Cozumel Island

Our second port of call was Cozumel- the place my family was most excited to visit. My parents had just a few years earlier celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Mexico and spent a day exploring this little island and therefore were excited to share it with the family. And for good reason- take a look at this gorgeous scenery-- from the western side of the island. Do you see that water color?
This shot was taken as we rode the island on metropolitan scooters... or mopeds I guess. We rented three scooters just south of the city (and about a forever walk from our ship) from the same guys my parents rented from a few years back... (you'll see a pattern here, we mostly repeated what they had experienced before, but this time together)... funny enough the place is called Rooster Rentals. The very roughly illustrated map below gives some details of the trip around the island... To give you an idea of the size of Cozumel... if you took the scooters as fast as they can go (maybe around 35-40mph) around the island loop, it'd maybe take you 45-minutes. We took the whole day (maybe 4-5 hours or so) making some stops for snorkeling, snacks at the southernpoint, photo opps on the western side, a popped scooter tire, tequila tasting and some shopping in the city.
So let's talk about this snorkeling adventure... Cozumel is probably most famous for it's reefs, and it's the one thing Mom and Dad felt they missed out on last time, so we rented some snorkel gear, pulled off on the side of the road and jumped in... (we recommend the do-it-yourself tour versus the planned excursions... it just took a little preparing and research beforehand, and we were grateful to have extra time and save some cash)this is my family:

My brother, Brian, is really not one for photos. In protest of me requesting a back-up shot be taken, this is what I got. I guess I asked for it.

I was a little timid about the moped thing in the beginning... having never driven one before. My brother (fearless as always) took off at high speeds without looking back, Dad (with mom in tandem) an always confident driver had no issues, and they both left me behind doing "practice circles" in the supermarket parking lot... eventually I got good enough (maybe comfortable enough is more like it, these things really aren't that complicated) to do some one-handed, photo-snapping driving, and this is what I came up with:

Above: Mom and Dad to the left, Brian our fearless leader to the right. Heading south, back past the ports and the east-coast snorkeling...

Below: Brian had to pull off and wait for us a few times because he was so far ahead. Below, starting his scooter again to get back on the road.

The last stop we made was at "Paco's Tequila Place" -- this is how my parents remembered it having a fantastic experience with their tour guide, Paco their last visit. Actually called, Hacienda Antigua - this time we said hi to Paco, skipped the tour, and went right for the tasting. Though the agave plant is native to Mexico- it's not normally grown on the Cozumel Island, it's more of a central mexico plant-- but these guys bring a little central/native mexico to the heart of this tourist destination, and they don't make bad tequila, so check it out.

I loved spending the day getting a taste for this place, and being back in Mexico for just a moment. There's lots to explore in Cozumel and really does give you the opportunity to taste the whole country- as it's so directed toward drawing in throngs of tourists and welcomes a few cruiseships everyday. While not my favorite Mexican destination, definitely a safe place to explore and get your toes wet in the culture and sunshine. Just be sure to bring your sunscreen.