Day 3: Yucalpaten

We wrapped up Day 3 of our Mexico trip! The night before, we all set our alarms excitedly, because in the morning, we would embark on an adventure full of sun and sand.

The next morning, we grabbed our sunscreen and beach towels, and headed off to Costa Club, a popular beach area near Progresso, Yucalpaten. The area was beautiful, complete with luscious palm trees, crystal-clear pools, and, best of all, the beach, which leads into the Gulf of Mexico. We spent all morning taking selfies on the sand, splashing around in the ocean, chicken-fighting in the pool, and sunbathing by the poolside. At around 1 PM, we headed into the beach-side restaurant for lunch, the choices of which ranged from fajitas, to grilled fish, to shrimp alfredo, to actual shark meat. Oh, and obligatory ice cream afterward.

Calvin and Kana chicken-fighting at Costa Club

Calvin emerging victorious from the chicken-fight

Once lunch was over, we headed to Dzitya, a small town which is known for its woodworking crafts. We browsed through the small, dark shops, admiring the various trinkets and talking with the shop owners about their creations. However, after bumping into a few sickly-looking stray dogs, we figured it was time to head back to the church before some of the more humanitarian members of our group attempted to smuggle them back through U.S. customs.

Woodworking crafts in Dzitya

Upon arriving back to La Roca, we were put to work almost immediately. Though we found it hard to focus on our tasks after such a leisurely day (especially since many of us were sporting some serious sunburns), we managed to rake leaves, tape windows, and paint walls in record time. Needless to say, we were very hungry by dinnertime, during which we devoured tamales smothered with tomato salsa. Aside from an incident involving a hot chili pepper and a few daring stomachs, the dinner was very enjoyable.

Husking corn for meal prep

By 10 PM, we were all back in the church van and dropped off at our host homes. We washed the salt from our skin, rubbed our sunburns with aloe vera, and climbed into bed, contentedly exhausted from our day a la playa.