http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , Mexico , Quintana Roo , Cozumel en-us Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:15:41 +0000 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:15:41 +0000 I can39t believe how fast time has gone today is our last day of 63 days in Cozumel and this is the last blog of our trip. Thank you to everyone who has been interested in reading about our adventure.Cozumel exceeded our expectations by far contrary to some of the bad hype about Mexico Cozumel is very safe and a wonderful place for a vacation. It39s also very reasonably priced. We work li http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-769175.html We came to Cozumel on a recommendation from our neighbours Gerry and Betty who were also kind enough to hook us up with our accomodations here at the Villas Mayaluum. Their daughter Jodie her husband Elton and their six kids affectionately nicknamed as The Six Pack are also here this year at the same time as us for one month. I couldn39t imagine even having six kids let alone travelling to http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-769023.html If it wasn39t for bad luck we39d have no luck at all with our kitchen appliances. Our coffee maker is now leaking so bad that it39s pretty much unusable. Then while Ian is making breakfast our toaster starts on fire and burns out at the same time our microwave decides to pack it in and there39s no power to it at all. They are all super cheap appliances to start with. Our maintenanc http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-768844.html After Johnny39s scuba school we are starving so we take him to La Choza for lunch which is Ian39s favorite Mexican restaurant downtown in San Miguel. It39s busy with local Mexicans as usual. We like the atmosphere it39s very clean and comfortable for a large restaurant nicely decorated. The food is always good and service is great. Ian and John both have chicken fajitas which are de http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-768646.html John has signed up for scuba school so he39s busy every morning with that. I have no doubt he will achieve his goal of obtaining his scuba ticket while he39s here which is also an asset for his job go JohnnyIan and I run out for a few groceries then after lunch we all head out to Paradise Beach. It39s another beautiful sunny Sunday very hot with a few clouds. There39s some peopl http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-768453.html We wake up to a beautiful sunny morning eat some fruit poached eggs and toast for breakfast. We soak up some sun lounging around the pool for a while before Ian and John walk down to the dive shop to pick up another snorkel mask.On the way back Ian stops by the massage place next door and makes arrangements for Amabel the masseur to come by our condo and give us each a 40 minute massage. She http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-768233.html We have a large breakfast in the condo then rent another scooter for John from Tropical Rent next door. We head over to the municipal marcado to start. It39s always an interesting place buzzing with activity. We park in the local scooter parking lot where the attendant provides us with a ticket and covers our seats with cardboard. It39s nice not to have to worry about our scooters while we s http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-768110.html We spend most of the day running around on the scooter. We stop in for a few souveniers. We stroll around the mercado for a while. Ian finds a very nice lobster tail that we just must have for dinner. It39s about one pound. I make some rice pilaf green beans and ceasar salad. We are both excitied since John Ian39s brother is coming here tonight to spend a week. We will have lots of fun be http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-768028.html Drizzling cool and windy which is a nice break from the heat and sun for a change. We eat some fruit and yogurt along with french toast for breakfast here at the condo.We set out on a walk to downtown to have lunch at Le Chef a little French cafe in downtown San Miguel we visited once before. It39s cool outside but the rain holds off during our walk it39s a nice change not to be sweating http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-767873.html We head out on our scooter with no real destination in mind other than to pop by the barber shop to see about a haircut for Ian but the shop is closed. After almost eight weeks here we drive around like nothing on streets that might have scared us a bit when we first got here. We feel very comfortable we know our way around it39s almost like a second home at this point.We come across a kids http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-767668.html Ian gets up early and takes the scooter for a run around the Island then stops in at a little hole in the wall restaurant for breakfast while I write our blog and do a little cleaning around the condo. Then we run out to pick up a few groceries.My arms are pretty sore from all the golfing yesterday since I39m not used to swinging the clubs so many times. After a nice shrimp and avacado salad f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-767478.html Cozumel Golf and Country Club Warning Do not try to retrieve your ball from any water on the course as there may be aligators present. Aligators are known to lunge twice their body length.When we see the warning posted in our golf cart and the starter tells us to look around the tee boxes before we tee off for aligators I think about little two or three foot aligators. We had been to the aligat http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-767188.html Cozumel Golf and Country Club Warning Do not try to retrieve your ball from any water on the course as there may be aligators present. Aligators are known to lunge twice their body length.When we see the warning posted in our golf cart and the starter tells us to look around the tee boxes before we tee off for aligators I think about little two or three foot aligators. We had been to the aligat http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-767183.html Go the beach or go to the ruins that is the question. We decide on the ruins which turns out to be a great call when the clouds start rolling back in. There39s a nice breeze which makes the conditions to walk around very pleasant.Mary and Ken Ian and I head out on our scooters towards downtown then turn inland on the main highway that road that goes around the Island. About midIsland we http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-767022.html Cozumel Island is basically flat there39s no natural high point like a mountain or volcano but there is a nice little restaurant called Prima Tratorria that offers some pretty spectacular views. It39s funny how great minds think alike we didn39t find out until later but Mary and Ken went there for breakfast while we went there for lunch.A hostess stands outside at the entrance which http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-766907.html I39m not sure how it happened but I realize that I39m a little short on one of my Crohn39s medications. On a walk last week we checked unsuccessfully with a few places so I39m working out a plan to reduce my dosage and stretch out what I have left. Ian doesn39t like this idea so he sets out on his scooter to check with some more of the local pharmacies on 20th and 25th. I can39 http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-766763.html I realize after being in Cozumel for almost seven weeks that we have fully acclamated to life on the Island. When you get off the main drag to any of the back or side streets there are far more scooters and motorcycles than cars this is because it39s a more cost effective way to get around. As contemporary as the tourist areas has now become Mexico in itself is still a third world country s http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-766612.html Honestly I haven39t forgotten how to spell the Baracruda not to be confused with the Baracuda is a small bar and beach restaurant a couple of blocks south of our condo towards the International Cruise ship docks. Ian and I have walked past this place on many occassions without even knowing there was a restaurant in behind down at the beach area below as well as a very nice looking massag http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-766419.html No trip to Cozumel would be complete without a stop to Wet Wendy39s for one of their famous moutainhigh margaritas especially on a hot day like today. Wet Wendy39s is a little bar restaurant located downtown in the shopping plaza near the big clock across from the ferry. I39m honestly not sure how they get their ice to pile so high they must have some kind of fancy blender it stays http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-766279.html Cozumel is a fantastic place we feel very lucky to be able to spend two full months here. It39s a little difficult to rate the best of the best but here39s what we put together for our top ten faves1. The weather. The days are usually hot but not too hot average around 28C and sunny with a bit of cloud which makes it perfect to do almost anything. The mornings are cooler as are the e http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Quintana-Roo/Cozumel/blog-766075.html