to mexico we go!, part two

after having such a great first day+ in playa, we couldn't wait to see what would come next on our getaway. 

switching gears from all the excitement that came with the past couple of days, we thought a day at the beach was in store. but, not just any old beach, we wanted to show m+j our favorite mexican beach. to get there, we had to take the ferry to cozumel, then taxi all the wee way through a forest of mangroves. but trust me when i say, this beach is more than worth it. 

[a little frisbee action]

[beach day cheers]

[the most adorable beach kitty, luke]

for the first part of the day, we had intermittent showers, but on a day and beach like this - that couldn't stop us. plus, the guys loved playing in the water with the rain. 

by time we finished lunch, the rain passed, and we had nothing but gorgeous skies the rest of the day. 

[hands down the best ceviche and spicy salsa had on this trip]

[beach wives]

[isn't that gorgeous? not a building in sight]

[coupled up]

we spent most of the day soaking up all the sun rays, and ocean water we possibly could. only to take breaks to sip margaritas and pina coladas, and snorkel with all of the beautiful fish. it was heaven, and probably, the collective favorite day :)

[happy campers]

we got back to playa that night to feast on more delicious seafood (the mussels and clams with garlic butter sauce was divine), clean up, and head out to the birthday boy's party at a nearby rooftop bar. 

[party people]

[hanging with the birthday boy - happy birthday (again) michael!]

michael flew out his favorite local band (my so called band), a 90s cover band, to play a live show for everyone who came out. they played a dynamite mix of all the greatest hits from the decade to keep the gang boogieing all night long. between the band, the gorgeous venue and view, the flowing cocktails, and the company, it was birthday bash to remember (or not ;) ). 

the next day, post-breakfast, we soaked up some extra sun rays on the beach in playa before our afternoon on the catamaran. the birthday boy arranged for a catamaran trip for any who wanted to grab some extra vitamin sea...and we were all too game to join in on the fun. 

[putting some land behind us]

full disclosure, depending on the day and the boat, i get pretty back motion sickness. so, i was fighting off nausea pretty hard, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the gorgeous views, killer tunes, and a pinch of the rum punch :)

[enjoying the views and ocean sprays]

[boatside views]

[hey birthday boy]

after sailing for a bit, we dropped anchor at a nearby reef to jump in, cool off, and snorkel to our hearts content. we saw so many brilliantly-colored fish, sting rays, and sea turtles, i thought i'd died and gone to snorkeling heaven. once the group got back on the boat, we set out again for our next stop. 

[the perfect day]

[T with some of the gang]

as the sun started to set, we dropped anchor at our next spot - a beautiful cove that was perfect for the group to indulge in all the backflips, dives, and jumps we pleased. 

[T, mid-flip]

[hey there m+j]

after cheering and singing happy birthday to the birthday boy, we made our way to the dock to head on back. having such a long, but fun, day called for a relaxed dinner to enjoy our last night in playa. 

[some of the best sangria had this trip]

[rooftop views]

[the guys, smoking their last mexican cigars]

[enjoying the music and a super moon]

we were all excited to return home to our pups, but feeling the blues of our great adventure coming to an end. but, i have a sneaking suspicion that this won't be our last trek. 

cheers to a great first webb-wing trip!

to mexico we go!, part one

our holiday in mexico...oh man, did we have a blast. all four of us have been feeling the post-vacation blues something fierce since we got back. but, i always like to take that as a sign of a memorable, whirlwind of a trip. i mean, there's nothing to feel the blues about unless you had an exceptionally great time, right?

so we initially started planning this trip about a year back when our friend michael (our other friend named michael, not jana's michael :) ) told us he was planning to have his 40th bash down in playa. he was letting friends know so, if they were interested, they could start planning. T and i had been missing mexico something serious since our honeymoon so, we jumped at the chance to go back! then, we thought, well let's make it a getaway for us and take an extended trip/see if m+j want to join in. thankfully, they were of course game to come and were more than excited to start planning. 

[our first, of many, cheers' for the trip]

flash forward to our first night in playa. sweet, balmy air, music playing everywhere, colorful people all around us, and us, altogether. i couldn't stop mentally pinching myself that after all that planning and waiting, we were finally on our trip together! 

[exploring on foot]

[cigar selections]

[inviting watering holes]

we were excited to be there, but exhausted from flying. so, we turned in a little early after taking in the scenery that night. 

[maxing and relaxing]

our first morning, jana and i did a little rooftop yoga session with a post-swim cool-off before getting breakfast with the guys. aka the best way to wake up, hands down. then, we packed up our things and made our way to the beach for the day. 

[thirst quencher]

[beach babe-ing]

sometime later, we left the beach in search of some afternoon treats and drinks. thankfully, our neighborhood bar also happened to have some amazing tacos and tasty pesto ceviche. 

[bros with their girly drinks]

[all the ceviche]

after lunch, we got cleaned up and made our way over to michael's apartment for welcome cocktails with everyone who flew down for the weekend. it was so great to get to see so many familiar faces who were equally excited to celebrate the birthday boy, and to grab some beach time. 

[bday coasters]

[rooftop hangs]

[one of my favorites]

we later made our way to our favorite mexican spot to treat m+j to some great wine, atmosphere, and most importantly, food. 

[word to the wise, trust when they say the salsa is spicy here!]

[couple of cuties]

[morning views]