The Colours of Mexico

One thing immediately striking on entering Mexico is the colour.  In place of the "cool", sterilised black and white of urban Western life, the Mexicans aren't afraid to celebrate life through colour.  Its everywhere: in the street vendor's display, in the rich reds and greens of the food, in the colours chosen for housepaint; good lord, its even in my hotel room!

I'm in the coastal town of Playa de Carmen, about an hour south of Cancun.  It was good to escape from Cancun.  The place was full of American college kids on Spring break, the boys with their shirts off, caps backwards; the girls in bikini tops, screeching over the din, both totally smashed - it could have been Surfers during schoolies week; in fact, it could have been anywhere: Kuta, Ibiza, take your pick.

Playa in contrast, is mainly Mexican (or at least Spanish speakers on vacation).  It's a little seaside town with the main street a pedestrian mall, full of shops, bars and restuarants.  It also has a lovely (and unlike Cancun) low-key beach lined with palms and deckchairs - this is the Carribean Coast after all.  Typically for Mexico and Latin America generally, people eat late and as the summer twilight approaches, the streets and central plaza are full of families (theres no early bed for bubba here), young and not so young boys and girls eating their icecreams, sipping their beers and more generally checkng each other out. 
In short, its a pretty cruisy place.  So I've decided to stay put for the week and take some Spanish lessons.  My routine is class from 9 till 1pm (myself and a Canadian girl), then lunch followed by a swim and a doze, maybe a walk through town or the gym, write my journal, have dinner over a couple of cervazas, before turning in and starting all over again.  Its a tough gig but someone has to do it.