We FINALLY were leaving pretty early in the morning in the beginning of July - the kitty was confused why we were awake at such an early hour. Hey, we had to be somewhere by 3:45 a.m. and we couldn't sleep! Off we go, the puppy already safe and sound at the Puppy Hotel.
We went with Shawn's mom Julie and her fiancé' Rob, who's parents are permanent residents in Cozumel.
We had our first connection in Atlanta, and then right on to Cozumel! I spy a plane in this picture, do you?
Shawn's mom surprised us and upgraded all of our tickets to first class! AWESOME! We had mimosas and this huge lunch. Thank goodness, because once we got to Mexico, it was going to be a little while until we ate again.
Let's just take a moment and appreciate these views...
There's nothing like it. I want to go back {nothing to do with the fact that we had to drive through INCHES of snow on a fun outing today. We don't have snow at home, but they certainly have snow in Franklinville.}
So our first night, we had to stay at a different hotel because our other hotel (the one with family connections) wasn't available until the next day. So we stayed at the San Miguel, walking distance to the ocean and main street. The flooring in our room was the same tiling on our balcony, and the same in the gardens!
After settling in, getting one of the rental cars, and waiting for family, we headed to the Money Bar, which is a bar/restaurant on the water. You can choose to sit under the pavilion, or ON THE BEACH. Take a guess where we sat :) This restaurant also allows swimming, since it's right there anyway. They have a dock, steps going down into the ocean, and gorgeous, clear water with quite the current. Ahh, finally a chance to enjoy some salt water.
The Money Bar had some GREAT mango margaritas, an amazing view of all the pelicans flying over the water, and an interesting group of break dancers for entertainment who began about an hour before we left. Back to the hotel! The night was fine, but the morning was... interesting! The birds LOVE to start singing when they wake up, which is just when the sky begins to brighten up around 4:30 in the morning. So we had the pleasure of listening to a peacock on and off, and around 7 we could distinctly make out a rooster. The hotel came with a continental breakfast, simple coffee, FRESH orange juice, baguettes, random Mexican breads, all brought to your room after letting them know a good time for it to be delivered.
Finally, the time came to head to the Coral Princess, and do some exploring on the island. They were just finishing up Room Service for our rooms, so we just left our luggage with the front desk and we were off. We HAD to check out the beach, pool, etc. at the CP before exploring - just a necessity! This photo was taken from just above where you jump into the water - it's about 15 feet deep and you can catch a boat a few times a day from there if you're signed up for scuba diving. Oh, did I mention there are also about 35-40 fish RIGHT THERE when you jump into the water swimming around you in circles? IT WAS SO COOL! Shawn ended up getting a video underwater with his waterproof phone by the end of vacation which turned out to be pretty cool.
From the Coral Princess, we went exploring to part of the island which is a little on the "boonies" side. We were in the jungle. For real. There were red crabs and their little caves all along the road, walls of saw palmetto, mangroves, iguanas, lion lizards, black and yellow lizards, and more.
The road/trail/dirt road/seasonal road/pot hole place/off roading experience brought us to this great view of another part of the ocean, where we were able to see another small island where supposedly a lot of fishermen go. Little did we know, Shawn's mom and her fiancé' brought Cheese Puffs for a fun surprise.
PYGMY RACCOONS! Like regular raccoons, but without rabies, human friendly, and in love with cheese puffs! We didn't touch them, we just came close enough to hand the brave few some, and tossed some to the ones that kept their distance.
Heading back down the same road, we stopped at this lookout tower and I was able to catch this photo of mangroves, which was pretty cool.
Aaaaannnndd Shawn had a Rob moment and decided to touch an abandoned termite mound. Not me!
And then I found apparently one of the few and only boa constrictors on the island at the side of the road, and guess what. Rob had to touch it. Shawn went too, and were unsuccessful in capturing the snake for a photo and personal satisfaction. Hey, they saw it, they tried, they had a cool story. :)
And then we drove around the island. We found some of the private beaches, some other public beaches, and some hideaways. This was one of the most peaceful beaches I've ever been to.
And here we ended up at Rasta's (also known as the Bob Marley Bar) for lunch. Check them out here
GREAT menu, GREAT food, GREAT drinks, fun atmosphere, another place where our table was on the beach, and lots of ocean sounds. No swimming here though, we didn't have our water shoes with us & didn't want to brave the sharp rocks in flip flops - too risky.
And we were back at the Coral Princess, where we had a connecting room with Shawn's mom & fiance', so we had a nice living room, another balcony to enjoy, and a full kitchen.
And our view from the balcony... :) We saw dolphins and some jumping fish right off the bat!
Shawn had new goggles to try out, but not quite yet!
Our next stop was to get our own rental car, which turned out to be a 2005 beige Chevy with NO radio and NO AIR CONDITIONING for $35/day. Finally, another car in our fleet, and on to the grocery store.
And just downstairs from the grocery store, we found some Cuban Cigars!
Back to unload, and finally get in the water at the Coral Princess. Shawn tried to go in the water without fins - a small mistake with the current there. He learned quickly! :) Within twenty minutes, we saw starfish, a moray eel, TONS of fish, sea urchins, and people learning to scuba dive. And then it was happy hour, and I was introduced to the Dirty Monkey, a mixed drink with banana in it. We skyped a little, watched Rob go night snorkeling, and went to bed.
The next day was pretty relaxed. We woke up, had room service, and then went down to snorkel (with fins this time!) and we saw another starfish. Lunch, drove around the island, had a special moment on the beach, went back to Rasta's to get some t-shirts and something to drink - we didn't take any water with us when we left the hotel and we were parched! We made our way back to the hotel, saw some dolphins and decided to go snorkeling again. Another fun "dive": blue tang, parrot fish, starfish, Rob found a sea cucumber, and more rays. We stayed down by the pool until sunset, and then came back up to the room and watched Harry Potter.
The next morning, Rob was heading out for a morning dive with his scuba gear, so we were able to see him and the other people get their equipment ready while we sat on our balcony with our breakfasts and get ready to go shopping! First stop: RON JONS! But, like any touristy place, there were a bunch of pushy salespeople trying to make money. After a few hours of that, Shawn, his mom and I went to Margaritaville! And of course I tried a margarita and a Cheeseburger in Paradise! We were also able to go swimming there, which was pretty cool! And "I blew out my flip flop", stepped on a board walk (name that Jimmy Buffet song!). And back to the hotel to rest up for dinner at his mom's finance's parents, who are permanent residents on the island. By the time we got back from that, there was fireworks on the main land, probably for all the American tourists as it was the 4th of July, and then after a long day, the bed was calling us.
So our next day was pretty cool. We were going to see some Mayan ruins! But first, pop tarts and tea for breakfast. It was pretty interesting outside, it was just thundering (no rain), and lots of pretty rainbows. Off to San Gervasio!! TIP: Get there in the morning, close to opening hours for a smaller crowd, and you're also not in the heat of the afternoon! After parking, DRINK WATER AND PUT ON A TON OF BUG REPELLANT!!! Find something with some deet... we were there in the beginning of July and there were a TON of mosquitoes. Thank goodness for bug repellant. The lotion, in my opinion, works better than the spray.
Who better to first greet you at the Mayan ruins than a native iguana!
While some people see these ruins as just that, ruins, the effective tour guide will take you back to the time where it was an active community and bring history back to life. I mean, think about it. You are walking on the same stones Mayans walked on hundreds of years ago. You are walking on their sidewalk, their back porch, their temple base. Our guide was phenomenal, explaining the significance of the specifically numbered steps, bricks, placement, etc. He was funny, interactive, and extremely knowledgeable. That is what truly makes a great tour.
The photo below is pretty interesting to me. Not only is the arch in the direct center of the island (equal miles in both directions to the coast), the building of the structure was carefully done. The brickwork, its layout, the number of bricks to create the arch, all had a specific purpose. And back then, walking through it was a great way to come through as a new person.
Following our awesome tour, we went for another drive to a nature preserve that had more ruins, lots of watchtowers, some ruins that have ties to pirates, a lighthouse, and a GREAT beach with some amazingly clear water. The photo below was our first stop after seeing some of the ruins. And of course, we had to climb the tower, but before we could do that, we spotted a predator!
Look at this Gator!! We estimated him to be about 8-10 feet long. He was moving around a little when we were there - but we definitely kept our distance.
So this is the lighthouse we got to climb! Picture from the top is a few down, don't worry! (Funny, we had to sign a book at the bottom of the stairs as a "in case of injury" release. Smart!)
A cannon recovered from the ocean just a few miles off the coast (which at one time, did have REAL pirates).
Here is where some of the pirate lore comes in. According to the history at the lighthouse, a pirate used this now ruin (below) as a jail for prisoners to see the freedom the seas allowed, and how close they were to it. The pirate had bars on the doors (the archways), spaced big enough for the iguanas to be able to go through them! Eek!
As promised, one of the many photos from the top of the lighthouse below.
So after all the ruins, the gator, the lighthouse, and a small museum, we were pretty hungry! Back to Rastas, where this time, instead of a beach dog, had a beach cat joining us. He sure liked part of a hamburger!
Finally. Some relaxation at the hotel! And a shower from all that sweat, sea water, bug repellant, and sunscreen! We joined in for happy hour and a quick dip in the pool, and then went out to look at some of the shops. We found one place that had a TON of cowboy boots, but they were overpriced, peeling, and had pointed toes (not a Shawn favorite). So for some reliability and a burger that tasted like a burger (SHAWN), we went back to Magaritaville for dinner and some presents to bring back home. Do I hear a Parrothead out there?? :) We got the same waiter we had the other day. His name is Carlos, and was pretty awesome in remembering our preferences and making it a memorable experience. So obviously, we had to take a picture with him. DUH!
By the time we were ready to leave, it was a DOWNPOUR. Like, island downpour. Which was pretty intense. But as soon as we made it back to the hotel, it was like a wall of rain. They had dry roads, just clouds. For the love! So Rob went on a night dive when we got back, and watching him in the ocean in the dark with just a flashlight, fins, and a snorkel & mask was pretty cool. And in Rob fashion, came back with some scratches from doing Rob things, like getting close to coral, fish, etc. What was also pretty cool, as we were watching him from the balcony, this little gecko decided to join us!
And that was the night. We were up the next day by 6:30, visited the "iguana beach" or "Jurassic Park" and went to breakfast at a place called the Museum soon after. Shawn and I went off to do our own thing - drive around the island by ourselves, sightsee, and see some more ruins. Well, just a ruin in el Cedral. It's in this little town that's postcard perfect of a small, quaint Mexican village, but we couldn't find it! (But we did find some teeter-totters.) One of the shopkeepers helped us out though big time. We couldn't find the ruin, couldn't find any signs, couldn't find parking, anything. I guess that's what happens when we start sightseeing so early and we aren't on island time! So he's like, park here in the shade, let me open your doors, walk down this road, there's a sign, and then there's the ruin. Next to it is the oldest Catholic church on the island c. 1827.
Naturally, after our walking adventure, we went in the helpful man's shop to browse. Thankfully, there were some things that we could bring back as presents and personal purchases! And apparently because we were his first customers, we got a considerable discount. He was pretty friendly, laughing, joking, and being a decent human being. A refreshing change from the shopkeepers on the main drag of the island trying anything and everything to get you in to their stores and buying something.
(Funny insert: not even kidding, some shopkeeper on the main drag went up to Shawn and said, "come into my shop and find something you like, and if you don't find anything you like I go steal it for you!" Now I know he was being funny, but it shows the desperation they have to just make a few dollars.)
We said goodbye to el Cedral, and headed back to the hotel for some lunch and relaxing beach time. Something I noticed on the way down to the pool & beach area was the lending library the hotel had, of books, magazines, and all sorts of quiet activities for people to do. I chose a book called, "The Shut Mouth Society" by James D. Best, about a mystery involving President Lincoln, secret societies, and lots of interesting twists. I'd love to read it again at some point and add it to my book collection, but I'll have to wait on that. So for a few hours, we rotated between relaxing on the beach/reading and jumping in the ocean to cool off and just get wet.
Soon it was almost dinnertime, courtesy of room service, and a movie night with some wine (Arrogant Frog Pinot Noir). We had a really pretty sunset! We also did another loop around the island - the next day we had to return the rental car!
And now begins the winding down part of the vacation. We woke up to three dolphins (one baby) in the ocean, not far from where we were. We made breakfast, and went to see how much it was to rent a Harley for a day. NOPE! No go. $150 for a sports bike for 24 hours. That's more than our rental car for six days!!! So we gassed up the car, and had fun trying to find the rental place. Not much happened that day, except that Shawn tried some Key Lime pie. SUCCESS! A winner. And lots of reading, relaxing, beach time, and the occasional check on the news (the Clinton investigation when Comrey was being questioned -so exciting - not really). Shawn and Rob went night snorkeling as well, and saw some pretty cool stuff.
The next day we slept in & had breakfast at the hotel's restaurant that included a cactus breakfast dish! There were birds everywhere, and Jurassic Park just steps away (photo below). Another relaxation day - beach, lounging, and happy hour. Dinner, however, was on the town because it was our last night in Cozumel! Shawn's mom and Rob took us on a car ride before dinner, because they didn't have to turn in their rental car until the next day. We went through the really poor part of the island - heartbreaking. Dogs everywhere, homes made from anything they could find. Little puppies walking down the street. We also found a Mexican cemetery. Did you know that the island's cemetery is mostly above ground and you RENT a space for your loved one for generally four years, and then either ship the body to be buried on the mainland, or get them cremated? Pretty interesting. On our way back to the main part of the island for dinner, we also passed the island prison - kind of scary!
Dinner was at a place called Woody's where Shawn tried fish, and still hates it. To everyone else, it was pretty top notch. There was also a singer there, Paco? He was really good, and Shawn's mom has a CD of his work. Back to the hotel for a final night snorkeling experience! Shawn and Rob went out again and saw squid, jellyfish (with stings to prove it), eel, flying fish, crabs, rays, and more. What a way to end vacation. And Rob caught a moth in the hotel room and let it out the patio. Aw.
We woke up to another breakfast this time with Julie and Rob at the hotel restaurant and went back to packing. Rob's dad met us to bring us to the airport with 2.5 hours until our flight. Did you know that Cozumel's airport only has six gates?? Another connecting flight in Atlanta. Bye, Cozumel, thank you for some amazing memories!
A fun thing that we found out in Atlanta - since we were in first class we were part of the Delta Sky Club, a special part in the airport that had a (free) small buffet, a (cash) bar, lounge, wifi, single bathrooms with showers, and more. They even had Palmetto cheese - only found in South Carolina's coast, made in Pawley's Island! Pretty nifty. Our takeoff from Atlanta left us with a cool show in the distance - there was a thunderstorm and the lightning was interesting to see from our height!
And welcome to Buffalo, where the local time was LATE, but we were ready for bed and some ferret yawns, puppy kisses and kitty cuddles.
Honestly, should you ever make it to the island, bring at least three swim suits, a few shirts, shorts, a pair of sneakers, flip flops, and something for a night out. Because it will be hot, wet, and humid. That's really all you need. I recommend getting some local sunscreen from Mega's or other grocery store - it is ozone safe and helps save the wildlife in the ocean and the coastline. And it WORKS!
Hope these photos were bringing you closer to a paradise we were blessed to have explored!
