In March of 2022, stoked with anticipation, sophomore Landon Grosse, who has a knack for history and Science Olympiad, embarked on a journey to the glistening waves and beautiful beaches of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Grosse, 15, and his family stayed in the bustling coastal town, home of many Mayan ruins, and just a little over an hour away from the city of Cancun.
One of the highlights of his trip was seeing pyramids built by ancient Mayans. “They were pretty small, but cool nonetheless,” he said. While staying in the town, he enjoyed various activities such as parasailing and snorkeling. About parasailing in Mexico, Grosse recounted that the Jetski ride was rough and his brother almost fell off. He also described how the crystal blue waters and long white beaches were a lot prettier from the air. Grosse was impressed with the view, but he was most shocked when he spotted a large Swordfish down in the waves, saying “There were a couple of dark figures down below but even from 200 feet in the air you could tell they were swordfish.”
He also had a lot to say about his time snorkeling at a reef in Playa del Carmen. Grosse described the various corals and tropical fish in and around the reef, talking about how different their colors and shapes could be. While there, he also spotted a massive stingray and remarked about how cool it was, as well as a sea turtle, which he was able to get close enough to touch. He stated the sea turtle was his favorite part of the trip. “I’ve never been in a body of water that big,” Grosse said. “I saw the turtle and touched it and it swam away.”
Grosse stated that the resort had food from all four corners of the world, and every day was something new. He went on to say that the Chinese food was comparable to vomit and that he had regretted trying it. He also said that it was very common for the resort he stayed at to host lookalike events for entertainment. Some of the lookalikes he said he saw were, Michael Jackson, Shakira, and Sia. He said he thought some of them were funny. When he wasn’t at the resort though, Grosse said that he would often rent bikes and tour the city visiting many places of interest such as the Portal Maya, a statue built in December of 2012 to commemorate a new era of light and prosperity. He also spoke of a church that he visited that was “small and hallway-like.”
Grosse described some stories he had gathered from his trip, he spoke of a group of Argentinian boys playing soccer saying, “I tried to talk to them and couldn’t understand them. We ended up playing and I lost to them quite badly but either way, I had fun in the end.”
Grosse also went on to say that the kids in Mexico were quite different from what he was used to, they were a lot more lively and far less inclined to stare at their phones all day, he said this was a nice change of pace. Another story he told was when he accidentally ordered a Piña Colada, expecting it to be non-alcoholic. Grosse described his shock when he took a drink and realized that his tropical beverage was loaded with rum, and not what he was expecting. He then said that he found the whole ordeal quite funny. One last story he told was of a Monkey that stole his apple, although alarmed at first, Grosse quickly laughed at the situation. The wildlife in Mexico was far different from what he was used to back home in Iowa.
Grosse described that overall he was quite grateful for the time he was allowed in Mexico, the experiences he had there opened his eyes to many of the facets and peculiarities of the country. He loved the food, games, sites, and general culture of the Yucatan peninsula. With one last statement of what he thought of Mexico, Grosse said briefly, “Mexico is a lot hotter than Iowa.”
