Cancun

Happy New Year!

Got up early again for breakfast so I could sit at the pool for a bit before work.

Checked out the progress of the beach project

This time, I actually walked down to the beach. Ugh. I am not a fan. Ya know with the sand, salt water and all.

View from beach looking at resort




Afew more hours of sun… I think I may officially be burnt!

I headed over to the arena in the afternoon with the AP.

It was actually MUCH better than anyone expected!

The truck on the otherhand….

It’s the “best truck in Mexico” !







The parking spots were interesting though… you had to get your tires lined up with these cement strips.

It’s evident that there was not going to be a surprise visit by any of the network safety inspectors….

The steps into our office trailer








Another of my personal favorites was the cable running thru the cesspool.

I believe that was our power.






The smell… was overwhelming!
That water had been there for a LONG time.

And allegedly, a co-worker of mine saw some of the locals peeing behind the truck in the other “lake”.

The producer, director and AD were from ESPN International in Bristol. The Ops Producer, AP, slider op and I were hired by the Charlotte office. Everyone else was local.

The condition of the truck did not come close to network standards. But this is the best truck in the country – so it will have to do.

Why not bring down a truck from the states?

It has been done. However, it’s not an easy task or cheap one!

Networks that have brought their trucks into Mexico have run into tons of delays getting thru customs. It also involves a lot of “tipping” to the officials. Nothing illegal is being brought across the border – it’s just a matter of the border personnel knowing that the truck and it’s contents are precious cargo en route to a production that a network is counting on to air. If it doesn’t air, millions of advertising dollars are lost. So the customs agents and border patrol feel the need to be given money, lots of money, or they don’t let the truck enter.

Even once it does get into the country, it gets pulled over for various reasons and then the police expect to be ‘tipped’ as well.

The alternative is sending a truck over on a ship. Possible, but very expensive. Again, still have to deal with customs.

So… the theory this weekend is to make do with what we have!

The graphics bench is lacking many of the basic essentials. Monitors for starters. A headset panel. A place to put my feet. Plus the bench seat is way too low. The counter that my keyboard is sitting on is chest high – not waist high. All things that we can solve with a little improvising!

Communications are going to be difficult. We do not have nearly the amount of channels we are accustomed to. Let alone enough headsets. It’s determined that the usual 2 channels for the graphics department is now going to be 1. And I don’t get a headset. My AP will just have to repeat to me whatever the stats person says.

There is also software missing from the Duet. But I can manage without it. Not convenient, but possible.

Once the Duet was loaded and we worked out some of the kinks, we headed back to the hotel.

I chose to have room service tonight.

While on hold to place my order, the advertisement for tonight’s special said….
“LIVE A TREMEDOUS GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE”

I think something got lost in translation there… because whatever their special was, I didn’t want it!

I did order sangria though – come on – sangria in Mexico has to be awesome, right?!

Oh dear God – it was so terrible! I couldn’t drink it!