Visited old Friend

Our flight to New York then to Albany was a total pain, because we were spending 4 days with people each time we got off the plane we were checked and double checked. Even our cases were stripped.

Before we went to South Africa we visited the States. I had always intended on visiting the States at some point and catching up with a couple of people I knew really well. The year I was diagnosed I promised Catherine I would come visit her in Upstate New York.

While we were out that way Gary knew I would love to swim with dolphins so he tagged a week in Mexico on to it so that I could tick another box on the 'Wish List'

That's me with the Tea Towel

Catherine hadn't changed but I had forgotten how much she could talk.  Her husband offered us an acre of land to build a house on and make it a holiday home, looking back wish I had taken up the offer.

We spent a day driving down to Syracuse and visiting some of my favourite places.  Especially the lakeside at Liverpool.

Our tour operators made the flight planes and instead of a direct flight to Mexico they had us fly from Syracuse to philly, a wait for 2 hours then fly to Miami then onto Mexico.  We could have flown direct from Albany and arrived within 3 hours but we left Catherine on the 7.30 flight and didn't arrive till 10 pm at our hotel.

It was a small retreat.  I will never forget the driver turned off the highway and down some back lanes, he came to a stop and both of our hearts stopped beating, he turned to us and said 'look at the sign' on the side of the gates was the hotel name created in candles - Ikel Del Mar

The first day we lazed in the sun and I got burnt on my chest, it didn't hurt but was bright red.  It aged my skin terribly after that.

I did get to swim with the dolphins, we had to go to a newly built resort, like a small village about 1 hours drive away , Gary was still concerned about me doing this in case the dolphins caught my scar, but he need not of worried.  Unfortunately for the dolphins they were in smallish water enclosures and groups of 12 were led into the water with them.

Taking cover

The hotel had a massage villa, you could smell the beautiful aroma's as you past it so one afternoon we had a massage together.  The tables were set in the garden with a small waterfall behind you.  What a beautiful setting.