Cancun + Isla Mujeres

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I actually had to start on day 0 because I flew Edmoton -> Toronto -> Cancun. This was a much longer trip but since direct charter flights to Cancun didn’t work for me date-wise and I would do anything to avoid flying through the US, this was the best option. I flew into Cancun at 10:30AM but it took a long time to clear customs. I guess that’s why the phrase Mexican time. It was curious that travellers had to push a button after having our luggage x-rayed to determine whether you get searched or not. I’ve heard different hypotheses and the most credible ones seems to be that it’s completely random and you can’t fault them if you push the button. Anyway, I cleared it without any hassle.

My hotel in Cancun was Kin Mayab. It didn’t look too shabby but my room was dark and the shower sucked. I had to remember that in Central America nothing should go into the toilet other than what your body produces. My first business was to exchange some money. Both the airport and hotel gave lousy rates, but lucky for me there was a bank nearby. Unfortunately the line was long and it was SLOW! After what seemed like an eternity (really about 30mins) I finally got myself some pesos!

I met some of the other travellers in the group and instead of staying in Cancun that afternoon we went to check out Isla Mujere. The ferry to the island didn’t take very long but it wasn’t very pleasant walking around the island because it was raining. We walked around the north end of the island where most of the nice beaches were. The east end of the island still hasn’t been completed re-built from the damages suffered from a hurricane. We didn’t have time to check out the south part of the island before heading back to Cancun. I met my roommate for the trip, the Big “E”, and the rest of the group. I had a feeling we were going to have a great time on this trip!

I had chicken fajita for dinner but it wasn’t much different from what we have at home. The only thing that caught my eyes was the mashed bean paste in the shape of a scoop that wasn’t very visually appealing. I had Jamaica tea; I think it’s made from hibiscus flower, very refreshing!

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