In the Port at Cozumel – Day 2 of our Cruise

We docked at the port in Cozumel on our second day of the cruise. Tauna and I had been to Cozumel last year so we decided to take the ferry to Playa Del Carma to seek our second day of adventure. It wasn’t until we were leaving the ship that we read the caution on our ferry ticket “not recommended for those that suffer from motion sickness”!

The ferry ride was about 35 or 40 minutes of pure torture. As we were pushing off the dock the ferry personnel came around with little green bags they called Mexican souvenirs. Then a cute little man came around with what he called “Mexican Holy Water” or “Mexican Breakfast” – shots of tequila! Tauna and I decided we better not consume any alcohol on today’s adventure!

We arrived in Playa Del Carma and we were told to walk just a few blocks down to 5th Street. It was lined with little shops that were selling various souvenirs. Neither of us had had breakfast yet so we were on a mission to find something to eat.

Two wonderful little ladies (twins) told us to go to the restaurant on the corner under the big ficus tree! We had the most wonderful breakfast as we sat and watched all of the tourists walk by. One thing we observed was every tourist that walked by had the most stoic faces. We wondered how they could be so miserable in such a beautiful place.

After breakfast we walked along all the shops and listened to all the vendors call out to us. “Come look! It’s free to look!” It seemed that every shop we went into had the same variety of things. We bought a few souvenirs and found another restaurant called “Yo Tacos” and sat down for some adult beverages. They had FREE wifi so we sat and caught up with friends back home.

After our adventure downtown we walked back down 5th street and back to the beach to soak in some of this wonderful sun. On our way we heard some music being played in the square so we went to have a look, four men had climbed to the top of what appeared to be a telephone pole and were playing music as they sat at the top! Why couldn’t they just play on the ground where it looked to be much safer?

Most of the beach is owned by the bars and restaurants along the route so we HAD to purchase an adult beverage to get on the beach. We enjoyed a few minutes on the beach and then had to take the ferry ride back to the ship. Another 35 to 40 minutes of pure torture.

Tomorrow – Belize – we decided to do some snorkeling there!

Get Closer to the Ocean – Cruise Day 3 - Belize

The port at Belize is too shallow for our ship to get close to the dock so we were told we would be “tendered” into port in Belize. Tauna and I looked through the list of on shore excursions and decided that the one we would try was called “Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling and Starfish Island Beach Party”. Neither of us had ever snorkeled before but we decided to give it a try.

Our catamaran was taking us directly to the corral reef and then back to the ship when we were finished. It was cloudy and rainy when we left the ship but at least the sea wasn’t rough and we really enjoyed the ride. We could see, way off in the distance, large waves crashing in the middle of the ocean. This was where we were going. We both looked at each other with apprehension on our faces! The lady to our right asked if we had ever been snorkeling before and we both replied “no”. She said that the first time she went snorkeling she drifted away from the boat and had a really hard time coming back. We asked if they came out to assist her and she said no! Again, the look of apprehension!

They handed out our snorkeling equipment and gave us a quick lesson on how to wear them. They split the group into 3; advanced, intermediate and beginners. Both Tauna and I were a little nervous about jumping off the boat in the middle of the ocean. One of the tour guides named Tyson said not to worry. The water was only about 8 feet deep where we were at. Several of the crew got into the water first, some in kayaks and some near life preservers. I felt a little better know they would be floating around our group.

Let me say this…it was AMAZING! When the sun finally broke through the clouds the reef appeared to glow! Tauna had brought an underwater camera and we were able to get some amazing photos! (I will add these later, when we have better wifi.) I was able to hold what Tyson said was a brittle starfish. It wiggled in my hands like a tarantula and he reminded me to keep it under the surface so it could breath. We saw beautiful fish, starfish, lobsters and even a stingray! Tyson said for beginners we were doing great!

We swam for about 30 to 45 minutes and then back on the catamaran to Starfish Island. There we enjoyed some beach time, a few adult beverages and even more starfish! We collected shells from the shore and placed them in our bags to bring back.

We headed back to the ship, a little too early for us, and decided to take a tender back into Belize to do some shopping. The shops seemed all the same. We purchased a few things and went back to the boat for the evening.

Tomorrow – Honduras and the banana coast. This will be only the 4th cruise ship that has ever been to this dock. Our waiter last night told us that we might see some locals that are void of clothing! Naked! Oh good grief. This should be interesting!

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