HOLBOX

It's time to get away: A few years back my wife and I decided to go on a vacation, she didn't know it was also an adventure. I rented this house from a friend, it was located on an island off the coast of the Yucatan. Some of the details I kept from her, thinking she might not go. There were a few details my friend kept from me. We landed in Cancun and a driver was waiting with a placard resembling my name. We loaded into a airconditioned Ford van and left the airport. We traveled about a mile to a Mexican Slum, where our bags were taken out of the nice van and transferred to a real Mexican taxi. This was a non-airconditioned Nissan with a straight shift, when the neighbors pushed the car off our adventure began. We traveled four hours too the end of the Yucatan. We arrived at the dock where the boat was supposed to be, to take us to the island. Thirty minutes later Beato arrived with the boat, a 24' Panga with a 70 hp Yamaha. He delivered us to the island where we walked, while a boy pedaled our luggage on a backward three wheeled bicycle. The island was small about 150 people, they lived in Palapa houses with dirt floors. The house we rented was nice, it was stucco with tile floors. It was located on the other side of the island, with a wonderful view of the water. There were not waves crashing because there was two miles of reef on that side of the island. We were hungary and there was a restaurant on the island. It was open air no doors even the town dog came and went as he pleased. They specalized in seafood because this was a fishing village. We had Spanish menus,
my Spanish wasn't good but I was sure my logic would prevail. I ordered the Mixto and Marie ordered Frito Grouper. I thought I ordered the captains platter, but instead it looked like cut bait, squid, octipus, and other items cut up with lime sprinkled over it. The cervasa was good.
I had a few to wash down the Mixto. Marie was more sucessful her grouper was fried whole, eyes and all, in lard that smelled like coconut. I found out later they fed their hogs coconut. The next morning we traveled to another island. This island had a fresh water cave, I tried to snorkle for the first time. After diving about twenty feet deep, I learned the importance of shaving your mustache. The seal broke and they said it looked like Shamu surfacing for air. The next day Marie and I were sitting on the beach, when a female looking like BO Deric with dark hair jogged
by topless. A minor detail I failed to mention. Since I was already caught looking, I said that's what I have been looking for, if she could only cook like Martha Stewart. I was told I was more like Mixto than the Captiains Platter. ( have to stop now Marie fell at school and broke her arm)