I remember watching the weather reports and monitoring the Internet as Hurricane Wilma hovered over Cancun and Cozumel for those three long days in October. My concern was for the tourists and residents trapped down there. I also worried about the people planning to spend their holiday vacations traveling to that region. As I watched the satellite photos of Wilma, I could only wonder what destruction and devastation it could be causing. People forget, but Hurricane Emily also ravaged this region earlier this year.
I knew once the hurricane moved out of Mexico, getting accurate reports of the damage would be difficult. I have seen this before with other destinations after a storm has hit. The Visitors Bureaus would minimize the impact and the resorts and hotels would be hush-hush on the damage they sustained. The last thing they want is tourists canceling their trips especially during the holiday season.
Since travel is my business, I felt it was important I see the damage first hand and report back not only to my clients but also post the information for others to see. I wanted to report back the good and the bad. I put my assessment of several popular resorts and tourist areas on my website under a special Cancun and Cozumel Status Report page http://www.dtrtravel.com/cancun-resort-status.htm for the community to use as a resource.
Getting a flight was the most difficult task. I knew the area of Playa del Carmen was not hit as bad so getting a hotel would not be difficult. Most of the airlines had cancelled their flights; some until the middle of December so it was like playing musical chairs watching whatever flight I booked get cancelled. Finally, it looked like American Airlines was resuming service from Dallas so I was able to get out November 7th.
When the plane was landing I looked out the window and could only wonder the wrath of Hurricane Wilma, for what used to be lush and green was now barren. Almost every leaf on every tree, assuming the tree was still there had blown away. The airport was in good condition but very empty and eerie. After I rented my car, I started to drive towards Playa del Carmen. It was strange to see large metal poles broken in half like twigs and what used to be billboards and road signs tangled like crumpled paper.
Fortunately, the Playa del Carmen area of the Riviera Maya south to Tulum fared much better than Hotel Zone in Cancun and Cozumel. The day I drove up to Cancun was a surreal experience. The road between the airport and the island was empty. I only saw two other cars on that long stretch of road. The south part of the island was like a ghost town. As I drove north, I could tell the main shopping areas and restaurants must have been devastated and that is where most of the construction was focused, in a concerted effort to get the infrastructure back for the holiday season.
I knew getting past hotel security at any of the hotels that were closed was going to be difficult at best so when I saw the Royal Mayan was opened, I made my way to the beach and was able to get some dramatic pictures of some of the damage. I could only walk so far, for parts of buildings were blown into the ocean blocking the beach.
The Gran Melia looked to be in good shape from the front and no one seemed to care when I parked and walked into the hotel. I knew if I could get to the beach, I could see the impact further north on the island. I was in awe of the damage inside slowly making my way through the debris on the floor. I only made it three quarters of the way in when I was stopped by security and they were not very happy I was there with a camera. Fortunately, I had not taken any pictures inside, but for a few minutes, I thought I might be taken to the nearest Policia station and at minimum my camera would be taken. After explaining why I was there and that I had not taken any pictures, they escorted me outside.
A few days later I would venture to Cozumel on the ferry. The only other people on the ferry were construction workers commuting back and forth to repair the damage. Once I arrived, I hired a cab driver to take me around. He was good at negotiating to get us past Policia roadblocks and that is where I got my most dramatic pictures. If I thought the Hotel Zone was bad, Cozumel was even worse. Some of the island still had not had their electricity restored. There was a fury of construction in San Miguel getting ready for the cruise ships to arrive the following day, their first day back to Cozumel. There are no more piers for they were blown away so passengers will need to be tendered to port.
I was one of the first travel professionals from the United States to travel to Cancun and Cozumel after the hurricane. Since I had my own car, I was able to get to areas that other people were not allowed to go. The cab driver in Cozumel got me into areas that I could never visited on my own. I can now advise my clients accurately and honestly about their travel plans, rather than depend on some of the tourism bureaus, whom would have you believe there was not damage at all.
For those traveling to the Riviera Maya, the infrastructure and most of the resorts are open and in great shape. I think the infrastructure in Cancun and Cozumel will be restored and in good shape by the holidays but in my opinion, it will take 4 to 6 months for some of the resorts to get back to normal. The good news is, I believe, that Cancun and Cozumel will be better than ever and once again one the worlds premier vacation destinations.
David L Rojahn
Owner
DTR Travel Inc.
350 S Garfield St Bldg A
Denver, CO 80209
303-740-8812
800-815-8601
www.dtrtravel.com