The Colors of Cozumel

I'd known for a good month that I was well overdue for a real vacation.  So, this past weekend, I made a little time for a quick cruise to Cozumel.  I only got to spend about 6 hours on the island, but I certainly made the most of it.  We rented a Jeep, unsnapped the top, and drove all around the island, marveling at the coastline, talking to locals and sipping the world's best margaritas.  

Pictured above is a young man that was dressed up and hanging out at the port where the ships dock.  He couldn't have been more than 16 or 17 years old and was all smiles... until I pointed the camera at him, and then he posed.  He seriously would not let me snap a shot of him laughing, but I like this one because he gave me the intensity in his eyes, but couldn't completely hide his smile.  

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Our first stop was the village of El Cedral.  We were drawn there because it boasted some Mayan ruins.  The ruins were interesting to see once, though less than exciting.  What WAS exciting was the beautifully colored little homes and incredibly kind (and some pushy) people who lived there.  

One of my favorite interactions was with a man who rode his bike past me while I was photographing the purple home above.  He stopped his bike to alert me on how completely covered I was in mosquitos.  I knew I was being eaten alive, but didn't have any repellent, so was just trying to ignore the itching.  He was so sweet, though.  He ran into his home to grab his OFF spray and proceeded to spray me down.  I thanked him, then we talked for a couple minutes and I asked him if I could take his photo.  His answer was "no," which I've found uncommon.  So I asked him why.  "Porque estoy solo."  "[translation] Because I'm alone."  His melancholy honesty was more beautiful than all the sights I saw in El Cedral.  

Crosses, crosses everywhere.  

Before leaving El Cedral, we were lured into a quick tequila tour and tasting.  The tour guide is a member of the family who started this particular tequila distillery (Is it considered a distillery when it's tequila?  I don't know... but you know what I mean.) and he was so cool... funny, knowledgable... and he fed me the most amazing tequila I'd ever had.  Ever.

We drove along the coastline, looking for a lighthouse, which we never found.  Sometimes that works out in your favor, though, because we found this beautiful beach with a pretty great little tiki hut.  Perfect time for a beer, some guacamole and a hammock.  We were the only Gringos around, so it kind of felt like we were part of the community, which is always a nice feeling when traveling. 

After driving all around the island, I was determined to make it back to San Miguel, the biggest city in Cozumel.  I wanted to photograph it.  We came upon this garage with a bunch of parade floats in really bad shape... which made them even more interesting, in my opinion.  I ended up chatting with this man (below) for a few minutes about his city and he let me take his photo.   

We decided, since we had a little time left before we had to report back to the ship, that we'd swing back to the other side of the island.  Earlier, we'd passed by this beach bar called Coconuts... it was positioned on a cliff with crashing waves.  I'm so glad we went back.  Not only were the people so much fun to hang out with, but this is where our bartender made the world's best margarita.  Go ahead, test it... I dare you.  

Just before I left, the man below came to me with this grasshopper he made me from leaves.  He was so excited to give it to me and I happily accepted.  What a cool little souvenir!  

I need to go back... for longer next time.  *sigh*