Mehicana Fantasticana!

Last excursion today and it was certainly well worth the money and effort.I love history and in particular, finding out all there is to know about the day to day lives of ancient cultures - the Romans, Greeks,Incas and of course, the Myan civilisation.
We landed on the island of Cozumel early morning and took the ferry across to Puerto de Playa del Carmen, a pretty little place, with long stretches of white sands and a very relaxed atmosphere.It had grown from a mere fifty families to over 250,000 people in recent times.
The one drawback on this trip was the fact they came round as we sat down and offered everyone a sick bag!Not being the best of sailors, I was immediately encouraged to feel the motion of this tiny ferry, as it was buffeted around on the rocky crossing.However, I enjoyed my breakfast too much to part with it at this point.One up for me!
Once on the tour bus,our guide clarified so many points about the Myan calendar and how it all worked.He made what seemed like such a complicated structure make total sense.He explained that the end of the calendar in 2012, which our society has taken as being the end of the world ,is merely a new cycle in their calendar.
I tell you, these relatively modern people certainly knew how to pick the best spot to build their township.We visited Tulum,a mere 1,000 years old, which was actually a religious site , home to local dignitaries and originally extended over some 15 square kilometres.The site was perched right on the cliff tops and overlooked the turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea.Amazingly,some of the buildings were still relatively intact.
Lizards crawled over the limestone ruins and were so well camouflaged, it was sometimes difficult to spot them.Great close ups to be had here.We spotted several different varieties of birds but it was difficult to stop, stare and wait when party to a tour.
I managed some fantastic panoramas but eventually plumped for the picture above ,simply because it is exactly what I imagined Mexico would look like - vibrant colours, cacti growing all around and friendly, exciting people.
A packed lunch was provided on the bus before we returned to the ferry and we experienced a slightly less rough crossing back to the island.Just enough time to have a quick look round Cozumel before heading back to the ship by taxi.
Every week when Leo disembarks in Cozumel, she spends her days on shore visiting a dog, charity stall.Here she spends time playing with the puppies and dogs they bring along to try and rehome.It is run by an American couple and they successfully manage to rehome many of their dogs, shipping them to North America-----but NOT U.K . much to Leo's disgust.Thank goodness! Had this been the case, I think I would now be running my own dog shelter, as she falls in love with each and every one of them.This is how she spends her hard earned cash, buying toys to send to our two pups and pushing notes into the donation box.Guess this is one of the things I find so endearing about her.
Back on board and it was a rush to get ready for our second formal dinner, where all the chefs, waiters and kitchen staff paraded around the three tier dining area.Quite a sight to behold, as there were well over 100 chefs alone.
Three cheers for the catering staff.
By this time, I had recovered from our long tiring day and was ready to seat myself in the comfortable armchairs in the main theatre to watch Leo and Scott in their next show-'Music in Motion,' featuring songs from the big screen.I so wanted to add a pic of them on stage but the quality was poor due to strong stage lighting, fast moving routines and the fact my camera kept focusing on a couple of bald heads of members of the orchestra, in the pit at the front of the stage.Lesson to be learned here: Get to grips with my new camera!!I will perhaps try adding a photo of a photo at a later stage.
After the shows,Leo and Scott joined us in our Stateroom for the usual, post show 'nosh up.'Feeling a little sad at this point , as tomorrow would be our last day on board with my baby girl.