And the vacation comes to an end...main realization? We don't take enough photos unless we are blogging in real time! Case in point -- here's the only photo we have of our lounging area from the entire 4 days.
I realize the view looks not so amazing, but the short wall there is actually the overflow/edge wall outside the infinity pool...made it more secluded that we couldn't actually "see" people in the pool, though maybe that's why these spots were always free - probably parents would want to keep an eye on their younger kids more. Meanwhile if I start drowning I'm definitely shooting for the twins to come save me.
So thoughts on the vacation:
- Four days was a nice length of time. Kids not feeling super anxious about homework piling up. Adults not feeling like it will take days to overcome emails that were missed. Could we have taken another day? Sure, but I'm not sure it would have added that much unless we went all the way up to a week.
- We did not explore Punta de Mita enough to really do the area justice. The resort was very secluded feeling for sure. The beach was not crowded, the sand was really beautiful, apparently there was a nature preserve all around us...but we really didn't enjoy much of that. Though maybe being able to stare at the ocean and hear the waves crashing at all hours is an unspoken and subconscious plus that I'm overlooking.
- I don't think the resort is worth $1000/night (which apparently it retails for at times). But there were some small touches that made it clear they did care more about service than the average high end chain. For example -- they folded up all of our clothes at turn-down, they put little fruit/umbrellas garnishes on the made-to-order smoothies, and they brought you bottled water at the pool in buckets of ice. I would return at the rates that we paid for sure.
- We should plan just one major excursion for these short trips, otherwise we end up feeling rushed and we don't get to enjoy the resort's own offerings. Like we totally missed the sunset traditional cleansing ceremony which sounded a bit hokey but also potentially quite cool...and I only learned on the last day that the guided bike ride with photo stops was on a shaded path! Reiya has been asking to do more biking so that was a definite miss.
- The twins' Spanish abilities are impressive...they just so rarely choose to use them. Next time we return to Mexico, we will have to figure out more incentives for Spanish conversation starting...
- Oddly whenever we had a chance to use pesos instead of dollars, the pesos price was better. Sometimes just marginally but sometimes quite significantly. Maybe a sign of high exchange rate fluctuation?
- We will have to try Mexico again in the "winter" when the days are less hot to see if the water is still as warm. Figure out when that perfect time is when the water is still retaining the heat of the summer but the air has lost some of that incessant humidity. Or...if such a perfect balance cannot be met, look for hotels that heat their pools more. 😊
- I very much preferred the a la carte food experience to our previous all inclusive mexico experiences. Quality over quantity! (Yes, this is also just me admitting that I have no self-control/willpower when the food and drinks are free).
- We should get the twins enrolled with Global Entry. Would have done their interviews up on arrival but the crew of people waiting was pretty long and we were anxious to get home. Maybe one day we will make a trip to SFO just to do the interviews...
I could keep going, but it's getting late and alas, it's back to a world of not-enough-sleep and too many work emails again. Final shot of the trip (yes, we took so few photos I felt compelled to snap one of Ian waiting outside the baggage claim).
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