I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.
I'm 27, a freelance hack based in London, where I've lived all my life.
Member since:15.12.2000
Reviews:154
Members who trust:129
- or as close as I've ever been to it anyhow. Admittedly, I was only there for about a day on my way to Belize, but that was enough for me to vow that I will never, ever return.
Let me explain. This place is an object lesson in how to build a city with no soul, designed entirely to recreate the worst bits of America with a bit more sun n'sand First of all, Canucun is a purpose-built resort. I think it used to be a swamp, before it was computer-selected as the ideal place to dump all the really awful tourists that otherwise mess up perfectly good Mexican beaches. There is therefore no indiginous culture or even local population. Its designers set out to create a city that existed entirely of hotels, restaurants and services catering to the kind of tourist who want their holiday destinations to be as much like home as possible, but with better weather, and they succeeded. Every last bit of anything mexican has been systematically and deliberately edited out of Cancun. It consists entirely of a series of hotels, each larger and more extravagant than the last, with huge entrances with lots of stairs that make you feel exhausted just to look at them. They are basically all along a single road, and placed opposite endless casinos, pseudo-Mexican restaurants, and pizza huts for those who can't deal with even that much culture.
The smart hotels cater for the American package tourist, the kind of person who is still rather surprised that any countries beside America actually exist, and think that steak with a bit of chilli on top counts as exotic food. The cheap hotels cater to a particularly obnoxious breed of American college student, whose idea of fun is to drink as much beer as is humanly possible and shout a lot all night. It is not surprising that Cancun is the favoured destination for those taking the fabled college Spring Break. It takes a lot to wake me when I'm jetlagged, but on that night in Cancun I discovered that idiots smashing glasses in the corridor outside my room does the trick, as does attempting to bash down my door - I think whoever it was somehow thought I was hiding his friend in my room. And broken glass in the corridor doesn't make for fun when you're going for a shower either.
The net result was that we felt like we'd paid a lot of money to spend the night in a particularly unpleasant hall of residence some time during fresher's week. And if you want to behave like you're back in fresher's week, Cancun may well be the place for you. Suffice it to say that we got the first bus out in the morning, and never went back.
I have been to cancun twice and loved it both times only thing missing for me was a casino. I was told by several locals and concirege twice that there wasnt one, only a sports bar where you could bet on events. As you mention numerous ones opposite hotels pleae let me know where and I can visiit them on my next trip.
Astragali 19.02.2001 22:32
Great op, but... shhhh... not so loud - Judith Chalmers might hear you! :)
john.sw 12.02.2001 16:10
I suppose it could have been worse.. you could have suffered from Montezuma's Revenge whilst you were there!
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Advantages: unique, in your face, great entertainment, superb value for money. Disadvantages: bit cheesy - but meant to be
TheWizardsSleeve 05.11.2007 (31.10.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Coco Bongo, Cancun, Mexico
Advantages: Trapeze acts, stage artists, great fun party music, atmosphere, strong drinks Disadvantages: Very busy, likely to get drinks spilled on you
![Video Visits: Mexico - Merida, Cancun, Belize [DVD] [1999] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S1.gif "Video Visits: Mexico - Merida, Cancun, Belize [DVD] [1999] [US Import] [NTSC]"){kind=icon}
Jan 8th, 2001
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