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Armando Gutierrez, the singer on the Ultra Mar ferry.

March 26, 2018

HOME . . . late last night after 50 glorious sunny days all over the Yucatan. We ate at 38 different restaurants and stayed at 7 hotels in 4 different towns and islas. YCMTstuff . . . So much to share. Blogs? Did someone say blogs?

On Sabado (Saturday), yesterday, we crossed over the warm turquoise water to Puerto Juarez with five suitcases that we saw stowed in a pile on the blue y yellow Ultra Mar ferry boat. We, along with our friend Braulio, sat topside in the hot sun. We propinoed Armando to sing “Welcome to de hotel California,” and things were running sooo smoothly. Check out Armando Gutierrez on YouTube. The whole trip had run smoothly. Then when we went to retrieve our 5 bags of luggage they were GONE. As in, “Where the hell did they go?!!! They were just here.” GONE.

After a frantic search, we found, through the security cameras, that they had been sent back to Isla. Braulio from Na Balam, who crossed over the 8 miles with us, saved the day by speaking to many of the dock workers in Spanish. Our bags were returned to us on the next ferry, and we (and our luggage) still managed to make our Jet Blue flight home.

Earlier in the trip, after traveling to Puerto Morelos, Akumal, Playa Del Carmen, and Isla Holbox, on our first day back to Isla, we met a frazzled Minnesota couple, Mike y Connie, during a beautiful sunset at La Joya Hotel. They had just arrived on Isla Mujeres for their very first time, but their luggage was left on the dock at Puerto Juarez. They eventually got it. We said, “We know the feeling. But in 30 years, it only happened to us once.” 

But then, yesterday, we lost those 5 bags.

Once while going back to Cancun from Merida, one of our bags decided that it wanted to break away and see Cuba (coo bah). Janis, our veteran travel agent, said, “Forget it. You will NEVER see it again.” It had all of our warm January wedding clothes from Albuquerque, including jewelry. We did eventually get it back, and with nothing missing! "Jewelry" and "turquoise" are really good spelling words.

Once while traveling to Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox (Hole bush) from Day One ALL of our luggage was lost. Our last time to use curbside check in. Later in the week, we had a call from Jet Blue. "Tocino, good news and bad news.”

“Okay, what is the good news?”

“We found your luggage. The bad news is that it is on Isla Aruba.”

So what is so bad about the bad news? Aruba will NOT ship luggage without the attached passengers.

It was transported – naturally -- from Aruba, through New York City, and on to Cancun. One day it arrived at Cabanas habitation #65 unexpectedly. That time we went 9 days without our luggage.

How was the weather while we were away in Febrero y Marza? Adventures in traveling.

"The only way to go to Mexico is to stay at one of those ALL inclusives and never leave the walled-in property."

- Tocino

A generous amigo to all the maleteros (porters) in Quintana Roo. 

On this adventure we met every single one of them.