Wednesday August 25th, 2010 - Cozumel, Mexico If there’s a tougher commute to work for any job on Earth, I’d sure like to see it. This is relentless. I wasn’t able to sleep one wink last night as I was up late answering emails and catching up on all the work I’ve been behind on from lack of internet access. One night in a hotel was all I had, so I took advantage of it. I had no idea I’d have to pull an all nighter. I had the option of a 7am or 8am shuttle to the airport for my 10am flight, but I knew it was smarter to take the early one. I thought about trying to take a one hour nap, but that’s asking for trouble. Oversleeping and missing my plane would be the last thing I’d need. I’d much rather be at the gate and wait than have to cut it short so it was ok to get there as early as I did. I kept checking my phone, wallet, passport and itinerary because I know a lack of sleep can make it easier to misplace something. I have enough problems as it is. The ship is in Cozumel, but there are no direct flights there apparently. They sent me to Cancun, and I was instructed to take a $90 cab ride to a town called Playa Del Rey, about 45 minutes away. There, I had to catch a ferry which took me to the island of Cozumel. Planes, cabs, ferry boats, shuttle buses, deadlines - it was an adventure to say the least. I made it to the ship with three hours to spare, but had I missed any of the legs of the trip it would have been a real challenge to make it on time. I had to pay attention to everything. One thing that’s very evident is the poverty virtually everywhere. Cancun is a place I’ve heard of, but only like Acapulco in that there are resorts there. The actual town is a hellish toilet. There’s no city skyline at all, as someone pointed out as we were landing. I’d never been here before so I really wouldn’t think to notice. But it was correct. I just saw fields. My cab driver was a very nice guy named Raul. He spoke English very well and had an opinion on just about everything. He grew up in a small town and moved to Cancun to get a job and make something of his life. Who can’t respect a person for that? He had to be at least my age, maybe a couple of years older. It made me very grateful for all that I have. I made it to the ship and checked in, but I’d lost a document I’d apparently had stamped at the airport by Immigration. I had no idea what it was or where I put it, and I tore apart a pile of paperwork looking for it. The person in the office was not very happy because that document needs to be collected by the Mexican government before I get to leave the ship. The more I searched, the more panicked I became. I didn’t know if I had it or not. I had a complete idiot for my clerk at the airport, and she ripped up my paperwork and restarted it three different times. She was obviously new, and had to call her supervisor to finish it. Maybe she didn’t give it to me. Maybe I left it there. I had NO idea, but I kept searching for it anyway. Finally, I opened a book I was reading and it fell out from one of the pages. I screamed with delight and took it to the office. I won’t have to live in Mexico after all.
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