Cancun

Think surfers paradise , the Goldcoast, and you’re nearly there , but not quite . Multi storey hotels that back directly onto white Caribbean sand . It’s sounds exotic . It is . If you look carefully where ever you go you see that things are different . Here? It’s the clouds , the sound , the horizon, everything . I can’t put my finger on it , but occasionally you see a well worn traveller pass by with their brown leather body , a wiry frame and you just know that they’ve seen it all . Yeah it’s Mexican , South American and even Jamaican but you know it’s real when you see these types . I think they’re living your dream ; no belongings , little possessions but a wealth in memories and experience . They’re doing what you’d always dreamed of , but have been to scared to .Still , I get to go home , with a family and a heap of photos to validate our memories . There are pros and cons about this place , like everywhere . Kids with blonde hair and being obviously anglo was like a beacon to any tout wanting to sell us something , that became relentless and almost overly aggressive. At times you’d exit a bus and the yelling and waving from desperate men wanting to sell us tours and wares of any type became borderline too much . It’s something the authorities need to curb , but I’m not sure they’d want to . Once they realise you’re a yank or a westerner you’re fair game . The obvious envy from these ‘sellers ‘ is borderline contemptuous . I know you can get this sense in South East Asia but there’s still an underlying current of extreme corruption that lets you know that every thing is expendable in Mexico . Just before we got here they found 11bodies , just inland from Cancun . I’m sorry that sounded so dark , buts it’s only a fleeting sense that things are not perfect The pros?. There’s a lot of humour .. , the Mexicans like to laugh , a lot of things are lost in translation . I had great joy in accentuating my Aussie accent to its fullest , it was often met with confusion but it also got a laugh out of both boys and just an occasional roll of the eyes from Emma . I thought I was fuckn hilarious .The bus drivers here are formula one standard , driving flat out and with no concern wether you’d taken your seat . Crossing the roads was fraught with danger as the traffic rarely slowed for you at pedestrian crossings . I was left scratching my head at the painted yellow lines , they must be for tourists and something the locals never use . . The food here was hit and miss and a little unrefined but eventually we took the sensible route and veered towards Mexican food . The vibe , the beaches , resorts , margaritas , $1 coronas ( yes , just $1! ) , fish and shrimp tacos ( like nothing we’ve ever tasted in Aus ) , the flesh ( yes I love Hispanic derrière and the bravado that comes with it , Tex does too ) , tropical heat and exotic fora and flora , and of course the theme parks as well … Cancun , it sounds glamorous, it is … . It’s trashy too , and obviously all about the tourist dollar .Would I come back ? ….. if friends with kids threw the idea up … yes .I’d love to do it again and hit the parks . I’d also have liked to have had more time to go out to the Island of Mujeres ,head down to the ancient ruins and swim in exotic caves ,but there’s only so much you can drag your kids along to and not to mention your hip pocket . Mexico .. tick that box . But if there’s another Mexican trip ,it has to be Cabo , San Lucas .