Arriving in Majahua.

Before we left for the Mexico I was at Whole Foods buying cedar oil. The lady who was helping me was curious as to what I would be using it for. I told her that I read that it helps keep scorpions away-- to which she responded "And where are you going for the holidays?" Good question...I am not sure we really knew either, which was evident a few days later when our taxi passed the cute surf town we thought we were staying in... and proceeded to go past another tiny town...and still further...it was now dark traveling with five kids, the road was not really even a road anymore, more like a gathering of potholes. At one point we crossed a stream, the stream we would later somehow grow to love: that Clara would wade through in her glittery gold sandals, Eli would want to jump out of the stroller to cross it, Nate would happily stay in the back of the stroller as Dan or Papa would precariously push it through. Anyways I digress.

We finally arrived at our place and it was  quickly dubbed as "The Castle". The kids were bursting with excitement as they explored the grand staircases, the pool in our living room, and all the beautiful folded swans on our beds. Clara quickly claimed the room with the best swan- and we made our way to our room. The other it turns out was the one with a scorpion on the wall. No worries, by the end of the trip my husband became the regular scorpion slayer and my sister rescued me by setting up a tent on my bed. Anyways, all was redemed by morning, we woke up in paradise, with a view so spectacular you could not even imagine. As we had no walls, only a net, we could watch the sun rise and set from our dining table. The stars were so brilliant. Well, there we were in the jungle at the top of the canopy in a castle, all nine of us. And by the way cedar oil doesn't really work.