I left Cambodia and spoiled myself by returning to my favorite lil
Jungle beach island in the south of Thailand for a few days before enduring the cascade of transportation en route to Mexico. I took a taxi boat to a motor bike to a 4 hour ferry to a 9 hour bus to two hours in the airport and then proceeded to fly from Bangkok to Tokyo to LA to Cancun (26 hours). The last 4 hours were the longest, but it was all worth it for the amazing times I was ready to endure next.
Justin, my sweet and long lost boyfriend, and I were reunited in the Mexican baggage claim ¡Aye aye aye! ¡¡¡Yay!!! We stayed in this really nice mission jungle style old school hotel that was super beautiful and quaint in cancun and the Next day took a bus to the Valentin Maya Resort to attend our good friends KJ and Stefan’s wedding. It was $90 usd to take a cab there from the airport but Justin and I ended up staying right near the bus station and got tickets for $3 each (score)- I even nicely asked the driver to drop us as close to the hotel as possible and he stopped right at the front gate.
The very fancy all inclusive resort did not know what to think when their next two guests walked up from the main road-backpacks and hula hoops in tow. I think they thought we were in the wrong place but after a lot of smiles and bad Spanish they finally sent a car to drive us into the main section of the property.
We were greeted by bellboys and bubbling champagne as our friends from NYC slowly and steadily began to fill and take over this entire fancy shmancy resort. The arch ways were 100 ft in the air and every portion of the property was a great expanse. It was a super blast of a weekend and what a treat for me to see so many good friends after being away for two months time. Despite being on holiday it was no doubt a NYC weekend with a NYC pace. We had a Dia de Los Muertes Noche where we all dressed up,
including the families of the bride and the groom, we had a giant flotilla made of outrageous pool floats (swans, clams, tires, double headed serpents, couches) in the pool filled with all our friends festive faces as we motored around to the swim up bar and back again and again and again. One guest even confided i me that her float, not blown up, weighed 9 lbs!! We swum in the crystal aqua ocean, body boarded, I rode on the waves on a huge white swan float. Our room was I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. With king sized bed, balcony, living room area, and bathroom with separate hot tub, bath, and a shower-and every day when room service made our bed fresh flowers were placed on our pillows. Afterhours at the honey moon sweet overlooked this nature preserve and these fairytale-esque deep blue birds with yellow beaks and yellow feet would hang out near us in the tree tops. Iguanas were EVERYWHERE too and are so well camouflaged-until they began reaching their sunning heads into the sky. There were lemurs too!
The ceremony itself was so touching and beautiful. KJ and Stefan were married by 8 of their friends representing the 8 pillars of marriage in place of an officient. Justin and I were the flower boy and flower girl. . . ON STILTS!!!!! Which was a surprise for all and went over really well. Plus, i have always secretly wanted to be a flower girl so i was genuinely stoked when they asked us. I finished my dress while traveling through Laos and it was super fun to wear! Total enjoyment and whimsy washed over me as Justin and I covered the ceremonial space and all the guests in fresh rose petals at sunset.
Cocktail hour and Dinner were lovely and each table got to light and send off the 3ft thai firelanterns into the sky -but only after we wrote our wishes on them. What a glorious sight.
The reception was rocking and went all night-which I expect nothing less from this group. So Fun!!!! And I was part of a two hour fire show that we all rocked out thanks to jewels finding gasoliña blanca. It was so rewarding to be reunited with my fire fans while smallchange dropped some whompy dubstep to rock out to and so fun to spin with so many of my friends. Super deluxe!!
The whole wedding weekend was beyond your wildest dreams-from epic beach and pool days to dancing well into the night and morning with 150 of your closest friends to celebrate the love, trust, respect, and honor the amazingness in the well deserving bride and groom, KJ and Stefan, but it was also a celebration of friends, friendships and the unique love and relationships between us all. All laughing together under the sun, piña colodas in hand, creating the important ripple of one good thing leading to another all weekend long. It was a total love fest that will be felt for years to come.
As you can imagine it was hard to leave this collective place in time but Jim got the “Mexican Limo” and we piled a whole clown crew into that bitch, luggage and all, and rode on down to Tulúm where we have spent the last week.
I don’t think the Valentin Maya quite knew what they were in for, but as we left the bellhop was inquiring about our globy look. The lil fiberoptic lights you can clip into your hair. He was so pleased as I gifted one onto his safari bell hop hat and at that moment we all knew this place had been changed forever.
Warms my heart to hear it through your eyes! Thank-you dear Ali for spreading the floral love.