Day 2, we cruised. We spent the morning walking laps around the ship (1 mile actual, 3.3 miles according to the GPS data from my Apple Watch) & then separated to do our own thing for the day. For me, that meant writing the blog, reading and relaxing on the forward deck in a secret spot I found the first day. That is until it got too cold and I went to Windjammer for lunch. For David, that meant getting sucked into bidding at a real art auction – so don’t be surprised if you get some free art prints for Christmas next year. And for the record, I wasn’t at the auction so I don’t know what I’m expecting to see in terms of “art.”
Our lucky winning streak keeps going because Royal Caribbean accidentally brought us 2 honeymoon celebration packages of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. And while David was off doing his own thing, he made friends with the Director of Guest Services who sent a bottle of wine to the room. For those keeping count, that means we’ve received 3 bottles of champagne for free plus a bottle of wine. Everything helps since alcohol is super expensive on the ship.
Day 3 was our first port stop: Cozumel, Mexico. It was my first time being on the Yucatán side of Mexico and it was amazing to experience ‘island life’ with an excursion to San Gervasio Mayan ruins. The Mayans were very advanced and very spiritual – much like me! But a quick check on ancestry.com shows my people are from Baja California; I don’t have Mayan DNA. Shoutout to our tour guide Luz who answered all of our questions and gave a really good tour of her hometown.
After the ruins, we went to the Mayan Bee Sanctuary where we received a blessing from a Mayan shaman (H-Men). I don’t know what he was saying since he performed the blessing in the old Mayan language but I got goosebumps as he was chanting and waving incense around us. I felt his heart and intention were in the right place, so I didn’t mind.
The last stop was for an hour-long visit to Playa Pescador where we ate typical Mexican food (think chips, salsa, guacamole, etc). I was stoked when the waiter told me my Spanish was good because it feels best to receive unsolicited, genuine compliments; I sometimes struggle with my confidence in conversing quickly. When I move to Mexico part-time for retirement (still 5-10 years away from that goal), I know it will keeping improving.
Back on the ship we hit the pool deck for the sail away dance party. We sat next to some people from Mississippi and I was complimented (2 in 1 day!); but this time, they told me I was pretty. Maybe that H-Men blessing worked more wonders than I thought. Overall it was a good day in Mexico and we enjoyed a quiet evening back on the ship. Day 4 & 5 are both port stops and we’ll be in Jamaica on Christmas Day, zip-lining. But first, Port #2 Grand Cayman & a snorkel adventure. This is one memorable holiday!
There She Goes... 