TRAVELOGUE: Western Caribbean Cruise: Day 3

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Cozumel, Mexico


Woke up to the sounds and feeling of the ship positioning itself up to the pier as we docked at Cozumel.

After breakfast, I sat in the Atrium for a while until an origami class started. Came back to cabin for a late morning nap. All the walking has been making me really tired so I need several rest periods. Plus, I notice I'm starting to get a little bothered by the constant surrounding of people. Wherever you are, they're there. Even in your cabin, you can hear other cabin doors closing and hear the busy stewards working the rooms all day long.

After getting cool and rested, I decided to embark into town. It was just around noon now so there wasn't a line down by the exit area. After a ship's crew member scanned my key card I felt energized enough to walk down the long pier without using one of the many pedicabs offered. I made it to the end of the pier and two uniformed officers were standing at the end of the pier greeting people. They were distracted by another approaching passenger and I kept up my steady pace without a pause. As I passed one of the officers he looked toward me and seemed slightly surprised but smiled and waved to me inviting me through. Then it dawned on me...they must have been Mexican border agents. Did I just walk nonchalantly into another country without showing any ID? So, effectively, would this make me an illegal alien! An American illegally crossing into Mexico! Well, now there's a twist! As I think of it now, I wished I had the nerve to ask the agents to pose for a picture of me trying to "invade," in my caravan of one, with them smiling and waving me in. In case it's far in the future and you may have forgotten, the humorous irony of this is that this week Trump ordered US troops to the border of the US and Mexico to stop the "invasion" of hundreds of immigrants heading to the US border from various Central American countries, to seek amnesty.

The port area has this mall area that effectively blocks immediate access to the greater town beyond. From the maps, I think one of our upcoming ports of call, Costa Maya, is designed similarly. The open-air mall is packed with neat little shops selling everything from trinkets and souvenirs to fine art, tequila, and jewelry. Each shop has at least one hawker standing by their front door trying to lure you in to buy their wares. I stopped in one shop for the usual fridge magnet and another for a t-shirt. I wanted to check out the real town though so I made my way past the Señor Frogs and onto the decidedly less polished streets of Cozumel. Now the hawkers were not restricted to storefronts, they were approaching from everywhere and much more aggressive. Not scarily so, there wasn't anything threatening, just maybe a tinge more desperation. I had originally wanted to go to a bar I'd read about online that was popular with locals and tourists and offered big margaritas at comparatively cheap prices but I didn't recognize the area I was in from the Streetview I'd done the week before. Plus, my energy was running out, my feet were aching and it was freakin' hot! I was sweating like a pig. I went about two blocks and headed back. Once back at the pier, I definitely needed the pedicab and, though I am admittedly overweight, the operator was grunting and making a big show of how hard it was for him to pedal me along. Please, he usually has two people in here each trip and I don't weigh more than two people! I gave him a nice tip anyway.

After a change out of my drenched clothes, I made my way up to the buffet for lunch. After eating another fine meal, I grabbed a couple of cups of free orange and cranberry juice, went back to my cabin and mixed me up some bootleg cocktails. After finishing the small bag of rum, I took my buzzed self up to the pool deck and ordered two "discount" drink of the day specials, It was a pina colada like drink called "Painkiller." I saw a mango and strawberry frozen drink that looked delicious so I got one of them too. By now I was feelin' no pain and was about to have another but some lonely older guy was chatting me up and wanted me to be his bar buddy I guess. Not feelin' it, I said I needed to go after glancing at my watch.

Where did I go? Beats me. I remember watching someone either sing or doing stand-up and couldn't focus my two eyes to make one image. Old drunk double vision. (looked it up, it was stand-up comedy by Phil Palisoul) I must have also fit in dinner 'cause it was Italian night at the buffet and I remember not being impressed by the selection. At 9:30 pm, I went to the Ryan Joyce magic act. Not really impressed. Compared to the professional entertainment in the theater the previous two nights, this guy seemed like what you'd stereotypicaly expect on a cruise ship.

I wanted to attend the 11:00 comedy show by the same comedian I'd (kinda) seen earlier since he sounded like he'd be even funnier blue, but I was getting pooped and needed bed badly after a day of burning sun, marathon walking and heavy drinking.