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What I best remember from traveling are the many differences and new experiences that I find, which makes traveling interesting and worthwhile. I still have memories from childhood, from the many places I visited with my parents. Realizing that people can live different lives, yet be just as satisfied, creates, I think, a fuller sense of being and makes being human more worthwhile. That is why I like to take Filipa and Maya everywhere I go, whenever possible. Among the most striking experiences I have had from traveling, I count the striking poverty and dirty streets of Kathmandu, eating snake in Beijing, and the wild life of Mala Mala, South Africa. More recently, I cite the 50 bucks I paid to a cop on route 307 in Quintana Roo Mexico. On the day of our departure from Mexico, we left Playa del Carmen at 5 am to catch a plane in Cancun. About half way towards Cancun a police car gets behind me and flashes his lights. I looked at the speedometer and since I was not speeding I became a little concerned as to why he was stopping me. He came out of his vehicle and asked me for my license, asking me to get out of the car, where Elsa, Filipa and Maya remained puzzled at what was going on. He looks at my license and tells me that I was speeding, which I was not, and that he was going to give me a speeding ticket but that he did not have a receipt to give me. Aha! No receipt. Immediately I knew what he was after. He went into his car and fetched an envelope and told me that I would have to pay 1,250 pesos for my infraction, and that he was going to keep my license, like the ones in the envelope, and that I would have to go to the station to pay my fine where they would then give me my license back. I opened my wallet and gave him all the pesos I had and told him that that was all I had. He took the money and counted and then told me that the fine was 1,250 pesos and that he could not give me a receipt. I asked him where I could pay the fine and he told me I had to go to Tulum, which was one hour away. I told him I had to catch a plane, I could not go to Tulum and that was all the money I had. Furthermore, that I was not interested in a receipt. He said he would call the station and ask if he could accept the money, which was around 500 pesos. Such a straight guy I tell you. After faking a call he tells me that it was ok and that I should go slow. "Claro, mucho devagar," I told him. And so I got back in the car as he went out to look for another tourist to swindle. I made sure I pointed out to Maya and Filipa what had just happened and what it was called and slowly crept my way towards Cancun. I felt so priviledged to have had the opportunity to show a live demonstration of what corruption is to Maya and Filipa. For fifty bucks, I collected an experience that I will always remember.
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Mexico2008 
