Cancun, Mexico 11/14 to 11/21/2025
 Photo 1: Thursday, 11/13/2025: We decided to take the Amtrak from Milwaukee to Chicago, IL. |
 Photo 2: Amy. We arrive in downtown Chicago on the Chicago River in the early afternoon. We walked to the Clinton Street entrance of the subway: Blue line; about 6 blocks to the south. |
 Photo 3: We stayed at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport. This is the view of the sunset from our hotel room. |
 Photo 4: The tower lit in green at night. The colors alternate: green, blue, etc. |
 Photo 5: Same view as the sky darkens and the lights go on at the terminal. |
 Photo 6: Friday, 11/14/2025: An old photo hanging on the wall reminds us that the air traffic controllers missed two pay checks as the government shut down for about 42 days. |
 Photo 7: O’Hare is decorated for Christmas. |
 Photo 8: Amy inside the terminal for American Airlines. TSA was real easy: no taking off your shoes, they use electronic ticketing, they scan your passport--easy peasy! |
 Photo 9: My view outside the port window before takeoff. It is 7:00 AM. |
 Photo 10: Our last view of Chicago, IL, under the wing. |
 Photo 11: The cumulus clouds were pretty. |
 Photo 12: After about 3 hours, our first view of the Yucatan peninsula. We changed time zones from CST to EST; therefore, now it is 11:00 AM. |
 Photo 13: Over the wing, to the far left is the city of Cancun, and in the distance is the lagoon and the Hotel Zone. |
 Photo 14: Timezones: Cancun is in the Eastern Standard Timezone (EST). The state of Yucatan is in the Central Standard Timezone (CST). (Internet) |
 Photo 15: Map of the Palace Resorts. From North to South: Beach Palace (closed); Cancun Palace; Sun Palace; Moon Palace (Sunrise, Nizuc, The Grand); Aventura Palace (closed); Playacar; Xpu-Ha; & Cozumel Palace. We have been to most of them. (Internet) |
 Photo 16: Map of Moon Palace: Sunrise; Nizuc; & The Grand. The red arrow indicates our room next to the pool and the beach. (Internet) |
 Photo 17: Amy holding a carnation. We are in the VIP room as we wait for our hotel room. Checking is at 3 PM but we got our room an hour early. |
 Photo 18: Kevin reading in the window. This is our hotel room with a view of the ocean! (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 19: While we wait for our room, we enjoy the facilities. This is our first look at the pool at Moon Palace Nizuc. |
 Photo 20: We were treated to a bottle of wine in our room. |
 Photo 21: The view from our first floor room looking left (north). |
 Photo 22: The view from our first floor room looking right (south). |
 Photo 23: A women off showing her falcon. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 24: We took a shuttle over the the Moon Palace Sunrise. In the lobby above your head are three beautiful stained glass sky lights. |
 Photo 25: We ate at a restaurant called Momo, in honor of Monique—her former nick name. |
 Photo 26: The restaurant had a middle east motif. |
 Photo 27: Amy in the waiting room. |
 Photo 28: Kevin in the waiting room. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 29: After dinner we walked outside for the shuttle back to our hotel, and this Christmas tree greeted us. |
 Photo 30: The Christmas tree at Moon Palace Sunrise. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 31: Saturday, 11/15/2025: Sunrise looking slightly north. |
 Photo 32: Wide angle view from our hotel room. |
 Photo 33: Kevin in the main lobby of Moon Palace The Grand. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 34: Main lobby at The Grand (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 35: The women’s bathroom at The Grand (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 36: Kevin showing the entrance to the speakeasy. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 37: We took a shuttle over the the Moon Palace The Grand. On the first floor is a Speakeasy hiding behind a book case. |
 Photo 38: This is the long view. We got to see it before it was open. |
 Photo 39: The photos against one of the walls. |
 Photo 40: The desserts. I don’t think I tried them all, so I shall have to go back! (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 41: This is one of the scale models of a new Palace Resort. |
 Photo 42: This is a scale model of Moon Palace Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. |
 Photo 43: We took a long walk on the beach. This is looking north. You can see the Hotel Zone at the horizon. |
 Photo 44: Amy, on the beach looking south. You can see the tracks made by the tractor that cleans away the seaweed each morning. |
 Photo 45: Kevin adding more footsteps to the beach. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 46: Amy behind multiple palm trees. |
 Photo 47: Yellow coconuts up close. |
 Photo 48: We passed the hatching site of the sea turtles. Back in 2017 we had the opportunity to release baby sea turtles to the sea. |
 Photo 49: A Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) feeding along some seaweed which has washed to shore. |
 Photo 50: This is the farthest south that we ventured, at the very end of the resort. |
 Photo 51: Looking south, our resort is to the left and the Hotel Zone is in the distance. |
 Photo 52: At The Grand, this is the central bar. |
 Photo 53: Back at Nizuc, the bar by the pool. The lounge chairs to the left are right in the water! |
 Photo 54: There are three separate pools each as big as the next. This is to the left of the bar with another snack bar under the thatched roof. |
 Photo 55: Sunday, 11/16/2025: In the morning we have a new moon. |
 Photo 56: The sunrise. |
 Photo 57: We had such a clear sky that the sun rays can be seen emanating from the sun just below the horizon. |
 Photo 58: The sunrise over the pool. |
 Photo 59: Sunrise (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 60: Sunrise (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 61: The sun’s first showing. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 62: We had mass at the gazebo. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 63: Looking back at the gazebo. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 64: Just after church, which was held in the gazebo, we headed out. This is the palm trees over our heads. |
 Photo 65: An iguana catching some warmth over this metal plate. |
 Photo 66: The Hotel Zone which is easier to see on a clear day. |
 Photo 67: Our hotel room is on the first floor right were there is a clear path. |
 Photo 68: A slender iguana. |
 Photo 69: A mister gordo iguana. |
 Photo 70: Palm leaves. |
 Photo 71: Giant furns. |
 Photo 72: A white Mandevilla. |
 Photo 73: Kevin taking a bike tour. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 74: Amy riding the exercise bike in the pool. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 75: The bridge over one of the three pools. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 76: As night falls, this lit up reindeer was just erected, |
 Photo 77: The pool bar lit at night. |
 Photo 78: The pool with the main building in the background. |
 Photo 79: Clown performance. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 80: A clown performing. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 81: Monday, 11/17/2025: The new moon in the early morning. |
 Photo 82: As the sky clears, you can see a cruise ship with its lights on, just at the horizon. |
 Photo 83: The pool in the early morning. |
 Photo 84: Sunrise with the new moon. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 85: The pool: the water is like glass before the first swimmers arrive. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 86: Sunrise (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 87: Sunrise (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 88: A lounge lamp. |
 Photo 89: At The Grand, this crescent shaped pool is my favorite. I can only swim about half of it—years ago I could swim the whole thing! |
 Photo 90: Amy in the thickets near the beach. |
 Photo 91: Detail of the thick branches. |
 Photo 92: A coconut on the beach, ripening. |
 Photo 93: This morning at The Grand we had the restaurant to ourselves. |
 Photo 94: The buffet. |
 Photo 95: Tuesday, 11/18/2025: The moon in the early morning sky. |
 Photo 96: As the sky brightens, you can still see the moon. |
 Photo 97: The sun just peaks over the horizon. |
 Photo 98: The gazebo with a table set for a lucky couple: probably a wedding couple. They have between 8 and 12 weddings a day. |
 Photo 99: Today we decided to head into the city to shop. We took an Uber into the Hotel Zone. Then we rode the bus for $1 a person into the city of Cancun. |
 Photo 100: One of the hotels along the Hotel Zone. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 101: The Presidente Intercontinental (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 102: The Captain Hook boats at the marina. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 103: Wednesday, 11/19/2025: A heavy storm is brewing in the distance. |
 Photo 104: We are on a bus on an excursion. We pass the down of Temozon, just north of Villadolid, heading west. |
 Photo 105: Many of the small towns look just like this. Notice the Coca Cola sign. |
 Photo 106: Map of the first leg of our trip to Ek Balam. (Google Maps) |
 Photo 107: Map of our route through the town of Temozon, north to Ek Balam, and south to Cenote Chukum. (Google Maps) |
 Photo 108: This map shows the state of Quintana Roo to the east, and the state of Yucatan in green, to the west. We are headed to Ek Balam indicated by the circle in the upper right. |
 Photo 109: We arrive at Ek’ Balam archaeological zone. |
 Photo 110: Our first view of the jungle at Ek Balam. |
 Photo 111: More dense jungle. Imagine the conquistadors trying to hack their way through this vegetation back in the 1500s. |
 Photo 112: On the tour they introduce us to a shaman and two Indians in traditional garb. |
 Photo 113: Map of Ek’ Balam |
 Photo 114: The path leading to the ruins. |
 Photo 115: Our first view, looking at the back of the ball court. |
 Photo 116: The ball court. The rings are missing. In case you do not know, the players used a heavy rubber ball, they can only hit the ball with their hip, and it had to go through the ring stationed about 15 feet off the ground. Some games went on for days. In some cases, the winner was sacrificed: considered an honor. |
 Photo 117: The stones are placed so close that they did not use mortar. |
 Photo 118: A detail of hieroglyphs on the top and an aerial view of the ball court on the bottom. |
 Photo 119: We head further into the archaeological site. |
 Photo 120: This is structure #10 which has dimensions of 43 x 30 x 5 meters (15 feet high). It was built during the post-classic Mayan period around 1200-1543 BC). |
 Photo 121: This is the same structure from an aerial view. You can see a temple on the top plateau. |
 Photo 122: The same structure as viewed through the forest. |
 Photo 123: Amy stands outside a thatched room which protects two tall Stellae. |
 Photo 124: One a Stella with a hieroglyph clearly visible. |
 Photo 125: Amy is seen climbing the steps of structure #16: The Oval Palace, with a base of 26 x 24 meters and a hight of 11.5 meters. This was a site of rituals as well as the home of a king. There are neighboring structures which housed other dignitaries. |
 Photo 126: This courtyard houses several other structures. |
 Photo 127: Kevin climbing the first 5 steps. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 128: Amy is noted half-way up this structure, probably with an altar on top. |
 Photo 129: The side of the structure shows how the walls were angled to keep the structure intact. |
 Photo 130: These structures have parallel stair cases. |
 Photo 131: Amy on top of one of the structures. |
 Photo 132: Amy in detail. |
 Photo 133: The same structures from a distance. |
 Photo 134: Another view of the ball court. Now we have come full circle. |
 Photo 135: This is the inside of one of the crypts, or perhaps a housing structure. |
 Photo 136: This is called the Acropolis: the largest structure build at Ek Balam. |
 Photo 137: Amy can be seen near the bottom as she climbs the 106 steps to the top, a height of 32 meters (120 feet). To the left and right are thatched roofs protecting the hieroglyphs. |
 Photo 138: An aerial view of the Acropolis. You can see that there are several structures at this site and how the jungle creeps against the northern side. At one time this site was completely enveloped by the jungle. |
 Photo 139: To the far right are these chambers. |
 Photo 140: I start my climb at the base. Amy is already about half-way up. |
 Photo 141: To the left are these hieroglyphs. |
 Photo 142: Detail of the hieroglyphs. |
 Photo 143: To the far right is another thatched roof. |
 Photo 144: Amy near the hieroglyphs. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 145: Looking down after making the climb. |
 Photo 146: In the distance you can see another ruin poking up above the trees. |
 Photo 147: To the north is a vast jungle. Most of the Yucatan looks like this. |
 Photo 148: Kevin & Amy at the top. I think we received too much sun! (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 149: Preparing to climb back down. It is thought that the steepness of the stairs helped to drop the dead, sacrificed bodies easily to the ground level. |
 Photo 150: The hieroglyphs under the thatched roof to the right with a chamber in the background. |
 Photo 151: Detail of the hieroglyphs (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 152: A stella on the steps (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 153: The Mayan never had a true arch. This is a triangular arch. |
 Photo 154: The top of this structure resembles an astrological temple with curved edges. |
 Photo 155: Kevin in the photo, just to show the scale of the structures. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 156: Amy on top of a small bridge that spans the foundation of a ruin. A massive tree grows behind her. |
 Photo 157: Kevin on the bridge, looking back. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 158: Looking back at the altar that has four triangular arches. |
 Photo 159: We start at the bottom, work our way to the ball court, then to the Acropolis on top, and then back again. |
 Photo 160: As we wait for our tour bus to arrive, this bougainvillea tree stands outside the entrance. |
 Photo 161: The entrance to the Cenote Chukum. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 162: The first view inside the cenote. The zip line can be seen on the platform. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 163: The opening at the top of the cenote. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 164: Detail of the opening. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 165: The swimming platform at the bottom of the cenote. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 166: The calcium carbonate deposits along the walls. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 167: The opening as we climb out. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 168: After a long three-hour bus ride, we return to our hotel Nizuc. We spot about eight Coatis outside the gate. |
 Photo 169: These are the hieroglyphs that make the phonetic sounds in Mayan. Like the Chinese, they also have thousands of hieroglyphs which are pictograms. |
 Photo 170: This is a pendant with the hieroglyphs for ‘M’ and ‘C’ for Monique Cunningham. |
 Photo 171: This is an obsidian knife which is made from the same rock which was used for the Mayan and Aztec human sacrifices. It comes from volcanic glass. |
 Photo 172: Thursday, 11/20/2025: Another sunrise. |
 Photo 173: The sun peaks through the clouds. |
 Photo 174: The main bar in the lobby of the Nizuc. |
 Photo 175: Amy in a mirror. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 176: One of the pools in the morning. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 177: You can see the reflection of the clouds in the pool. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 178: The palm trees by the beach. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 179: The water-park. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 180: A coati up close. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 181: Amy. We took an Uber over to Moon Palace Playacar. This is the main building, and the steps lead too the pool. |
 Photo 182: Looking down the steps you get a commanding view of the pool and the Gulf of Mexico. To the left is the pier that has ferries venturing off to the island of Cozumel. |
 Photo 183: The view to the right, looking south. |
 Photo 184: Amy back at the open-air lobby of Playacar. |
 Photo 185: The dining room at Playacar. |
 Photo 186: A panorama of the pool area. |
 Photo 187: Amy in the Jacuzzi. Notice the pool is adjacent to the Jacuzzi. |
 Photo 188: Amy enjoys a drink at the poolside. With the all-inclusive package, you do not need to carry money. You just order what you want. There are waiters and waitresses nearby to take your order—in Spanish or in English. |
 Photo 189: One of the catamaran ferries returning from Cozumel. |
 Photo 190: The same yellow catamaran docked next to a white one. |
 Photo 191: This appears to be an Andean condor riding the vents coming from the ocean. |
 Photo 192: Another storm is coming off the ocean. Here the prevailing winds are from the east. We have about 20 more minutes before the storm reaches us. Time to walk the beach and then duck inside. |
 Photo 193: The cumulonimbus clouds above the thunderhead. |
 Photo 194: Amy walking the beach, looking south, before the arrival of the storm. |
 Photo 195: Amy as we look north. You can see the dark clouds to the far right. |
 Photo 196: Just outside the perimeter of the resort you can see small condos and apartments which open directly to the beach. |
 Photo 197: A dead fish and a hungry sea gull. |
 Photo 198: Looking north once more, at the extend of our walk, you can see the storm on the left is coming closer. |
 Photo 199: This kite-surfer is trying to get some lift as the storm rolls in. |
 Photo 200: Here is the storm in its magnificent energy. |
 Photo 201: Amy with her drink in the lobby of Playacar. We went inside to stay dry. |
 Photo 202: We take our Uber ride back north. Playa del Carmen is a shoppers paradise. Notice the 7-Eleven store. |
 Photo 203: Back at the lobby of the Nizuc. I walked up to the second level for this vantage. |
 Photo 204: The pool from the second floor. |
 Photo 205: A collage of tropical flowers: White Mangrove rubber-vine (Rhabdadenia biflora); Pink Jungle geranium; Red Ixoda Jungle Geranium; Pink Jungle Geranium; Pink Bougainvillea; Yellow Wedelia (Sphagneticola trilobata); Red Firebush (Hamelia patens); White Oleander (Nerium oleander); Pink Morning glory (Pomoea pes-caprae). |
 Photo 206: Kevin & Amy at the entrance to the Moon Palace Nizuc. (photo by Amy) |
 Photo 207: Way up on the ceiling is this stained glass window. |
 Photo 208: Amy at our dinner table. We decided to take a shuttle over the the golf course where we at at the Trattoria with Italian cuisine. |
 Photo 209: Friday, 11/21/2025: Our last sunrise at Nizuc. |
 Photo 210: The sun just peaking through the clouds. |
 Photo 211: The sun illuminates the bottom of the clouds for only a few minutes. |
 Photo 212: Our plane lifts off around noon. |
 Photo 213: Through the clouds I can make out the southern causeway as it joins the Hotel Zone of Cancun. |
 Photo 214: This is midway up the Hotel Zone, with the laguna visible on top. The exhaust of the engine blurs the view slightly. |
 Photo 215: The northern causeway leading to the city of Cancun seen on the upper right corner. |
 Photo 216: This is the last aqua marine ocean and coastline as we head back over the gulf. |
 Photo 217: Our view of Illinois just outside of Chicago. Our plane made a circular holding pattern by turning right, lifting the wing above the horizon. |
 Photo 218: Back at O’Hare airport on a moving platform heading to baggage claim. |
 Photo 219: Amy next to a Christmas tree in the lobby of our hotel. We decided to spend the night at the Holiday Inn near the Clinton entrance to the subway on the inner loop. |
 Photo 220: Saturday, 11/22/2025: One of the high-rise buildings in downtown Chicago. |
 Photo 221: We enter Union Station in Chicago to catch a train back home to Milwaukee, WI. |
 Photo 222: Links to the www |