Our last port of call was Cozumel, a largely undeveloped Mexican Island in the Caribbean. Millions of tourists flock here to breathe in the tropical air, bask on pristine beaches, and to explore the underwater beauty of hundreds of miles of coral reefs.
Snorkeling is not my thing. I tried it once and the goggles betrayed me and allowed sea water to burn my eyes while the snorkeling tube kept oxygen out and water in and I nearly drowned. When we would go to shore, I would watch the snorkelers from a safe distance.
But we almost didn’t make it to shore.
We were supposed to meet up with a Norwegian guide who would escort us to the buses that would escort us to Chankanaab National Park, a few miles from town. The lovely park surrounds a lagoon with underwater caverns, home to dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.
Our group made it through two check points, got our destination bracelets strapped on and then the tour guide waved us off in a general direction and that’s where we went. All the way to the end of the dock, down a flight of stairs that said “Transportation” and then out to Main Street and there was no party of thirty in sight.
I am not affluent in Spanish. I know “Adios Amigo: from watching the Cisco Kid on TV. I know “Si” and “No mas” and “Cinco De Mayo”, when everyone drinks tequila, but I did not know how to ask, “Where the hell are we?”
Back I went, retracing my steps when I found Nancy with a handful of other passengers who were likewise lost and could not speak Spanish.
At about this time, Nancy when into her “Full Panic Mode”, which is not a pretty sight. It’s like an 80-foot tsunami wave fast approaching the shoreline. As she stormed back to the gates, innocent women shrieked in fright when they saw her face and men cowered in fear.
Fortunately, the tour guide was now approaching us with a sign saying, “Follow me to beach you bunch of stupid gringos.”
And we did. We went to the beach, and it was beautiful. We saw iguanas and colorful birds and a portrait of the Caribbean then no human artist could ever capture.
In a few hours, we returned to the Norwegian Joy and settled in for our two-day cruise back to Miami. It had been a wonderful adventure.
Adios, Amigos.