Last year, we spent Christmas in Vietnam, away from our families. It was a lovely trip but it wasn’t Christmas. So we decided that this year would be spent surrounded by our loved ones in a more traditional setting. That’s why Leon ended up leaving for Vancouver, in a snow storm, on December 21. The trade-off was that we would have a nice sunny holiday, just the two of us, when he returned.
On December 28, exactly 2 yrs after our departure from Vancouver for Australia, we left Ottawa headed for Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport, you guessed it, in a snowstorm!!! After driving for 3.5 hours, what should have been less than 2 hours, we found a parking spot. Of course, being a woman in full menopause, I forgot the shovel that I had so often told myself to pack in the trunk. In the end, making sure I packed all the right shoes won out over the shovel. So there we were, empty spot that needed to be cleared and nothing but my boot-covered feet to move the foot or so of snow. We managed, and got to the terminal at the required time – about 4am.
We were bound for Cozumel, the beautiful island renowned for its scuba diving, second only to
the Great Barrier Reef. The flight was uneventful, the arrival about the same except for a long line up to get through immigration, and then we were at our resort. It was a quaint low-rise collection of apartments, each equipped with a hammock, thatched roofs and a rock hard bed that was actually a mattress on a concrete slab.
When we arrived, the main pool with the swim up bar was closed for renovations (oh Dear!). But within a few hours, the pool was refilled and we were swimming (and drinking) in it by 3pm that day. We were off to a good start.
The swim up bar is where we spend a lot of time when at a resort. It’s a friendly place where you get to discuss all the important subjects like how late was your plane? What was the weather like when you left? How is your room? Where are you from? When is your baby due? Hold it! Let’s back up a bit. There was this cute couple at the pool. They kept ordering what looked like fruit juice and she was all glowy and happy looking. She had a bit of a belly and that glow, you know, that glow only a pregnant woman has. So I asked her, by way of an introduction, when her baby was due. She answered: I’m not pregnant! She was very gracious about it. It turned out the glow was from the new engagement. Oh Dear, I certainly had put my foot in my mouth this time, all the way in, I’d say. Still, she was such a nice girl, a teacher too, she forgave me instantly and we made friends for the rest of the week.
Most of the week was partly cloudy but hey, it never snowed once. Not once!! And the water was warm, the beach was long and we snorkeled when we could. We even decided to try a dive after over 20 yrs of absence from the sport. Leon and I took a refresher in the pool and then had 2 lovely dives. We enjoyed it so much we plan to try again as soon as we get the chance.
The week wore on rather quickly. We relaxed, at the pool, well for the most part, and managed to meet up with some Ottawa friends (Dan and Fran) who were docking in Cozumel for the day. It was fun that they could meet us at our resort for the day. The weather was warm and sunny and I spent as much time in the ocean as I could, shared a nice bottle of wine with Fran and had a long siesta on the beach. What could be nicer on your last day at a resort?
Turning my world upside down! 