A different world
by Terry Toole

(Front, L-R) Cameron Smith, Kayla Smith, Helen Pletter, Megan Pletter, Steve Yelvington, and one of the ship's crew holding Carly Smith; (back row) a crew member, Joey Smith, Richard Pletter and Tanya Smith

"It was a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life," said Steve Yelvington of Colquitt.

On Saturday, July 7, a party of nine from Southwest Georgia left Atlanta for Cancun, Mexico. The party consisted of Tanya Smith, goddaughter of Steve Yelvington, her husband, Joey, and their children, Kayla, Cameron and Carly, Tanya's sister, Megan Poetter, Tanya's Uncle Richard Poetter, her aunt Helen Poetter, and Steve Yelvington. They arrived in Cancun about 1:30 p.m. and were taken to the Cancun Paradise Club Hotel. This place is about half the size of Colquitt. It has seven pools, six restaurants, five shopping areas and entertainment areas.

On Sunday, the group went to Playa Del Carmen which has the largest swimming pool in Central America.

On Monday, the group went to the flea market in downtown Cancun where the party purchased all gifts and keepsakes to bring back to the states. They then went on a lobster and steak voyage on a pirate ship which featured sword fights, dancing, Captain Jack Sparrow swinging on a rope from mast to mast and a cannon fight between the ship they were on, the Red Pirate Ship, and the Green Pirate Ship.

The Georgia traveler enjoyed their visit to the pyramids that have been used to filmadventure movies recently made.

According to some of those on the vacation trip, the most interesting event was the visit to the 2500-year-old Mayan City of Chichen-Itza in Yucatan. The ancient stone buildings and pyramids were fantastic to behold. On the way there the party made a stop at a sacred pool where treasures were once thrown into. This is a place where the roof over a underground river had dropped over a hundred feet to expose the pool.

The went on a boat trip to Isla Mujeres Resort. They traveled by boat to a reef where they went snorkeling for 45 minutes. They saw many large reef fishand a few barracuda.

For $50 you could have your picture taken with a tame six foot shark. Most of the vacationers passed on this photo moment since they were not sure how tame the sharks were.

The group stated that sunsets were fantastic to see as are the distant lighting storms at night. The group saw the largest and most vivid colored rainbow they had ever seen on the way back from Chichen-Itza.

On Friday, they visited Wayne's Boots Steak Restaurant. The Georgia group had the best delmonico steak they ever had. Tanya talked Steve into riding the bull there. The bull ride lasted about 30 seconds before he made a very undignified landing.

The travelers arrived back in Atlanta on Sunday, July 15. The memories of this trip will be treasured for a lifetime.

The group highly recommends a trip to Cancun to anyone who wants a wonderful adventurefilled trip.

Mr. Yelvington stated that his goddaughter, Tanya Smith, had told him to get his stuff together, and they were going to get him off the farm for a few days.

"My thanks to Tanya for making this wonderful trip possible, Yelvington stated. "Cancun and the people in that region of Mexico do not have the income or jobs that we have here in the U.S.A., but they try to make others have a good time and enjoy themselves. We might learn from these people who have so little, but seem to enjoy what they have rather than what they don't have," Yelvington continued.