Welcome To Hell

Where shall we go? Dominican Republic? Sri Lanka? Mexico? That was decision me and my husband had to make back in January 2005 to make come true our dream holiday.
We decided for Cancun, Mexico.

We worked very hard all year around so we can enjoy 2 beautiful weeks in our dream hotel and all inclusive.
Our departure date was on the 11th October 2005.

Being that I am 5ft 11 the flight was very uncomfortable ...
...the journey and when we were landing I saw through the aircraft window, beautiful beaches and crystal clear water.

Me and my husband suddenly felt so happy that all our energy started building up.

When we got to the Hotel, everything was so beautiful and the staff was fantastic and very friendly. We thought we never want to leave this place.

The second day we started to enjoy our holiday properly. We ... more

Where shall we go? Dominican Republic? Sri Lanka? Mexico? That was decision me and my husband had to make back in January 2005 to make come true our dream holiday.
We decided for Cancun, Mexico.

We worked very hard all year around so we can enjoy 2 beautiful weeks in our dream hotel and all inclusive.
Our departure date was on the 11th October 2005.

Being that I am 5ft 11 the flight was very uncomfortable and never ending, but it got to the end of the journey and when we were landing I saw through the aircraft window, beautiful beaches and crystal clear water.

Me and my husband suddenly felt so happy that all our energy started building up.

When we got to the Hotel, everything was so beautiful and the staff was fantastic and very friendly. We thought we never want to leave this place.

The second day we started to enjoy our holiday properly. We went on the white sand beach surrounded by palm trees and turquoise Caribbean sea.

On Friday 14 October we decided to go on trip to Isla de Mujeras (island of women) which is a little island wide 1 mile and long 5 miles near by Cancun.
We went on Catamaran boat and the wind was pushing us across the Caribbean sea to wards Isla de Mujeras.
We stopped for snorkelling and than went on the island and had a lunch in traditional Mexican restaurant.

Isla Mujeras is an island where tourists go for visit but don't stay there. Only Locals live there.

Later we found our quiet beach and went for swim where we done more snorkelling.
Than we went back on the boat and half way on the way to Cancun the boat stopped and we done Parasailing and again it was brilliant experience.

The Next day we woke up and decided to switch the TV on to checked the weather forecast for the next few days.
But what we saw didn't felt right.
On the CNN were showing very bad tropical storm above Jamaica.
We started to worry and pray at the same time to stop but when we checked later the weather reporter was saying that this storm will turn into Hurricane Wilma by Tuesday 18th October.
We were hoping that the hurricane will go to wards different direction but the closer we were watching it the worst it got.

The reporter was saying that the Hurricane should keep going to wards the Gulf of Mexico and that it should hit Cancun on Friday 21 October.

Me and my husband got really scared and thought that we should fly out ASAP but all flights out of Cancun - anywhere you could imagine were fully booked and lot of people was stuck at the airport, waiting to get out.

It was total nightmare!!!!!

Our Travel operator should have moved us to someplace else but when we asked our Rep and she kept saying that there is no Hurricane coming and that everything is fine.
This was on Wednesday 19 October.
Everybody could see that there is something happening.

The sky went all grey, the wind started to pick up very strongly,
In fact so strong that we asked to be moved to lover floor hotel room because we were staying in Penthouse sea view and that was on 9th floor and in the night we could not sleep because it felt like the windows will come through. After littlebit of talking they moved us to 1st floor lagoon view.

To be honest it was very interesting that our Tour operator didn't know about the hurricane but people from the hotel and around knew, in fact the CNN news knew as well!!!

The same night we have received letter from our tour operator saying that there is no need to worry,but we will be evacuated on Thursday 20 October.

On Thursday we were evacuated into Shelter which was brothel. There were 17 rooms for about 270 people. So we were sharing room with another 13 people (together 15).

In the room was one double Bed and they gave us two air beds and some chairs. There was one toilet and shower, a television which had a porn channel on 24 hours a day and that was discovered by 9 year old boy who was sharing room with us.
The first day we had an electrocity and water running but at midnight they cut it all of.

The sanitary condition were very bad after one day because there was no flushing water on toilets and few people suffered sickness and diarrhoea so you can imagine!!!! what was it like!

There was no space for everybody.
We had 5 children in our room as well, which by the way were fantastic but the bed was given to them.
10 adults have to share the two air beds and the chairs which just wasn't enough.
There wasn't enough water and food so everybody was hungry and very very thirsty .
On Friday the hurricane started and the night was just dreadful. The wind was horizontal and this was the first time in my life when I felt really scared and the pressure in our ears was like if you diving below human possibility.
We had to immediately open windows a little bit in the room and bathroom because the pressure was building up and it looks like that the windows will brake which meant that all of us will probably die.
We had to use one of the air beds to cover part of the window in case of that the window will break.

We manage to get it under control and everybody held together which was very helpful. Unfortunately the hurricane was ongoing for more than 48 hours.
We had no food no drink everybody was very tired as no one get any sleep apart from the kids.

On Sunday it all stopped we actually came out of stinky room, where was 5 inches of water and the walls was soaking.
We had our first food which was little bit of scrambled eggs and piece of bread, but we all were greatful for that.

Later on we found out that there is a shop open near by and that we can get some more food because nobody knew how long we still will be in the shelter.
The security guard didn't want to let us go out of the brothel because we stayed in very poor area and according to them it was very rough area.
But some people just didn't care because their children were hungry and so we joined them.

The security guy followed us to make sure that we are safe.

As soon as we left the property we were terrified it was still heavily raining and the wind was very strong but what we saw around was even worst . We saw kids and families on the street because Hurricane Wilma took all they had.
Massive brigs walls collapsed to the ground, and every single strong tree was ripped out of ground, a traffic lights made from solid steel(see attached picture) were bend, and half of the buildings were missing.

Pieces of metal were flying around so we had to be extra careful but most of the time we were running from one side of the road to the other to avoid it.

We found the shop and bought some food which was mostly chocolates and breakfast bars as they run out of normal food but anything was good in that situation.

When we came back the mood started to be better and we even hear some people laughing which was the sign of the fact that we survived the big hurricane Wilma.

Then we received the very bad news that unfortunately we can't return to our hotel because it was completely destroyed. But they told us that we will be able to pick up our suitcases the next day.
Later on we have received another bad news and that was that we were in the Hurricane's eye (which is the middle of the circle) and that meant that we will go through the same thing all over again.
At that point I suffered panic attack and it was the first time in my life I saw my husband cry.
Fortunately there was a doctor and he calmed me down by injection.

In the evening the winds started to be very bad again and we was worried again all night.

At about 7am we saw sunny spells and everybody was happy and then we knew for fact that Wilma is gone for good!!
People looked very dirty and we all smelled very badly.
No one had a wash since Friday.

They told us that we can go pick our suitcases up to the hotel. So we did.
In fact we couldn't even recognise the hotel, that is how damaged it was.
Every single window was broken, roofs were broken, some rooms didn't had a floors, electric cables were hanging out, all lobby and restaurant area had their glass and doors and sealing broken.
Some rooms were still flooded and the beds in rooms were ripped to pieces.

Fortunately our suitcase survived which was very surprising but some people weren't that lucky.

When we came back to the shelter the water was running again and we had the luxury of having shower even though that the water was very cold but we were happy for that.

Then we have been told that we'll fly to Dominican Republic because apparently that was the only way to get all of the people out of Cancun ASAP (All together about 12000 british and 24000 different nationalities).

We were very exited as we though that we can stay there for a day or so to be able to relax after all this disaster.

In the evening we have got hold of some alcohol with our fellows shelter mates and we made guacamole with tortillas.
I know it doesn't really goes together but that was the only bread we managed to find.
The emergency lights came back on and we had a little party to say thanks to all of the hotel staff that had been looking after us all the time.
Some of the staff had no home to return to as it was destroyed so we manage to collect some money for all of them.

We flue on Tuesday to Dominican Republic. On the way to the airport was total grid lock and we though that we will miss the flights.
We have been told that we have to leave our suitcases in Cancun and that they will be sent to us later because there was no security system checked at the airport.

After 2 hours on the coach our Rep came and she said that we can go thorough but we can't even take any stuff out of our suitcase.
That left us with nothing apart from what we were wearing. I just manage to open my suitcase because my was with me on the coach and I grab my swimming costume and another t-shirt for me and my husband and I was hoping that I can get away with it …… and I did.

When we arrived in Dominica republic we went for diner. We had lots of food and drinks. Everybody was reliefed, we even discovered a little night club called Hurricane so went to have a drink in there.
And we were talking about all of it and it felt so strange, almost like we never experienced it.
Where we stayed was 5 stars hotel and because we had barely any clothes the staff of the hotel and even some guests put together some clothes for us to wear for the few days we were in Dom Rep.
Everybody was very nice.

Than it came time for us to go home and we suddenly realised that we really looking forward to go home but it was a little bit sad too because we realised that we left some friends over in Cancun with who we held together in the worst possible conditions. And also that we have a home to return to but the poor people in Mexico Don't.

I hope that you didn't get bored and I thank you for reading.

Me and My husband will definitely return to Cancun as over all it is wonderful place and the people are just incredible.

 

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