Way south of the border - to Cancun!

[Hyubie]

My family went to a big summer outing, and we decided to try Cancun. Aside from the beach, we were very interested in Chichen Itza, so off we went. I brought with me an E-P5 and X100s. For primes I brought the Panasonic 20 Olympus 45, but the O45 went mostly unused. I had fun with both the 9-18 and 40-150, and I'm happy that most of all I planned to shoot I was able to with these tools. Here are some pictures (and that is a very generous use of the word "some" ) :

From the beautiful hotel with the mediterranean feel - the place was wonderful, and I can't help myself from keeping on snapping:

Cancun-4675 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-4467 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-4621 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Hotel by Hyubie, on Flickr

Hotel by Hyubie, on Flickr​

And the girls are always ready for a swim!!

Ready for a swim by Hyubie, on Flickr
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Here's a view of the gorgeous ocean from our restaurant:

Cancun-6210488 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-4455 by Hyubie, on Flickr
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Even Edmund enjoyed people-watching (though his face may not look it! ) :

Cancun-4636 by Hyubie, on Flickr
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And here's my daughter soaking it up!

Justine soaking in the Cancun experience! by Hyubie, on Flickr
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As I said, one of the main goals of our trip was Chichen Itza, and it didn't disappoint. It was awesome - as in I was awed by its beauty and majesty. It was a sight I won't soon forget:

Cancun-6220525 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-6220011 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Temple of Kukulcan by Hyubie, on Flickr

Hidden temple by Hyubie, on Flickr
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However I think it was only us adults who really enjoyed it, as it was really really HOT. Julia tried to prepare as much as she could, but I think it wasn't enough:

Julia by Hyubie, on Flickr
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We also visited a few other sites, like the quaint village of Valladolid including Iglesia y Convento de San Bernardino de Siena which is almost a ruin on the outside but houses a sort of museum inside. And I believe people still use it for worship.

Valladolid by Hyubie, on Flickr

Inside Iglesia y Convento de San Bernardino de Siena by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-4747 by Hyubie, on Flickr
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(I used Velvia here, but the walls were really that kind of pink! It goes without saying that this is my girls' favorite part of the church!)​

We also visited The X'keken Cenote, which is a very large underground water basin with stalactites and stalagmites, but I was so awed by its beauty that the only images I got were family snaps. After I took those requisite snaps, I just enjoyed the view. We also took the time to visit a local mercado (market), but we made sure to visit one that is not a tourist trap.

Cancun-4573 by Hyubie, on Flickr
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This one was about an hour away by local bus​

Though I was a little wary at first, talking to the locals quickly dissolved any worry I had. Everyone was just so friendly!

Cancun-4538 by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-4536 by Hyubie, on Flickr
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My wife and sister in law haggling their way to a good deal:

In their element by Hyubie, on Flickr

At the mercado by Hyubie, on Flickr

Cancun-4576 by Hyubie, on Flickr
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And this one was a scene I came across a lot in that place where tourists are infrequent:

Outside the tourist area by Hyubie, on Flickr
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This one though was from a tourist trap but my niece didn't seem to mind:

Cancun-4695 by Hyubie, on Flickr​

All in all it was really great fun. Hot and tiring, but ultimately worth it. A lot of my friends have been effusive in their praise when I posted in facebook, but I always tell them though the backdrop looks like paradise, there's always hard work involved behind the scenes!

Not only pleasure, but work by Hyubie, on Flickr​

 

[xdayv]

Looks like you really had a good time - beautiful set. Thanks for sharing Sir!

 

[Hyubie]

Yep, it was FUN! Thanks Dave!

 

[mnhoj]

Wonderful set.

 

[Armanius]

Thanks for sharing the photos and narrative Herb. Looks like it was a very nice trip. We recently spent four nights in Cancun as well. But stayed in the resort the entire time because we wanted to get every penny out of the all inclusive package. Felt like royalty getting pampered by the staff!

 

[Hyubie]

Thanks for sharing the photos and narrative Herb. Looks like it was a very nice trip. We recently spent four nights in Cancun as well. But stayed in the resort the entire time because we wanted to get every penny out of the all inclusive package. Felt like royalty getting pampered by the staff!

We were very tempted to do just that, but I figured we don't know when we'll be back, so we braved the heat and explored.

 

[Luke]

Great set, Herbert. Makes me wish I was into photography when I was there. All I remember about Chichen Itza (or however it's spelled) is that there was no shade ANYWHERE. I felt like an egg in a frying pan. But I still want to go back. The ocean breezes there seem to never stop.

And on a side note, the best Thai food I ever ate was in Cancun, Mexico. Strange, but true.

 

[Hyubie]

Great set, Herbert. Makes me wish I was into photography when I was there. All I remember about Chichen Itza (or however it's spelled) is that there was no shade ANYWHERE. I felt like an egg in a frying pan. But I still want to go back. The ocean breezes there seem to never stop.

And on a side note, the best Thai food I ever ate was in Cancun, Mexico. Strange, but true.

And after all the exploring, for the life of me I couldn't find a decent burrito (never mind decent - I just wanted one!) while I was there in Mexico. Haha!

 

[nippa]

I'm impressed with the photos.
You've made Cancun look good
While you were there we were in Cozumel which was our second Mexican destination after Tijuana.
Neither location to be recommended.

 

[Djarum]

Really nice photos. Excelent colors.

 

[davect01]

Quite a lovely set, from what looks like a great vacation.