Why I Like Mexico

I really like Mexico, or at least the parts I’ve been to. I don’t think I’ll like Tiajana because it will be so unlike the parts of Mexico I’ve been to and I do like. But I like the parts that I like and I’ve been to those parts so I like them. So maybe I will like Tiajana if I ever go there, but I don’t think so…that I will either like it or go there.

Like Cozumel for instance… many people ask me where it is and I often oblige by saying it is an island off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea. (see Map)

I guess most people go there either on a cruise ship or to go diving. But since I’m not rich enough for either, I will settle for just enjoying my work trips there and living it up on my per diem.

I like Cozumel because:

All the stray dogs there are attractive and well-behaved. I was told by someone in the know that every few years they round up all the ugly dogs and kill them. Not kidding. There is a very fine line between “owned” dogs and “stray” dogs. But regardless of ownership, all the dogs have full, dragging-on-the-ground teats. Even the boy dogs, I swear. It must be the humidity, although the humidity did nothing for my teats. The dogs with teats part I don’t like so much. Also, Cozumelian dogs know they are dogs. They move out of your way, they don’t sit where you want to sit, they don’t poop where you want to walk or lick the sidewalk; when they get food they are gracious and even sometimes complimentary. I think American dogs think they are some kind of suppressed minority.

The water is amazing. Not the tap water, the ocean water. Contrary to popular belief, the tap water in Mexico is generally not lethal. I’m not talking about all Mexican water. I’m just saying that you can brush your teeth with it which is more than I can say for the ocean water, which, you should never drink. The ocean is the most surreal color of electric blue. Once you have seen the ocean off Cozumel, you will be disappointed by all other Caribbean water. The Bahamas had the clearest water, but Cozumel has the bluest. The tap water is just clear.

The food is amazing. Whose cheap idea was it to make Mexican Food in America all about the rice and beans? When I’m in Cozumel, I am hard pressed to find a single bean on the plate. In fact, I’ve never eaten beans in the collective 2 ½-3 months I’ve been there. All I seem to find is fresh everything. Fresh salsa, homemade tortilla chips, delicious lime soup, tasty meat, fish so fresh they serve it flopping, and “limonada con gas” which is fresh lime juice, soda water, and sugar. Yum Yum. The trip is worth the food.

The Casa Mexicana which is my favorite hotel. Not because it is super fancy or anything. I just really love it. http://www.casamexicana.com/ Every morning they have a complimentary breakfast buffet complete with waffles, bacon, someone to make you an omlette, fresh squeezed orange juice with the seeds still in, and fruit. My fave is the chilaquilles with the hash browns, yogurt, and juice. And everyday I would return to find a towel animal waiting to keep me company. The maids make little menageries of elephants, rabbits, swans, cats, and monkey with the hand towels complete with googly eyes and sometimes decorative sequins. They sit on your bed and patiently wait for you to come home. The animals, not the maids. That would be creepy.

So there you have it. Go to Cozumel. Take the whole family. Ride scooters, go to the beach, buy prescription medication without a prescription. You have my blessing.