Happy belated Easter, friends! I do love getting my classic Easter treats,which are Cadbury Eggs & Peeps, honestly. However, I also love Easter because I love Jesus, and I am a big fan of Him - giving His life for me, to replace all the stupid choices I make because He loves you & I THAT much! Easter is a beautiful day to celebrate redemption, freedom, love and my faith. After an amazing sermon at church, I spent lunch with my family, laughing, sharing and eating delicious food.
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I have to say I was pretty excited when we booked our Disney Cruise and it included Cozumel, Mexico. My parents had taken me to Mexico as a baby so obviously I don't remember much. ;)
There is a lot to explore in Cozumel. There is the all inclusive beach side for families, there is the historical walking tours and there is of course, sticking around on the beach. My husband & I love choosing the historical side of destinations. So, after comparing the options and the price tags involved, we chose to do the Chocolate Tour + Mayan Walking tour (Adults only). There was one for families but this one was cheaper I believe. When you book your cruise excursion with Disney, they give you a ticket in your room of where to meet for that port. We met in the Walt Disney Theatre, with several other groups of people. The pictures I've included are waiting in line, walking through til we met up with our driver. I remember seeing the Starbucks sign, thinking - COFFEE! However, the location ended up being too faraway after 6+ hours of walking that day. I simply had no energy but it would've been amazing to have Starbucks in Mexico. ;)
After waiting for what felt like eternity, we were able to leave the ship to head out to our excursion! We walked towards the mall, where we met up with our tour guide, who intro'd himself as an authentic Mayan. I don't remember his name, but he was so lively. He showed us all over the city, filling our heads with stories from childhood, facts and jazz. I honestly don't remember everything but I loved looking out the window, watching a different part of the world, all the people, all the trees and bright colors weave together. I've never seen the Mayan ruins but I remember studying them in school before. The price we paid for our excursion included admission to the Mayan Ruins location, and the Mayan Cacao Company as well as feed us lunch!
I remember seeing the port and absolutely loving the feel of it. Clouds and sky seemed to touch the top of the buildings. The water was a deep blue outside of the ship, and I felt like I had blended in with the locals for a split second.
Cozumel, Mexico is a different experience than what I originally thought. I felt like I had walked these streets before, and it felt very familiar. The sunshine shone brightly, and I felt the heat. The bus did have a/c which was a help. However, I wore jeans and I wish I had worn capris as not to be too forward, I got heat rash for the rest of my cruise. It was no bueno, so painful and awkward :(
I enjoyed seeing the Mayan ruins up close, It is a lot of walking but hearing the stories and seeing what you've studied made it worth it for me. I definitely got some sun though. I think that by joining the chocolate tour, and with this tour created a package deal. I was able to see Mexican artwork, sculptures and artifacts, and hear how chocolate was created - at first when the Mayans discovered cacao - and it was not sweet, they supplemented flavor by adding cinnamon, sugar, and honey. We tasted samples and it was delicious. There is a gift shop of various types of flavors. They didn't accept the credit card I had so I wasn't able to get more than the sample.. All of these are beautiful to me and I always enjoy these types of sights. It also gives you an experience so when you return - you can explore other parts of the city.
When you first encounter the park where the Mayan ruins are, you are strongly encouraged to take a picture that you can purchase after the tour.
As previously mentioned, after our tour - we were treated to authentic Mexican cuisine. However, please don't repeat my choices. I layered different flavors all over my meat and tacos not thinking this will be spicy, maybe go slow. I bit right into a pepper and I feel like the next 20 minutes were a long hallucination. I was so thirsty, I felt like my brain and lips were on fire. They did not have water but flavored drinks which were not refillable. So, if you are not a huge Mexican food fan or not familiar with their spices, don't rush! At least I know now! ;)
Overall, Cozumel taught me alot. I re-appreciated my love of history and what had happened there, centuries ago. I am a fan of learning when I travel. I learned not to go crazy with new flavors too fast, otherwise you will burn your mouth and brain. I learned to not wear jeans on a hot day in Mexico.
And I learned that I am a fan of chocolate, preferably sweetened.
Before you head back to the port, remember - you're on vacay and you should get those obligatory "That's me by my cruise ship picture in Mexico!" pictures. My husband & I are big fans of this - we do it every vacation!
Thank you for stopping by. I will be sharing hopefully Day 4 this week: GRAND CAYMAN!
