Cancun Today

From “Travel” Magazine

Officials hope to convince tourists that travel there is now safe

TULUM, Mexico – The last time Bud Olson visited Mexico, he ended up in a hospital with kidney stones and missed the ancient Mayan ruins in the seaside town of Tulum. So when he heard that swine flu was sweeping through Mexico just weeks before he was to return this year, the 43-year-old Seattle resident and his friends threw all caution to the warm Caribbean breezes and went anyway.

His reward? No lines, great service, empty beaches –- and lower prices.

“There was no one at our resort,” said Olson’s friend, Penny Moeller, 44. “The service was spectacular. But it’s a shame for the economy.”

Some of the promotions being advertised:

Flu-free guarantee: Several hotel chains in Cancun are offering a free vacation a year for three consecutive years if guests come down with swine flu within 14 days of their departure and can produce the blood tests to prove it.

Free insurance: Mexico City is offering tourists free health insurance.

Package deals: Expedia Inc. says average price of vacation packages to Cancun in which a flight and hotel are booked together has dropped 26 percent compared to last summer.

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It is expected that Gustav will be a powerful hurricane as it moves into the southern Gulf of Mexico on Sunday. Southwesterly vertical wind shear could increase late in the period when the system is forecast to be in the northern Gulf but there is considerably uncertainty at that time. –Tropical Storm Gustav Discussion Number 13

Continuously updated satellite image. 

Hurricane Dean made landfall as a Category Five hurricane at 3:30 a.m. today at Majahual, 190 miles south of Cancun. Winds were estimated as high as 185 mph.

As of 7:42 a. m., basic services are functioning normally in Cancun. Some public transportation has been suspended, including ADO long-distance bus service. All traffic signal lights were removed prior to the storm. Civil defense authorities have asked the population to stay at home and avoid unnecessary movement. Weather remains windy with some rain, but clouds are now lifting somewhat.

Access to the Hotel Zone is restricted by a police checkpoint at the entrance. Elements of the Mexican army and the Policía Federal Preventiva (PFP) are patrolling Boulevard Kukulcán. According to our local newspaper, Novedades de Quintana Roo, high waves have flooded the beach at Playa Mirador as a result of the fierce winds. Hurricane Dean is approximately at the halfway mark in its progress across the state. All airports in Quintana Roo are closed.

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CNN — At 8 p.m., Dean’s eye was located about 210 miles (435 kilometers) east of Chetumal, Mexico, the hurricane center said. The storm was moving west at about 20 mph (32 kph).

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Hurricane Dean, from the international space station, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

Translated from Notimex:

Governor Félix González Canto has decreed a red alert for the southern parts of Quintana Roo due to the imminent arrival of hurricane Dean. The northern area of the state, including Cancun, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres remain in orange alert while the storm continues on its current trajectory.

Approximately 7 p.m. tropical storm strength winds will be felt along the coast. Dean should make landfall near Majahual, 190 miles south of Cancun, at two a.m. Tuesday, and at about 10 a.m. continue across the Yucatan, Campeche and the Gulf of Mexico.

The current forecast puts it in the southern area of the state of Quintana Roo, with the fringe touching Cancun. As of 10:22 pm, Aug. 20, 2007, all public services are functioning in Cancun. We are experiencing wind and rain in the Hotel Zone, but nothing heavier than a tropical storm so far.