Hurricane Dean

Having just read that (Category 5) Hurricane Dean has just hit the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula I have to send my sympathies to those who live there. 18 months ago my wife and I spend our Honeymoon on a cruise around this region of the world where we visited both Costa Maya (currently being hit by Dean) and Cozumel which had been pretty much destroyed by Hurricane Wilma (also Category 5) only a few weeks before.



The photo above shows the damage Wilma caused to a solid concrete pier at Cozumel.

Our tour guide in Cozumel was so pleased to see us as all tourism stops in these areas when a hurricane hits - and doesn't return until you've recovered. When tourism is your only income which is the case for much of this coastline this can be quite difficult!



Costa Maya (above) is a completely manufactured "tourism town" serving up to 3 cruise ships a day (probably 7 or 8 thousand tourists a day). Who knows what state Hurricane Dean will leave this place in and when those tourists will return.