Cancun, Mexico is a beautiful place for a sunny Caribbean vacation, but for the uninitiated, getting there can be something of an adventure.
First of all, Cancun's airport is something between a 7/11 convenience store, a Macy's department store, and a shopping mall. High-end cosmetics and sunglasses are stuffed in next to cigarettes and candy, just inches from security checkpoints. But that's not the half of it.
On my honeymoon, friends of my wife's had warned me to beware of the army of taxi drivers, luggage carriers, and van operators who would approach us as we exited the airport, asking where we were going, offering to take us there, offering to carry our luggage. They were emphatic. "Just say no to anyone who talks to you," they advised. "They don't work for the hotel or the airport."
Having exited Cancun's customs depot and going on our way out of the airport, my wife and I were cautious. We were looking for the one particular person who we were told would be holding a sign with our names on it.
Of course, leaving the airport doors, we were immediately swamped by dozens upon dozens of the "friendly helpers" we'd been... read more >>