The drive to Minneapolis on the 30th went off without a glitch. I think I even did ok as a back seat driver (although perhaps Duane would attest to that differently). We arrived around 5:30 pm and welcomed the opportunity to stretch our legs, particularly poor Anika who managed phenomenally well in a van for nearly eight hours! Mélina didn’t even ask “are we there yet” once! It really was a good drive out.
The next morning, however, would not prove to be quite so non-glitchy. I woke up feeling positively wretched… feverish, dizzy, nauseous… Dear Lord, help this pass QUICKLY! We were shuttled to the airport and were airborne later that morning. Mina and I were cramped with Anika on my lap and Duane sitting a few rows ahead. There were no videos to watch and Anika hadn’t napped yet in the morning. Finally, thirty minutes from landing, she falls asleep. Mina and Duane switch spots and I am left looking up at Duane with dizzy eyes and an increasing fever. I thought we were supposed to get sick IN Mexico not on our way there!.
To top it off, our layover in Denver left us with only thirty minutes to board the next plane. We got off at gate 70 or some ridiculously high number and we had to boogie to gate 26 lugging three fifty pound carry-on bags… yeah, good luck! By the grace of God, there was a motorized vehicle at our arrival gate and they shuttled us the several miles to our next gate where I shoved some lunch down Anika’s throat and boarded yet again.
At this point, I’m trying not to faint.
Finally all three of us get to sit together on this next plane and we each have tv screens right in front of our faces. Anika tolerated the flight quite well considering her cold.
At painfully long last, we arrive in Mexico. At this point, I am convinced they will take one look at me and send me back home. Luckily, we pass through customs without a glitch. We make our way to collect our five hugorama pieces of luggage where we come across a nice Mexican man offering to help us with his trolley. Duane is relieved and proceeds in loading it up. The Mexican makes conversation and walks us to his buddy who is a cab driver… oh, well isn’t this nice? Duane proceeds to pay the guy five American dollars at which point he stares blankly at the bill in his hand. I ask him (again, trying not to faint or slur my words) “do you need pesos instead?” only to have his “buddy” say “give him more!” Oh really? For walking with us for five minutes? So Duane gives him ten… still not enough… we give the guy 15 flippin’ bucks for doing diddly squat!!!
Welcome to Mexico!
Now I am convinced that the cab driver is going to take us to the middle of nowhere and demand that we give him all our money or he’ll leave us stranded. I think I’m going to throw up…
After many silent prayers, and sixty dollars later, we arrive to Casa Iguana. At long last, our vacation can finally begin!!! Oh, apparently we are NOT getting a suite on the main floor… great. Up we go with stroller and luggage to the second floor. We open the door and…. Yikes, this is not at all what we were expecting! It’s quaint and cute but quite small. Upon closer inspection, it is infested with tiny ants crawling everywhere, our fridge was barely working and our two element stove top only had one element working… great. I can barely walk straight and I tell Duane and Mina I’ve got to go lie down. I nearly got a concussion from lying on our bed which was as hard as plywood! Mina, who had been waiting anxiously all these weeks to go swimming (because she is secretly a fish) wasted no time. As I began to pass out, she was already in her swimsuit ready to “test the waters”. When I awoke later that evening, Duane let me know that Mélina had cried herself to sleep.
WHAT?? Now what?
Casa Iguana had just refinished the pool and filled it with water that day so it was freezing cold.
Okay… what have I done??? I am ready to go home NOW! My fever was well over 103… I was scared to fall asleep and find out ants had been crawling in my mouth and ears… I thought my hips were going to break off from the firmness of our bed… I didn’t know where to put any of our groceries down without ants laying claim to it… and now my poor Mina couldn’t do the one thing she wanted to do the most. What have I done?
So folks, we started off the trip feeling positively miserable and desperate for a miracle that would change our hearts. And as always, the Lord delivered…
The next morning, however, would not prove to be quite so non-glitchy. I woke up feeling positively wretched… feverish, dizzy, nauseous… Dear Lord, help this pass QUICKLY! We were shuttled to the airport and were airborne later that morning. Mina and I were cramped with Anika on my lap and Duane sitting a few rows ahead. There were no videos to watch and Anika hadn’t napped yet in the morning. Finally, thirty minutes from landing, she falls asleep. Mina and Duane switch spots and I am left looking up at Duane with dizzy eyes and an increasing fever. I thought we were supposed to get sick IN Mexico not on our way there!.
To top it off, our layover in Denver left us with only thirty minutes to board the next plane. We got off at gate 70 or some ridiculously high number and we had to boogie to gate 26 lugging three fifty pound carry-on bags… yeah, good luck! By the grace of God, there was a motorized vehicle at our arrival gate and they shuttled us the several miles to our next gate where I shoved some lunch down Anika’s throat and boarded yet again.
At this point, I’m trying not to faint.
Finally all three of us get to sit together on this next plane and we each have tv screens right in front of our faces. Anika tolerated the flight quite well considering her cold.
At painfully long last, we arrive in Mexico. At this point, I am convinced they will take one look at me and send me back home. Luckily, we pass through customs without a glitch. We make our way to collect our five hugorama pieces of luggage where we come across a nice Mexican man offering to help us with his trolley. Duane is relieved and proceeds in loading it up. The Mexican makes conversation and walks us to his buddy who is a cab driver… oh, well isn’t this nice? Duane proceeds to pay the guy five American dollars at which point he stares blankly at the bill in his hand. I ask him (again, trying not to faint or slur my words) “do you need pesos instead?” only to have his “buddy” say “give him more!” Oh really? For walking with us for five minutes? So Duane gives him ten… still not enough… we give the guy 15 flippin’ bucks for doing diddly squat!!!
Welcome to Mexico!
Now I am convinced that the cab driver is going to take us to the middle of nowhere and demand that we give him all our money or he’ll leave us stranded. I think I’m going to throw up…
After many silent prayers, and sixty dollars later, we arrive to Casa Iguana. At long last, our vacation can finally begin!!! Oh, apparently we are NOT getting a suite on the main floor… great. Up we go with stroller and luggage to the second floor. We open the door and…. Yikes, this is not at all what we were expecting! It’s quaint and cute but quite small. Upon closer inspection, it is infested with tiny ants crawling everywhere, our fridge was barely working and our two element stove top only had one element working… great. I can barely walk straight and I tell Duane and Mina I’ve got to go lie down. I nearly got a concussion from lying on our bed which was as hard as plywood! Mina, who had been waiting anxiously all these weeks to go swimming (because she is secretly a fish) wasted no time. As I began to pass out, she was already in her swimsuit ready to “test the waters”. When I awoke later that evening, Duane let me know that Mélina had cried herself to sleep.WHAT?? Now what?
Casa Iguana had just refinished the pool and filled it with water that day so it was freezing cold.
Okay… what have I done??? I am ready to go home NOW! My fever was well over 103… I was scared to fall asleep and find out ants had been crawling in my mouth and ears… I thought my hips were going to break off from the firmness of our bed… I didn’t know where to put any of our groceries down without ants laying claim to it… and now my poor Mina couldn’t do the one thing she wanted to do the most. What have I done?
So folks, we started off the trip feeling positively miserable and desperate for a miracle that would change our hearts. And as always, the Lord delivered…
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