December 13, 2023–Cozumel and Chichen Itza, Mexico

Cozumel is a fairly large island located approximately twelve miles off Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. While the island itself is a popular tourist destination, it is also the launching pad for excursions on the mainland. Our day began under threatening skies with a fast, forty five minute ferry boat ride across the Cozumel Channel to Playa del Carmen, itself a popular tourist destination. Once on the mainland we walked several blocks to meet the buses that would take us to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. The site is not nearby, and requires a drive of nearly three hours on a straight, flat highway lined by endless jungle. Happily, the long bus ride left the storm clouds behind, and we arrived under sunny skies.

Once you finally get there, the ancient ruins are amazing, and worthy of their inclusion on the list of seven wonders of the modern world. The central area includes a massive pyramid and the largest Mayan sports court in existence, where the heart of the winning team’s captain was apparently sacrificed. Why win, right? There is also an observatory and much, much more, too much for a blog post. Look it up if you’re interested in learning more.

After barely an hour at Chichen Itza (more on that later), we were shepherded back to our buses and driven to a nearby hotel/resort called Mayaland, where we were treated to a nice buffet lunch under a large thatched roof pavilion. While we ate we were entertained by a group of dancers in colorful and intimidating Mayan costumes. I think we got some good photos.

After lunch we boarded our buses for the three hour ride back to Playa del Carmen, which was still overcast under very threatening skies. At least it was dry as we walked the several blocks back to the pier to meet the ferry back to our ship on Cozumel. I must say that the ferry is not for the faint of heart, or those with delicate stomachs. As darkness fell, we bounced and rocked forward in rough seas, high winds, and finally, rain. To cap things off, the cabin power went out shortly before we arrived at Cozumel, which was a little disconcerting. Fortunately, the lights came back on after a few minutes, and we docked without further incident.

Now, about our short time at Chichen Itza. When you factor in the time it takes to load a couple hundred people on the ferry, transport them to the mainland, unload and walk them to the buses, haul them three hours to Chichen Itza, feed them lunch afterwards, and reverse the process, a one hour visit to see the ruins takes a full twelve hours. Chichen Itza is amazing, but getting there and back involves a significant commitment. Was it worth it? I’d say so, though I suspect some might disagree. In any case, the whole day was quite an adventure, and that’s what we signed up for a world cruise to experience.

The next two days are sea days, before we visit the islands of the southern Caribbean. I’ll probably use the time to do some reading, work on the blog, and get some exercise.

POSTSCRIPT: The following day the captain announced that since we left Cozumel no ships have been allowed to dock and the ferry is closed, due to the bad weather. We saw Chichen Itza and got out of town just in time.