World Traveler

Good Samaritan advice: never ever eat the blueberry muffins at the XNA cafe. My trip to Mexico was almost ruined by a very dry, very pasty, very awful blueberry muffin at the airport. And that's a shame, cause I'm an avid muffin supporter.

Luckily, my trip to Cancun was "first class." So the special treatment, free TV, and roomy seats made up for my original misfortune.

Also, I advise that you carry a hefty supply of "OFF" with you at all times while traveling to the tropics. I made the rookie mistake of napping outside on the beach bed, and I am now being kept company by a colony of mosquito bites. The worst one is the mountain of a bite located on my middle finger, left hand. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Send anti-itch vibes my way.

Anyway, on to important issues. I have returned from Mexico with a brain full of new information. Site inspection after site inspection: it's hard to keep it all straight sometimes! Training was intense, and the inspections were very jam-packed, thankfully my college days are not too far behind me, and paying attention wasn't too much of a challenge. The alcohol, however, did prove to be an interesting twist. The resorts kept our hand busy with frequent drinks of all varieties. And I can gladly say that there were all muy delicioso! By the way, you can check out the Destinations facebook page all this week to see all 743,458,462 pictures I took. :)

I arrived at the El Dorado Royale at 2 in the afternoon, after checking in and handing over my luggage, I took the extra half hour I had till my room was ready (check in is at 3) to grab a small tasty lunch at the Asian restaurant on site (Kampai).  Now, since this is an adults only resort, most people travel in pairs, or in larger groups. Due to this, I was the only person eating as a single. This happened on my first meal, and my last. The embarassing part about this were the "Only one?" and "Are you waiting for someone to join you?" questions that ended in the second plate setting being removed from my table. Talk about awkward. I suggest taking a companion on your next vacation. Company is always a nice touch.

The grounds and the staff were amazing. Everyone greeted me with a smile and an "Hola!" I felt a little discouraged when I tried my rusty Spanish with the employees. Most responses were in English, however, I was rewarded my last night with a wonderful server at the Itialian restaurant. His name was Jamie (Hay-mae), and he was verty delighted with my efforts to use his native tounge. Now, it's been a while since I've been quizzed over my Spanish in class, but Jamie did a great job in playing the professor. He quizzed me pretty good during my meal, and I really enjoyed it. If you're visiting the Royale anytime soon, make sure to ask for his services. :)

After all the site inspections, I would have to say that I definitely have a top three list of Karisma resorts that I would recommend (Outside of the Royale). The El Dorado Seaside, the Azul Beach, and the El Dorado Maroma are on my vacation list for the future. Wonderful honeymoon and destination wedding locations, and not filled with screaming children. ;) Plus, the nicely kept beaches are always a plus!

Have I mentioned yet that I missed my babies terribly while I was gone? The boyfriend sent me a pic of the cuties while I was gone. 

They are just to die for.

Back to Mexico...the house keeping was excellent. These people are like little ninjas. Every day when I came back for lunch, and again after dinner, the room was freshly cleaned. The bed was turned down at night, and a new towel animal greeted me at every entrance. I even had a "romantic" set up one night with rose petals and slow "love" music playing in the background.  The complimentary champagne was a nice touch, and the outdoor shower is super romantic. Too bad I was all by my self, buuuut I still indulged in a little jacuzzi time with some good Gotye and Florence & the Machine blaring from the iHome. Thank goodness for Skype, right? At least I had a webcam human to keep me company before I went to bed every night.

Take a gander at that beautiful room! The bathroom was gorgeous as well. Can't beat a walk-in shower, an outdoor shower, and freshly cleaned white towels everyday! I really got an idea on how the other half lives. Watch out, Brad Pitt! I've tasted the life of the rich and famous so you better move on over! Haha!

More for next time, travelers!