By Bus to Cancun

First thing on a Monday morning, I found myself on a 2nd class bus from Chichen Itza to Cancun. The first-class bus didn't depart until 4:30 PM, so 2nd class seemed like a good idea when I'd booked it.

This was less appealing when I realized the "2" in "2nd" stood for "stops every 2 feet."

That's because the 2nd class bus is the local lifeline for communities along the route. I was standing twice for part of the four-hour journey, having given up my seat to two of the dozens of babies on board.

Stopping in small communities was fun for a while, then repetitive, especially once I found I'd drunk too much water.

I couldn't wait to get to Cancun.

Shiny, modern, well-plumbed Cancun.

Two things you don't want to see after a four-hour bus ride when you have a wheelie bag since you were dragging around a bunch of work stuff like an external keyboard and an external hard drive.

1) Stairs to the sanitarios.

2) Turnstiles.

Perhaps you begin to see why certain luggage is better for certain purposes.

On arrival in Cancun (after navigating the turnstiles and swearing aloud in front of children), I pulled my wheelie bag across Tulum Avenue and up the street to the Radisson, which I'd booked on Radisson points I'd begun saving up back in Varanasi in 2011. (Free stuff requires dedication and patience.)

 I did my laundry in an actual machine down the block and bought some pecans at the supermarket. Then I retired to my room to bask in the ease and comfort of a hotel room without a 'Do not flush paper down the toilet' sign.