The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Mayan Riviera, MX

March 2023. Aside from family visits, our travel has been nonexistent since our trip to Puerto Rico in the spring of 2022. A plumbing leak, shortly after our return home from that trip, necessitated a major renovation that took over 6 months to resolve. Damage from Hurricane Nicole in November took a few months to rectify, and then the discovery of termites filled our time at the beginning of the year. Finally, with all the issues in the rearview mirror, we decided it was time for a getaway.

Even though we have visited Mexico more times than I can remember, we decided on a one-week trip to take advantage of the timeshare we purchased years ago. With an offer from the resort for $450. credit for our food and drinks for the week and Jet Blue providing free airfare using our points, it was an inexpensive holiday. By preparing some of our meals and most of our cocktails in our room, we wound up not even using the full credit offered by the resort. Planning to keep the trip low-key, we decided not to rent a car. By taking advantage of the transportation offered through our timeshare, and an occasional taxi, for the trip to and from the airport, and then for trips to Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos, our total transportation cost ran less than $100... far less than a rental for the week.

Snorkeling had been on the agenda, so our gear was packed. But, even though the weather was generally delightful during our stay, sustained winds of 15 mph and gusts between 25-30 mph created choppy conditions that were far from ideal for snorkeling. More relevant was the newsworthy 5000-mile seaweed patch along Florida and the Gulf of Mexico that was being blown in along the coast. Concerted efforts were made by towns and resorts to clear the mountains of the tangled mess once it came to the shore but there would be no way to avert the sargassum in the water, so we didn't even try.

Hanging out beachfront, or occasionally poolside, consumed most of our week. Having tacos and margaritas delivered to our beachside palapa seemed to be a perfect way to spend many days. An exciting trip, no, but I think it was just what we needed.