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...we get up to drive to the airport at 4.30am for our Cancun flight - again not much sleep for either of us. I'll try to make up for this in Mexico...
...the guy at passport control addresses me with a hearty: "Cześć, jak się masz?" in correct but heavily accented Polish. When I just smile in return and see his unyielding gaze fixed on me expectantly, I blurt out that I'm good in reply. He seems reassured. Turns out he's half Polish half Italian, which must be 200% catholic, and he's visited my country several times.
...because I couldn't get my hands on decent rechargeable AAs for my underwater strobes in the short time I had here (long story...) I settled for a 48 pack of Duracells. Which, carrying them I mean, elicits some taunting from the border guys about me playing electronic games too much.
...I board the plane and once again looking at passengers I realize how America is a global superpower also in obesity statistics, scary!
...guys at the X-ray machine rip my backpack to shreds, as usual, checking everything inside and out - still a small price to pay for carrying all my underwater photography gear in the carry on...
...I order the most expensive airplane sandwich on board - at $8.99 it makes sense that at least it would be served by a posh ultra gay Asian flight attendant vaguely reminding me of Entourage's Lloyd :)
...I am given Mexican immigration and customs forms to complete - they're nice, with a colorful glossy finish and on good paper but only one is bilingual and I see my monolingual gringo co-passengers struggle with the other one.
...I arrive in Cancun - The airport is decidedly modern and fancy, the heat is expectedly humid and oppressive and I realize I have my car rental reservation number but no name of the rental company (it was done through an agency)... fortunately the second one I try is the correct one
...I get my car and make a point of marking all the scratches on the rental voucher. I'm also told it will be a manual and a diesel. Turns out to be automatic and gasoline. Oh well. And they ask to sign the rental documents EXACTLY like in my passport. Talk about being anal...
...I notice most of the speed bumps have breaks torn in them just as if tailor made for two axles of an an average car so if you aim correctly you don't even have to slow down. Nice!
...To my excitement I find actually pan de queso (pão de queijo as it is known in Brazil) in Mexican Starbucks!
...I also find there nice cookies styled to resemble the traditional skull of the Day of the Dead, a typical pastry called pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and...well..pumpkin frappuccino.
...I notice STOP signs, which in South America say "PARE" here are "ALTO" instead and like there are merely a suggestion to local drivers.
...I regularly notice people driving with their hazards on. I ask locals but no one can explain that...
...I struggle to find wifi to arrive at my dive shop (I'm going diving straight after landing) and find some hilarious sandwiches (see photos)
...I dive an underwater museum (MUSA) and a local reef and remember why I love tropical diving
...I drive to Playa del Carmen to take a boat to the island of Cozumel, my next dive destination
...I notice the road is full of green signs, cluttered with them actually - some of them regular road signs, most of them ads for local hotels, resorts, theme parks etc. Looking identical to the road signs. Nice job, Mexican ad people!
...I see flashing red lights at an intersection and at another light flashing alternately red and green. I'm confused as hell but evidently both mean you can go, because everyone does
...Lots of Xs I see in those local names here....Xcarete, Xoximilco, Xel-ha, Xcacel, Xcumpich, the list goes on... must be a Mayan thing
...I remember all the things that pissed me off about driving in the US - the side mirrors don't show enough angle and headlights of people behind me are set differently and blind me - all of these apply in Mexico too...
...I arrive in Playa, park the car in a cramped car park and set for the ferry. I ask the ticket guy - at 7.05 precisely, when's the next ferry. "It's at 7, so you still have five minutes señor". Gotta love the Latino timing...
...I take the ferry and for the entire 35 minute trip an bombed by different commercials of Cozumel businesses - from restaurants to beach clubs to gyms to cigar shops to hotels to... all narrated by the same couple of actors. Funny!
...I arrive and drop dead in my hotel...
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