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Tale
Seven - The Far East of Mexico - by Malik
Playa De Carmen
My last destination in Mexico was Cancun. Reportedly though
it was very expensive. I was tired from my exhaustive trip across
the country and needed a place to relax for a few days. I had
picked Playa De Carmen, 173 km away from Palenque and only 40
km short of Cancun. The place was quite cheap and I got a decent
room in LA Zerinda Hotel for only $25 a day with breakfast.
Playa de Carmen had a long road full of shops and hotels right
on the beachfront. It came to life in the evening with live
music around every corner. Street painters exhibited their skills
with spray cans or carving with knives on dried oil paint. Its
beach had white sand, shaded by palm trees. It was free of seaweeds.
A long walk on the seashore was very refreshing. Only one km
north of the town was a nude beach. Couples were relaxing, diving,
fishing or snorkeling in nudity, oblivious to the lustful gazers
like me.
That night I had a hearty dinner at La Deseada, a pleasant,
romantic place with soft music and dim lights. The joint was
famous for its specialty, fish Yucatecan style.
Cozumel
The next day, I went to Cozumel in a fast ferry called "WaterJet
Mexico". It took about 40 minutes to travel 18 km. The
boat was well-equipped with air-conditioning and rock videos.
Cozumel was a lush tropical island surrounded by the warm Caribbean
Sea. Its colorful coral reefs, exotic sea life and crystal water,
had made it one of the best diving spots in the world. With
beautiful white sand beaches, secluded coves, quaint shops and
open-air cafes tucked along winding streets, Cozumel was enchanting
and colorful. There were lots of visitors. Besides direct flights
from the US and Mexico, many ships were cruising into and out
of the port. In addition, boats loaded with tourists were docking
every 15 minutes. The place was crawling with Norteamericano
(North American) tourists.
Cancun
My last destination in Southern Mexico was Cancun. Many had
asked me, "Why Cancun"? They had a point. Cancun was
a rich man's resort, a budget traveler would keep away from
it. I have a mania though, to go to the farthest point in any
country. Once in a train journey, I met two zealous ladies going
to see a world famous Khmer Temple in North-East Thailand. They
could not hide their smiles when I told them that I was going
further up to Nong Khai only because it was at the edge!
Separated by miles of gardens, Cancun had a distinct hotel zone.
It had a mass of five-star hotels, luxurious shopping malls,
and expensive restaurants, all located on a 22 km, elbow shaped
sand-bar overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The beaches were magnificent,
their white sand sparkling against turquoise water. Many were
backed by luxury hotels but open to the public. There were flags
indicating the state of the sea; a green for calm, a yellow
for caution and a red for danger. The beach behind the Sheraton
Hotel was a treat, with its clean sand, transparent water and
active waves. It was also semi-nude increasing the ripple effects
on a casual swimmer like me.
Having touched the far-eastern end of Mexico, I now headed back
to Mexico City by hacking a 30 hour bus ride!
Hafeez ur Rahman Malik, Karachi-Pakistan.
Submitted: 27 September 2002
Next: Tale 8 - Welcome to America!
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Malik
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