Passport Control: Mexico

Ooooh, Mexico.  You're so warm and beachy.  And your resort towns are so depressingly mediocre.  Eight days is not enough time to get off the beaten path, and in my experience those trips are more fulfilling than relaxing.  We needed relaxing.  And we got it, mostly.  As long as you don't mind paying $17 for sunblock.

Honestly, I didn't love Mexico.  It makes me sad to even say that but it's true.  Our mistake was choosing resort towns - and Mexico does a resort town like nowhere else.  Every ten steps it's, "Hey lady, buy my stuff, hey lady, take a picture with the monkey, hey lady, Cuban cigars?"  I understand the social implications of this but frankly it's exhausting.  And ignoring them makes me feel mean.

We did lots of great things, of course.  We snorkeled the reefs and in two cenotes (underground caves), enjoyed the sun and waves and danced under the stars.  We had our most fun time... at Margaritaville.  You know I'm not kidding!  (Since we don't have chains in SF, it's actually kinda fun for us.  How lame!)

Playa del Carmen and Cancun are more expensive than America.  The beaches are gorgeous and the water is crystal blue, so maybe it's worth more money.  But the Mexican food is terribly average - how is that possible?!  I dreamed of Taqueria Cancun at 19th & Mission the whole time.  Sad panda.  The list goes on, but who cares.  We made the vacation fun, got tan and enjoyed ourselves.  But next time it's Hawaii.