I took a plane to Cancun with United
Airlines, again via ciudad de Mexico. I took a collextivo (a shared
taxi) to the International Youth Hostel, which I thought would be ok, in
the Zona Hotelera, but as soon as I got there...shit...it was terrible...but
it was late at night and didn't wanna go to look for soemthing better
and at te same price. I was sleeping in a very huge dorm, without glass
on the window and without a key at the door,so anyone from the street
could just come in...I was the only girl sleeping in there... During the
night there was a storm and all water came in, a lot, and also then when
I was nearly sleeping, a man came in...I was on the top bed and I
started yelling and stuff and this man went away. I was sooooo scared he
would rape me or something..Nerver understood whom he was, but at least
he went away. On the whole, as for a starting in the Caribbean I wasn't
happy...at all..
JANUARY4th, 1999
I walked down to the Hard Rock Cafe and
took a bemo to the Puerto Juarez. Driving is like crazy
here.hihihi.Peolpe seem so lazy and happy:)As soon as I got to Puerto
Juarez I took a boat to Isla Mujčres for 20 pesos.
The boat was very
nice and offered beautiful views of Cancun shoreline. Then I
arrived there, already at the pier water was sooooo blue,,,like you see
in postcardS and I told myself"Gosh it was worth suffering last
night". I went to look for a cheap accomodation and I ended up
going to Hotel Marcianito, between Juarez and Hidalgo,they also have a
nice dog:)I paid 130 pesos each night. I stayed for 4nights.Then I went
to the beach on the west side of the island. My imagination had not been
enough to imagine such a paradise....dolphins ,transparent waters, white
sand...I loved this beach. 
I met a bunch of German people at the beach
and hanged around with them the four days:). All we did was relaxing and
partying.
January9TH, 1999
I went back to Puerto Juarez and then to
the busstation and took a pulic bus to Playa del Carmen. People are so
nice here, I had a lot of fun on this fucked up bus, people snoring ,sleeping,singing,hahhaha,it
was a cool 45 minute journey. I'm starting to manage with Spanish..ihihih.As
soon as I got in Playa, I started looking for accomodation. I ended up
with going to Hotel Lilly, on the Av.Principal, the very pink building,for
120pesos a night.which was good actually.I walked down to the beach and
saw happy kids playing around and lazy men just sitting and doing
nothing.It was funny to see the big difference between our "hectic"
society and theirs.They seem not to worry about anything:)Finally laying
down at the beach I met these guys from the Italy,and we started talking
and laughing around.We all went to dinner together.I looked at the
travel agency for cheap flights and I found a very cheap one to Cuba, so
I decided I am going there.I am just curious.
January 10th, 1999
This morning we woke up early and we
decided to go to Chichen Itza via Cenote. On our way we stopped at
this underneath lake called Cenote,I even swam int he lake,but I
was afraid of big black fishes inside.
And also,there was like an energy
that pulled me down the lake, and I was afraid I couldn't go back on the
ground and I would drown.STOOPID ME!!! Chichen Itza is an hystorical
site with Maya and Toltec architecture,its structures inspire endless
questions while evoking awed responses to the skilled creativity of its
apparent construction.
It's
amazing, I guess the most fascinating site I have ever been to.On the
way back we also stopped on Valladolid, This is a city on the move,very
modern in a way,but still keeps attention on its traditions:indigena
women selling huipiles in thre zocado, the nice cathedral and so on.
January 11 th,1999
I went to Tulum with my friends from Italy.
We just took a bus to there and walked from the highway to the beach,
about 30 minutes on foot,but it was worth of it:)The castle on the cliff
by the sandy beach is a fantastic show!!!
We spend all day relaxing there
and at the water-park called Xel-ha,which is nice to see, but too
artificial to make me think of Mexico..On the way back I even saw this
surfer again at the Plaza in Playa.
I really like him a lot, shaved hair,maori-art- tattoes,barefoot.ihiihi:)I was
talking a lot about him that we went to have dinner and we met him again
in the street... my friends stopped him and asked if he knew any vegetarian
restaurants amd so on.well,I met him..he is gorgeous!!!His name is Roy
and he is from Santa Cruz,CA.I told him I was living in San Fran and
stuff like that.And he said he is going to try to make it to Cuba,as it
is now allowed for Americans to go there. Well we partied all night long
and I was soooooooo fucked up...oh margaritas...
January 12th, 1999
Took a boat to Cozumel Island and have
been lazying around the whole days there. I dont actually like this
island that much..too touristic.But the views still were nice. During
the evening we went to eat at the vegan restaurant in front of Roy's
accomodation called 100% NATURAL. Man, this restaurant is soooooo
genuine, healthy and gooodddddddd!!!
January 13th, 1999
I was flying over to Tikal (Guatemala)
with the American guy Roy and an old surfer from Waimea. It was really
interesting to hear their stories about surfing and so on.The airplane
AEROCARIBE was really good.The ruins in Tikal are very very nice, but
still I preferred Chichen Itza.We went back to Playa del Carmen and I
went to have dinner at 100% natural again.Then Big arty on at the beach
"RIBOTTAAAAAAAAAA".ihihihi
January 14th-21st, 1999 CUBA
I took a fucked up plane from CUBANA de
AVIACION to l'Havana.God thanks the flight lasted only 1 our and 15
minutes:(It took ages to get readya t the customs cos it is weird for
them to see a girl entering alone the country,,for sure a girl does not
go there with men's perspective...:P So then a man from the hotel
where I was staying came to pick me up and we headed to the downtown.I
was staying in good hotel,but i was feeling so sorry for the
people there. 
Everything looks destroyed. I met a guy and he asked me
for clothes and soap. I gave him a skirt and a soap for his sister. This
amde me really feel bad. I had the shittiest french fries of my life...yuck..I
miss Playa del Carmen and my friends there...I dont feel like I belong
to here, nor I have got anything in common with these people's point of
view....They seems to be very proud of their dignity but then at
the same time they show loads of contraddictions cos they despise
Western civilisation but by asking people western things and trying to
get married to get out of the country...is not logical to me. They
say they support Fidel Castro,but basically they despise him,verba
volant ...you know...everyone is good at speaking...But let's look at
the facts..they are not actually happy....oh well,this is just my
opinion,but I don't see the point in being so proud of their status. It
is ok to be proud to be a Cuban, but why not to admit Fidel has failed
in what he aimed to do?!?! this is what I dont actaully get...
I took a
taxi-particular to Santa Maria and Varadero...not the best best places
to go if you are a girl like me all alone...prostitution all
over...it was very depressing...it is the first time I feel like
"wow, I cant wait to go back home"...The last day I took a
city tour of Havana, the city is really fallign to pieces..butn it was
interesting ,so I could get an idea of the Placa de la Revolutions and
so on. I thought anyways that l'Havana would be better...I didnt like it
almost at all...In the afternoon I took a taki particular to Playa del
Este. It was the same as in the other beaches I saw...prostitution,,,,no
comment....
January 22nd, 1999
I had a nice breakfast at the hotel even
if the tablenapkins were dirty,iihiih and I was very excited to fly back
to Mexico. I really could not wait to go.It started to rain a lot and
then I took a bus to the airport. Leaving Cuba has only left me
depressed and sad, and at the first time very critical towards these
people's attitude..I do not have the feeling I wish I coud go back...I
took a plane,which was sooooooo old...you could not say it flies from
its outlook...I don't wanna fly wiht this company from CUBANA de
AVIACION anymore...Then
I safetely got to Cancun and went straight to Cancun as I had to fly
back home for 8 days to give my travel report at the office in San
Francisco.I was agt the loacl beach near Hard Rock Cafe for about 3
hours and then I was again flying with United Airlines via Los Angeles.
DO NOT FLY CUBANA DE AVIACION...
