Vacation Recap - Cozumel, Mexico

It's been only two weeks since I got back from vacation, but it's already becoming a distant memory.  It feels kind of silly and self-indulgent to be writing posts about my vacation so far after the fact, but as anyone who's been reading here for a while knows, I love sharing vacation photos, so I'm going to risk silliness and self indulgence to post them.

Our last of three port stops was in Cozumel, and it was the one I was most looking forward to.  If I could've done anything for this vacation, I would've gone to Mexico.  I would've loved to spend a week learning to cook in a Mexican town or exploring the architecture of a historical city, but my Mom vetoed doing anything outside a resort in Mexico because of the security concerns.  So a short day on Cozumel was my consolation prize.  And it was absolutely stunning.

We picked a tour that combined a visit to Mayan ruins with time on the beach.  It started out in San Gervasio, which was once a site of worship to Ix Chel, the goddess of midwifery, fertility, medicine, and weaving. (I didn't realize the part about her being a goddess of medicine until I looked up the link on Wikipedia - how appropriate!)  I had read online that it was a small site and not overly impressive, so I was quite happy to discover that it was actually a pretty big site with extensive stone paths and multiple buildings. 

And lots of trees for shade!

There was also lots of beautiful wildlife to photograph.

Including more iguanas!

After visiting San Gervasio, we traveled to a small beach that acts as a designated cruise ship tour stop but still had relatively few people on it.  It was so beautiful as to seem like a figment of my imagination.

We sat in a tiny, nearly deserted restaurant and ate fish tacos and the best pico de gallo I've ever had.  

And drank margaritas.  

The best part was the view from my chair.

Sitting on the beach afterwards, basking in the warm sun and feeling the cooling salty breeze coming off of the ocean, my Mom and I tentatively committed to going back to Cozumel next year, assuming that all the stars aline.  It was such a beautiful and peaceful place that I hope I will get the opportunity to return some day.  And eat more pico de gallo.  Mmmmm.