Sometimes You Just Have To Take A Week Off

It's Tuesday morning and all I can hear is the sound of the ocean pounding against the beach as a Kenny Chesney tune keeps turning around in my head.

"So I'll sit right here and have another beer in Mexico..."

My cowboy hat is down over my eyes and there is nobody on the beach but myself and the East Coasters I am travelling with. Altogether we are a group of eight. We are cruising on the Carnival Legend to celebrate our friend Sheri's milestone birthday.

Today's shore excursion is courtesy of  my music business godfather Mr.Wiser. The only man, other than my father, who ever took the time to teach me anything. As a result of a life of travel and tour managing, he knows a "place" in every town. This reggae bar on the beach, where we are all by ourselves and the beer is $2.50 a bottle, is his spot on Cozumel. I couldn't have imagined anything better.

It's a funny 10:00 am break for me. I make this observation to one of my travelling companions, Angelina Snorkel.

"The beer's going down nicely," I say. "If I am in my office, I usually have a handful of nuts around now."

"Well today you are travelling with them instead," she says with a smile.





Laughing, I push my hat back up and survey the scene. The whole group isn't present. My cruise roommate Becky is back at the ship with Sheri and they are having spa day. I am missing them. But gathered around on deck chairs and at wooden table is our excursion group. There is Mr. Wiser, Me, Mr. Maui and Ritzy as well as Brad and Angelina Snorkel. It's a very fun bunch.


Time passes under the Mexican sun. There's not a cloud in the sky and its hot, hot, hot. One beer leads to another and pretty soon I need to cool off. A few of us are already in the water and I decide to head in too.

This is a rugged beach with a bit an undertow and rocks underfoot. But the combination of the warm turquoise water against the black rock and white sand make it picture perfect.


Once in the water, I cool down. I lick my lips to find that old familiar taste of salt. My mind races. It's a beautiful moment where past memory and current experience converge and translate into instant happiness.

After bobbing up and down in the water with Mr. Maui and the Snorkels, Brad shows me the sandiest path out. I make it to the beach without incident.

"It's a good day when the only thing you have to worry about is cutting your foot on a rock." I think to myself.



Around 2:00 pm we decide to take a break from the sun.
Following the highway, we pass beaches, a tequila plantation and road side stalls. We eventually end up the main city. It's a world of extreme heat and motor scooters.

Families are picking up children in school uniforms and helmets. We pass a grandmother driving a with a little boy, no more than three years old, standing on the floor board of the scooter...his head just peeking up over the handle bars. Groups of young boys in white crested polo shirts and grey trousers play chicken with cars as they try and cross the road.

We move out of the "real" part of  town and back towards the cruise ship terminal. It's now a world of duty free liquor and vendors with giant sombreros, t-shirts, shot glasses and a roaming mariachi band.

I board the ship with Mr. Maui and Ritzy. We are all a little bit pink from our first venture into the sun. It's been a good day...a great day really...not one I will soon forget. It's a perfect start to a week long adventure that involves a lot of living in the moment and worrying about nothing.

Never quit,

Mary

Next up: cave tubing adventures in our next port of call: Belize