The Dougans arrive

Sam playing at the pool.

We took a walk at sunset tonight along the beach. It was stunning.

Chad and Riley at sunset.

The Dougans minus Caden.

The kids at the beach.

After a week of being solo, the Strickler clan was ready to have some diversion. So Saturday we left our condo and headed to Playa de Carmen to pick up our friends the Dougans, who also are from Prescott. The kids were excited to go on an adventure which consisted of grabbing a taxi, getting on the ferry (which isn't always as easy as it sounds), crossing to Playa de Carmen, which is where the adventure began. We were running a little late, at least to the schedule we thought was reasonable. We thought that our friends would be into Playa around 5:00 since their flight got into Cancun at 3:30. Based on those assumptions we hurried to where the taxis dropped people off for the ferry, but they weren't there. I searched and searched for them thinking that perhaps we missed each other. My nerves were calmed slightly with a vanilla latte from Starbucks, but only slightly. I immediately went to the thought of what would happen if we didn't see them....and it was getting dark. This whole scenario smacked of a previous experience in Frankfurt with my friend Woody. Woody was flying into travel with me for a month while I was studying in Germany. Our plan was to meet at the McDonalds at the airport....the plan failed. Hours later, many shed tears and phone calls in the middle of the night to the states, I was united with my travel partner. Thankfully we did not have a reoccurance. Balin had the wisdom to send Perrin and I back to our condo while he and Sam waited for our friends to arrive. Once we arrived at the condo I called Balin and he had found the package. I was thankful he found them and was even more thankful that Alejandro was in the kitchen when I arrived. By the time the Dougans got to the condo, dinner was on the table and vacation had begun.

I asked Balin how he found the Dougans and what they're response was. Balin said when he found them they said "Hey, good to see you guys!". They are some of the most relaxed people I've ever met. They have 3 children, Caden (age 7), Riley (age 4) and Lexi (18 months) who are a pleasure to be around. Sam adores Caden and wants to do "whatever Caden does." Perrin and Riley have a friendly relationship, but aren't inseparable. Little Lexi is just along for the ride and we don't hear a peep out of her except when she's hungry or tired. Today it's been wonderful to have all the commotion and hopefully in the next couple of days we'll fall into something of a routine.

It's 9:30 and the Dougans have gone to bed and Balin and I will follow after we finish watching the Borne Identity. Hopefully the rest of the week will be uneventful and thus won't have much to blog about. We'll be back in Prescott Sunday night.