The Beach!!

Part of our week-long yucatan trip was a few days on the beach. We spent one night in Playa del carmen, the mainland beach just across from the island of Cozumel. Cozumel was actually pretty small and sorta boring. Mainly a docking place for cruise ships, and maybe a few elite resorts. There were resorts, hotels, condominium communities, and spas throughout the 30 or so kilometers between Playa del Carmen and Cancun.
Unfortunately, recent hurricanes devastated this area, and it cost them a lot of money to rebuild it. Since Cancun was discovered 30 years ago as a tourist destination, tourism has become the major economy in the area and most of the local mayan communities have left their traditional economies and subsistence fishing behind to work in the tourism industry. Unfortunately, this means that many young mayans are choosing to speak Spanish and English, rather than Mayan. A few resorts are focusing on "ecotourism" as an opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of the area, and there is a "mayan disney world" type resort where families can experience "realistic" mayan communities - for approximately $65 a person per day.

We really enjoyed relaxing for two days on the beach in Cancun. The sand really is white, the ocean really is blue, and the sun really is warm. It is a paradise - for a few days.