What is wrong with this picture? Everyone who said, "Where are the people?" get a marshmallow.

We have been anchored off this beach in five meters of azure water for nearly five days. The snorkeling is wonderful around coral and rocks and we are protected from the strong wind from the northwest each afternoon. The beach is set in a small bay called Careyes and because of the array of very large, tasteful and mostly empty private homes set along the cliffs, the area has been awarded the name "Mexican Riviera" by the hopeful locals and no doubt the Mexican Tourism Board.

Nearby on another equally beautiful and very private beach is the Playa Rosa boutique hotel and restaurant. We have deduced from many dutiful hours of attention from our deck that this hotel also has exclusive access via a small boat to the beach in question for its guests to visit at their leisure. Problem is, there are very few guests and absolutely no one has availed themselves of the chance to visit this second beach. Not a soul!
The workers come each morning tirelessly setting out the empty chairs and stringing the hammocks. At night, Tiki lamps are lit along the length of the front and an hour or two later the whole lot of gubbins is put away again until the next morning when the process is repeated.

One white garbed couple appeared with their pair of white Labs over the weekend on the property behind the beach where a Club Med hotel (remember those) once stood and their body language spoke of wealth and possession of all they surveyed. Their visit was short and rather business like and before long there was nobody again.

All must be a reflection of the hard economic times pressing in. This place, especially sans people, is a paradise and we are finding it hard to leave. If it weren't for the fact that we need to fill up water, dump garbage and buy fresh food, we might never leave. Sadly nothing so plebian is available from these resort spots, so onwards we go to the next little town called Tenacatita.

We have seen news in the New York Times online that the world economic crack up is even affecting Dubai's expats who are deserting (sorry about the pun) in droves. What is it that they say about everything that goes up? Apparently nowhere is immune. There is even trouble in Paradise.