Tuesday, October 25, 2005

1:30pm…I’ve been sick most of the day and have been lying in my cot. I woke up during the night with a migraine and it developed into a major one by the time everyone else woke up. Gloria decided to head out to Tulum this morning and so she took my radio with her to try and get out. The travel agency that supplied us with our transportation from the airport finally showed up today. I stood in line and gave them my flight information for tomorrow and hopefully, we’ll get out then. I also hope Gloria is able to confirm with my brother and Delta that we are still flying tomorrow. The newly weds still around us are getting more and more frightened by all the rumors we’re hearing. I’ve been told by a couple that attempted to go to the Cancun airport this morning that traffic was backed up for miles and that they were turning people away if they did not have boarding passes….this is ridiculous, as we are unable to get boarding passes until we reach the airport. I just realized something… I have a paper ticket. I don’t usually travel with a paper ticket, but since I purchased this ticket with a Delta credit voucher, it a a paper ticket that I must present at the airport. I guess I better go find it!!!

The smell in here is getting really bad. It is a large reason for my headache, in addition to the snoring man that kept me awake all night and the high levels of stress that I have been under.

The shelter continues to go over and above on the meals and cleanliness they are trying to maintain. The running water ran out this morning in the restrooms and no one could use the toilets…however, by this afternoon, they have restored it and the restrooms are open again.

I feel so sick and am afraid to eat much of anything other than bread. I have taken 6 pills of various types trying to find something that will get rid of this headache and now I am groggy, dizzy and nauseated. I want to go home.

I almost broke down and cried this morning when I realized I had a migraine. I can’t deal with much more, and I know there is much still to face. This is the easy part. When we get to the airport, we’re facing all kinds of unknown trials. I have been told that the airport is under marshal law and people are stealing, vandalizing and terrorizing the tourists. I don’t know if I will ever come here again. This is like being in a third world country…

6:54….

Today we spent most of our time trying to find out what is going on with the airport and the Delta flights. At one point, Gloria wanted to take a charter bus to Mexico City…a 2 day trip…and try to get a flight out of there. But we have been told that we now have a flight out of Cancun airport on Thursday afternoon. This is the 4^th flight we’ve been confirmed on to leave Cancun. We’ve been told that people that left here and were taken to the airport are now trapped there and are sleeping on the floors. I’ve decided that it is best to stay here and wait to see what happens. The US consulate and embassy came here today to find out how we’re being cared for. We had many compliments for the people working to keep us comfortable, but many complaints that they have kept us so much in the dark about so much. The carpets are soaked and moldy and making people (including me) sick, there is no access to the medic that is supposed to be here, no drugs to help us, and we’re being kept in the halls of the convention center, insisting that the state has to come and “inspect” the facility before they will allow us to have a room. This, we are sure, is not true. They simply plan to keep us in the convention center. There is still no communication here, no phone, no internet, the food is getting very interesting, as I’m sure they are running out. The restrooms are flooding and backing up, and the stench is unbearable at times. I am sick, and can’t think of anything but going home.

10:23pm…

We’re finally at the end of another day. We’re lying in our cots, trying to relax and not think about what we are still to face. I took a ride in a cab with a nice older couple into Playa Del Carmen where they were able to finally pick up a cell phone signal. They let me use their phone to call Monica and Ben (my children) and Damon to find out if he knew anything about our flights and Delta’s schedule. He informed me that our flights had been changed again. Now, we are scheduled to fly home on Saturday afternoon. My boss will never believe all this. I have to find a way to call him. I haven’t even spoken to anyone in my family until today when I spoke to the kids. I got Ben’s voice mail, and Monica answered the phone and I spoke to her briefly, but found out that the hurricane is presently in Tampa. The flights are probably all messed up because of the weather in the southeast. This resort, in the meantime, is working day and night to get the place cleaned up and rebuilt for arriving guests next week. We are told we will not get rooms and we are here to stay in this shelter. The mold and mildew is getting worse and the smell continues to grow. The US Embassy and Consulate was here today checking to see if we were all alright.