XCARET

On my first morning in Cancun I began exploring, walking the streets, keeping my eye open for a travel agency that would book me a tour of Cuba.

Within a few blocks I met Cesar. He was basking in the sun, in front of his place of employment, waiting for a tourist.

The agency he worked for doesn't handle trips to Cuba. However, he did sell me a trip for the next day.

2002 May 9 Thursday 8:00 AM . I awoke to the sound of a hammer hitting a chisel against ceramic tile on the floor directly above my head. Actually I was already awake and wondering when he was going to start. Anticipating him I had awoken at seven with the help of the usual Mexican alarm clock, steel shutters rolling up in front of the neighbouring shops.

Packing my swimsuit and some other stuff, I went around the corner. Behind my hotel, in the market called, `Market 28', is a street vendor who sells `barbacoas„. Tasty little tortias, two, one on top of the other and covered with chopped beef. At $5 each they make a hearty breakfast.

Cutting up the street, I wandered a few blocks until I found the Holiday Inn where I was supposed to meet the bus.

I had forgotten something, so I found a shorter way back to my hotel and then found an even shorter way back to the Holiday Inn and was there by 9 AM.

I sat across the street on a park bench with some cab drivers. An old lady came shuffling down the street and they urged her to get out of the middle of the street and guided her to the curb. Then they started to take up a collection. They were very pleased when I threw in some change.

By 9:40 no big bus had been through so I asked at the hotel and was told someone had been inside looking for me. As I wasn't staying at that hotel I didn't think it would be proper to wait inside and I thought for sure, sitting outside, I would be able to see a big bus.

I caught a taxi to my travel agent and Cesar phoned ahead. The taxi took me out to the Hotel Zone to the `Plaza Fiestas' which is a large store full of souvenirs. The cab driver went in. When he came out he said they were waiting for me. I tried to pay him but he said they had paid him.

Inside, paper work was exchanged and I was taken out back to a small van, then brought back inside. Later I was taken out to another small van in which sat, Deloris, a lady from Denver, Colorado, USA. The van took us out, onto the highway, to a wide spot where we waited for the big bus.

The only vacant seats on the bus were in the middle of the back. I sat beside Deloris who sat beside Kristina who was from Calgary, Alberta, Canada but living in Vancouver, B. C. Canada. On the other side of me were a couple from Calgary.

I learned that Kristina had gotten on the bus at Plaza Fiesta and that the bus hadn't stopped anywhere before it picked us up. Deloris and I couldn't understand why we hadn't just waited at Plaza Fiesta for the big bus.

A pleasant bus ride for nearly an hour took us to Xcaret. We went past a place of construction where they are building a new hotel on the beach. The `Playa Mayan' will have more rooms than any hotel in Las Vegas.