Liz: Day 25: Isla Mujeres Rooftop

This morning Sofia and I are greeting the morning on the rooftop of our hotel, enjoying the warm breeze and the early morning sun.  Yesterday was our first full day on Isla Mujeres and we took it pretty easy.  Patrick began the kids snorkling lessons, first in the dipping pool at our hotel and then at a beach nearby.  He and Otis were excited to find a place full of fish where the water was fairly shallow.  Sofia loves snorkling in the pool but is less eager about the ocean.

Our hotel is well situated.  I'm glad because we're going to be here for 12 nights and you never know before you get to a new place exactly how it will be to stay there, especially with kids.  We are three blocks up from one of the most popular beaches on the island and one block off the main drag for restaurants and shops.  Last night the kids picked the restaurant, which turned out to be great, an Argentine restaurant with roses on the tables under the starry sky that serves steak and lobster (and also pizza if you know where to look.)  We've been eating breakfast across the street at a loncheria where you can get omelets or hotcakes for $3- $3.50.  We like to pick a good breakfast place and go there every morning.  The kids like the routine and we like getting to know people.  Our hotel is a unique place, a family run, artsy place with plants everywhere and a little girl (age 2) who lives on the premises and has been kind enough to share her sandbox with Sofia.  There is a library full of books and a resident dog as well.

Today we'll rent a golf cart and explore the island a little.  There is a turtle sanctuary here as well as some great parks and beaches.  We've reserved a boat for later in the week to do some snorkling and Patrick and I are hoping to do some diving next week.  Patrick's birthday is next week on the second, our last day here and I'm working on a surprise for him.  I found the perfect thing last night, but have to work out the details. 

Pictured below: the beach down the street, the view from our hotel room door (in and out), and the street nearby with restaurants and shops.

Liz: Days 23 & 24: Cozumel and on to Isla Mujeres

We spent our last day on Cozumel at the beach at Punta Sur.  There is an ecological reserve there, great snorkling, crocodiles in the lagoon and the remains of a pirate hideout from way back.  There is also a long line of hammocks next to a bar/snack shack that made the best fish tacos we've had on this trip.  After playing at the beach we drove up the beautiful east side of the island but noticed that the beaches were lined with a surprising amount of trash that had washed up.  At one beach we saw a group of volunteers with garbage bags picking it up which made me consider whether we should participate in something like that while we are here.  Or maybe at home on the Oregon coast when we get back.  We stopped for dinner at Coconut's, a fun touristy restaurant on a bluff overlooking the coast, complete with parrots, the biggest margaritas I've ever seen and a chicken patrolling under the tables for snacks. 

On Sunday we packed our bags, something we're looking forward to having a break from for almost two weeks on Isla Mujeres.  Patrick has it down to a science, but the rest of us are a little more free form about it.  Our ferry crossing from Cozumel was pretty rough.  Many people were seasick including Otis and I and when we arrived it was pouring rain, a little something to remind us of home.  When it rains here it's for less time but with a greater volume than in Oregon. It's like it just dumps it all at once and then it's done.

Patrick secured a taxi for the hour ride up to the ferry for Isla Mujeres.  Our taxi driver was fun to talk to.  We learned that there is a popular brand of men's cologne called "Patrick", that Elizabeth flipped around and said in spanish means something like "I'm joking with you!" and about a Mexican heroine named Sofia, but I can't remember the rest of her name.  Our taxi driver also loves basketball, plays in several leagues, including a taxi driver league and coaches a youth team that won second in all of the Yucatan last year.  I had no idea that basketball was popular in Mexico!

When we reached Puerto Juarez and the ferry dock the sun had literally come out.  We rode on the top, outdoor deck this time and had a much better ride.  There was live music for the trip over, a singer/ guitar player who was pretty good.  The color of the water was amazing, colors I like to paint with.  I can't believe there are people who live near this beautiful ocean all the time!  Patrick and I have been wondering how much it would cost to buy and run a hotel here.  It's probably something a lot of people wonder after being here for a little while.  What a place!

Liz: Day 19: Uxmal

We were all a little cranky to start this morning. The kids are needing a break from us and each other, and probably vice versa too.  Then Patrick remembered and reminded me that we are on vacation in a different country and we're just getting started.  It was a good reminder not to get caught up in the minutia of travel and enjoy the bigger picture.

Today we toured our second set of Mayan ruins: Uxmal (pronounced OOSH-MALL).  I loved it. It was so peaceful and beautiful.  Pictures do not do justice to the perfection of the smooth stones rising out of the jungle. How did they cut the stones in such perfectly straight lines?  We all enjoyed sitting at the top of one of the taller structures watching the iguanas sun themselves on the rock and the wind blow through the trees, uncovering hidden ruins in the distance.  I could have spent a lot longer exploring there sans kiddos. 

Our next stop was a tour of the ecomuseo de cacao on the Tikul plantation.  This included a live demonstration of how the Mayans made choko-ha, the chocolate drink made from roasted cacao beans from which we get the name chocolate.  We got to sample it as well as walk through exhibits that showed what Mayan life was like.  It was very well done and a great addition to the tour of the ruins.

And then, at long last (for Sofia), back to the hacienda for a refreshing dip in the pool.  I have to admit, it was a wonderful finish to a day of dusty climbing and exploring in the heat.  And now, both kids are happily laughing and playing with their Daddy in the pool while I am sipping a Margarita on the patio.  Life is good.  It's going to be tough to get up early tomorrow for a travel day. On the other hand, we're headed for Isla Cozumel and a two bedroom apartment with a pool.  It sounds like just what we need.

Pictured below in no particular order: a cacao pod and beans, the magicians temple at Uxmal, one of the many animal statues decorating Uxmal, a red-headed woodpecker for my Dad ;-)