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Yucatan Peninsula

Exploring Mexico Part 2

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Earlier this week, I shared pictures from our first of two port days in Mexico. We sailed into Cozumel and spent eight hours on land touring the Mayan ruins of Tulum, swimming in a cenote, and eating a traditional Mayan meal.At 4:30, we hopped back on the ship and headed to Progreso, also located on the Yucatan Peninsula. There, we boarded a bus and drove two hours to Chichen Itza. We could have spent the day on the beach, but we decided to use our time to sight-see. After all, we live close to Florida and will have many more chances in life to swim in the ocean than we will to visit iconic Mayan ruins. But that beautiful blue water did look inviting.

Here are some snapshots from our day at Chichen Itza…

 

 

 

And here are the photos we took on the ship. I definitely wish we had taken more.

 Mr. Handsome and me in the dining room on formal night
Mr. Handsome plays “Rocky Top” for his coworkers
(There were some musicians on board, and he asked to borrow their guitar for one song)

 

Another Carnival ship at the Cozumel port
Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico
Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico

Exploring Mexico Part 1

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Earlier this month, I posted pictures from our two-day vacation in New Orleans, Louisiana. The first day was spent touring the French Quarter, and on the second day we visited the Audubon Zoo.

On the third day, we met up with Mr. Handsome’s coworkers and embarked on a four-day Carnival cruise. (We went at the tail-end of hurricane season, so tickets were much cheaper than usual, and most of the trip was paid for by Mr. Handsome’s boss as a Christmas present/end-of-year bonus.)

Neither of us had ever been on a cruise before, so we didn’t know what to expect. It ended up being a wonderful experience, although looking out and seeing nothing but the vast ocean and knowing it was 10,000 feet deep was a bit disconcerting. Thankfully, the seas were calm the entire time.

We thoroughly enjoyed the towel animals that the room steward left on our bed, although I’m not quite sure what they are. Maybe an anteater and a gorilla?

Our cruise stopped in Cozumel and Progreso, both on the Yucatan Peninsula. In Cozumel, we took an excursion to the ancient Mayan seaside city of Tulum. Our tour guide from Sun & Fun Tours was a lovely Mexican woman whose English was absolutely perfect. She was the reason why the trip was so wonderful.

Outside the ancient city was a marketplace for tourists. There was a tall pole in the middle, and several men were hanging upside down and spinning around. It was quite a sight to see!

Later, we visited a local park and swam in a cenote (natural pool). With permission, Mr. Handsome and I did a 15-foot cliff jump. (It took quite a bit of encouragement from my husband and our group, but I finally made the leap and was glad I did.)

Before heading back to the ship, we enjoyed a traditional Mayan lunch of chicken, pork, rice, beans, vegetables, homemade tortillas, fruit, and hibiscus iced tea. It was hands-down one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had. (The week after we returned home, I was inspired to make Mayan rice and beans for dinner. I will share that recipe with y’all soon.)

While we ate, I snapped a picture of this odd looking animal. It was the size of a goose but looked like a duck. Completely different than anything I had ever seen.

If y’all would like, I’ll share photos from our second shore excursion later this week.