Trip #4 (Meeting Scott) Jan.2005, Part 2 of 2

The next person we were to meet was Scott Wilson. On the Wednesday we arranged to meet it had been raining on and off all day. We caught the local bus in a torrential rainstorm. Our destination was Wal-Mart, in El Centro. Once we got that far we planned to take a taxi to La Taberna on Av Yaxchilan. As we bounced along, the bus became more and more packed with locals going home after a hard days work. It was that shift change time of day at all the hotels. We couldn’t believe how many people were jammed into that bus. The driver just kept stopping and picking up more people. It became so crowded that we couldn’t see out of the windows, and thought we might miss our stop. When we got to Wal-Mart we hailed a taxi. We were overcharged by about 4 times. This is when we learned to negotiate the fare BEFORE getting in a cab. We were dropped off in front of La Taberna. We walked in and sat down at a table and started looking around to see if Scott was there. We saw a couple sitting in the booth back in the corner. There was Scott was sitting with his back to the wall like Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, South Dakota surveying all who entered. We walked over and introduced ourselves to Scott and his friend Bonnie. We spent the next few hours talking with them about life in Cancun. Bonnie had just moved to Cancun from Florida in September. Scott had been here about 7 years. It was an interesting night because it was the first time I was able to spend time with “locals” in the “real” Cancun, “El Centro”. This was also our first visit to this popular hangout in El Centro.

Bonnie told us an interesting story about a recent experience. One night she had a taste for a pizza, so she called in a late night order for one, but had to walk some distance to pick it up. She explained that she lived on the outskirts of El Centro. She picked up her pizza and started to walk home when a large scruffy dog started to follow her. Needless to say she began to wonder if she would get home with her PIZZA intact? Then another dog joined her procession and she began to wonder if SHE would get home intact? Well it ended well and Bonnie and her pizza arrived home safe. Funny story because it had a good ending.

One of the interesting stories that Scott told us was about the time he was busy working and his power suddenly went off. He went outside to investigate and found an electric company worker disconnecting his meter. The man explained to Scott that his bill was past due, so he was being shut off. Scott said that he had not received a bill. He was promptly told that it didn’t matter that he didn’t get his bill, as it was still his responsibility to pay it on time. He had to tell Scott how much he owed. Scott pleaded with him to give a him an hour so he could go pay the bill. The worker finally agreed after Scott showed him that he had enough cash to pay for it. A quick trip to the payment center ensued and Scott came home, met the guy, showed him the bill and all was well again in Paradise. This is how I learned that the mail system in Cancun isn’t all that reliable.

It proved to be a very entertaining night. We caught a cab back to the VCI Club, but this time negotiated the fare in advance. From the VCI we caught the shuttle back the rest of the way to the Royal Sands, had a couple of night caps and turned in for the night.

I have a hobby making homemade digital films of my vacations. I brought my laptop computer with me this trip and used it to dump the pictures from my digital camera every evening. That way I could take a lot of background footage for the film. I was able to get a start on movie that would become my record of this trip. Susan and Scott both have copies of the finished film if anyone is interested in seeing it.

The next night we took the bus to La Isla, one of my favorite places to visit at night in Cancun. I took a really neat picture of Donna with an armed guard in front of the UltraFemme store. He was wearing full black SWAT team gear including the bulletproof vest, and combat boots. He was holding a loaded UZI sub-machine gun! As we walked by I held up my camera and he nodded, so I sent Donna over to have her picture taken standing next to him. We emailed it to her boss back in Chicago the next day. At that time Donna was the personal assistant to the president of a security company back home. He got a kick out of that picture. He said “they take their security seriously in Mexico”. Later I had my picture taken with 3 parrots by a street vendor in La Isla, which has become one of my favorite memories of Cancun trip #4.

I wanted to spend a day with a realtor to begin to further investigate what the cost of living in Cancun might be, but just couldn’t find the time to do so on this trip. So I filed that idea away as something to try next time. The rest of our time was just spent going to restaurants, sunning poolside and jumping waves in the ocean. Staying for two full weeks was really so much better than my previous one week trips.

When it was time to return we watched the weather channel and on January 22, 2005 Chicago was in the midst of a heavy snowstorm. We thought our flight might be cancelled, but our luck ran out and we had to leave. We checked in at the airport and while we were waiting. I walked over to the window to see our aircraft being prepared for our return flight. It was kind of funny to see them walking on the wings with push brooms sweeping all the snow off…………..LOL :–)

Trip 5 coming soon……………..!

Buenos dias. Que tal? I’ve added a couple more worthwhile Links to our Link section. Scroll down the Sidebar and you’ll see eBags and Travel Guard. Travel Guard is the only good thing to come out of Wisconsin since the Lombardi years. I Highly recommend their Trip Insurance. I’ve bought it, used it, and had a claim which they processed quickly and efficiently.

Also eBags has a heck of a Samsonite Closeout Sale!! I’ve got a Samsonite shoulder bag that has last longer than some Airlines!!

Gracias for stopping by The Cancun Blog. Newbies, if you have any questions about Cancun, feel free to ask them in the Ask the Experts section of the Blog. Tim

I just found this article on www.visitmexicopress.com and thought our readers would enjoy it.

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03/29/2006
CANCUN’S COMEBACK: THE BEACHES ARE BACK, AND BETTER THAN EVER
Cancun’s beach restoration will be completed ahead of schedule, in time for the 2006 summer season

ACAPULCO, March 29, 2006— The restoration of Cancun’s beachfront will be completed ahead of schedule, with wider, longer and more beautiful beaches the final result of the restoration efforts, Mexico tourism officials announced during Tourism Tianguis 2006.

The beach restoration, which kicked off in February following the passing of Wilma in October 2005, consists of a 24-hour-per-day, seven-day-a-week dredging. The effort will create beaches an average width of 27 yards along the 7.5 mile stretch from Punta Cancun south to Punta Nizuc. It is funded by a government investment of approximately US$20.77 million, and carried out by Jan De Nul, a global leader providing dredging, stone placement, filling and salvage services.

Both Mexico’s Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo and Quintana Roo Governor Felix Gonzalez commented on the status of the Mexican Caribbean’s readiness at s separate news conferences at Tourism Tianguis 2006, Mexico’s most important tourism trade fair.

“Cancun is not only ready for the upcoming summer season, but it is ready now. The city is receiving tourists, and its hotels are currently operating at a 92 percent occupancy rate,” Elizondo told a group of international travel journalists.

“The Mexican Caribbean’s many tourism destinations – places such as Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Costa Maya and Cozumel – are interdependent. That Cancun’s power-white beaches have completely returned will inject the region with renowned vitality,” Gonzalez told the reporters present at Tourism Tianguis.

While the 31st edition of the trade fair winds down today, news of Cancun’s complete recovery will still be on the forefront of the public’s mind because Mexican President Vicente Fox is slated to give U.S. President George W. Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper a tour of Cancun’s new beaches March 30.

Like many other visitors to the region looking to combine beach time with a cultural excursion, Bush will take advantage of his Mexican Caribbean trip to visit the Mayan ruins of Chichen-Itza, located in Yucatan State.

International travelers also looking to capitalize on their visit to the Mexican Caribbean will find that flying to the famed region will be easier than ever thanks to a soon-to-be-constructed airport that will be located in Tulum, Riviera Maya. Construction of the airport, which will complement the renovated hotels and other tourism infrastructure in Cancun, will soon be open to public bid, confirmed Elizondo.

Scroll down until you see the Links Section on the sidebar and click on the Link that says Learn Spanish Today. Interesting educational concept the company is using to teach people Espanol. Try it out and let us know what you think of it. Tim