Sex, Travel and The Pandemic

Hookup Culture, The Friendzone and Chicken Pizza

As fun as adopting my new Turtle friend in the sky was, the lifestyle he promoted was quite expensive. The most fun things in life don't come cheap. I soared past my budget in Cancun like the green guy that floated above. I did all the tours, went to all the parties. I did all...the STUFF. Surprisingly, there was a lot to do in Cancun besides getting Tequila wasted in the hotel district. The most notable of these things and most internationally recognized was Chichen Itza. Or as my friends would call it "Chicken Pizza".

That was a running joke throughout the hostel. It wasn't very funny but who doesn't love a good food pun.

During my time in Cancun, I managed to find myself in a very diverse but equally fun friend group. There was Otis, a serious but deathly funny Australian man, The cute interracial British couple Maggie and Glenn, the gay (sometimes bisexual) Mexican Alejandro and.... and Jas, the Nepali American firecracker of a woman. I fancied Jas. She was cute. She had a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. It was complicated. She came to Mexico to have a quick escape from her life as a pharmacist back in the US.

Escapism seemed to be a common theme for backpackers in Mexico. Everyone was just like me. Bored and tired of their life back home, they came to Mexico for an adventure. An escape from the norm and into an exciting and spontaneous new world!

My friend group and I escaped to cenotes, beaches and marveled at the great work of art that is Chichen Itza. The Mayans were geniuses in their own regard. The fact that they were able to build the temple in the early 400s or 500s is a testament to their know-how and ingenuity.

Here's the thing about Wonders of the world though. You become so hyped about witnessing such a great wonder that you are always disappointed when you see it. It never lives up to the expectation that you held. It's kind of like meeting a celebrity who you adore and hold highly only to realize that they are mere aging humans just like the rest of us. When I had set out with my misfit group of friends to see Chichen Itza I was expecting fireworks, chocolate fountains, and Oompa Loompas. There was none of that and I felt a bit betrayed. It was an amazing work of art but my high expectations of it caused the wonder to crumble to dust before my eyes. Word of advice, if you ever visit Chichen Itza expecting the tour guide to be Willy Wonka then the marvelous Mayan temple will simply be "alright."

I knew exactly what it felt like to be considered alright.

During our tour of the Mayan Temple, Alejandro and I were having a little chat about my country, Trinidad and Tobago.

He said, "I heard people from Trinidad are absolutely beautiful."

Jas, listening to our conversation, responded provokingly saying, "Really? I've only met one person from Trinidad and he's alright."

Just shoot me in the head, why don't you?

Pineapple on Pizza is alright, Michael Bay's Transformers was alright, Adam Sandler's jokes are alright, Chicken Pizza was alright! I was more than alright. I was Gerard Butler in the movie 300, Denzel Washington in Training Day, I was a taco from Mexico City. I was prime ribs, baby girl!

I didn't say these things.... but I should have. My response was simply "Well then. That's your opinion!"

As much as I would have liked for Jas to consider me as more than just as alright, we had a good little friend group going. Why would we want to ruin it with sex or intimacy? That's the logic that Maggie and Glenn held. We all spent like a whole week or so together and every time Jas and I even got a little bit cozy together Maggie and Glenn would say, "Come on guys! Let's not ruin this good thing we have here." I would always think, "Yeah, easy for y'all to say. Y'all ain't single."

Jas and I remained as friends the entire time. She was my buddy, my pal, mi amiga! We were such buddies that when she had forgotten her passport at the hostel she called me, of all people, early in the morning to bring it for her. And I did it! I was just your friendly neighborhood black man, here to save the day, delivering passports to Buddy Lane.