Day 6: Cozumel and Tulum

We will get to day 5, but we'll have to wait because we went on an inner-tube tour and we don't have a waterproof camera. Leisa's sister did though and they have the camera. So once we get the pictures, we'll step back a day or so and take care of Belize. Day 6 had us waking up in Cozumel. Really a beautiful place. I have never seen water like that in any other part of the world. We got on another boat that took us to the mainland. Cozumel really is just an island about 10 miles off the coast of Mexico. We docked in Playa del Carmen. From there we hopped on a bus for an hour with a few stops along the way. One of the stops was this huge gift shop where they tried to get everyone to buy some gifts made out of this rock that looked like gold if you held it up in the right light. Well, I almost became one of those tourists when I dropped a piece of a chess set and it shattered everywhere. We took it to the cash register and the lady said it was okay, we didn't have to buy it. Boy was that a relief. Leisa told me to wait outside on the bus after that. The next stop was Tulum and let me just inform everyone that at this point it is about 95F and 95% humidity, no joke. It was brutal! We had about a mile from where the bus dropped us off to where the ruins were. This was the second time to these ruins, but really it might as well be considered my first visit. I didn't remember anything about this place. The ruins were spectacular and the backdrop even more so. We tried to take lots of pictures so hopefully you guys can get an idea of what it was like. We are very upset with ourselves because at every other port we wore our suits and hauled around our snorkel gear. On this stop though we talked ourselves out of it because we didn't think we would have time. When we saw the ocean and our guide told us we had 90 minutes to do whatever we wanted, I almost started crying (I think the heat played a roll in those tears as well). We just watched as everyone in our group went down and enjoyed the beach. I was getting so hot and I am sure Leisa will tell you I was getting a little unpleasant as well (she might tell you a lot unpleasant) so we walked around for an hour and snapped some pictures and then headed back for a cool towel and some water! Very refreshing!! The ride back is hard for me to remember as I was out of it. I am sure I slept the whole way back. Leisa and I were so impressed with the beaches and all of the different places to visit and cool places to go that we want to go back to Cancun and Playa del Carmen for a week. There would be enough to do and it would all be worth it. Anyone who is interested, send us an email!

This is the main building at the site of the ruins. It is pretty big, comparable to a temple today. It was their temple and the buildings next to it are lined up with the sun and moon so that on the longest day of the year, the sun shines through the windows perfectly. Amazing how smart these people were.

 

Leisa and I on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Off to our right was the ruins. Look at the water!

I took a few panoramic shots. They don't post the same here as they do anywhere else, but hopefully you can get an idea of what it looked like. The ruins were literally on the edge of these cliffs of blue water and white beaches.

Here is my beauty with the beaches behind her. I was too hot and parched to climb down those stairs. Call me what you want, but only after you experience that kind of heat and humidity.

Leisa and I in front of the temple. I'm glad we chose the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

So cool and so amazing how these people could build such buildings before trucks, trailers, cranes, etc. And the men were no taller than 5 feet!!

These guys apparently charged for pictures, but we didn't know it at the time we snapped this one. If we had known it, we might have just snapped it anyways and then ran.

We came back to a scorpion in our room. Luckily he was only made out of towels. Otherwise I would have died from a scorpion bite because I was too tired to have done anything about it.

I wasn't too tired to sing "Mysterious Ways" by U2 at karaoke though.