Shtetl Fabulosa en Mexico!

Just a preface.... the next several posts are all dispatches I wrote while in Cancun. I've tried to back date them appropriately, starting with "today" - July 16 - my first day away. If you have no interest in my vacation travels and only read this blog for my rants on race and a few good laughs at the expense of my love life, then come back in a week or two. I should be up to something new by then.


Well it's about the end of my first day in Cancun and I've learned a few things. One, my originally buoyant enthusiasm has been somewhat dampened bt the ubiquitous humidity and the absent A/C in my hotel's lobby. Two, I found the hotel staff doesn't always tell you critical pieces of information. Such as: you have to make dinner reservations several hours in advance. In order to receive a towel, you need a towel card, but the hotel only has towels until around 5:30 p.m. Three, the Casa Bonita episode of South Park is even funnier in Spanish. Four, I remember quite of bit of my high school Spanish which is great for watching South Park. It was also useful during dinner tonight with my new Mexican friends from the city of Monterrey. Leave it to me to find the one fag and hag posse in my hotel. This is actually a boon since my new amigo Pedro speaks enough English to make up for my Spanish, and of course, thinks I'm fabulous.
Thankfully, the exchange rate is approximately $1 US to 10 pesos which is good because while my Spanish has evolved, my math skills never really got past junior year and have certainly deteriorated since.
The people here have been mostly nice, though the copious married couples are a little less friendly. Tomorrow I'm off to the Mayan ruins at Tulum and snorkeling at the Xel-Ha water park. The tour operator told me my travel companions are four guys - this should be interesting.
So far, my solo status has been met with varying degrees of disbelief, but not outright horror. On two occasions, Mexican men have asked me if I am married or have a boyfriend. When I say no, they say why. I reply as my grandfather taught me, "Because."
Also, I have been using my new identity as "Ava" so far. It's a little tough to remember my own name, but I am enjoying the oppportunity to experiment with being someone else. Who knows how long it will last, but who cares? I'm on vacation!