Riviera Maya Vacation Again - Part One

I really look forward to vacationing somewhere........anywhere.....in the Caribbean area. Last year, we went to the Grand Palladium Resort on the Riviera Maya in Mexico......it was late October. We liked the Grand Palladium so much that we had to go back there this year. This time around we had a larger group of people with us (relatives and friends)..........you have to share good experiences. Last year a hurricane tried to spoil the party and skirted a bit close to the resort. No.....it didn't decimate the resort while we were there.........but it did shove some wind and rain on our parade for a few days. This year we vacationed a couple weeks earlier.

We arrived at the Grand Palladium Resort this year and after one day we get word that a hurricane had formed just off the coast of the Riviera Maya. It didn't take long for people to be mentioning it to us at every turn.......obviously some of the vacationers were a bit nervous about it.........but I kept the mindset that until I was able to assess the situation that I was not gonna be dealing with any fear on this vacation.........especially unnecessary fear. The warnings and reports on the tv in the room just did not get into much detail and I never got a good view of any radar either. Fortunately, me and Supernurse both brought our laptops with us and I was able to access decent information about the hurricane via Wi-Fi in the hotel lobby. What I was able to see was that while the hurricane was indeed just off the coast from us (where it formed) it was expected to head north-northeast towards Cozumel and Cancun. As I looked to the overall radar for the entire Eastern Caribbean area, I could see that there was a huge clockwork circulation which would be steering the hurricane........steering it in such a way that it would not hit the coast where we were. This was a bit of relief to us all.........yet we all know by now that hurricanes can be unpredictable.

Phone calls started to happen when people back home got word of the hurricane near us. I understand that they would be a bit worried. My sister calls wanting to know if we are okay.........keep in mind that it was sunny, warm, and I was swimming when she was calling........I told her that everything was good and not to worry. She asked how would she know if we are okay...........I told her that if she doesn't hear from me that everything is fine and that the only reason I would call would be to say goodbye.....hehehe. Seriously.......everything was fine for us and I had confidence that the storm would take the course that I figured (which it did).

Needless to say.........the staff at the resort had taken some precautions and signs of preparation were apparent. The red flag on the flagpole.........the sandbags............

............and staff toting plywood around..............all while everyone was enjoying the beach.

Me?...............I was enjoying the beach......yes......even though the sky looked a bit menacing towards the north-northwest.

And even though the hurricane was out there..........right here everybody was basking in the sun and enjoying the very warm and calm water.

I could stand there in the water all day...........and THAT is pretty much what I did.........every day......for ten days straight! Of course I did get out of the water for food and drink. As the sun went down we would go back to our room to get ready for dinner. Folks.....I cannot describe how wonderful this beach is...........for me......it is therapeutic......sort of a religious experience......a cleansing of my spirit........and I was very, very happy to be there.

Stay tuned........More to come about this vacation.