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We arrived in Cancun, ready for our peaceful spa vacation at Rancho Encantado.
Renting a car in Cancun, we proceeded to Tulum to see the ruins (and to shop at the largest crafts market I've seen).
In each small village along the way, at the "topes" (speed bumps), the locals have set up shop selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Shortly before arriving at the Rancho we came to the small town of Pedro A. Santos where the children at the topes were blondes, brunettes, fair-skinned and spoke English. They were selling some of the most delicious pastries I've eaten. It turns out that there is a community of Mormons in the village.
Finally arriving at Rancho Encantado, by way of a short dirt road lined with beautiful tropical flowers, just in time for a delicious dinner of Mayan chicken mole. After dinner we went to the large outdoor hot tub and sat under the stars, listening to the gentle waves lap at the shore of Laguna Bacalar, the Lake of Seven Colors.
After an hour's soak we retired to our cottage--the Laguna Suite, the Rancho's luxury suite. We slept with the french doors, that separate the two rooms, open and in the morning were treated to the most glorious sunrise over the Laguna from our bed.
Our vacation/second honeymoon was getting off to a wonderful start.
I had come for the three-day spa package. My partner came for swimming, kayaking and hammock time.
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In the morning I attended the "flying" movement class led by Mallina, the spa director. She was trained in Hawaii and Mexico by shamans and in addition has a doctor's degree in Oriental medicine.
 After a delicious buffet breakfast of tropical fruits, cereal, yogurt and tea, it was time for the first spa treatment. After the Ixchel Goddess treatment, I felt truly alive!
Soon after, we left for the Mayan temple ruins of Dzibanche. I've seen several of the pyramids in Mexico, but these were by far the most beautiful. My experience visiting these sites were always of crowds of people. Here we were alone.
Our guide seemed to know everything about Mayan history and also knew every bird we saw along the way--we even saw a small jaguar along the highway there. On the way home from Dzibanche we stopped in a small village and had lunch with an indigenous family who owned a small farm. Wonderful!
We spent three glorious days like this, George getting in lots of water and relaxation time (he visited the Mayan sites with us) and me enjoying the fantastic spa treatments.
This was truly a wonderful second honeymoon and we intend to enjoy a third next year at the Rancho. |
