NYC to Cancun
This adventure, courtesy of my dive buddy Eric Cheng and his insatiable wanderlust, knocks a big check off my bucket list: whale sharks. He emailed a few months ago to say he was planning a charter with a small group and I immediately signed up. Bonus that it was so easy to get to – Cancun is a quick, direct flight from JFK.
That flight was interesting, first because of the two Snookie-like girls in the row in front of me who were thrilled to go to Cancun. They took endless photos of each other in their plane seats, expressed their plans “Ohmigod we are TOTALLY going shopping!” and then wooped enthusiastically when the plane landed. I assumed many bars would be danced on that weekend. In addition to the Snookies, there was an American man named Juan who complimented me before the flight, “Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Julia Roberts?”, then passed me his business card with a note during the flight. And then – all through Mexican customs – peppered me with questions that I tried to evade. The most jaw-dropping question? When I told him I was meeting friends on an island he asked, “Oooohhh… an island. Do you have a sugar daddy?”
* Pause while my jaw drops with disgust and revulsion. *
In what part of the world is that not an offensive question? Ick. And off I ran with my taxi driver Luis, who was sweet and informative and didn’t ask offensive sugar daddy questions at all.
I arrived at the Isla Mujeres ferry mere minutes before it departed Cancun. Thirty minutes later I was on the island and in a taxi to our hotel, Playa de la Media Luna. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting by the pool, reading my book and listening to the waves break on the shore a few yards away.
(more…)