The fact that I’m typing this from an airplane, the day before we were supposed to leave, and finishing it in a hospital room, kind of gives credence to the title. Meri and I turned 50 this year. It’s really just a number, and nothing to be afraid of. It’s how you feel, and your overall health that give you the best feedback on whether or not you are still running the race or on the sidelines waiting for the retirement home. We still feel pretty young. One night we were sort of hanging out with this much younger couple at Bash. They had dance moves that would rival the playmakers, so we were out of our league with them. I asked him how he got so good at dancing, and he said he’s been practicing since he was 14. That lead to the obvious question of how old are you. They were 25 &26. You know, the same age as our daughter. I asked them how old they thought Meri was, and they said she could pass for 38. We would take that in a second, lol. Meri and I have been together since we were 15, and are pretty vanilla by TTR standards. Certainly doesn’t mean you can’t have fun there, and I’m usually trying to push for more. That’s enough of the back story. This was our 7th trip to Cancun, and 5th to TTR. The other two trip were our first two, and we went to Golden Parnassus. 2020 has been quite a year, so why expect anything to go easy with this trip? It all started by using Couples Travelers for our booking. We got a good price by booking with a large group of repeaters that are part of the Halloween crowd. Early in January we get a message that they are going out of business and our booking was done. Everyone scrambled to find a replacement, and remember back then Covid hadn’t hit yet, and the last week of oct is usually sold out. We found a pretty comparable price on Expedia and went with them. Six nights in a Bash Tower room. First three trips we stayed in a jacuzzi room around the quiet pool, but now we really like the Tower. View, proximity to the action, room service, access to the sky bar, and over all feel make it something we want. I’m a self employed roofing contractor, and nearly every trip there has been work issues that made it very stressful around the time we left. Not the case this year, and I was pretty stress free on departure. Everything was going to good, and the weather outlook a week away was perfect.... Flight was smooth. Upgraded for a little extra $’s the night before to take available seats in the front row of coach. Enough leg room to really stretch out. Nice. Way better than the very last row of the plane seats we had last year. We arrived at the new terminal in Canacun, and it’s set up similar to the other one so we didn’t really realize it till we got outside. No red/green light they just scan your stuff on a small conveyor before you make the head down dash thru the gauntlet. Once outside it’s a much further walk to find the transfers and USA Transfers was near the back and not up front like normal. With some help we found them, and headed to Temptation. Before we got in the van the driver paused to tell us very sincerely how appreciative he was for us traveling. He said it has been very tough in Cancun this year with it being shut down for the Covid. It’s something we sensed from many there, that they really do need strong tourism to survive. Check in was very quick and simple. The room wasn’t ready, but he did mention that he got the message from my express check-in, that I had done the night before, and that they were able to honor our request for our room location. We wanted on one of the upper floors and on the right side of the tower if facing the ocean. Amazingly enough we got the same room as last year 4222. If you are on the other side of the tower the morning sun is very bright, and if you like breakfast on the balcony, which we do, it wouldn’t be as pleasant. Our nearly perfect weather that had been for forecasted was not going to happen. Hurricane Zeta was just off shore. Sunday, our arrival day it was quite breezy. We had lunch at the buffet, very good actually, and then decided to go up to the sky bar since it was cooler and windy out. The pool temp up there is quite warm, and it was enjoyable. We watched game 5 of the World Series at 7:00, big LA Dodger fans we are, and then headed to Bash. Meri wore a blue lingerie thing with a cheap badge clipped on the side to make it look police’ish, and we called it good enough. I mean lingerie always works. There had been a takeover just before our arrival, and most had left, but some were still there. Bash had enough people to give it good energy, but not enough you couldn’t walk around. Got the Bash burger around midnight and had a good day one. Monday was supposed to be the hurricane day and forecast was for rain all day. It really was quite nice, and surprisingly sunny, even though it had sprinkled some in the morning. We got good pool time until lunch. I got the massage from Angela around 2:30. She does a great job, and it very affordable. Highly recommended. Worth noting she also gave me a hug after and said how thanks she was for the business. Tough times when resorts are shut down. She moved locations this week, and is now on the beach outside of the quiet pool area at the end of the property. The other resort she was based out of was taking 70% of her earnings. She has a much better deal now. When I got back from the massage, people were clearing out of the pool, and they were preparing the resort for the hurricane. The winds really had picked up by this point. As Meri and I were walking on the little path between the Mexican and the buffet, and heading towards the gym, something hit her in the chest enough that it drew blood. Don’t know what it was, but it hurt a bit. That night was super hero night, she had a spider girl bustier, and it looked fantastic. The party was moved inside to the lobby bar. We stayed till 11:’ish and they said they were closing it down at 12:00. It was still a fun night. The hurricane came and went during the night without much damage or rain really. Just a tremendous amount of wind noise thru our tower door. Some ocean front people had to move to safer rooms, but only for a few hours. Tuesday, was a crummy day. I don’t want to be to harsh on the resort because I get it. They went thru a lot to secure the place and then get it all back out a few hours later, but come on we’re still on vacation at TTR here. The pool wasn’t cold it was very, very cold. The hot tub was just cold. Sky bar with the heated pool and hot tub was also closed. Quiet pool, not a chance on a cloudy day, and it needed some cleaning after the storm. On top of that they played their slow relaxing chill mix music, till 1:00. The kind that makes you think you are at a funeral home. I understand the staff was busy, and they had stuff to do, but how about you just play some real music, and turn the heater on. So there literally was nothing to do most of the day. It was warm enough to lay out, but only a couple brave souls got in the water. I was not that brave. Around 5:00 we headed to the hot tub. It was very cool getting in, but it was warming up, and when we found the jets with heat working it was much better. Stayed in there for a good long time, and had a great time with some TTR veterans. We wanted to watch the Dodgers clinch in game 6, and we headed to the sports bar to watch. Much to our surprise it was closed. The door wasn’t locked, but the lights were off, the air wasn’t on, which made it hot and slippery, and there was no bartender. All the booze was out though. I went to the front desk and talked to the manger. He turned on the lights, the air, and changed the channel to an American broadcast. There were a few of us in there watching, and I thought that was very accommodating. I also went and grabbed supper for me and Meri at the buffet, and was surprised they let me take it out, and back to the sports bar. Also very nice. It was pretty sweet watching the Dodgers win the World Series while she was wearing a red lingerie piece for Angel/Devil night. She flashed me for every run and strikeout. Having a game to watch was a nice time filler between the sexy pool, and night time Bash. Wednesday wasn’t a very good weather day either. Just didn’t have that Cancun sun and blue sky. We kind of like to avoid some loud noonish sexy pool games. Nothing wrong with them, but they get a little repetitive. The playmakers do a great job, and we did enjoy all heir effort, especially when the crowds were smaller, just not our thing. I also wondered how loud you have to be the first time they ask,”are you ready to have some fun, let’s make some noise”, to get them to not repeat the question one or two times...♂️ Anyway, the sky bar lunch is really good, so we did that and hung out up there for a bit. If you’re there when the resort is pretty full, it can be pretty lively. Service up there was excellent this trip. Hardly any wait time at all for food. Huge improvement from last year. I mean our server apologized when it took :20 for me to get shrimp tacos. I told her, it’s perfectly fine, not in a hurry, and last year we waited well over an hour a couple times. Then we headed on down to the hot tub. It as really full, but we squeezed into a spot, and found a lively fun crowd. Spent a long time in there. This was lingerie night. Worked good for us, because that’s pretty much what we brought. Hung out with a couple we met in the hot tub, and it was a late, really fun night. I think we are literally brothers from a different mother, and our wives could have been sisters. Unfortunately they left the next morning. Always seems like you find someone to hang out with on the last day. It’s happened a couple of times. Thursday, perfect weather, and the Halloween crowd was starting to roll in. Unfortunately Meri was pretty much down for the count all day. Not sure what it was. We are on 26 years of no sleep from taking care of our handicap daughter, and it was a real late night, maybe that was it. Losing days to being sick is worse than bad weather days. Anyway, I got to talk to some people, but really a wasted day and night. Friday, our last full day, weather was great again. It was a full Boobs Cruise day, and that always takes something away from the pool, but it was still a good crowd. At 12:30 I checked my phone, and had a message from our daughters care giver back home. Our daughter was not feeling well, and sounded like she needed to go to the hospital. Called Expedia and they got us on a flight. It was a whirl wind of activity to get out of there, but we were actually sitting on a plane at 3:30, just three hours from being in the pool without a plane ticket for that day. I also looked down and realized I still had on my wrist band. It always feels do nice to have it on. Didn’t really cheer me up, on the plane. I also had brought a bottle of Jack Daniels Fire to celebrate with some Dodgers fans with that were coming down on Friday. Since that wasn’t going to happen, I took the unopened bottle to the lobby, and gave it to a guy checking in. Waste not. Overall there was nothing about the trip that would make us hesitate to come back again. It was just a bunch of unexpected things each day, that really left us without one perfect vacation day. We really never experience anything about the resort that resembles poor service. Everyone seems to go out of the way to make your trip a great one, and I felt like any request we made of the resort they handled quickly and very easily. Service was great. The the two most critiqued ares are always music and food. I thought the music at Bash was excellent every night. Day time music around the pool, as usual for me could use a little improvement. The morning music at the sexy pool for much of the time is just too slow, or crappy love ballads that I hate. That’s usually followed by an hour of yelling on the microphone. When the weather is nice the quiet pool is a good place to escape to during that time. It was really never an option this year. Not a real music complaint, because usually we can work around it, and like I said afternoon and evening music was great. We’re not foodies at all, so it’s not a big part of our trip. The room service food is excellent, and with the current COVID situation going on at the buffet, room service makes even more sense. We were planning on eating at the Italian a couple times, but I forgot to pack my pants, so we didn’t even try it. Plus, using room service just me more time to see Meri walking around in just a thong, which I like. After 7 years to Cancun, it was definitely our worst trip, but looking forward to the next one. The people you meet there, and the over all energy of the place I think, would be hard to replace with anywhere else, and we don’t plan on trying for a little while at least. Meri says here is a limit to his old she feels she wants to be when there. I think she got plenty left in her. Just really sucks we can only get away once a year. And as I finish typing this up I’m sitting by my daughter in a hospital, with Meri at home. They aren’t allowing any visitors at all in our area right now, but I kind of used some persuasion, and made it happen. We just can’t have more than one of us in here at a time, and this is my shift. She’s really seems to be fine, all test come back negative, she doesn’t isn’t very responsive. She’s extremely special needs, and a daddy’s girl, and I can’t get her to smile or anything. That’s a little troubling. No other real concerns at this point, just another twist in the year of 2020
It was a very long read but worth it to see pics of your super sexy wife!!! Hope to see you next Halloween!!! P&L
Scott, great report and since we are here and also spoke a few times can agree with your synopsis. Oh, except for the fact she looks like she is 30 Sorry we could not hang...next time. What can we say...2020 has been one hellish year and I personally cannot wait until midnight on NYE to turn the page! Let us all hope things get better. Hope your daughter is ok. Give Meri a hug and tell her you are all in our prayers. Paul and Rayanne
Great report, extremely helpful as we pack for our flight down on Wednesday. What is this express check in the night before you speak of? I haven’t heard of that.
As parents of 2 special needs kiddos, we feel for you. Been there done that. Wouldn’t change anything, but still a bummer. I hope all is well with your daughter.
Like FakeNews said, it's on their website. I knew our arrival time, right after a Takeover, and a couple of days before the Halloween group was going to start rolling in, that the resort was going to be at low capacity, so I figured I would have a good chance of a request being met. Many people say they do the early check in, because it just makes you feel like you are a step closer. That’s always been the case with us as well. I included it in the TR, because they mentioned at check in that they had read my request, and were going to be able to honor it. Nobody really ever knew if they paid that much attention to them. Guess they do.
Great report Scott , it was our first visit to TTR , and will be be back again !! It was awesome to meet you and specially Meri Hang in there , and take care ............Brother
Sorry that you had to deal with such misfortunes, Hope your daughter gets well soon and appreciate the write up. Love the positive vibes you gave off even when things were not going well.
