random

i was thinking, i didn't share other stuff, so this is the random info part of Cozumel.

i got to speak spanish to everyone. i didn't have to, because everyone spoke english, a requirement to work there. but when they realized i spoke a little spanish, they wanted to talk to me in spanish. they had to repeat things several times and say it slowly, but i had nice little conversations with several people. this one guy i spoke to entirely in spanish, some random parking attendant about the paying to use their beach, the fish, and where best to go if we wanted to snorkel. it was cool cuz we both understood each other rather well and it proved to mom that i actually learned something in guatemala. :-)

shells were EVERYWHERE on our beach. they were TINY and WHITE and nothing spectacular, but there were literally thousands (100s of 1000s) along our beach. we had to walk through them to get from the sand to the water, which was VERY painful. then they'd be in the water. and then would be a small section of rocks or big shells you had to pass through, but all in the sand, and then just sand. it was weird. and we've never seen so many shells before. and if you walked further down you could see those big conch shells, none of them perfectly whole.

the sun was HOT and painful. there was no shade when walking around the resort because there weren't very many trees, nor are palm trees really big enough to provide much shade. but they had lots of thatched-roof umbrellas on the beach to sit under, which wasn't only helpful, but necessary.

there weren't tons of people, which was nice ... plenty of room for everyone and no need to fight over lounge chairs. but the night before we left more people arrived, so for breakfast the morning we left there were lots more people. but overall, business was really slow, so unfortunately for them they were losing money on that all-inclusive deal.

this place is a five-star resort, very nice, and we recommend staying there if you ever go. but keep in mind that five star in mexico versus five star in america is going to be a little different. the flies, for example, would have americans screaming up a storm in america. but in mexico everyone just goes with the flow and doesn't say a word. the food was tasty and pretty and filling, but it was just normal food, "not gourmet," as one of the guests commented. and no, it wasn't gourmet for america, but it WAS gourmet for mexico. they could have just served us all beans, rice, and tortillas. :-)

oh, the iguanas! there were iguanas running around the grounds of our resort, so when walking to breakfast or to the pool we'd see them in the grass just watching life go by. and there were lizards, too. green, black, brown, small and medium sized. i think they all lived under our huts. fun!