From ship to shore and shopping to sightseeing

Alan took this spectacular photo when we were heading back to the ship in Cozumel.

Because of my TravelScoot I was able to get from ship to shore and go as far down this street shopping and sightseeing as time would allow. Without getting too sappy all I can say is I have pictures in my head now of things I never would have seen without it. As a lifelong lover of water--in a pool, at the beach, or on the open seas--this trip meant the world to me. Of course now I'm wanting to do it all over again, to a different destination, and maybe even try an excursion or two!

If you've been contemplating getting a TravelScoot (or some other type of scooter), but haven't been able to get past the stigma of using one, dig down deep and get past your fears. You won't regret it.

Scooters for Rent in Cozumel

On the street in Cozumel I saw a big sign saying, SCOOTERS FOR RENT. My first thought was mobility scooters for people who needed some help walking around. Then a Vespa-type scooter whizzed by. Ahhhhh!

Melissa took this picture of the warning sign posted where you rent these scooters.  You probably also ought to know the traffic laws!

Rhonda's Scoot Partying at Carlos and Charlies

Rhonda very kindly loaned her scoot to Melissa for the cruise. Before we left Baton Rouge I jokingly promised Rhonda I wouldn't let her scoot drink too much. But when in Cozumel, just how much is TOO much?

The nachos were yummy too!

Does anyone have a pair of scissors?

Gee, I've done three posts in a row without a TravelScoot picture. That's a record! Of course you wouldn't have seen those three posts though if it hadn't been for my TravelScoot.

I'm going to start this post with a few words of advice. TAKE YOUR TOOLS AND A SPARE BELT WITH YOU, and don't just leave them on the ship like we did. Some day you'll be glad you were prepared.

One thing I had NOT planned on (and the reason I am advising you to keep your tools and a spare belt with you) was my dress getting caught in the belt. I often scoot in dresses and have never had a problem before, but this dress was a little longer. All of the sudden I'm scooting along and BAM, I'm not moving anymore. It took several minutes for Alan to work the fabric out of the belt and we did it by rolling slightly forward and back until he was able to get it out. We thought we were going to have to resort to scissors, but luckily we didn't have to do that. The fabric was torn, but at least I was still rolling!

Isn't that Walmart bag fashionable?  At least it matches my dress!

"Free Parking!" and a scary elevator

As soon as we entered Cozumel we were again immediately presented with MANY shopping opportunities. We found a small elevator to take us to the second floor which is where we had to go to enter the mall. The shopkeepers were urging us into their stores here too, and we heard many more offers of "Free Parking, Free Parking!"

When we got to the back of the mall we wanted to go down to the first floor so we could go into Cozumel. The only elevator we could find was broken. While Melissa, Alan, and I were contemplating what to do, a local man came up and pointed down to see if we were needing to go down. We nodded yes and he motioned for us to follow him. He took us down one hall to the back of the mall and then into a back door of a service area. At some point my life started flashing before my eyes because I didn't know this man and didn't know where we were going. We went down another hall and stopped when we got to a huge freight elevator with heavy steel doors. He manually opened the doors and then motioned us on. I was very happy to see the light of day again AND have my heart resume beating.

Off we went exploring the streets of Cozumel. We got past the mall and enjoyed some of the local shops, some in buildings and some in open areas in alleys. It was mostly the same souvenier types of items over and over again, but we also saw some beautiful and unique items. I fell in love with a very colorful handcarved round tabletop painted in many bright colors but it was too large to transport home and we really had no where in our house to put it.

You could buy Cuban cigars (but it's illegal to bring them back into the US), "Rolex" watches, and a whole host of diamond and tanzanite jewelry. The most popular item for the travelers I was with was Mexican vanilla, which is sold in many different size bottles. We came back with a liter of it which we paid $8 for. The woman who sold it to us asked me twice to tip her to pay for her chicken tacos. Lots of workers (mostly in entertainment areas) wear big buttons asking you to tip them. I really had to learn when to say yes and when to say no.

The second picture was taken in an alley off one of the side streets of Cozumel. Alan and I thought the wiring was interesting. The third picture is of a local pharmacy where you can buy "prescription" drugs without a prescription. I'd heard you could do this but seeing it in person was eye opening!

There's more to tell you about, but I want to separate it into more posts, so hold on, the adventure continues...

Cozumel

These are pictures from when we docked in Cozumel. The first is taken from shore and gives you an idea of part of the walk from the ship. The second shows a bicycle taxi with two lovely ladies who let me take their picture. These drivers work only for tips and get passengers from the ship to the dock. I'll bet they have some incredibly strong leg muscles!

If you click on the first picture to make it bigger, you'll see how amazingly clear and beautiful the water was. I always thought the colors I saw in the postcards were fake. I was wrong!

Cozumel and My First Cruise

Hi everyone!

I just got home a few hours ago from my very first cruise. I have so much to say but I want to start off with a picture that says a thousand words. The background is the Caribbean and the picture was taken on shore in Cozumel. I would NEVER have made this cruise without my TravelScoot.

(The other people in the picture are my best friend Melissa and my husband Alan.)