Cozumel last year:
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Thursday, January 19 - Cozumel Day!
Walked right out for my Island Roots and Chocolate Traditions tour. We drove out to Mayan Cacao Company and on way Edwin, the guide, told us about Cozumel. He was actually from Mayan descent and spoke Mayan, Spanish, and English. Boas are not native to Cozumel bit Hollywood brought some over to film Tarzan and left a few behind. They ate up all monkeys and some birds. They have programs to catch and release them back on mainland. Six cruise ships were in port that day. Chocolate place
We saw another guide give a demo on making chocolate from the beans, rolling them out, adding old spice, cinnamon, and paprika (to give a red color - used to be made with blood so the paprika coloring was symbolic) That was how Mayans made.
We got a small cup of 90% chocolate. It was ok, a bit bitter. you could add spices but I drank as it was
Then into the gift shop where there were samples of chocolates to try that you could buy.
Then back to the bus and we went to an area with an original Mayan temple and the first church on Cozumel (about 150 years old).
tequila tasting and talk
Most commercial brands only let the blue agave plant grow a couple of years to make tequila, but in Mexica (Jalisco) they let it grow 8-10 years to let plant mature. Then we had sips of all nine on display above - 4 kinds, 3 fruity kinds, amaretto kind, then a bailey's kind. I am not a drinker but these were actually delicious and very smooth.
Then I met my friend and we walked out of the secure port area (gasp) and went to Ernesto's Fajitas ( I had asked guide for a place to eat and he recommended this - wanted something a little more real than Senor Frogs or Margaritaville) It was about a five minute walk
My friend had an amazing time scuba diving in Cozumel too btw - very clear
Then it was time to head back to ship, well after a little shopping of course, I got a necklace