This was what we had come for. Our first stop in the Caribbean and a half day tour on the island of Cozumel off the coast of Mexico. All those years in California and we’d never been to Mexico, so we were very excited. Cruises call into Cozumel primarily because it is (apparently) very good for snorkelling and it's also within striking distance of the mainland Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza – six hours travelling for one and half hours at the site. We gave that a miss and instead opted for a tour to the ‘mini’ ruins of a Mayan fertility temple at San Gervasio, just thirty minutes drive from the ship.
Iguana’s scuttled over the ruins, exotic birds fluttered in the trees, it was hot, dusty, everything Mexico should be. Less impressive was the subsequent beach stop – it was not the quiet Caribbean idyll I’d been hoping for, but party-city with regimented rows of sun-loungers and a Total Wipeout style inflatable water park.
As our guide Mauricio was at pains to point out, amigos, Cozumel's only source of income is tourism. The cruise season only lasts from December until May, and a quiet week only brings 5-7 ships. I suppose the locals have to try and make as much out of it as they can.
Still, I had to keep the faith. Paradise was just an overnight sail away.
Iguana’s scuttled over the ruins, exotic birds fluttered in the trees, it was hot, dusty, everything Mexico should be. Less impressive was the subsequent beach stop – it was not the quiet Caribbean idyll I’d been hoping for, but party-city with regimented rows of sun-loungers and a Total Wipeout style inflatable water park.
Still, I had to keep the faith. Paradise was just an overnight sail away.
Insider information is a wonderful thing. One of my new friends in Amsterdam had spent six years living in the Cayman Islands. As we docked in George Town I clutched her e-mail in my hot sweaty palms. We by-passed the hawkers at the terminal gates urging us to take their taxi, or their guided tour. Instead, we did as instructed and flagged down the local bus and headed out to Cemetery Beach.
It may not sound like an exotic location and as the bus driver dropped us off at an isolated spot on the roadside and pointed to a rough track between a bungalow and a graveyard I must admit I had my doubts.
'It looks like we're walking through somebody's garden...' I remarked to Mr T before we realised that we actually were, and that the path we should have followed was on the other side of the fence. But it didn't matter. We ignored the 'keep out' signs and hopped over the rope that separated the private property from the sand, and there we were. Paradise.
Our ship had docked in Cayman ahead of schedule, and as our bodies had yet to adjust to the time difference we were up and off the ship before anyone else. It really is the early bird who catches the worm. Apart from a couple of random chickens, we had the place to ourselves for the best part of an hour. White sand, blue sky, turquoise sea.
'It looks like we're walking through somebody's garden...' I remarked to Mr T before we realised that we actually were, and that the path we should have followed was on the other side of the fence. But it didn't matter. We ignored the 'keep out' signs and hopped over the rope that separated the private property from the sand, and there we were. Paradise.
Our ship had docked in Cayman ahead of schedule, and as our bodies had yet to adjust to the time difference we were up and off the ship before anyone else. It really is the early bird who catches the worm. Apart from a couple of random chickens, we had the place to ourselves for the best part of an hour. White sand, blue sky, turquoise sea.
As more people began to intrude into our sanctuary we headed back into town for a lunchtime beer and a strawberry Daquiri which was absolutely vital to wash down the taste of the local delicacy - Conch Fritters. Sampling the conch fritters was probably the one piece of insider advice we should have ignored. Definitely an acquired taste and definitely NOT something I’ll be trying again.
Paradise ticked off the list. Next stop, Jamaica.
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