by Lynda Chitwood

Created on: January 22, 2009

When I retire, my dream will be to do so in Mexico. Family and friends scoff at this. Living in Southern California, most people's impressions of Mexico come from Tijuana, Mexicali, and the party-hardy atmosphere of Rosarito. When people quote to me, chapter and verse about killings, government corruption, and poor living conditions, I smile and ask of which American city are they speaking. In my few visits, I have had fun and adventure, met interesting people from all over the globe and experienced a gamut of cultures in one relatively small area.

Our first visit was to the Mayan Riviera, where we stayed in an all-inclusive "resort". This was a small 27 room complex, and according to many of our fellow guests, was a dump. Call us simple folk, but we loved it! Our room was always spotless, there just wasn't anything you could do about the bugs and lizards. We had a few in our room from time to time, but my theory was that they were there first and if they didn't bother me, I wouldn't bother them!

The pool area was gorgeous, always sparkling and beautifully landscaped, you could lay on a float in a nice clean pool, while looking out onto the crystal clear Caribbean. The best part was the staff. Many of the other guests complained, but my husband and I had no problems, in fact we never had to get out of the pool, as one of them was always ready to get us a beer or water. The food was delicious, but once again, we had to listen to people complain, and we just didn't get it. One woman boasted that she was going to eat all her meals at this particular restaurant in town. We tried it and hated it. Oh well, different strokes and all that!

Our most enjoyable time on that visit was a snorkeling trip. We had booked one out of Cancun, but that one was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. Picture 40 people crammed onto a skiff meant for 25, and then being told to put on your flippers when you couldn't see your feet. We learned then and there to avoid Cancun
at all costs. The town nearest our resort is a little fishing village named Puerto Morelos, about 20 km south of Cancun. It was love at first sight! Small enough to be quiet, with just enough tourism to keep most gringos happy. We booked a snorkeling trip with a local restaurant owner, Noah. You have to feel safe on a boat with a guy named Noah, he joked.
Our only free day was Sunday, and even though he didn't do trips on Sunday, he fixed us up with a friend who would take us out to the reef. We showed up

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