The weather reports said two thunderstorms as we flew down to Tulum, Mexico for a week of birthday celebrations for Malika Weeden and an escape from America’s various crisis. The AirBnB was in La Veleta, a neighborhood of boutique hotels, spanking new condos and lots of stray dogs. Our place was a penthouse with two bedrooms and two baths. Lots of tall glass. I hit my head on the hard concrete ceiling of the staircase and noted that the place needed more handrails. Our host talked fast while recommending local restaurants and giving us a tour of the place. Both the accident and her speedy spiel were harbingers of unwelcome tiddings.
That night there were reports that the thunderstorm was turning into a tropical storm and then, too quickly, into Hurricane Gamma. We ate at an outdoor Italian restaurant near the condo, which was full of young Americans who weren’t wearing the masks. We sat as far from them as possible. The wait staff there, and all over Tulum, were thankfully masked up. A dog wandered through the place as a light rain fell. Dogs are ubiquitos in La Veleta. They tend to be thin, quiet and comfortable with humans. Of scores I’ve seen here not one was on a leash and none were aggressive.
Back at the condo we slept okay. The next day we woke up to the reality of roaring winds, bits of the roofing falling onto our terrace and water — lots of water — flowing under and around the front door. We used every sheet and towel we had, plus a tee shirt of mine, to stifle the flow, which threatened to cover the living room. It wasn’t the best way to start a vacay. The power went down. The faucet water cut off. The internet went down. The host was unreachable.
By the afternoon Hurricane Gamma had mostly passed. We had a soggy living room and some very rattled nerves. Tulum, however, rebounded quickly, so we ventured out for a meal and human contact. We drove up to the beachside strip of hotels and restaurants that made the town’s reputation and stopped at a place called Minas, where we had a good meal in a crowded space full of hungry vacationers. Aw, we thought, we can relax. Then we found our rental car had a flat tire! More frustration.
But that misfortune turned our trip around. Ezekiel, one of the concierges at Maria Del Mar hotel, next to Mina’s came to our rescue. He got the tire off the car, invited me into his car and we headed off to find air for the car. He played me U.S. trap music and asked me about New York as we hit to different gas stations before finding one with air. Turned out Ezekiel was also a mechanic. He put the tire back on the car, but warned us it wouldn’t last and volunteered to meet us in the morning to fox the tire. Moreover, because we were so frustrated with our accomodation, offered to get us a beach front room at Maria Del Mar.
So that flat tire turned out to be our trip’s saving grace and Ezekiel our guardian angel. I write this now overlooking a beach and the Carribean Sea after taking a dip this morning. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Hurricane Delta forced this hotel to evacuate and we spent last night at an cool hotel, ironically, not far from our original condo as rode our the storm there. Luckily for all Delta didn’t reach land here so this area wasn’t damaged like Cancun. Another tire on that Avis rental car blew out after Delta so we found a tire shop near by who fixed the flat and put all in all the other tires. We’re still debating whether we trust these wheels to get us to the Cancun airport.
The good news is that Tulum’s travelers are amazingly diverse and full of Americans, mostly in their 30s, who are taking advantage of Mexico being one of the only places to admit us. We’ve kept our masks on or with us, while alot of our American comrades have been much looser. Turns out a lot of the Americans here are digital nomads who haven’t been in the U.S. in months and don’t feel the same COVID-19 pressure we do. We talked wth a young white dude from Cali who came here a month ago for a wedding and stayed to “make new friends.” He was making out with a Mexican woman at his table so I don’t think he’s a rush to return home.
The infection rate here is low but, as I said earlier, all the staff here at restaurants are masked up. Had meals I some big excellent, fun spaces like Casa Banana and Parole, and they sell Cuban cigars so I stocked up on Monte Cristos. The water is amazing, but you knew that.
I can’t tell you, despite the weather, how healing its been to be away from the United States after the terrible spring and the fear of the upcoming winter. To breathe in clean, clear air and not the anger and paranoia that has marked our 2020 is a blessing. President Trump began is campaign push describing Mexicans in the most abusive and nasty terms. All I’ve encountered are hard working people with good values and tremendous generousity just trying to make a living. Soon I’ll be back in the U.S. mix. Hoping we all can be as resilient and proud as the folks down here.