Mexico!!

We got back last night from Ixtapa. It was so beautiful and hot! We had quite the shock when we landed back home and it was only in the 50's! We had a great time considering....and it was a nice relaxing trip (atleast for me).
This is our Hotel. It was one of the first ones built in Ixtapa. Ixtapa is a tiny town built just for the tourists. We were there on the beginning of their rainy season (it only rained the day we were leaving) and so it was their slow time. It was so nice for it to not be busy with people. The only thing was that we were some of the very few Americans because this is a huge place for Mexican vacations too. I probably would have felt a little uncomfortable if it wasn't for Ian, who spoke Spanish to everyone, we didn't feel as much like outsiders.


This is looking down the beach from the hotel.


Here are some pictures from our balcony, and our awesome swimming pool with slides, the kids would have loved it!





This is the inside of the hotel.




Aligators on the way to Ixtapa Island.



We had to take a little water taxi over to the island, and they liked to pack us on there!



This was the most beautiful beach on Ixtapa Island. It was awesome for snorkeling, atleast Ian said :) He saw some awesome fish, his favorite being what they called a trumpet fish. About 3-4 ft long and about 4-5 inches around with a long nose.





As soon as we would get near the water taxis tons of people would come up to you and try to get you to go to their restaraunt, and sit at their tables when you go to the island. We chose good and the food and drinks there were great! This is also how I spent my time on the island.



The room service food was great too, and fun to sit on the balcony and watch the waves.



Here we are getting serenaded on the water taxi going to Las Gatas beach in Zijuatenejo. Zijua (as most called it) is the real populated little city, and more like the real culture of Mexico. It still had some awesome resort places on the beaches!





This is Las Gatas beach only accessible by water taxi, and the best beach by far that we went to.



Ian snorkeled most of the time and I read my book on the beach. I did venture out a few times and dared to go up to my waist. I was just afraid I was going to fall and get my splint wet. It felt so good to get in the water after laying in the sun and we both still got sunburned even after putting sunscreen on 5 times a day, and staying under the umbrellas most of the time.



This was our attempt to use our timer on the camera, and get a picture of both of us in the beautiful water. This was the best one, didn't go too well...


We decided to save money and take the $1.40 bus ride to Zijua and Ixtapa Island instead of the $6 or $7 taxi ride each time. Some of the buses weren't bad, but the first one we took was seriously like a mini roller coaster! Thank goodness they got a little better each time we took them (or maybe I just go used to it).



This place is called Franks and everyone had told us to go there. It is a little Sports bar and the owner is from Canada. We had an awesome BBQ pizza there made in a brick oven, and my new favorite drink, that I got addicted to; Mansana Sol. It is basically Apple pop.


This was my favorite part of the trip beacuse it was something I could do, the shopping and "getting a good deal". In the background is one of the smaller flee markets by our Hotel. (oh and don't mind my funky hair and pony tails in all the pictures, that is probably one of the hardest things for me with my broken wrist, I can't even put my hair in a pony tail! Poor Ian, that is one of the many chores he got stuck with. What a good husband! He is getting realy good at them now:) )


One of the nights at our hotel they closed the pool early and had this huge dinner for a group that Ian said translated was Crazy people Anonymous or something like that. The cool thing about it was they did fireworks for them, and it was awesome to see them at about eye level over the beach and ocean.






Ian also spent some time body boarding on the beach outside our Hotel, and I think he had a lot of fun doing that. There were some awesome waves!






While I was sitting watching Ian (what I did a lot of), I had to deal with all the people trying to sell you things on the beach, well this guy just came and sat this Iguana on my stomach, and said I take your picture! Then probably because of the look on my face kept saying no worries, no worries. Then he picked it up, and sat it on my shoulder then head!! I knew the kids would get a kick out of that picture and they did. Then of course he said don't forget the tip! I about said you put it on me, I didn't ask for it, but I was nice and tipped him :)




And we can't forget the very yummy ice cream we loved to get! Mango w/vanilla and coconut were the favorites!




Overall we had an awesome and relaxing time. We would definately go there again, preferably when we can go do the things we (I) couldn't do this time that looked so fun, like jet skiing on the ocean, sea kayaking, paragliding, zip lines, swimming with the dolphins, and the water park two blocks from our Hotel. It was nice to get away, but of course we missed the kids, and thought in some ways it would be fun to have them there (our Hotel had lots of stuff for kids). They survived without us, and I think Grandpa and Grandma probably barely survived, but we really appreciate them tending for us! We knew they would be in good hands.
So if anyone wants to go, we will go with you!!!!