As if we hadn’t already spent enough time in Mexico this year (and not nearly enough time in countries other than the U.S. and Mexico), we returned to Cancun, Mexico for two weeks in August. The grand plan was to snorkel (repeatedly) with whale sharks. What is that they say about the best laid plans?

You know how to ensure that you can’t snorkel with whale sharks? Have shoulder surgery a month before your trip. Yep, Robert finally got his shoulder surgery in July. The doctor fixed his rotator cuff, which should have meant a pretty quick recovery. Except, the doctor also discovered that his bicep needed to be detached, trimmed, and reattached. Ouch! Not cool. Robert could barely hang out in the pool when we arrived in Cancun, so there was no way he could snorkel in the ocean.

So, if you can’t swim with whale sharks, what is there to do in Cancun? As it turns out, not a whole lot. You can hang by your hotel pool. You can hang by the beach (assuming it isn’t covered with sargasso).

You can sail to Isla Mujares. The sail was nice, but Isla Mujares was not (way too crowded).

You can read tons and tons of books. You can eat overpriced food. You can swim in cenotes. You might get to see a crocodile.

You can take the bus downtown and eat tacos. (Yes, it is safe.) If you see al pastor negro on a menu, you need to order it. I have no idea what spices they use, but just trust us.

But, the absolute best thing to do is take a trip to Chichen Itza, which is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Chichen Itza (or, as I often said “Chicken” Itza) is a Mayan site and it is 100% worth a trip to see it. Way better than Teotihuacan in Mexico City. But, if you go, make sure you have a good guide who can explain all of the intricacies of the site to you. And, get there early because it gets crowded once the tour buses roll in.

I don’t envision us ever returning to Cancun (too touristy, too expensive, too boring), but seeing Chichen Itza was worth the trip.