Monday, Dec. 15, 2003 - 8:53 a.m.
Got my clothes and had a long chat with Gabrelle about Religion and life. She’s a Jehovah’s Witness.
Finished packing and hit the road after getting some gas. It’s just like the old time US, full service, they wash your windows but don't check the oil.
The drive was uneventful though I passed a couple Entorchado groups along the way.
Dropped of the rental car and went back to the airport to get a shuttle to the Sheraton Cancun where I was bedding.
A man approaches me.
"I get you personal cab to hotel senor-300 pesos"
"A donde esta Shuttle buses?"
"They wait for next flight to come in you have to wait at least an hour and it cost 180 pesos!"
"I'll wait."
I walk around looking for the shuttles and he’s following me. I remember a saying from somewhere. If you approach a person and ask, odds are you're fine, but if someone asks you, be wary.
I find the buses and it's NOT a half hour wait nor is it a 180 pesos but 65. Two lies from the man. I wanted to go back and find him and tell him off but the bus was leaving in just a couple minutes.
The woman in front of me just got in from Mexico City where she lives with her mum for the last 15 years where they've lived since they moved from London. Turns out her brother lives in Grayslake (only 20 miles or so away from where I live)
The little boy sitting next to me is enjoying the bumps and turns on the road. He's wearing a Sylvester and Tweetie knapsack. He sneezes...on my thigh...I discretely wipe it off...
We pull up to the first hotel, "IS this the la playa ma?" he asks over and over. After listening to their conversation the English woman leans over to me, "I think they're from Canada."
Get into the hotel and check out the grounds. Turns out there's a small set of ruins on this site protected by the government. I hike over to it and check it out.
Have dinner and which was a dynamite tortilla soup with fresh avocado, cheese, dried pepper slices, and a buffet of fish, rice, chicken, veal, fruits fried banana and fried pineapple. mmmmmm good.
Did some souvenir shopping and got myself a Cuban Monte Cristo.
I put the aromatic hand rolled wonder in my mouth an struck the first match. The sulfur tip, or should I say, the small scale weapon of mass destruction flared up, effectively tasting the tip of my finger-about 2mm of blackened skin. I light up again and this time keep my finger clear of the Mexican incendiary device. The cigar was very nice, I savored it while walking the grounds. 5:30 and still light out...
