Our third day in the Yucatan ended uneventfully. Mike and Mika returned from their whale shark watching trip while Camila and I were playing in the beach. Mike came all sun-burnt and excited about what he'd done and seen, Mika was instantly in a bad mood when told that, no, we could not stay there another night. Instant attitude, instant questioning as to why we bother bringing them in this trip.
The ride back to Cancun, where we decided to stay the night so we could exchange our rental car for one that had a working air conditioning, also started on a bad note. We had left the rental car in Chiquila at Don Patricio's, a parking close to the beach. Don Patricio and I had agreed on a price of MN$40 a day, or MN$80 for 2 days. Once we get there, I tell him that as I get the money out of my wallet, and he says to me that I owe him MN$150! He says that I owe him for 3 days, at MN$50 a day! I remind him that we had agreed on MN$40 - I had said MN$35 and he'd replied with MN$40, and I had said OK. He argues he'd never given me a price. Then he capitulates, or remembers, but still insists that I owe him for 3 days. "How?", I ask, starting to yell. "Yesterday," I count with my fingers, "Today" . Two fingers, two days. He, of course, has no answer. Just insists that it should be 3. I give him the MN$100 pesos saying I'd call the police to settle this. He agrees. I suddenly realize he's not giving me any change, so I go back to get the money from his hand. He fights me off - he's stronger than I and is clutching the money. I call Mike. I think he realizes that he's going to lose and let's go. I return to the car fuming. Mike and the girls are getting the luggage ready. Mike tells me he has MN$70, I know I have MN$10 somewhere so I go back. "You are a thief and you don't deserve any of this, but I said I was going to pay you and I will". He's lying on his hammock, where he's been since pretty much the start of our conversation. He repeats "120", I, "you are a thief and I shouldn't pay you anything", "Don't pay me anything", "You don't want me to pay you anything? Fine". I start to go away. He says "I'll call the police". I turn around "call them, call the police, let's go, call the police". He's too lazy to get off his hammock. Plus, I suspect he's had non-positive encounters with the police. So I go, not paying anything, but mad and bitter at someone trying to scam me *yet again*.
The drive to Cancun itself is uneventful. It rains and the tires, which are the cheapest, least sticky model you can find, slide. Mike is a good driver so we don't, but he's not happy. The girls play and fight and ultimately sleep. As it often happens, the ride back seems quicker than the ride there.
We stay at the same hotel than before, it's under US$40 and a deal like that can't be beat. Plus we like the hotel. For dinner we drive a few blocks away to the really happening part of Cancun. There are restaurants and gift shops and bars. Hooters and Rainforest cafes (where the kids want to go, and everything is outrageously expensive. Prices at restaurants are comparable to those in America, I know it's Cancun but I'm shocked! We end up eating at a place where they have tiny tacos from US$1-$2.50. Given the paltry amount of meat they're still overpriced, but we're not too hungry. Then it's time to go back to the hotel, showers, lots of lotions over sunburned skin.
Mike will have to write about his whale shark watching trip. He had an awesome time. I'm one day behind in my blogging. And now it's time to go and pack so we can get going, have some breakfast, hit the prison & then Chichen Itza.