Resort
This was a holiday, something I was unpractised in, especially in the all-inclusive package tour form. For most people on the flight from Gatwick, this was a fourteen day commitment to booze and basking in sunshine. From a photography point of view, this resulted in fewer moments that urged me to have my camera in hand.
This is not to say it was unworthy of some photographs being taken, in fact there were several moments that deserved attention. But I had a sense that this was not a place to roam around with a camera up to the eye and framing shots, certainly not as if I was in the streets of a town or city.
Upon arrival it became apparent that this was a fabricated vacation district, nonetheless a very welcoming one. Obviously purpose built to invite a transient global community that primarily had the same goal in mind – sun worship, and for certain parties, food & drink indulgence. The two overlapped very nicely.
The architecture remained the same, the foyer, the bars, the entertainment area, along with the food hall and adjacent restaurants, they all remained the same. During the day the beach and poolside sun loungers rotated to orbit the sun, with the most devoted worshippers dragging their sun-beds to the open beach to erase any chance of shade from a palm-tree or parasol.
It's like a large sunshine filled airport concourse, with many people going about their own business, eating, drinking, coming and going, but all unlikely to ever set eyes on each other again. Add a seemingly endless supply of food & booze and there is a place that I had never visited before, despite 3 previous trips to the Pacific coast of Mexico. This in itself struck me as it being a worthy destination, working with the idea that travel can be to broaden one's horizons and experience something new.
This was all happening in the country we were actually in – Mexico
Mexico
The barrier lifts and a few steps take you out of resort world, and into the streets of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
It is immediately clear when walking out onto a busy road, that the gated community is now behind you. Each step furthering you into a barrage of new colour, sights and sounds.
Without coincidence the road leads directly to a lively pedestrian tourist strip, full of bars, gift shops, tequila outlets, tour operators and a bizarre amount of pharmacies.
The tourist area recedes within blocks of the main drag, and the town of Playa del Carmen goes about its day to day business. Down on the waterfront there are crammed beaches and a couple of jetties, with the expected throng of visitors, street vendors and performers.
All under the watchful eyes of the highly visible Marines. No matter how many times I saw them, a double take was required. They are in full combat fatigues, face coverings and are heavily armed. Not only do they patrol the streets, they also comb up and down the beaches, usually accompanied by a quad bike. A jolting juxtaposition; care free relaxation next to masked gunmen, albeit their presence for your safety, or at least the idea of it. Which just wasn’t that settling for me.
It is something I had not seen before.
