I was ecstatic to leave for Tulum, Mexico yesterday, on assignment for Suite101.com Media and Western Living magazine. The flights to Mexico City and then Cancun were pleasant enough, with meals served on both. How luxurious! By the time I arrived in Cancun, though, it was past midnight and I was tired.
Tough luck for me. The ride that Tourism Mexico had supposedly booked for me never showed up. The drive from Cancun airport to Tulum is just under two hours, so I was hoping to be zipped off to the hotel by 2:00 am. I waited until 1:15 am and still no luck. Enrique from Green Line (a taxi company)) had been hauling around my luggage and playing at being my friend. Honestly, being stuck in Mexico at that hour of the morning, a friend is exactly what I needed.
His perseverance paid off as I realized I had no other choice: I would have to fork over the $187 USD in cash for a ride from Enrique’s company. I went to the ATM and, for 2,000 pesos, I was charged something like $380! Off course, no receipt came out and I’m not checking my bank account from here, so I won’t know until I get back home. Whatever, I’ll figure it out later.
The ride to Tulum did indeed take almost two hours, as it down poured in spurts of tropical rain. Half way there, in stilted English and even worse Spanish, I discovered that the driver had no idea where my hotel was.
Cabanas Copal in Tulum, Mexico (My Cabana)
“Just go towards the beach,” I said, figuring I would be sleeping on my suitcase atop the sand. We did eventually get to Cabanas Copal and drove up on the sleeping security guards. They were amazing and checked me in, dragged my luggage through the pitch-black paths, and did a full inspection of my room with a flashlight (I was hoping it was to make sure there were no unwelcome amphibians lurking around, but they probably had other reasons).
Tucked in safe and sound, I fell asleep (sort of) to the sounds of the ocean just outside my cabana and the forceful rainstorm that just wouldn’t hold off for me.
Copyright 2008 Lori Henry
Be safe and have fun you beautiful courageous woman!