Honeymoon Story
	The Big Honeymoon Secret	Everybody wanted to know. Nobody knew. It was the best kept secret of the year.
	Photo Gallery
	The Honeymoon	The honeymoon adventure of a lifetime.
	Chichen Itza 360	Chichen Itza 360 degree panorama The largest Mayan ruin in Mexico.
	Tulum 360	Tulum 360 degree panorama The sea port for the Mayan culture.

The Big Honeymoon Secret

Nobody knew until they came back...

We left early the following morning after the wedding. Where would we go? Nobody knew where except my grandfather and myself.  My grandfather helped to make our honeymoon reservation a reality, but he was sworn to secrecy as to its location and contents. This was the best-kept secret of the year. Everybody wanted to know where we were going on the honeymoon, but nobody knew.

We drove to the airport and got on the first of two flights, sleeping most of the way to the hub airport. As we arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was difficult to keep the secret. The sign above the entrance to the jet way screamed out in defiance. I had kept this secret so long, and now I could keep it no longer.

Amanda knew where we were going now.
The departure sign above our gate read ‘Cancun, Mexico’.  

Just the previous month two hurricanes swept through the region. One of them, Wilma, was a category 4 that positioned itself directly above Cancun for a full 5 days. The area was still recovering from that devastating blow when we arrived. There were a limited number of Palace resorts that were open. Most would not open for another month. But God had grace on us, blessing us with a confirmed room and an awaiting adventure.

Our stay at the all-inclusive Aventura Spa Palace and Resort was nothing short of phenomenal. There were people waiting on us hand and foot. If we wanted a plate of chilled shrimp and a club sandwich, all we had to do was pick up the phone and it would arrive within 30 minutes. Everywhere you went you could get water, fruit juice, smoothies, as well as an assortment of other drinks they offered the other guests.

While we were there, we experienced kayaking, eating, rock climbing, eating, sun tanning, eating, as well as long walks on the beach followed by, you guessed it, eating. The cuisine at all four on-site restaurants was terrific! The entire time was such a blessing to simply wind down after spending close to a year preparing for the wedding.

One of the days we went on a tour of Chichen Itza located at the center of the Yucatan peninsula. Over a thousand years ago it was the center of the Mayan culture. Now those ruins exude the intelligence of this intriguing society. It took about 3 hours to travel to the ruins by bus. After getting a detailed description of Chichen Itza and the surrounding area, we bartered for a small souvenir, which now adorns our condo. Amanda and I then proceeded to the center of the ruins to climb to the top of the temple. The view was great.

There is so much history in that area of Mexico. After enjoying the view for a while, it was time to go back down, which proved harder than we thought. The steps are angled at 60 degrees, which makes even a sure-footed athlete such as myself check each step on the way down. I didn’t want to fall to the bottom after reaching the top!

We did eventually make it back down to the grass below and returned to the resort. The following day we rented a jeep and traveled to the seaport used by the Mayans. These ruins were called Tulum.

Tulum was located in a geographically unique location. With hills on 3 of the 4 sides, Tulum was fortified with a rock wall that lined the ancient city. The fourth side faced the Caribbean Sea to the east and was mostly a large cliff edge. The city was a fortress for trade and commerce. The only entrances were guarded doors on each of the 3 walls and an inlet that came in only on one section of the ocean bound side. It was a well thought out design with incredible architecture.

Driving around Mexico that day with the top down in the jeep was a relaxing experience. We enjoyed our packed lunch on the beach, gazing over the fantasy blue-green water.

Our time quickly drew to a close however, and it was time to head back home. Flying back on the airplane, we were reminded of God’s faithfulness, His plan and His purpose in our lives. We pray that you can experience God’s plan in your life, your marriage, your adventure. Rely on God’s love to write your story.