| In the very dim early morning light I hear a large | | | | locals must feel strangely about this invasion of |
| truck pull up just down the beach from us. I look out | | | | foreigners...but the invaders aren't interested in |
| the tent window and see men with guns getting out | | | | anything much more than a hundred meters off the |
| of the back. Either these are bandidos, the Zapatistas | | | | beach...so tourism generated jobs aren't that bad a |
| invading Quintana Roo or the Mexican Army. | | | | trade off. |
| Fortunately for us, it's the latter. | | | | But the day may soon come, and it has in certain |
| We get out of the tent and they stop by for a chat. | | | | areas like Cancun, where there is little or no public |
| The sergeant speaks great Spanish but it's clear the | | | | beach access. Such is life. And we in the States |
| three privates are Indian and speak with accents. | | | | worry about the Mexicans invading us! |
| They are all tall, strong, imposing and in full battle | | | | With this land grab there is a search for the unspoiled |
| gear, much as one would expect from soldiers on | | | | and the turistas talk about this place or that place |
| beach patrol. | | | | and how one is more remote than the other. |
| "Where are you going?" asks the sergeant. | | | | Everything is relative and it is only a matter of time |
| "Chetumal," I answer. | | | | before all the remoteness will be gone. At least along |
| "That's where I'm from," he replies, "there are some | | | | the Mexican Caribbean beaches. |
| pretty places to visit there. You ought to see | | | | When we get back, we start the fire and let the |
| Bacalar." | | | | coals burn down. I take a walk down the beach. The |
| "What are you doing here?" | | | | hotel workers rake the sand in front so there is no |
| "Patrolling the beach though there isn't much to | | | | trash or seaweed to spoil the dazzling white coral |
| patrol," he answers. | | | | sand. |
| "Not much to do in the Mexican Army". | | | | Of course this accelerates beach erosion. |
| "Not since the Zapatistas and that guy Marcos. Our | | | | Many hotels even put wooden planks from the |
| unit was one of the first in and that was a fight all | | | | water back up to the hotel so the tourists don't |
| right. But now everything has pretty much calmed | | | | have to get their feet sandy. Go figure...tourists are a |
| down there...everybody is behaving themselves so | | | | strange lot. |
| we get to patrol these beaches." They say good-bye | | | | On the opposite side of the bay there is new |
| and get back in their truck and leave. | | | | construction. It is a land grab of incredible proportions |
| The morning is spectacular and we walk out to | | | | as the sound of bulldozers can be heard as the jungle |
| Solomon's Point on the bay and take more pictures. | | | | is being cleared out. |
| Fortunately all my batteries are charged and we | | | | Back at camp she has already cooked the fish and |
| should be able to take all we want. Camping does | | | | offering some to two soldiers patrolling the beach. |
| present its challenges. | | | | The soldiers are in some kind of training and camping |
| The sea creatures are interesting and we find some | | | | out off the beach. |
| that look like ancient trilobites; perhaps distant | | | | They are supposed to find their own food; one way |
| cousins. The Mexicans have it right; we are all cousins | | | | or another and the camping tourists seem to be a |
| whether directly related or not. We get back to | | | | good way to get fed, ha! We give them tortillas, |
| camp and get sleepy; those tourists sure like sleeping | | | | potatoes, onions as well as fish; living off the land or |
| a lot. | | | | rather beach as one might say. |
| Hours later some snorkelers wake us up, the sun is | | | | We eat the fish on palm frond plates and it is |
| high and it is getting hot inside the tent. The better | | | | delicious. We eat our fill and watch as tour groups |
| half is already outside talking to them and they just | | | | drive past in those four wheeler motorcycles, their |
| went spear fishing; they got a large barracuda and | | | | fat rear ends dangling and bouncing off the back. |
| maybe a dozen smaller fish. They give us three small | | | | We clean up and I sit down and ponder the universe, |
| fish for lunch... | | | | just like in those beer commercials with the white |
| "Great," I tell her, "and just how do you propose we | | | | sand. But there are no bikini babes in my commercial, |
| cook them?" | | | | though there are some fat German women down |
| She laughs and says we need to drive into Tulum to | | | | the beach baring their sunburned breasts. |
| get some ice and supplies. I look in the cooler and all | | | | The wife asks why not go and shoot pictures of |
| we have is a beer; guess it's beer and nuts for | | | | them and I decline. I don't have time for such |
| breakfast. | | | | nonsense when pondering the state of the universe... |
| We later drive into Tulum and once again cannot | | | | I come to the amazing realization that the white |
| believe how it has grown. There are two parts of | | | | sand, sea and warm breezes make one sleepy so I |
| town; the Mexican side and the Tourist side. | | | | retire for my second nap of the day. What can I |
| We go into a supermarket in the tourist side and | | | | say? Sometimes it's better not to fight nature, no? |
| hear German, French, Italian and of course English. | | | | And yet somehow as great as it is I'm not sure I |
| Not much Spanish. | | | | would pay $500 a day to come and sleep near the |
| There are all the amenities for the tourist and the | | | | beach...even if the German ladies weren't so fat. |