I was recently invited on a trip to Mexico to snorkel in the local reef, sail to Isla Mujeres, and to swim with whale sharks (they are totally harmless to humans as they are into plankton for food). Of course there would also be some basking in the sun and some exploring in Mexico. I would be staying in and around Cancun including one night in a fun, small town about an hour outside Cancun, Puerto Morelos.
So how could this be a gray area in travel? It really sounds great, right? It does sound great. However, there are two, count em’ two, problems.
I am a lousy swimmer. Not so lousy that I would surely die splashing around in three-feet of water, but I am not a confident swimmer. I would hate to be stuck somewhere having to actually swim! And the second problem, I get seasick. The gentle rocking of the waves of the Caribbean could evoke the temperamental goddess Nausea inadvertently, then what? I could be sick as a dog in Mexico. I should just stay home — a safer simpler decision to be sure.
There is certain frightened child residing in my head doing its best to convince me that something awful will happen, even though the little voice has yet to be ever correct.
So while I admit there is a chance something could go wrong — the whale shark might swallow me whole, which would be a total drag — there is just as likely of slipping on a banana peal, or some other unseen dread coming my way (as if I could see an accidental banana peal catastrophe occur).
I finally came to the sensible solution, wear a life jacket and take Dramamine! While fear likes to run rough shot over my emotions, I would rather travel.
Hopefully, photos of whale sharks in Mexico to come.
