Rufus The Doofus

We try to avoid vacationing in any towns that are ports for cruise ships. The hoards of Mickey-Mouse-loving American tourists tend to ruin any sense of local character. Merida isn’t a cruise ship port but apparently it’s not immune to the effects. Progresso is the closest cruise ship port and a little over an hour’s drive from Merida. They bus ‘em in for day excursions. Normally the tourists just clog up the shopping areas purchasing Chinese-made Mexican trinkets. But apparently not in Merida.

My wife and I were taking a break in the shade having some ice cream when we couldn’t believe what came rolling down the street. I was too dumbfounded by the sight of a single-file pack of American tourists slowly working their way up the street on Segway transports. We were so entertained by the spectacle of this impressive display of pure American tourist laziness that I was slow on the draw with my camera. I wish I would have thought to catch the procession in its full glory with a video clip. I looked up this tour on the web for entertainment. For about $70 bucks you get a bus ride, a Segway and a bag lunch. Such a deal.

This kind of display of American tourism is embarrassing. I could tell by the looks on the faces of some of the members of the group that they agreed. They were all wearing helmets, elbow pads, knee pads and gloves just like a five year old kid learning to ride a skateboard for the first time.

We made the mistake of staying in Cozumel one time. Cozumel is a cruise ship port. The whole area around the pier is geared towards extracting money from American tourist’s pockets. It’s all there: cheesy photo ops with donkeys painted to look like zebras, over-priced watersports, “duty free” jewelery, perfume and booze shops, etc. These kinds of things sprout up around every cruise ship port and ruin any sense of authentic local character and drive up the cost of living in the area so locals can’t afford to live there. I just don’t get it. I don’t know why anyone would want to “vacation” like this. Why travel when you can’t experience other cultures?

Tags:   cruise ship · merida · mexico · touristsNo Comments