(Editor's note: Purdue senior Katie Douglas, a 1999-2000 Kodak All-American, will share a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season.)

Nov. 27, 2000

	Katie Douglas led the Big Ten in scoring last season with a 20.4 average.

Hello everyone! I am so happy to say that I am back in the United States again. We just got back from Cancun and had a wonderful time. As promised from last week's entry, I will share some fun stories from our trip.

Let's get started. We arrived in sunny Cancun in the early afternoon on Thursday, Nov. 23. Of course it was Thanksgiving, but being in Cancun it seemed as though it was just another day.

We soon arrived at our hotel, at which all 10 teams in the tournament were staying, and were given a free day to explore the surrounding area. This might have seemed like a lot of fun, but considering that I didn't go to sleep the night before because we had to be up at 3:30 a.m., I decided to take a nap. Later, I went with a few friends and teammates to an authentic Mexican restaurant. At night we ate Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel's outdoor restaurant that was about 20 feet from the ocean. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed a somewhat non-traditional feast, consisting of turkey and corn.

Now to Friday ... We had practice in the late morning and then were given another free day to discover Cancun. This time I decided to make the most of my time and went to the beach. After awhile, a couple of us decided it would be fun to take a ride on this thing called "The Banana Boat." It's this inflatable, banana-shaped raft that seats eight people in single-file. So eight of us hopped on and took one of the wildest rides around in the ocean. I think we fell off more than we were on the contraption. Toward the end of the ride, all I could think of was how much I wanted to be back on land because I was so exhausted from holding on, falling off and continuously having to get back on the boat.

After a day on the beach, the team gathered for a fantastic meal at the Rainforest Café. After dinner we got to wander around for a while and I saw something pretty interesting -- a monkey that sipped beer and smoked cigarettes. I couldn't believe it.

Little did I know then that on the last night of our trip I would see something even more interesting. Around the same area I had seen the monkey, I saw a man holding a baby lion. People could hold the lion and get their picture taken, for a fee of course. But it seemed to me that the whole operation was a completely unethical scam, especially since the lion had no claws and was so calm and peaceful that it seemed as if it was drugged. The lion was very cute, but it is sad to think she is probably being mistreated.

Game time
Anyway, Saturday and Sunday were the designated games for us to compete in the Torneo Cancun de Basquetbol. We played Montana State first and won 86-61. Then on Sunday we battled hard with South Carolina and eventually defeated the Lady Gamecocks 68-53.

I think that we got better as a team and learned how difficult it is playing away from home. During the tournament, we played in the Casa de la Cultura ("House of Culture"), which was best described as "primitive." In addition to playing basketball and gymnastics, you could go there and get your teeth cleaned by a trained dental hygienist wearing shorts and a T-shirt. I wish I was kidding about that, but I am not.

During the games you could tell that we were affected by the humid conditions because the ball was slippery and the court was wet. However, we stuck together as a team and collectively found ways to win. It was crucial for us to be in that environment because our next five games are on the road.

After the game on Sunday, two of my friends that came along to Cancun to watch us play went out to an authentic Mexican restaurant. It was pretty good food, but the cool part was that there were dancers performing on stage while we ate dinner. After dinner, I walked around and found lots of souvenirs for mis amigos. Then it was back to the hotel because we had to be up again at 4 a.m. to travel home.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed some of the memories we made in Cancun. I had a wonderful time, but like they say, "There's no place like home." Stay tuned for next week in the exciting life of Katie Douglas. ...