Mexico

Michelle and I had spent roughly 30 hours traveling from Croatia to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.  We were both tired and thirsty.  So by the time we picked up our luggage and went through customs at the Cancun airport, the first thing we looked for was a place to buy two big bottles of water.  I stopped at the first vendor set up along the sidewalk in front of the airport terminal exit, and asked (in my best Spanish) for “dos, por favor!”  He handed me both bottles and when I tried to pay, he said he didn’t have enough change.  He wanted me to buy something else, but when I said I didn’t want anything else, he searched again for more change.  He found some and handed it to me.  Because everything was in Pesos, I was confused as to how much I really paid.  We walked away, and only later realized that I had actually paid $17 USD for 2 bottles of water!  It was the most expensive water that Michelle or I have every had the privilege of drinking!  But in all honesty, we were so thirsty we probably would have paid $20!  (We call these extra expenses a “stupid tax” and we normally end up paying 1 or 2 of these in every new place we travel!)