Cozumel

Kane and I wanted to go snorkeling in Cozumel and were getting ready to head to the port when we found that some Germans at the hostel had the same idea, so Sarah, Elisa, Kane, and I all went as a group. The ferry ride was about an hour long and it took us to the main city on the island. We walked through a little part of town and bought some water and snacks while we tried to decide where we were heading for snorkeling. We decided on a beach that was less crowded, as we heard that there are lots of cruise ships that land and send passengers to specific beaches, and took a taxi there.

Because it was such a windy day we were a little worried about snorkeling and decided to hang out on the beach and wait for a boat of snorkelers to come back so we could ask them their thoughts. The beach was windy and quiet, but there was a restaurant not too far away that was a bit busier. Around lunch time I ordered a bucket of beer for us as we hung out in the sun.

What was interesting to see there were the recently ruined pieces of buildings that had been bathrooms and part of a restaurant, destroyed less than five years ago in the hurricane. It was a reminder of just how new most everything we saw around here was!

We talked to the group of snorkelers when they got back and decided to head out into the water! The boat took us to two spots where the guide thought there would be more to see in the weather. We stayed out for about four hours.

In different areas, the water looked like it was different colors, all beautiful shades of blue and turquoise. In the water, one of the very first things I saw was a sea turtle! There were so many huge and colorful fish below us. I saw a number of grouper and barracuda as well as many I couldn't name. Sometimes there were some pretty big fish swimming closer to the surface, near me. I never was quick enough to touch one though. I saw a second sea turtle before getting out, and by that time I was pretty cold and feeling ready to head back to the boat.

We had the boat leave us at a dock much closer to the main port, so it would be easier to get back to town. We got in a taxi and were going to have the driver take us to the port and look around from there, then I decided to ask him instead for suggestions on less touristy restaurants. He was on his way to one he liked when we passed another he said was even better and he dropped us off. His suggestion was certainly a good one! Lunch was great! It must have been around 4pm when we got to La Morena, and we were the only people there eating. The owner brought us out free appetizers, one after another, and for less than $10 US I had an amazing seafood soup with an entire lobster tail in it, along with fresh octopus, fish, and conch. I was thrilled, and recommend the restaurant to anyone going to Cozumel and looking for seafood.

We headed back towards the port and took lots of photos of the sunset over the water.

At the port we found that there were two different ferry companies. We had round trip tickets, but our company didn't have another boat for two hours, so I watched someone else get a full refund on his ticket and decided to do the same. Everyone followed suit and we got a ride back with the other company to finish our night in Playa del Carmen. I sat in the front of the inside and napped a little - that much snorkeling makes you sleepy!

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Part of trip: Guanajuato México and beyond

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