Days Three and Four: Austin, TX and Cancun, Quintana Roo

Our last day in Austin, Texas was pretty uneventful, except for the soaking downpour that a few of us got caught in! We had a few lectures until noon – one on how to take good photographs, one about the curriculum project that we’re required to complete as a result of our trip experiences, and another on what to expect when we get to Mexico. What I learned most was that if our trip director Jacques says to eat at a Mexican restaurant, you’ll enjoy a great meal. But if Jacques says not to eat somewhere, you should run fast in the opposite direction!   Here's a picture of the group before our last PDO (Pre-Departure Orientation) session:

After our lectures, many of us headed back to the Radisson in downtown Austin to spend our last few hours exploring. Five of us decided to go for a walk down Congress Avenue, towards the Capitol building. After exploring the Hotel Driskill, the oldest hotel in Austin, we emerged to a gentle drizzle. We walked in and out of a few stores hoping for the rain to quickly subside. I didn’t think it would take too long, especially after hearing someone say, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait a few minutes”. We waited a while and then tried to make a run for it, but got drenched in the process. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much rain in such a short period of time. Rumor is, is that the storm was the beginning of Hurricane Alex. Needless to say, I hope my sneakers dry by the time I return home….
We were up early on Wednesday to head to the airport in Austin for our journey to Mexico! We got to the airport a little after 7am, and after checking our bags (which this time, I didn’t have to pay for…and apparently, shouldn’t have the first time), headed to the gate. But, as fate would have it, our plane to Dallas was delayed by an hour and a half because of the storm. We arrived in Dallas at 11:20, for our 11:23 flight. Since we were traveling in such a huge group, American Airlines really accommodated us – they sent a bus to meet us at our plane and drove us to the next plane. We made our plane! …and as soon as we were settled, we were off!

It was only a two and a half hour plane ride, but they were an unhappy two and a half hours. There was horrible turbulence and it felt like I was stuck on a bad roller coaster. I was happy when we finally landed safely. After claiming our bags, we went through an interesting customs process (after you hand in your declaration slip, you have to push a button…if the light turns green, you can go on your merry way. But if the light turns red, you have to open your bag for a customs officer. Two of our travelers got a red light. :-/ It wasn’t long before our bus arrived, and life was good. The program arranged for a huge tour bus that seats 42 people (we’re 18…16 Fulbrighters and two guides), with a bathroom, snack/cooler area, and a “Traveling Library”.

It took about 30 minutes to get from the airport to our hotel – the Intercontinental Presidente Hotel, located right on the beach. Right away, we went to the beach café to enjoy a snack and a beautiful view of the water. Cancun lives up to its reputation with gorgeous white sandy beaches and blue water.

I’m bringing back a small container of white sand to share with my students, and some pretty cool pictures too. Some of us went for a dip in the pool and then for a walk to the local mall to get some Haagen-Dazs ice cream (sigh...typical Americans!). First day in Mexico = good day!

Here's a map to show our current location: