The Ambitious Odometer: Mexico

Friday, June 16, 2023

{CARIBBEAN} Days Six & Seven - Tulum (Cozumel), Mexico + AT SEA

Yesterday, we made a stop in San Miguel de Cozumel, the largest city on the island of Cozumel, about seventeen miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of the mainland of Mexico...

Now, with this port we were able to walk right off onto the pier, BUT since our shore excursion was set to take us to the mainland, we had to catch a ferry over to Playa del Carmen...

Navigating this was simple, as everything was set up by the ship, BUT adventure seems to await us, always...

Now, this ferry holds a lot of people, like a lot, A LOT, and as we were some of the last to board, we were escorted down into the lower, front area that was airconditioned. When we figured that out, we were initially thinking, SCORE! Well, not so fast.. So, evidently, about halfway through our journey, it got really hot and the televisions stopped working and I thought I might pass out... I was so busy fanning myself and trying not to lose my breakfast, that I never realized that we actually lost power and STOPPED MOVING in the middle of the water (remember, it's a 17 mile trip over), so yes...it was a bit of an undesired "adventure"...

I guess they got things up and running again, but I was hot, and never really recovered from starting off on that overheated foot ~ ha!

Once, we (finally) arrived in Playa del Carmen, we met up with our tour leader, boarded a (very) welcoming (and most importantly, AIRCONDITIONED) bus and set off on our way to Tulum!

When I last visited Tulum in 1997, I was on a cruise with my parents and one of my brothers. I vividly remember that 1) we actually docked in Playa del Carmen (so no, broken down ferry ride over from Cozumel) and 2) my brother was not feeling so well that morning, so my mother stayed behind and just my dad and I went on the excursion. All that to say that they have yet to figure out how to cool the place off ~ ha!

We arrived in Tulum after about an hour bus ride, and got ready for a HOT day of exploring another set of Mayan ruins...

It was just as I remembered...

!!!

We tried to find whatever shade we could, while learning about the history of the ruins...

We climbed up for a gorgeous view of the water...

before my four climbers did a self-guided tour around the ruins...

and encountered this guy along the way...

{see him right between L's & B's heads???}

Meanwhile, as I tried to refrain from melting into a puddle of boiling water, I had this guy to keep me company...

It was a fun (HOT) adventure ~ another day, another set of Mayan ruins...

From the ruins, we headed over to the shopping area to grab lunch at a spot recommended by our guide...

before boarding our (AIRCONDITIONED) bus headed back to Playa del Carmen. Once we got back, we made SURE to secure ferry seats up on the top deck that were open air...

and things were MUCH more pleasant on the trip back to Cozumel!

Today, we enjoyed an appreciated day at sea, and after ALL of us slept in...

the girls went for a run...

and met their brother for a swim (with a side of ice cream)...

and we capped off the night with a fabulous production show...

Tomorrow, we will check back in to Florida before taking on the other side of the Caribbean!

More {CARIBBEAN} 2023 Fun

Days One & Two - Palm Beach, FL + AT SEA

Day Three - George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Day Four - Roatan, Honduras

Day Five - Xunatunich (Belize City, Belize

Day Eight - Fort Lauderdale, FL

Days Nine & Ten - Princess Cays, Eleuthera, Bahamas + AT SEA

Day Eleven - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Day Twelve - Cockburn Town, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

Days Thirteen & Fourteen - Amber Cove, Dominican Republic + AT SEA

Day Fifteen - HOME!

Thursday, January 2, 2020

{CA, HI & MEXICO} Day Fifteen - Ensenada, Mexico

Port of Call: Ensenada, Mexico

We made our first landfall of the new year in Ensenada, Mexico!

The last time I was in Mexico was on a cruise of the Western Caribbean over 20 years ago, and we made a stop on the Yucatan Peninsula to explore the ruins of Tulum.

{postcard from that trip back in May, 1995}

{the ruins of Tulum & me}

Today, I was excited to see another part of Mexico. Ensenada is part of the Baja California area of Mexico, just south of Tijuana. We arrived at the port, and much like their first time in Canada...

{July, 2013}

they humored me as I documented their first time in Mexico!

From there, we jumped on the tour bus and headed south on a short drive to La Bufadora.

We arrived first thing and walked through a market that was just waking up...

and over to beautiful views of the water...

before walking over to the main event...

Many describe La Bufadora as a marine geyser, though our guide kept stressing that it is neither a marine geyser nor a blowhole, but a "natural phenomenon". I'd probably say that marine geysers and blowholes are natural phenomenons though, too, right?