Who knew in 1969 The Economist was commissioned by Mexico?
To do a study about Playa del Carmen?
Would tourists come here?
Would cruise ships dock along the coast?
Who knew the ultimate conclusion, not to invest in development?
Who knew my friend, Art, was interpreter for the British team?
I surely didn’t know.
Only learning the other day.
When Aurora, Art’s wife, recounted the story.
In an email.
Noting they were quite wrong.
I, agreeing.
Who could miss the thousands of tourists passing through immigration?
After our flight landed.
The colossal cruise ships in blue waters?
Crowds of visitors from everywhere on Avenida Cinco?
It’s hard to imagine
just fifty years ago,
Riviera Maya
untamed paraíso.
Lynn Benjamin
February 20, 2024
Paraíso is Spanish for paradise.