Travels With Family and Friends, and Some Memories of Mexico

Travels with friends and family can be risky, you need to be sure your travel habits are compatible, and any expectations are similar and clear. When travel companions click, it can result in lovely memories, but when there are problems, it can quickly turn into a trip from hell; as we experienced many years ago while traveling in Mexico with friends.

But first, a few memories of Mexico. This lovely country has been a popular vacation destination for many years, particularity when I was in my twenties. That’s when we, along with a group of friends decided we should all go there together. Some of our favorite places there at that time were Cozumel and Zihuatanejo. The photos below in Mexico are from old snapshots, so not the best quality.

Before I share about the trip from hell, I’d like to say that we have taken many vacations over the years with family and friends, and most were great fun and conjure happy memories. We traveled with our daughter and son-in-law in France and Japan; with my lovely in-laws on multiple occasions in Mexico, through the Pacific Northwest and Europe. We took several trips with my older sister and her daughters to California, British Columbia, and Europe, and with my younger sister, brother-in-law and their kids also in Europe.

More recently, we’ve traveled in Europe and beyond with good friends, Tim and Lisa, and on separate occasions, with Shirley and Jim in France. All have been memorable and special experiences.

Shirley and I were not able to find any photos of the four of us together in France, but she found this one taken at a holiday party a few years ago.

We stopped traveling to Mexico in the early 1990s, when we expanded our destinations to include Europe and more, but we have fond memories of our time there, except for that one time when we traveled with the wrong people. As I mentioned above, we still to this day refer to it as the trip from hell.

Here’s how it played out. It was 1989 and we were in Cozumel, with two other couples. We quickly realized that they felt we all needed to be joined at the hip and spend all our time together. One morning, theTravelsketcher and I got up early for a walk and breakfast near the beach. We were sitting at an outdoor restaurant when the other four passed by, stopped when they saw us and became quite angry that we hadn’t waited for them so we could all have breakfast together. Nothing had been previously agreed upon, so we were pretty shocked by their reaction.

Another surprise came when we went out for dinner each night; theTravelsketcher and I would have some local fish or special of the day and a beer or two. However, the other four would have expensive cocktails, lobster, and desserts which were far more expensive than our meals, and then expect to split the bill three ways! We quickly put a stop to subsidizing their meals.

The final straw happened on one of our last days, we flagged down a taxi and one of the more obnoxious members in our group tried to bully the driver to let all six of us pile in. The driver said it was illegal, but the bully persevered. We quickly stepped away and said we’d take the next taxi. When we all arrived back at the hotel (in separate taxis) the bully turned on Terry, pointed his finger in his face, and told him to never contradict him again. Terry held firm and the bully backed down. Needless to say, not long after our return, the bully and his wife divorced and we all drifted apart, which was fine for us.

However, the one highlight of that trip was a day trip to Chichén Itzá, one of the largest Mayan cities still standing. Located in the Yucatan Peninsula, it was built probably between 400 – 600AD. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. There are quite a few interesting structures on this 740 acre (299.4 hectares) site including, The Great Ball Court, North Temple, Steam Baths, Temple of the Warriors and of course, the iconic El Castillo.

The place was pretty much empty when we arrived, we were quickly approached by a guide whom we hired to give us a tour. At that time, it was still permissible to climb to the top of the pyramid, which we all did. The steps, however, were steep and narrow, so it was a bit nerve-wracking, but the views from the top were amazing.

At the side of the pyramid, near the bottom, is a door that winds through a very narrow, dark, damp passageway (think Indiana Jones). It leads to a room with a statue of a jaguar with jade eyes. We saw the jaguar up close which I’m sure is not allowed today either. It is thought that this room may have been used for ceremonial purposes.

Unfortunately, I have lost all my snapshots from that trip, but check out The Travel Architect’s recent post. She and her husband recently traveled to the Yucatan and have some great photos of Chichén Itzá, and the surrounding area.

Thankfully, that was our only bad experience with group travels, the others have been delightful times with dear ones, and have provided lovely memories.

I have found out there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. Mark Twain

Click here to read theTravelsketcher’s recent post if you’re interested in learning about our current activities.

Wishing you grand adventures, and pleasant traveling companions,

Tricia