Cerveza y Sol
When and Where: 11/1986 – Cancun, Chichen Itza, Tulum
01/1988
– Puerto Vallarta (with flight stops in Cancun, Mexico City and Guadalajara)
09/1995
– Cozumel
10/2002
- Cozumel
3rd Country Visited; 3rd North American
Country Visited
Interesting Facts:
·
US citizens are the largest immigrat group in
Mexico.
·
Mexican Independence Day is September 16, not
Cinco de Mayo.
·
Color television was invented in Mexico
I first visited Mexico in 1986 when I went to Cancun with my
family. I immediately immersed myself in
the Mexican party culture. After dropping
of my bags at the beachfront hotel, I left to go clubbing in town. With a recommendation from the hotel staff, I
got into a taxi and headed for the club.
I was greeted by armed guards at the bar. Although that seemed off-putting at first, I
was determined to have fun. Cancun is a
party destination. Over the coming days,
I transformed into a beach bum, soaking up the rays by day and partying at night. I was living the dream complete with beers
and tequila shots. During my third vacation
day, I did some sightseeing with my family; we visited the ancient Mayan ruins
of Chichen Itza and Tulum. Getting to
Chichen Itza was daunting. The road
system within rural Mexico is rife with potholes and roadblocks. Chichen Itza, an ancient temple (pyramid) and
burial ground over 1,500 years old, is considered one of the new seven wonders
of the world and it was later declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Chichen Itza, I began to scale the tall
narrow steps of the pyramid. Halfway to
the top, and knowing how clumsy I can be, I cautiously turned around and worked
my way back down the steps to terra firma.
Later that same day, we visited the beachfront ruins of Tulum, just
south of Cancun. During the final day of
our vacation, I garnered the courage to try parasailing. Although I don’t like heights, it felt calm
as I drifted along the coast, roughly 80 feet in the air above the Cancun
beachfront. The vacation “fun” ended
when I came home with Montezuma’s Revenge, which lasted a week.
In 1988, I again traveled to Mexico with my family; this time to Puerto
Vallarta on the Pacific coast. Upon
check-in at our hotel, I knew there was a problem. The overwhelming stench of feces filled the
air. Inquiring at the front desk, I was
told there was a sewage backup. Within
two days, I was really ill; I couldn’t keep any food down. My entire family also got the same bug. The smell of raw sewage was present during our
entire hotel stay. I was able to go out
in town one day. Puerto Vallarta sits on
a crescent shaped bay that is surrounded by mountains. The surrounding mountains are sprinkled with
hotels, upscale boutique shops and a variety of restaurants and bars. In the center of town, there is a cobblestone
promenade with contemporary sculptures as well as trendy bars. Puerto
Vallarta is a cute town, but my Mexican vacation was once again ruined by
illness.
Having gotten sick both times I took land vacations in Mexico, I
opted to only visit cruise ports in the coming years. Both in 1995 and 2002, I took cruises that ported
in Cozumel. Both times I went with
friends on beach excursions and then onto bars.
My favorite memory of these two trips was going to a post-beach party at
Senor Frogs, a seedy dive bar near the port.
Hanging out with my besties Allan and Mary made this my favorite Mexican
memory. We were lucky we made it back to the boat on time. In the coming years I hope to make it back to
Mexico. Looking back at my experiences,
the poor water quality and infrastructure were responsible for my getting
sick. I am certain both have since
improved.
Parasailing in Cancun (1986)
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