Resorts

This weekend, Ameet and I had the pleasure of going to Cancun, Mexico for a wedding, where Ameet was the official DJ. He was so stressed about the gig, he spent hours and hours burning music and preparing. Ultimately, he ended up using only a fraction of what he burned, but it's good because he's more than prepared if he DJs another wedding. It was interesting because this wedding was at an "all inclusive" resort, where you pay a certain fee, then drinks and food are unlimited. It's the kind of over indulgence Americans love, and it's no surprise that the place was full of people from the good old US of A, particularly mid-Westerners. It's strange, because people come to these resorts, and they are basically in a Western enclave, never really venturing out to see the city where the locals live. Heck, they even have a Wal-Mart right nearby. One Wisconsonite told us a story about how he got "lost" and had to take one of the local buses. He said he realized just how lucky he was when he saw how "these people" live. The whole thing made me cynical. Yes, I realize I'm American, too, and that I was a part of the problem by being at this resort, but when you leave place like Santa Monica and San Francisco, you realize how many Americans haven't really traveled out of their comfort zone, where they have to cram on buses and walk (yes walk) to get groceries. To me, going to a resort in a foreign country and never venturing out basically defeats the whole purpose of traveling. But, I guess for most Americans, it's what's safe. And safety is good.