The Cynical Tourist
Its so hot I'm melting. Seriously. I was delayed a night in Miami due to delayed flights and connections. So after resentfully blowing half a weeks budget on a rubbish hotel close to the airport, I finally made it to Mexico.
Arriving in the American appendage of Cancun I was confronted with chubby tourists armed with even less Spanish than myself, eager to start their margarita consumption and trinket buying.
In the 3 days I've been in Playa del Carmen I've only had one conversation solely in Spanish (and that was helping a German girl order a taxi over the phone). And despite the beaches being pristine white, with warm clear water, I resent the tourists, who are either old and over-weight, often in mating pairs, or young, skinny, bronzed twenty-somethings with not a care in the world (except for whether they look good from this angle).
So, as I stand at the beach in my bikini (and please note I look ridiculous, hours of cycling in the sun have given me a shiny white tummy and short tan lines- it looks like I'm wearing white lycra shorts with my bikini bottoms over the top...) I wish I was back in Guatemala, in my overalls playing horsey with Jaqueline.
Despite being the most cynical tourist ever and refusing to buy trinkets or indulge in over indulging, I have found some treasures in Playa. I found the neatest little second hand bookshop called El Quinto Cabaliere, and tamales (a traditional latin American dish that I remember eating as a child in LA) and I learned how to use my new waterproof Sony camera. So all is not lost.
So aside from memorising the 60 odd coral I need to know for the coral data collection I'll be doing, I've thrown myself at my fundraising efforts for the GVI Challenge I'll be partaking in when I get to Peru.
Queue promotional blabber:
In 5 weeks I'll be in Arequipa, Peru where I will volunteer in a local school and construction.
Having spent a week in Guatemala working with the indigenous community there, I saw first hand (again) the great work that GVI Phoenix Projects do, both for the kids and for the volunteers. So, I've decided to take on the challenge of climbing volcano Chachani (6,095 metres, or 19,997 ft) to raise money for the GVI Phoenix projects in Peru.
In True Tina style I will do it dressed as a PHOENIX. So please dig deep into your hearts and pockets.
I know many of you are students, but know what every little bit counts. These kids have nothing, except their beautiful smiles, their humility and kindness, so really, every cent counts. I promise.
And to top it all off, Jamie, my Aunt, has just pledged to match whatever I raise up to my $1000 target! So please guys, dig deep and know that whatever you donate is being matched! What a lovely surprise, and to those who have already donated, thank you so much. I love you for it.
Tomorrow I head south of Tulum to be reunited with my tent and nature. I can't wait to start volunteering again, I'm getting withdrawal. Seriously.
So, with no internet, and a diet of beans, rest assured I'll be in my element. Until I write again, hugs, peace and love from Mexico! (and please donate!)
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