Cozumel: Sun Rays & Stingrays

A week in Cozumel with some great friends to celebrate our graduation! The post is a bit late, but this awesome trip kicked off my gap year, so it was only fair to include a recap of the week.

The six of us flew into the island on a Saturday in July, taking a cab to our first AirBnb- A condo on the beach just south of town. Day one was spent attempting to grasp that we were really on a tropical vacation in the Caribbean, but the reality became easier to accept with each fruity drink. We wasted no time rushing into the ocean with our snorkel gear, eager to determine if the water was as crystal clear as the advertisements boasted.

It was even clearer.

Just off the shore of our condo, we swam with sand rays and eels and countless fish, including barracudas (which I could have done without). You'd be diving through a swarm of minnows and then BAM. Barracuda. In your face. Just staring. I'd like to say we became friends by the end of the week, but some differences just can't be overcome.

Nevertheless, not a day went by that we didn't find somewhere to snorkel. Sunday was our official snorkeling tour, which scooped us up off the shores of our condo and took us by boat to Palancar and Columbia Reefs, where we swam with even more beautiful marine life.

We then made our way to El Cielo, where we enjoyed ceviche and guacamole on the sandbar as groups of stingrays swam gracefully by. Vibrant orange starfish dotted the white sand and danced under the unbelievably clear blue water, truly resembling a reflection of "El Cielo", or "the sky". After several hours of soaking in the sun (and reapplying sunscreen), we boated back to our dock to relax in the shade for the remainder of the afternoon (and do a bit more shore-snorkeling). We had dinner and drinks at Tortugas Beach Bar right next to our condo, and slept like babies after our first full day of Mexican sun.

The next day was a relaxing one. Alissa and Ryan took off for a day at Playa Mia, while the rest of us took advantage of the small beach and pool at our condominium. Time was spent reading, swimming and, of course, snorkeling, as we all made an effort to intentionally let go of the stressors we left behind in Madison: Grad school applications, standardized exams, and looming "real-world" jobs. We walked to Money Bar Beach Club for dinner, where we took advantage of the 2-for-1 happy hour, sampling nearly every drink on the menu (for quality-control purposes).

The following morning, Alissa treated us to pancakes topped with Dulce de Leche, fueling us all for the transition from our beachside condo to our downtown house, where we'd be for the remainder of our trip. Our Airbnb host, Donna, greeted us warmly and gave us a run down of downtown San Miguel, equipping us with everything we needed to know to make the most of our four days there.

We got lunch at Hemmingway's Beach Bar, where we- you guessed it- snorkeled off shore before sitting down for some delicious food (I finally got my coconut shrimp). On the walk back to our house we took our time, stopping in several shops where Kai put her bartering skills to work. She left Cozumel with a successful haul of beautiful handmade items to furnish her and Noah's new apartment in Madison.

Returning to the house, a few of us decided to forgo the shower, opting for a bubble bath in the rooftop jacuzzi instead (emphasis on the BUBBLES). We might've gone a little overboard, but goodness were we clean. That evening, we tried out El Foco Taqueria down the street from our place, and enjoyed some authentic food made by a kind couple just a few feet from where we sat. We got to bed at a decent hour after a round of Tums, no one wanting to jeopardize the big day we had coming up.

Day 4: Scuba Diving

We booked through Scuba Tony, and met our guides at the marina that morning. As Alissa and I were the only ones who were scuba certified, we all signed up for the introductory package, which included a quick scuba lesson, skills test, and full-time instructor support during the dives.

Let me just say, we all did swimmingly.

Our first dive began near shore and slowly descended with the ocean floor in order to ease the beginner divers into the experience. Though we only got down to 30 feet, we encountered a moray eel, lobsters, and several interesting fish as the group figured out their breathing and buoyancy. The guides were supportive and attentive, but gave the beginners space to explore and experience the excitement of their first dive.

Dive two was the big one. We boated over to Yucab Reef, where we descended down to 40 feet and swam through coral and marine life that exploded with color. We saw several rays, lobsters and huge fish, as well as a large barracuda (no thank you), and 2 sharks.

2 SHARKS.

Both were nurse sharks, the first about 5 feet long, the second closer to 7 feet! Thankfully, we all kept our cool and avoided an altercation with the predators. Even Ryan, a first time diver with a self-proclaimed fear of sharks, was cool as a cucumber. The whole experience was surreal, and we were so fortunate to avoid any major issues with equalization, panic or buoyancy, despite the lack of experience in the group. If you saw us out there, you'd think we were all pros! The dive was completed flawlessly, and we surfaced with a new perspective of the world. Treated to cookies and sweets on the boat ride back, we spent the rest of the day in awe, discussing when and how the rest of them were going to get certified.

We stopped for dinner at the No Name Sports Bar, which had free pool and ocean access (so, of course, we snorkeled a bit), and I enjoyed a chocolate-y drink from heaven. Our evening ended at "Welcome to Miami", a tiny roadside bar recommended to us by everyone we met for the best mojitos on the island. And they were good. As luck would have it, their small TV was also playing the NBA championships, which the Milwaukee Bucks were playing in (and went on to WIN), so we got to cheer on the home team while sipping some of the best drinks I've ever had.

The following day, we hired a driver to take us around the east side of the island, which we hadn't gotten to experience yet. We hopped between beach bars, stopping at Coconuts, El Pescador, and a Reggae bar on the southern tip of the island. We soaked in the sun at Playa Chen Rio and Playa San Francisco along the way, and stopped at El Mirador lookout, a beautiful natural landmark on the east coast. The day was full of sweet drinks, gorgeous views and refreshing swims, returning to San Miguel just in time for dinner.

That evening, our dinner consisted of 2 parts. We first visited Cerveseria Punta Sur, a microbrewery on the island that also served a famous lionfish pizza. The beer was great and the pizza was a hit, but we couldn't let the night end there. Our next stop was the Gastro Park, an open air venue that was lined with vendors, each serving their own variety of Mexican street food. Colorful string lights were looped across the open space, and the delicious smells sucked us in to the center of the park where we found our table. We each got small plates from different stands, trying steak and fish tacos, enchiladas, churros, and even Arabian-Mexican fusion. Everything was incredible and affordable, easily putting the Gastro Park on our list of favorites.

I woke up on our final full day in Cozumel, ready to make the most of it. Walking down our precarious spiral staircase into the living room, I was greeted with streamers, decorations, and a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" surprise. I couldn't think of a better way to kick off my 22nd birthday. We went around the corner for breakfast empanadas, which were made-to-order at a colorful stand for only 12 pesos each (not dollars, pesos), and enjoyed them with some coffee back at the house while we got ready for our day. Next stop was second breakfast (LOTR reference) at Piccola, home of the "breakfast pizza". It was while we were eating these wonderful egg-topped delicacies that we were joined by a mariachi band who began to serenade us. The quartet was more than happy to switch to "Feliz Cumpleaños" once they learned it was a special day, and we gave them a generous tip to thank them for making the day that much better. And it wasn't even noon!

We stopped for coffee at Sucré Salé, and sipped our cold drinks on our walk down to the shore, where we decided to return to No Name Bar for the water access (we could only survive a maximum of 2 hours in that heat before a body of water was needed). We cooled off in the pool and got some drinks at the swim-up bar, taking the opportunity to relax on our final day of vacation. We made our way into the ocean one last time, snorkeling towards a floating dock anchored off shore where we bathed in the sun, giving our skin one last chance to crisp up and fall off (just kidding- we were really good about our sunscreen).

Upon our return to the house, we got all dressed up (per my request), and headed to Casa Denis for dinner. We were treated to complimentary shots of tequila for my birthday, and we clinked our little glasses together in honor of our great week together, all of us so glad we could make it happen despite the challenges and uncertainty we've faced over the past year. The sky turned colors as the sun set on the water just across the square, and the heavy heat melted away for our last evening on the island. I capped off dinner with a scoop of coconut ice cream from a shop on the corner, and we walked down to the docks to watch the night settle in and the lights of the island come on.

Returning to our house, we had one more item on the agenda: Ana Luisa the piñata. Yes, we named her. She was tied up to the banister by some makeshift rope and we each took turns blindly whacking at her with a vengeance. Perhaps this was a therapeutic opportunity to vent all of the stress and tension caused by the pandemic, releasing anger and frustration and anxiety with each swing of the broomstick (we eventually switched to a shoe because we brook the broomstick). Regardless, we were successful, Ana Luisa the Avocado pouring candy all over our living room floor in defeat.

It was a great way to end our final night.

The next morning, we got a good, healthy breakfast at La Cuisine (Lord knows we needed it), and headed to the airport to catch our flight home. It was a wonderful week of adventure, rest and celebration, and we were ready to return to our lives as fresh, worried, stressed, unsure college graduates (or, at least, we had no choice but to get ready). The tans will fade but the memories will not, and I feel so blessed to have these incredible experiences to look back on as we all embark on the next chapter of our life.