Welcome to Mexico!

We were up at silly o'clock (3:00 am!) in order to get ready for our 6:00 am flight to Cancun.

We planned on getting the 3:30 am shuttle from the hotel, and we were down there at 3:20, waiting in the area specified by the front desk. But at 3:30 am, the shuttle hadn't arrived!

We had been waiting indoors because it was 4C (39F) and raining outside, but could easily see the shuttle area. There was a guy waiting outside as well. He also says the shuttle never arrived. By 3:45am, he was starting to panic and ordered a taxi and offered us a ride as well since his company would pay the bill.

Sure enough, the taxi arrived before the shuttle did, and by this time there were other people waiting as well. We had complained at the front desk, but the answer was they contacted the driver and he says he was there but there was nobody waiting. His watch must be off! I will send the hotel an email about this.

There is our plane getting ready to go.

We boarded right on time, but then 6:00am scheduled takeoff came and went and we were still at the gate. The captain came on, and said they were looking for 4 missing passengers. Eventually, we left without them, but it delayed us by almost half an hour.

Taking off over Ottawa at 6:31 am.

Isla Mujeres just off the coast of Cancun.

Isla Mujeres.

The Cancun Hotel Zone.

We will be headed to the beach today.

We landed at about 10:30 am. There is no time zone difference between Ottawa and Cancun. Despite being half an hour late leaving, our flight was 20 minutes early arriving!

Our friend Carmen picked us up at the airport. She is an American who has lived and worked here in Cancun for more than 30 years, and we originally met her through couchsurfing way back in 2009. We saw her again when we were here in 2013, and of course have kept in touch through facebook over the years.

She has an apartment in the city, but works at the hotel zone. She had the day off though, so we went to her apartment and dropped off our stuff, and then went to get something to eat. First stop was an ATM to get some local cash.

Then we ended up at the el Pocito restaurant.

We had a big meal each.

Of course with lots of tortillas and salsa! So great to be back in Mexico!

The lunch menu. For perspective, 185 pesos is $12.65 CAD, $9.08 USD.

Nice mural just down the road.

After lunch we stopped at a pharmacy to refill my cholesterol and blood pressure medication. The last time I bought any was in Albania when I stocked up on a four month supply so that I would not have to buy any in Canada. I bought a one month supply here in Cancun for 224 pesos ($15.30 CAD, $11 USD). Slightly more expensive than Albania had been, but certainly far cheaper than Canada would have been.

View of the hotel zone from Carmen's rooftop.

Today, we will go into work with Carmen and take in some beach time before heading back to the airport for our late afternoon flight to Reynosa.