Another adventure of Mary & Paul
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Today, we landed in Mexico again at Costa Maya. The overnight trip was a mere 135 nautical miles.We decided to have breakfast delivered to our room to avoid any early morning fashion disasters at the buffet. We planned to take a leisurely walk to the pier and then stroll over to the pickup point, hoping to maintain our stylish composure throughout the journey.
The view from our room was beautiful! I disrobed and began to climb the rail to start my dive when Mary reminded me we were fourteen floors up; the plans changed immediately.
The water was warm and clear as a bell!
We originally planned to walk, but the scorching weather convinced us to take the tram instead, which was brilliant. Oh, and guess what? Mary bumped into the local Aztec goddess! Her name was Rocky. I think the heat brought out some divine company! BTW, Mary is on the left.
Two goddesses at one time!
Mary insisted that I wear the new SPF 80 shirt (I told her wrapping in tin foil would be cheaper!)
It was complete with a hoodie. I looked like I was about to embark on a mission to the sun. After her triumphant fight, she made sure I donned the space-age contraption.
After all the dining I had been doing aboard the ship, I looked like Santa Claus. I was emulating a pirate; I had a sunken chest!
I am making a true fashion statement.
We put our sniffers on “ultra-sensitive” and found a pub where we did some serious taste testing of the local drinks. We are here to report success; they have alcohol! It’s funny how anything wet tastes good when it is 90 degrees outside.
Interesting bar seats; I needed a safety belt to avoid falling out.
Question? The answer is margarita!
The diet really works! So far, Mary and I have lost three days!
Being quite curious, Mary went to visit the locals, where they grabbed her and tied her to the railroad tracks (the Mexican version) and, using their sword, sacrificed her to the God of Alcohol.
I heard her screaming and reacted appropriately as a good husband should; I ordered another drink, wandered over and offered to have their swords sharpened, and then returned to my seat.
Mary is the one in the center!
Our tour guide called us to form a single line. We marched about 500 feet to the dolphin pool, where they make human sacrifices in the off-hours.
We got a quick safety briefing and then were given life vests that should keep us afloat in case a dolphin having a lousy day attempts to drag us to the bottom of the sacrificial pool.
We met Sophie, a fourteen-year-old rescue Dolphin. She was very friendly and only took one finger at a time.
We grew attached!
To capture their food, dolphins often work together to surround and circle their prey to keep it from escaping. They keep circling until the prey is forced into a small and dense area. Once trapped, the dolphins take turns swimming through the circle to pick off the human who can’t escape.
They kept moving around us, and we were worried. Then it dawned on me that they could smell the alcohol, so they left us alone; they were teetotalers!
Then Mark jumped into the water, and they scattered like sardines running from a whale!
OMG, Mark is smiling.
Mark is the one on the left!
Now the girls get their turn since we proved it is mostly safe.
The formal introduction!
Sophie and Mary became friends quickly. Dolphins are beautiful and amazing animals. When learning about dolphins, many ask themselves whether they might be as intelligent as humans. Their brains weigh 1600 grams, compared to human brains, which weigh about 1300 grams. Oh dear, my brain weighs 3 grams on a good day!
Careful there, Sophie, she bites!
Sophie reminded us of Scout the Wonder Dog, who is always happy and smiling.
Let us count your toofies!
I guess the fish just like the Liles gang!
Smoochie smoochie!
After a wild hour in the water with the dolphins, we were finally ready to escape their clutches and head back to the safety of the ship. We managed to wriggle out of the straightjacket (don’t ask) and decided we absolutely needed to buy the 45 ridiculous photos they took of us and our friend Sophie. Who knew dolphin photos could be so… captivating?
Wrestling an alligator is easier than getting out of these straight jackets.
We are done; it’s back to the ship, but where is the ship?
It is awaiting our arrival.
We returned to the ship and met Colleen and Mark near the adult pool. It was so hot outside that we returned to our cabin and napped until dinner.
But first, we stopped at the trough, where we wandered around seeking exciting delights. I did Indian food and a good old American hamburger. Mary searched for an interesting salad.
We made a reservation at The Catch for a 5:00 pm dinner.
The room was quite lovely.
I ordered a salmon, shrimp, and scallop plate, but little did I know they hung the poor shrimp right out in front of everyone. I did not know where to start, but fortunately, the little waitress from Serbia knew precisely what to do with the dangling meal!
The shrimp was giant! I would not want to meet him in a dark alley!
We all had a fantastic feast, and we were so stuffed that we donated our desserts to Mark, who happily transformed into a dessert-eating tornado!
Mark’s sounds can only be heard deep in a Central American Rainfor st. We were so embarrassed that we put napkins over our heads and exited quietly.
I took one last shot before exiting; I caught her in the act of elder abuse! She should have known Dads and Moms had eyes in the back of their heads!
I told Colleen not to do it!
I sat next to my bride and she kept m mostly under control. I did, however, enjoy my gimlets.
Here are some facts about the gimlet cocktail:
Origins – The gimlet has multiple origin stories, but the most widely accepted is that it was created in the 1880s by British Royal Navy surgeon Sir Thomas Gimlette. Gimlette is said to have suggested mixing gin with lime juice to mask the lime’s bitter taste and prevent scurvy among sailors. The drink may also have been made possible by Lauchlan Rose’s lime juice cordial, invented in the 19th century, which used sugar as a preservative instead of alcohol. The cordial sweetened the drink and helped preserve the citrus.
Name -The gimlet may have been named after the tool that bore holes into barrels of spirits on Navy ships or Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette.
Recipe – The original gimlet was made with gin and lime juice, but bartenders later tweaked the recipe to make it more palatable. A standard gimlet is now typically two parts gin to one part cordial, with Rose’s cordial still being the traditional choice. However, you can also substitute gin with vodka.
Garnishes – The gimlet doesn’t necessarily need a garnish, but you can try adding lime peel, dehydrated lime wheels, elderflower sprigs, mint leaves, or celery bitters.
Best view in the house!
We arrived at the room early after stopping for impromptu photo shoots at random places. Who doesn’t need a picture with a giant rubber duck? We just wanted to make it for the RNC final night speeches.
Tomorrow, we will make the halfway point of this adventure! Eastern Caribbean, here we come!
Great travel log. Keep them coming. Excellent photography.