world’s largest natural aquarium.
The environment itself was unlike anything I had experienced—a natural waterway where freshwater and Caribbean seawater met.
We began our snorkeling adventure at the upper end of the waterway. After strapping on our life vests and snorkeling equipment, we essentially allowed ourselves to float along with the current toward the other end.
For Rose, however, there was a little preparation required first.
Rose is afraid of heights.
She can’t swim.
And she’s claustrophobic.
So naturally…
We went parasailing and snorkeling.
I honestly thought the snorkeling mask might be the thing that ended the experiment.
Because of my previous SCUBA training, I was able to show her how to use the mask and snorkel. I explained how to breathe through the snorkel and encouraged her to practice putting her face into the water while getting accustomed to having the mask on.
At first, I wasn’t sure how she would react.
But after about ten minutes of practice, something changed.
She relaxed.
And before long, we were floating through Xel-Há together.
At times, the water itself seemed to change.
Freshwater mixing with the Caribbean saltwater created strange areas of cloudiness beneath the surface. One moment the water was clear; the next, it appeared almost distorted as the different waters mixed together.
It was beautiful.
It was unusual.
And somehow, Rose—the woman who couldn’t swim, was claustrophobic and had initially been nervous about the mask—was right there beside me enjoying the experience.
That alone made it memorable.
Fear of Heights? Let’s Go Parasailing!
Apparently, snorkeling wasn’t enough.
Rose is also afraid of heights.
So naturally…
We went parasailing.
Looking down from high above the Caribbean coastline, I was able to photograph the beach, the resorts and that incredible expanse of turquoise water stretching toward the horizon.
That aerial photograph wasn’t taken from a drone.
It wasn’t taken from an airplane.
I took it while parasailing.
That makes the image more than simply a scenic photograph.
It became part of the experience itself.
Looking back, our first serious vacation together had the potential to become our own personal episode of Fear Factor.
Afraid of heights?
Let’s send you into the air.
Can’t swim?
Let’s put you in the water.
Claustrophobic?
Here’s a snorkeling mask.
But beneath the humor was something I genuinely admired.
Rose wasn’t fearless.
She was willing to experience things despite being afraid.
And that’s a very different thing.
Tulum: Ancient Ruins and Their Modern Residents
We also visited Tulum, exploring the ancient Mayan ruins overlooking the Caribbean.
The ruins, the landscape and the history created an environment unlike anything I had previously photographed.
Standing among those ancient structures was another reminder that Mexico was much more than resorts and beaches.
There was history everywhere.
There were also…
Iguanas.
Lots of them.
Large iguanas were everywhere around Tulum. They seemed perfectly comfortable sharing one of Mexico’s most spectacular archaeological sites with thousands of tourists.
They lounged on the rocks.
They wandered around the grounds.
They appeared to own the place.
And judging by the amount of evidence they left behind…
They had absolutely no intention of cleaning up after themselves.
Let’s just say that the iguanas were prevalent at Tulum.
Including their scat.
It’s probably not something you’ll find prominently featured in the average travel brochure.
But it’s certainly something I remember.
A World Beneath the Surface
Long before Rose and I arrived in Cancún, I had already taken my first steps toward learning to SCUBA dive.
I had completed the academic portion of the training and spent time in the pool learning the fundamentals of diving. Unfortunately, personal complications prevented me from completing my open-water examination at the time.
I was provided the paperwork and given a year to complete the remaining requirements with a certified PADI instructor.
When I traveled to Costa Rica, I brought that paperwork with me, hoping I might finally complete the open-water portion of my training.
There were certified instructors available.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.
The water conditions were too rough, and I was unable to schedule my certification.
So once again, SCUBA diving would have to wait.
Then came Cancún.
While Rose and I were enjoying our vacation, she suggested that I inquire about SCUBA diving and find out what would be required.
That simple suggestion would lead to one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
The resort began with a half-hour safety video.
Then came the equipment.
I was fitted into my neoprene wetsuit—what I jokingly referred to as my “rubber suit”—and prepared for another round of training.
From there, it was back into the pool.
The instructors reviewed the hand signals we would need underwater because, once you’re beneath the surface, communication becomes considerably different.
No one can hear you talk.
Everything is done through signals.
Are you okay?
I’m okay.
Go up.
Go down.
Look over there.
And, hopefully…
Don’t panic.
Part of the training required me to remove my equipment underwater and put everything back on again. I also had to clear my mask and snorkel.
Fortunately, everything came back easily.
After about an hour of training, I was ready.
I was assigned a dive buddy.
And together, we headed into the water.
What happened next is something I have never forgotten.
As we slowly descended beneath the surface, the world I had known just moments earlier disappeared.
The sounds faded.
The movement slowed.
And suddenly, my eyes were opened to an entirely different world.
A dramatically colored world existed beneath the surface—one that photographs, documentaries and aquariums could never have adequately prepared me for.
Eels poked their heads from small caves and crevices, cautiously watching the strange visitors moving through their underwater neighborhood.
Skates and stingrays moved across the sandy bottom, occasionally burying themselves beneath the sand until they nearly disappeared from sight.
And everywhere I looked, there were fish.
Dozens of brilliantly colored tropical fish darted around us.
Some moved quickly from one hiding place to another.
Others seemed almost curious, swimming nearby as though they were just as interested in us as we were in them.
I had been told we were following what was referred to as an underwater river, and as we slowly drifted along its path, I became completely absorbed in the world surrounding me.
Then my guide suddenly signaled for me to look up.
I did.
Hovering above us was a four-foot barracuda.
It remained suspended in the water, watching us from above.
And there they were.
Its teeth.
For a moment, I simply stared back.
There was something both intimidating and magnificent about seeing an animal like that in its own environment.
This wasn’t behind glass.
This wasn’t an aquarium.
I was in its world.
But the barracuda wasn’t the highlight.
Not even close.
As we continued drifting along the underwater river and approached the end of our journey, my guide once again signaled for me to look ahead.
I watched as he kicked his fins and moved forward.
And then I saw it.
A sea turtle.
To this day, that moment remains one of the most extraordinary things I have ever witnessed.
My guide moved closer and briefly interacted with the turtle as it continued effortlessly through the water.
And I simply watched.
After the training.
After the paperwork.
After missing my opportunity in Costa Rica.
After years of waiting.
I was finally there.
Underwater.
Surrounded by life.
Seeing a world I had only imagined.
There were no photographs of that dive.
And perhaps that’s why the memory remains so vivid.
There was no camera between me and what I was seeing.
No viewfinder.
No attempt to capture the moment.
Just me, my dive buddy, and an entirely new world beneath the surface.
I had finally gone SCUBA diving.
And even today, I can honestly say it remains one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
What We Remember
I’ve come to believe that memories are stored according to how deeply an experience personally affects us.
I have no photographs from my first trip to Cancún, yet the highlights remain remarkably clear.
The bullring.
The horses.
The Mexican pageantry.
Señor Frog’s.
The pirate ship.
The Macarena.
And, of course…
Limbo for Lobster.
The second trip is preserved differently.
I have photographs from Xcaret, Tulum, Xel-Há and our parasailing adventure.
Those photographs have become memory triggers.
I look at an image, and suddenly another detail comes back.
Another story.
Another moment.
And then there are experiences like my first SCUBA dive.
No photographs.
Yet perhaps one of the clearest memories of them all.
Maybe photographs preserve where we were.
But the experiences themselves preserve why we remember.
Cancún and the Mexican Caribbean became two very different chapters in my life.
One survives through scattered memories.
The other through photographs, stories and experiences shared with Rose.
Same country.
Different times.
Different versions of me.
But both remain part of the journey.
And thankfully…
Limbo for Lobster will apparently live forever.
