Cuanto Cuesta?

• Author: Severson, Adam
• Position: LEADERS - Travel narrative

O To kick off the New Year, my family and I took a Disney cruise. We departed from Miami and went to Cozumel, Mexico, and Castaway Cay, Bahamas (Disney's private island).

One of the highlights of the trip was our day trip into Cozumel. After visiting the San Gervasio Mayan ruins, we went to a somewhat secluded peninsula, Punta Morena, away from all of the touristy areas. It was perfect! Bar and restaurant on the water, beautiful sandy beaches, hammocks and a market. This market had several shops selling touristy items such as t-shirts, dresses, hats, toys and everything else that I would typically categorize as vacation junk I'd hope to avoid. On the other hand, my 8-year-old daughter Abby thought she was in heaven. This is where she put her vacation stipend to work!

She quickly learned the phrase, "Cuanto cuesta?" which translates to "How much?" These words were critical on several levels. First, she only had a finite number of dollars to spend. She needed to determine what she could afford and how many items she'd be able to buy, and she quickly realized she couldn't have everything she wanted. Second, she learned quickly that in a Mexican market, the initial stated price is not the final price. Third, the more you buy, the better deal you get.

What I thought might be the most painful portion of our trip turned into the most wonderful time as we went from station to station talking with the locals and looking at their wares. I was able to reach into the back portion of my brain to access the Spanish I had...