Reuniting in Cancun
Cancun… the perfect place to enjoy a passion fruit margarita while relaxing in one of the most crystal blue beaches in the planet. Unfortunately, getting here, was a but challenging…
Almost six months had passed since Paulina and I were together. Our long distance relationship had brought some obstacles.
With many countries heavily affected by Coronavirus, most of them imposed travel restrictions that prevented us from visiting each other.
Fortunately for international couples, a few countries remained open during this time, including Mexico, Croatia, Turkey, and Aruba. Cancun, Mexico, however, seemed to be the perfect choice to meet since it is widely known for its majestic beaches, beautiful weather, fun vibes, and delicious tacos.
Waiting at the Airport
We met at the Cancun airport in September 2020. Interestingly, I was not the only one waiting for his international partner. There was a woman with a welcome sign also waiting for her boyfriend. She recognized that I was also waiting for my partner, and that is when the unspoken race began to see whose partner would come out first.
Approximately 30 minutes passed when she finally claimed victory. She looked excited to see her boyfriend, but she seemed even happier to have won the unspoken race. Or at least that was my impression…
Anyways, it wasn’t much longer until Paulina arrived. She was wearing a purple and white striped dress and was pulling two suitcases.
Our Plans
We booked our apartments in different cities to explore multiple regions through the Riviera Maya. Three nights in Cancun, three nights on Holbox island, and five nights in Tulum.
We also rented a car to be able to move around quicker and safer and rarely had any difficulties finding parking. I suggest being careful with seemingly cheap rental companies because they do not tell how much you have to spend insuring the vehicle until its time to pay.
To save money and eat healthier, we bought groceries from the local stores and cooked most of our breakfast meals in the rental apartments.
Safety
Traveling during a pandemic can be concerning. I traveled in a fully booked flight that mandated everyone to wear a mask. The only time they allowed people to take them off was when they had to eat. To be safe, I ate when everybody finished eating and waited for them to put their masks back on.
All towns we visited took steps preventing the spread of coronavirus. Tourists wore masks in public, received hand sanitizer, and cleaned their shoes on plastic mats containing sanitizing liquid.
Most restaurants limited the number of people indoors and provided a downloadable cellphone menu. They also took people’s temperature before entering, and all waitresses and waiters wore face shields and masks at all times.
The great thing about visiting Cancun during this unprecedented time is that most activities are enjoyed outdoors and distanced from other people. We avoided crowded places, such as bars, clubs, or busy restaurants.
We never really experienced any danger, although, we mainly stayed in the tourist areas.
Airbnb Beach Apartment & Beach
Our rental apartment was located in “Zona Hotelera”, an avenue mainly made up of beachfront resorts. The apartment had full access to Oleo Resort amenities, including a swimming pool, restaurant, gym, ping pong table, tennis, and basketball court. And yes… Paulina beat me at ping pong, hence, her victory stance in the picture.
The beach, of course, was beautiful with its crystal blue warm water, and very soft sand. We could not have enough of this heavenly beach.
The views from our room were unparalleled with astonishing sunrises from the ocean. Our stay here was very pleasant and is highly recommended to anyone visiting Cancun.
La Isla Cancun Shopping Mall
This beautiful shopping mall located on to the bay and has luxury clothing, souvenirs, and jewelry shops. The restaurants and bars are located along the bay. The mall also has a built-in canal and a Ferris wheel. We visited Starbucks and enjoyed our drinks in a very comfortable outdoor lounge area. We also had a delicious Neapolitan margarita pizza at a restaurant that had sea views.
Mercado 28
Having rented a car to explore the surrounding areas, visited a popular marketplace in downtown Cancun, known as Mercado 28. Here, you can find different types of crafts, leather goods, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
We enjoyed our experience eating Mexican food and listening to people play live music. However, sometimes the area can become a little overwhelming with many vendors trying to sell. It was also hard to maintain social distancing in this area.
Finding our rental car was another challenge since we did not realize there were four parking lots in the marketplace, and they all looked alike. At some point, I thought it had gotten stolen. But fortunately, we were found our rental car after searching for it in every parking lot.
Final thoughts
The city and beaches of Cancun are very fun and relaxing. We spent the first three days of our vacation enjoying every bit of them. I believe this is a great city to begin exploring the magical beach towns in the Riviera Maya. Fortunately for us, our adventure on this magnificent coast was only getting started.
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