Here is a view of the rivers that everyone can snorkel around the park in.  This was my second trip to Xcaret.  The first time it was in July and it was very hot.  Being able to explore the area in the water was very welcome.

 I am really not one too visit theme parks especially two days in a row, but Xcaret in Cancun Mexico is an exception.  As I discussed in my previous post HERE, this is not an inexpensive theme park but it offers so much.  I really do think that there is something for everyone at Xcaret.  Cancun has grown into a very large tourist destination and I really felt like I was getting away from all the people while getting to spend time out in nature with animals of all types.  The scenery was absolutely beautiful, the buffet lunch was excellent, and there are plenty of places to sit down and relax. 

La Isla shopping center in downtown Cancun in the hotel zone resembles that of any large American city with every high-end shop you can imagine, nice restaurants to eat at, and bars to grab a drink in the very hot weather that is prevalent in this part of the world.  This area of Cancun did not exist when I first visited in college.  All their were was outdoor markets where locals were selling their homemade goods that you could barter for.  Now this area is very attractive but looks quite similar to the shopping centers in large cities around United States.

In the above photo I'm pretending to climb one of the large ruins.  I don't think I would have made it to the top no matter how hard I tried !

When I was in Cancun last week I really wasn't looking forward to seeing any ruins.  I had seen some before that took a long time two travel To and just didn't impress me.  I'm not saying that they aren't interesting they just weren't my thing.  Our visit to El Ray was really fun as I got to see many iguanas as well as some pretty impressive ruins.  One of the best things about visiting El Ray is the price which was only $3 in American money and it's also right on the hotel strip so it wasn't a very long drive to get there! 

As always you can visit my profile at Pixabay and download and use my photos for free and not worry about getting in trouble here

Here is one of the residents.  They are not too afraid of people.  I think a lot of people are scared of them but the fact is they will run away if you try to get near them.  It amazed me how they really do blend in with the scenery.

I enjoyed the hour or so that we spent there.  The grounds are kept very nicely and it's very different than being on the busy beach and host hotel zone which is just down the road. 

Here I am laying on some different ruins in Mexico on a table which was used for sacrifice a few years ago.



I thought this liked look a mother and baby iguana relaxing together:

Thank you very much for your visit.  I would love to hear your comments and questions.  Have you ever visited any ruins that you were very impressed with or thought we're very interesting?  If so,  I'd love to hear about them.  Have a wonderful week!

~Michelle

I loved my view in Cancun last week and not sure who wouldn't! 

I haven't posted any while because I was in Cancun with a friend from college and we were very busy visiting the sites and exploring the area.  I have been to Cancun for more than 10 times over the past 20 years or so.  I cannot believe how much it has grown since my first visit.  When I first visited back in college we got on a bus after exiting the airplane because there wasn't even an airport!  We could get a taxi anywhere for $2, bought pineapples for a quarter and a bottle of beer for a quarter as well.  Now it is very similar to visiting Orlando, Florida with similar prices.

 The beaches are still just as beautiful with their white powder air conditioned sand and turquoise water with very large waves to play in.  The weather is fabulous especially in February!   Sometimes it is recommended for people to not go in the water because the waves are so big!  Of all the times I have visited Cancun I have never been in February.  The weather was perfect for doing all the sightseeing I did as it was not terribly hot.  It was great looking out my window and seeing the ocean and listening to it at night even on the night it was really stormy!

You can see (and use for free) a lot more of my photos of Cancun on my Pixabay account here:  Mariamichelle's Pixabay account

 This pelican was so big I didn't think it was real when I saw it floating around in the water!

 
Here I am practicing with my new remote control for my camera on my little balcony


Here I am with the windblown look and my friend from college at a public beach where there is a sign saying Cancun.  We had to wait in quite a long line to have it in our photo taken there.  I must say this is a beautiful beach for people staying and the city hotels that don't have their own beach.
 What beach that you've visited is your favorite?

  Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope to hear your questions or comments and I'm curious if you have visited Cancun or anywhere else in Mexico.  Have a great week!

~Michelle

One of the reasons I chose to visit Curacao over other Caribbean islands was the colorful architecture I saw in photos on the internet.  I love color and definitely was not disappointed.  Here are some photos of Willemstad which is the capital of Curacao.  I generally don't shop in general and or buy clothing when I'm traveling, but they had some really nice shops and boutiques which tempted me.  Below is a popular tourist attraction that most people want their photo taken in front of.
Here are some typical side streets:

You can see the Queen Juliana Bridge in this photo which is four lanes and crosses Saint Anna Bay:
Here is a view of Willemstad from the Queen Juliana Bridge:

Here are some cannons that I saw in the middle of town.  I decided to share them in a relatively untouched photograph and an HDR version of the same scene.


Here is a photo of a rather large farmer's market in the center of town
As with any city, one will see buildings in disrepair, but they were still colorful!
Here is an one of the many outdoor cafes in the center of Willemstad:

Of course they have McDonald's!
"The Round Market" is pictured below.  This is a place for locals to sell their goods and a great place for tourists to sample the local food.

Another view of the Queen Juliana Bridge:
Lastly, is one of the many beautiful brightly colored churches.  Interestingly, many of them were yellow. 
Thank you so much for stopping by.  I really appreciate each and every comment I receive and try to reply and answer all questions.  I hope everyone has a great week!