After being at high elevation in South America in the Winter, we were so looking forward to some warm, sunny weather. We figured Mexico in August might do the trick.
On our way to Mexico, we took a redeye flight from Quito, Ecuador with a layover in Atlanta. This was the first time we were on U.S. soil in over a year. But we told ourselves that we aren’t really in the U.S. if we don’t leave the international terminal of the airport. We won’t go through immigration and customs, right? Wrong. Atlanta is not set up as an international hub, so even if you just have a layover there, and don’t plan to stay in the U.S., you still have to go through immigration and customs. Both Jesslyn and I asked several different airport employees how to stay in the international terminal without having to wait in the ridiculous line. The employees didn’t even understand our question, not realizing how silly and inefficient it is. What do people from other countries do that don’t have a U.S. visa? Perhaps Delta doesn’t sell that route to non-Americans. They didn’t stamp our passports, which is good since that wouldn't have left any room for the stamp in Mexico.
We arrived in Atlanta early in the morning of the same day Delta’s computer system went down. This was the system responsible for flight plans, so they can’t fly without it. In the end, our flight was only delayed by four hours, so not too bad. The worst part was that while we were waiting, they told us that there was no pilot, and they had absolutely no idea when we would get one. Finally, a pilot showed up, but our excitement was short lived because we were then told we didn’t have a co-pilot and, once again, they had no idea when one would show up. I give the crew a lot of credit however, because they were very upbeat and positive the entire time. While traveling in other parts of the world, we were so annoyed at the lack of communication from bus drivers and tour guides. The Delta crew, on the other hand, were very communicative, but it was a little humorous when they would get on the intercom and tell us that they have no new information since the last announcement, which was, "we don’t know when we are taking off". I haven’t heard someone use so many words before to say “I still don’t know”.
While on the plane from Atlanta to Mexico, I started to feel a sore throat. I hoped my throat was just irritated from the cold, air-conditioned air. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I came down with a full blown cold that kept the mucus flowing for a week, and now, more than two weeks later, I still have a little bit of a cough trying to get the last remnants out of my lungs. The same thing happened to me when we went to the beach in Vietnam last year. How can it be that when we travel from a cold place to a hot, tropical place, I catch a cold? In Vietnam, someone told me it is from the air conditioning. I didn’t believe it at the time, but I am starting to wonder otherwise. In the ATL airport, the AC was blasting. I was freezing cold even in jeans. I would have put on a sweater if I had one in my carry on. I figured I wouldn't be needing it, so I packed in my suitcase. Colds come from viruses, not AC, however, I do believe that AC creates conditions that make you more susceptible to catch a cold. While there have not been any scientific studies to prove that claim, there are studies that do provide some evidence, according to this NY Times article. I have never been a huge fan of AC; I hate having to take a parka to the grocery store or movie theater when it is 90 degrees outside. Now I just prefer to sweat, than to freeze, and get sick. To make it worse, Jesslyn ended up getting it too. Sorry for the digression, moving on...
I didn’t know what Quintana Roo was before this trip. I would have thought it was in Australia. It turns out it is a state in Mexico that covers eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, that big piece of land that juts upward to help form the Gulf of Mexico, opposite Florida on the other side. You are certainly familiar with some of the places in it, like Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun where we spent our first three nights. I know that doesn’t sound like a place that would appeal to us, and it didn’t at first, but we did it for two reasons: to swim with whale sharks and to visit the famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Mayan ruins were impressive and interesting when we weren’t burning in the sun and we loved learning about the great Mayan civilization. However, we think the overall tour could be improved.
The whale sharks on the other hand were in-freaking-credible. Thousands of whale sharks congregate in this area this time of year to feed on the abundant plankton. These creatures are the largest living vertebrate that is not a mammal, with the largest officially on record of over 40 feet long and 47,000 pounds. We got in a fast speed boat and motored for about an hour and a half off shore. There were dozens of other boats already there, but spread out over a very large area. There were whale sharks everywhere we looked and the captain of our boat estimated there were about 400 of them. Our boat only had ten people on it, and two guides. The captain maneuvered the boat in the path of some sharks, then yelled, “jump” when it was in position. A pair of us would get in the water with one of the guides at a time. As soon as we oriented ourselves in the water, there would be a huge animal right next to us. We would then swim along side with mask, snorkel, and fins for as long as we could. Sometimes, they dove down so we couldn’t follow, other times, we just tired out and couldn’t keep swimming that fast. They don’t look like they are swimming fast, and I am sure it isn’t fast for them. They were so chill, not seeming to mind the boats or the people at all. They just gracefully glided through the water with mouths open inhaling the plankton. It was incredible to be so close to such large animals in the water, an experience I will never forget. We passed on paying $35 for the copies of GoPro pictures and video the guides took. In retrospect, we probably should have gotten them, but we didn’t have a chance to see them beforehand, so didn’t think it was a good idea. I also get annoyed when you pay a lot of money for an activity, then they charge you a lot more money for something that should be included. I do wonder if public swimming with whale sharks is a good thing or not. I noticed a lot of the animals had large scars on their dorsal fins, from what looked like boat propellers. I also wonder how good it is for the animals to be feeding with all the boats and swimmers around, with the slick of gasoline and sunscreen in the water. The positive side to this activity is that it brings awareness to the creatures. It educates people, and makes them care a bit more for the animal they got to see up close and in person. I hope the money spent on the activity goes to helping protect them. There have been other occasions on this trip where we have had the same concern. It is a tough question, and the answer isn’t always clear.
After Cancun, we took a short ferry ride for a four day stay on the small island called Isla Mujeres. We loved it there. It was very quiet, without a whole lot to do other than chill at the beach. The town is very small, and walkable. We stayed at a cheap hotel, just a ten minute walk from a beautiful beach, surrounded by local restaurants and bars. There are no McDonalds, nor Hard Rock Cafes, nor even a Señor Frogs. Compared to the Vegas-like insanity of Cancun, this place was a peaceful oasis. One day, we rented a golf cart to explore the island, which only takes about an hour even with the 20 mph top speed. It seemed to rain every day, but only for a short time, except for one time when it rained hard for most of the day. The island is very flat, which makes water drainage a problem. The street outside our hotel turned into a knee-deep river for a couple of hours. If you ever need an easy and cheap getaway at the beach, check out Isla Mujeres.
A panoramic view of Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres. The beach isn't really curved, it is just the effect from the iPhone.
Looking out from our balcony in downtown Isla Mujeres. This is what a day of rain will do.
Next stop, Cozumel. Cozumel doesn’t have the night life of Cancun, but it does have a Hard Rock Cafe, Hooters, and Margaritaville. There are always cruise ships docked, at most three when we were there, but in the high season, there are seven on most days, each with about 3500 passengers. It is kind of a strange place, to have the population fluctuate by 24,000 people from day to night. Since it was low season in a place built for such a large capacity, the place felt deserted most of the time. We stayed a few blocks away from the main tourist area in a super cheap, but cute villa we found through Airbnb. There aren’t really great beaches on Cozumel, and similar to Cancun, not a place we would typically go. But we did for one reason: the scuba diving. When I first learned to dive as a kid, I subscribed to some dive magazines, and I remember all the photos in there of Cozumel. I wasn’t disappointed, it looks just like the pictures. We did six dives over three days. We saw turtles, nurse sharks, moray eels, barracuda, and loads of tropical reef fish. What made this reef different from others we have dove is that there are many “swim throughs”, which are natural holes in the structure big enough for a diver to fit through. There is also quite a bit of current so we did a lot of drift diving. It allows you to conserve your air, while covering a lot of ground. We dove with JP and Carlos of Scuba Life, who were fantastic, and had a great (and fast) boat and nice rental gear.
Mexico has been fantastic so far, and we are looking forward to enjoying more if it now that we are getting over our colds. Now we are off to Tulum, then Playa del Carmen. Stay tuned.
- Jake
Getting ready to jump in the water in Cozumel.
I really need to do some squats.