Yatra Geetham – Mexican Tour – 6

Yatra Geetham

Mexican Tour – 6

Telugu Original : Dr K.Geeta 

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

ISLA MUJERES MEXICAN CRUISE

Part 8

On our first day in Cancún, after visiting Chichén Itzá and experiencing the spine-tingling cenote, our bus halted on the way back to the resort for a visit to a town called Valladolid.

This “Valladolid” takes its name from the famous Spanish city of the same name. Remnants of Spanish colonial dominance over South American lands are visible here through massive Christian churches and buildings from that era. Our guide stopped the bus near the renowned San Bernardino Church and asked us to return to the same spot after an hour.

Since the church was closed that day, we saw it only from outside and used the remaining time to explore the local market. Many locals belonging to the Maya lineage could be seen there, and instead of bargaining as I usually do everywhere, I quietly bought locally made items from them. Varu and Satya looked at me in surprise — “Poor people, even if they sit here all day, what will they really earn?” I said, walking ahead.

Throughout the way, the houses, streets, bullock carts, and cars felt strikingly similar to India. Even the culture and beliefs here resembled India in many ways.

By evening we returned to the resort. The resort had special restaurants for dinner at night. We first went to a Japanese cuisine restaurant. In resorts like this, there is no bill for any restaurant you visit, but due to heavy crowds and limited seating, one has to wait a long time.

From the juice section, we ordered something to drink. But when the glasses arrived, their appearance made us suspicious. When we asked, we realised we had ordered juice mixed with alcohol. That is when we understood that we must specifically ask for non-alcoholic juice there.

The food in every restaurant was very tasty. Though the portions on the plates were small, unlike daytime buffets, this method seemed good because it reduced wastage.

Throughout my time in Mexico, my heart carried a strange sadness. On one side, people struggle in deep poverty, while on the other, resorts like these waste enormous resources. I felt that instead of extracting money from people like us and wasting resources, it would be better if they were shared with the poor.

After dinner, we spent some time relaxing at a dance programme held on a stage near the open swimming pool area facing the sea. When they invited people for Indian dance, Satya pushed me forward to go on stage and do a few steps. I went, matched a few steps casually, and returned to my seat.

The night outdoors was pleasantly warm and soothing. I felt like walking along the beach, but since all of us were tired, we postponed that wish to the morning.

From the tenth floor where our room was located, the moon looked magnificent, casting shimmering light vertically across the vast dark ocean stretching to the horizon. That moment we captured on camera that night became so special that it later turned into the cover image for the audio version of my novel “Venutiragani Vennela.” (THE INVINCIBLE MOONSHEEN.)

When we came back inside from the balcony, Siri began playing in the jacuzzi tub in our room, refusing to come out easily! Since we had another tour early the next morning, I somehow pulled that child out and put her to sleep — by then I was completely exhausted.

***

The next day, we had booked a tour to Isla Mujeres.

From our resort, we went towards the same direction where we had gone the previous evening for the pirate ship ride. Crossing a small harbour and then reaching a larger harbour, we walked along a deck extending into the water, collected our tickets, and boarded a medium-sized ship. After nearly an hour’s journey, we reached the island.

Since Satya and Varu had booked a special tour to swim with dolphins, our ship halted at the shore on the far side of the island. 

Huge enclosures were created in the sea where dolphins were allowed to swim freely. Instructors sent people into the water one by one along with the dolphins.

Although it was nice to see animals being allowed freedom, it didn’t feel right that people had to remain in the water for hours because of it. Moreover, these enclosures were quite deep. Those who went wearing life jackets had to float there for two to three hours in a line. Watching people hold onto the dolphin’s dorsal fin and swim alongside looked impressive, but judging by their faces, waiting long hours in the water did not seem enjoyable.

Satya and Varu are adventurous people. Siri and I, on the other hand, are sensitive and somewhat fearful — though Satya calls us cowards, that’s another matter!

Since they were in a far-away enclosure and organisers didn’t allow visitors like us to go near, we could only watch from a distance. However, we could observe dolphins and their tricks in the nearer pools.

As Siri is extremely afraid of water, we soon walked away from the water area into the theme park interior. Passing rows of large huts along the shore and a gift shop, we entered an area with rental shops for swimwear, restrooms, and further ahead, an open space with small umbrella shades, sand-filled ground, swimming pool chairs, and a small pool.

Though the sun outside was harsh, the umbrellas were woven with grass, making the place pleasantly cool. We found a good spot and sat down. Within five minutes, Siri jumped off the chair into the sand like a fish diving into water and began playing.

Two women were sitting next to us; one went into the water. In another family, a couple left their grandchildren with their grandparents and went swimming. Since they were all from Canada, we soon got into conversations.

Siri not only began playing with a little girl there but also made their seating area her own. She loves small children — younger than her or slightly older — and keeps running behind them calling “Baby, baby.”

They gradually started talking to me as well. As it turned out, the two women were lesbians. They had recently married and had come there for their honeymoon. The grandparents I had assumed to be family were actually family friends.

That was the story.

Leaving Siri with them, I walked a little distance to take photos of Satya and Varu from afar for about ten minutes. Soon, when they began leaving, Siri insisted on going along with them. To distract her, I handed her my phone and asked her to play games.

Actually, Siri never moves anywhere without her iPad, but she tends to forget it everywhere. So that morning we deliberately didn’t bring it along during the trip.

By lunchtime, Satya and Varu returned. The buffet had started long ago, but strangely none of us felt like eating much. The island-style cooking was one reason; the large flies hovering while eating were another. We ate something just for the sake of it and stepped out.

Within fifteen minutes, while heading towards another shore where a boat was about to depart to the actual island town, Satya and Varu suddenly remembered that we had paid for the photos taken by organisers but had not collected them. There were only ten minutes left, yet I ran back and brought them.

Satya always scolds me for doing such risky things. I had gone with the confidence that even if I missed this boat, I would join them on the next one — but I didn’t know that this was the last boat into the island for the day. Had I missed it, Satya would definitely have gotten off midway, and we would have had to return with the theme park staff to the opposite shore where our resort was.

Thankfully, I returned at the last minute, and the story had a happy ending.

When we got down near the real island and walked inside, it felt like a small town. To go around the entire island, one needs to rent a self-driven golf cart and spend at least two hours. But we had only about one and a half hours, so we decided to just stroll through the streets.

Since none of us had the energy to walk much by then, we managed to cover only the first street along the beach.

We drank tender coconuts, bought and ate fritter-like bajji snacks sold at roadside stalls — similar to our peanut stands — had ice creams, and purchased small souvenirs like keychains. At one place, water was leaking from a pipe onto the road, turning the street muddy. Seeing the neglected local administration there, we laughed saying, “This too looks like India!”

While standing in line to board the ship back, a woman was selling sweets resembling our groundnut-shaped jaggery molds. I bought some and chatted with her for a while. For anything they need, island residents must go to nearby Cancún. She too travels daily from there.

Interestingly, the sweets used a brown sugar powder similar to our jaggery.

We returned to Cancún by ship and reached our resort by taxi around six in the evening.

Incidentally, Isla Mujeres means “Island of the Mermaid.” The island got that name because of its mermaid-like shape.

There is also an underwater museum here, but one must undergo proper underwater diving training, and it takes a full day. Anyone visiting Cancún should see Isla Mujeres at least once.

*****

(to be continued)