August 16, 2010

Our ship docked in Cozumel, Mexico on the 16th. The one thing that I remembered is that it was very humid and hot when we walked out on the deck. Mr H had scheduled our excursion on a dune buggy. But before we could go out on them we needed to wait for everyone who signed up for that excursion to show up. While we were waiting for them, there was this girl about 12 years old who was also waiting in another excursion line and she threw up all over the ground. I mean you could hear her gagging and coughing while the vomit splattered on the ground. I felt horrible for her...that must have been very embarrassing. Her whole family left, I'm assuming, to take care of her. But with the humidity and the heat from the street mixed with the little breeze which was blowing, did not make for a good smell. Luckily all of our people for the excursion were accounted for and so we headed to our dune buggies. Our tour guides, which I have forgotten their names, were awesome. They were so funny. Each buggy held 4 seats, since Mr H and I were a couple, we were paired up with another couple. We made small talk and they were on the cruise ship for a family reunion. Guess where they were from? OHIO! Yes, can you believe it!? Out of all these people from all over the world we were paired up with another Ohio couple. The mother and son couple live just a couple hours away from us. Anyway, the tour started with us just driving alongside the ocean down a highway kind of road. We were heading to go scuba diving.
Once we arrived at our destination we bought a locker to keep our valuables in...the locker was 9 bucks! Before we were ready to go scuba diving there was a local who came up to us and showed us these braclets that he makes with your name on it...they will be ready for you once you get back from swimming. He said they were $5 each. I told him we would think about it. Once we were ready to go scuba diving we had to walk down the beach for about 15 minutes...this sand was the roughest sand I have ever felt in my life. We did not have shoes on, if we did, the walk would have only taken 5 minutes. After the scuba instructions we hopped right into the water and started swimming and looking at all of the wonders of the ocean. I am so grateful that we invested in the underwater camera we bought the day before. We took a lot of pictures



We even saw a Lionfish. Which was totally awesome. There were tons to things to look at and capture swimming in the ocean in Mexico.

Once we had swam to where we began I was really thirsty. Swimming in the salt water and the heat from the sun just wore me out. A bottle of water cost 3 bucks! But I needed it. The local came back up to Mr H. and I and asked if we were interested in his braclets. We decided to get each of the boys one. So I handed him $10 and he said that would only pay for 1...so I grabbed the money back and said nevermind...he followed me and said he'll give me a discount. $8 for each bracelet...I told him it wasn't negotiable...he told me $5 earlier. He gave me a sob story about how his boss would take it out of his pay. I told him I was sorry but he shouldn't have quoted me the $5 price. Well, long story short, the boys each got a bracelet for $5 each.

After scuba diving our next stop was a really awesomely (is that a word?) beautiful beach where we ate lunch. Lunch was fantastic...I over-stuffed myself. Authentic Mexican food is great.

Once we were finished with lunch Mr H. and I just enjoyed the scenery and marveled at how beautiful it was. Soon after that it was time to go back to the buggies. I had to sit on my shirt because the seats were so hot it burnt me. In our buggies the last stop was the "Pee Pee Station" I'm not kidding...that's what it was called! It was a little souvenir shop. The items were a little too pricey for me. But it was fun to look around.

Finally we drove around the neighborhoods and then back to where we started at the dune buggy place. We then as a goup walked back to the cruise boat. On the way, though, there was this little shop where we bought me a necklace and the boys a necklace with a shark's tooth on it.

On the way to the ship we had to pass through a bunch of shops and people ushering you into their store, putting necklaces around your neck trying to make you buy things. It was overwhelming for me. I don't like being pressured. We didn't buy anything...although there was a purse that I liked that I wish I bought. But that just means we'll have to go back to Cozumel some other time.

As we walked to the boat there was a mariachi band, we stopped and listened for a while. It really was a pretty cool thing to watch. There were people dancing and singing along. Once they were finished, both Mr H. and I were able to get pictures with them.

It was an awesome day, we both got really sun burned...and since I had no idea where we were going for the honeymoon I didn't pack any aloe. That would have been nice to have. But I think that all of the activity wore Mr H. out...so he took a nap.