Arm Chair Travel: Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico

Shopping Plaza in Cozumel, Mexico

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog by J.Q. Rose.

Last week you joined me in an Arm Chair Travel Tour of our cruise to the Western Caribbean where we enjoyed the sights at Mahogany Bay on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Today I'm sharing photos of Cozumel, Mexico. Come along.

 Cozumel is definitely a tourist spot due to all the cruise ships that drop off thousands of passengers every day. The area does have beautiful beaches and that tropical atmosphere. Unfortunately the Carnival cruise ship only allows less than 8 hours for visitors to get off the ship, tour, and then get back on. I wanted to spend more time, but of course I didn't want to miss the ship. And we were cautioned, if you do not take a tour sponsored by Carnival, you must be on the ship on time, or they will sail without you. If you take the their sponsored tour, they'll wait.

We reserved a Jeep to drive around Cozumel a week before we arrived. Unfortunately, Ernesto rented ours out to another party. But to his credit, he made good on getting us transportation. He had to rent one from another company in order to do it. Fortunately, the Jeep he procured for us was a NEW one, and it was enclosed, not open-air like we had ordered. We were happy to take advantage of the air conditioner and stay cool on that warm afternoon.

My brother-in-law, Terry, had been to Cozumel several times, so he was our chauffeur and travel guide. He headed right out to the road that allows us to view the magnificent seascapes. We stopped at beaches along the way. After leaving the frenetic city traffic, we drove for half an hour or so along the smooth and wide beach road. 

We chose this atmospheric and friendly restaurant, Alberto's, for lunch ON the beach with swaying palms over head and shade from the warm sun. The food was delicious or was it due to the location making the food even better? I had yummy chicken fajitas. We also had chips and salsa. Not the kind of bagged chips we have in the States. These were crisper and tastier. The salsa was a bit too hot for me, but I'm a wimp when it comes to jalapeno or any hot peppers.

The warm tropical breezes and views added to the enjoyment of this special meal at the beach restaurant.

Or was it that few sips of Mexican beer I tried? Hmmmm...Sol is the name of the beer. Ever sipped it? It was refreshing.

As we traveled on, we saw this cute market of thatched huts. All kinds of souveniers, jewelry, clothing, etc packed into these small stores.

Wares for sale displayed on the wall of the hut sitting right on the beach.

Couldn't resist taking a pic of these cute little chihuahua statues. 
No, I didn't bring them home with me.

The day we visited, six of these enormous cruise ships were in port at the same time. We had 2300 passengers on ours and we were one of the smaller ships. Can you imagine how many visitors were in town that day? But we toured out along the beach where there was no traffic problem.

These tin looking plates on the ropes are rat barriers, keeping the rats off the ship. They were on every line holding the ship to the dock--sorry I'm not a seaman and don't know the correct term for those lines. Tell me if you know what the correct name is. Thanks.

We experienced breathtaking sunrises and sunsets over the vast ocean. The best part of the trip for me were those early mornings when we would gather on the lido deck for coffee and juice just talking about our experiences and our plans for the day. Truly relaxing and peaceful while most of our shipmates slept in their beds.

I did not enjoy the trip when the ship rocked and rolled on the seas, but I did when it was quiet and calm. Believing the waves "rocked me to sleep" at night comforted me a little.

 Will I ever go again? I doubt I will cruise to the Caribbean after this second trip. But I won't get on my soapbox about these cruises and bore you with my feelings about the trip. You can try cruising for yourself to determine if it is right for you. Are you a cruiser? Tell us about your experience!

Thanks for stopping in. 

Click here if you'd like to view more pictures from our cruise to  Mahogany Bay at Roatan, Honduras.

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 My latest mystery/paranormal, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard 

is now available in paperback and ebook .

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Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose

Mystery/paranormal

Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium bed? Investigating mysterious murders? 

Not the usual calls in a Florida retirement community for volunteer first responder Jim Hart.

First Responder

Back of the Book:  Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium bed or investigating mysterious murders are not the usual calls for first responder Jim Hart. He expects slip and fall accidents or low blood pressure emergencies in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge Senior Community and Golf Resort. The ghastly crime scenes turn the winter time fun into a terrifying season of death and mystery when the authorities cannot track down the predator responsible.

Jim and his wife Gloria could escape the horror and grief by returning to their northern home, but concern for their friends and residents keep them in Florida. With the entire community in a dither over the deaths, the Harts participate in the normal winter activities of golfing, dancing, and pool parties with their friends to distract them from the sadness and loss.

Can Jim and Gloria work with the authorities to discover who or what is killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard and stop the increasing body count?

Click here--Terror on Sunshine Boulevard is NOW available at these digital bookstores.

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Merry Christmas!