Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Mexico Adventure: Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6 – Day 7 –Day 8
We had to change our clocks but alas, we forgot to tell the computers to automatically change them so we were an hour late. Mary had to rush to her 8:30 am appointment when they called at 8:45 am! She went to the spa and I went to the coffee shop and brought her a lattee. Mary without her coffee is a site you do NOT want to see.
On the way into port, Jon spotted the dolphins who came out to welcome us. He waved enthusiastically, but they just flipped upside down and started doing what looked like synchronized swimming. “I knew they were talented,” Jon joked, “but I didn’t expect a full aquatic performance! Next stop, Dancing with the Dolphins!”
There were hundreds of these critters jumping for joy!
We pulled into port at noon and the weather was perfect! Today we left the ship around noon and headed for our first Mexican cooking class.
72 degrees with a slight breeze.
The ship was too big to dock so we took tenders into the city. It was a short ride the quite pleasant with the temperature in the mid 70s.
We got a good view of the city
We took a small bus to the METATE CAFE where the class was taught. It was about ten minutes from the port along Highway One.
After arriving and settling in, we got a tour of the gardens before the cooking lessons began. Their property was interesting and well maintained.
We got our sombreros so that we would be in the mood.
We got a drink along with the tour! As the day progressed, we had several drinks!
The day was perfect in terms of the weather.
They had a tribute to Mexican movie stars. The bottom left was Cantiflas whi played David Niven’s butler in the movie “80 Days Around The World”.
As he talked, we recognized some of the names!
During our tour, we passed their bar, and the owner pulled out a jar from under the counter of Mezcal, complete with a rattlesnake inside. Jon and I went for a shot of the Mezcal á la Snake. Like Grandpa, like Grandson; both goofy!
The snake has been floating in the jar for seven months! Jon and I hissed for two hours afterwords!
“Tequila Con Vibor”, as this potent admixture is known locally, is the result of a live rattlesnake being drowned in a jug of mezcal liquor. Regional lore maintains that the dying serpent releases a cocktail of medicinal chemicals upon it’s expiration, supplementing the strength and charm of the liquor.
Mezcal is made from the heart of the agave plant, called the piña. The Agave genus is a member of the Agavoideae subfamily of the Asparagaceae plant family which has almost 200 species. Mezcal is made from over 30 Agave species, varieties, and subvarieties, in contrast with tequila, which is made only with blue agave. 90% of Mexican mezcal comes from Oaxaca. In Mexico, mezcal is generally consumed straight and has a strong smoky flavor. Though other types of mezcal are not as popular as tequila, Mexico does export the product, mostly to Japan and the United States, and exports are increasing as the liquor grows in popularity.
When Mary saw what we were drinking she just shook her head in disbelief and backed away five steps!
The Robin pose!
We stayed by the bar for a while and everyone was looking at us after we downed the snake ladened Mezcal. Hissssssss! Rattle rattle! We both sounded like 1910 Chevrolets, all we needed was an occasional backfire. That may have occurred but we didn’t tell anyone!
Jon was busy delivering a drink to a lady who had difficulty standing and walking; he is a good boy!
Back to our table! Our table was perfect as we could see everything going on. We had Ceviche first and we sent a picture to Vicky.
Ceviche is a lean, healthy dish, high in protein and low in fat. Fresh fish provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health. You’ll also find a fair share of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants due to all the veggies featured.
The ceviche was outstanding, rivaling Vicky’s special homemade ceviche.
We got a lesson in rolling corn and Mary really got into the mood. Corn was flying every which direction! I knew she was a bit corny!
She sang, “Roll Roll Roll You Corn, Merrily Down The Stream!”
We were served a pork leg and it was humungous. It tasted wonderful. Mary had a nibble and I had to eat the rest, I forced myself. Dang the luck!
We had flan for dessert. By the end of the day, we were stuffed AND we had dinner reservations at the Italian restaurant on board at 7:00 pm. Oh my, I may have to wear a robe to dinner.
That pig must have been 600 pounds based upon his leg!!
The trip back to the pier was uneventful. All four of us needed to go to the staterooms immediately and rest for a bit before dinner! I could hardly wait to get my girdle off!!
The Navigator Of The Seas was waiting for us.
The small hills surrounded the city were backlit by the dropping Sun. The temperature dropped a few degrees but was still pleasant to be outside.
The sun was setting as we boarded the ship for the next leg of the adventure.
The view from the tenth floor was amazing and we watched the boats shuffle people back to the ship!
There were some amazing yachts at the harbor!
Jamie’s Italian Bistro had a delicious looking menu but we all opted for the smallest thing we could find; I even ordered a salad! As we attempted to finish our dinner, we saw people coming on board at the last minute. They looked like little ants! Oops, we were looking under our table and they were ants!
We went to the magic show at 9:00 pm and it was really great! The ship’s cruise director put on the show himself and it was amazing. After the show, we all took a vote and the outcome was unanimous; head for bed! We were all pooped out.
Jon and Sarah went to the ice show and they raved about the performances. While that was going on, Mary and I were sawing logs; mine was a redwood!!
