Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen

Posted on February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 by Dusty Roads

The ferry to the mainland crosses the Cozumel Channel, part of the Caribbean where the gulf stream gets funneled between the mainland and the island of Cozumel. This creates some choppy seas in the best of weather.

The tour description mentions that the crossing from Cozumel to the mainland can be rough and when Joe booked it he asked me if I would be ok with that. Forewarned is forearmed and I prepared accordingly. I made sure to have sea sick patches with me specifically for this trip. I didn’t need them for the cruise but for the ferry…well better safe than sorry so I put one on first thing in the morning. For the patches to be most effective they need to be on for 4 hours before you head off to your adventure.

Now we sat on the upper, open deck waiting for the ferry to cast off. It was windy with some drizzle so it was certainly expected that the crossing would be rough. What I wasn’t prepared for was how rough!.

Once we cast off the ferry wasted no time in accelerating but even so sometimes it felt like the forward progress was overshadowed by the side to side rocking and rolling and I mean rolling! We were on the top deck and as the boat rolled left everything and everyone slid that way. It felt like you could reach out and touch the water. At times I was afraid we wouldn’t right ourselves and we’d all be thrown into the cold, gray sea. But instead we bobbed back up only to roll to the other side.

It didn’t take long for those around us to start dropping. The crew handed out plastic bags and cotton balls. Joe was fine and I was too as long as I didn’t listen to the sounds around me. Water splashed all the way up to our level! My mantra was “I believe in my patch”.

I would guess the crossing took 45 minutes to an hour but it was hard to be sure. I bet it felt much longer to those who were sick. This trip was far worse than the trip to see the Puffins off the Maine Coast last summer where almost everyone there got sea sick too.

Finally docked and unloaded in Playa Del Carmen we were directed to the buses and loaded in there for the drive to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Our guide was an energetic Mexican with a great sense of humor.

Her non stop monologue could have been a stand up comedy act. She was going to make this tour a winner! As she said to us…her livelyhood depends on it.

A Rainy Morning at Sea

Posted on February 5, 2013February 5, 2013 by Dusty Roads

We awoke to clouds and fog and rain but we were still a way out to sea. We were hoping the weather would clear before we reached Cozumel.

Our morning had fallen into a pattern. We got up, dressed and went to the Lido deck for the breakfast buffet usually a starch like pancakes, waffles or French toast. There were the eggs too, Scrambled, hard boiled, Benedict or an omelet station where you could have them prepared to order.

Of course there was the meat: bacon, sausage, ham and turkey bacon. Grits and home fries pretty much round out the standard fare. Move on to the fruit bar and there were oranges, bananas, melon wedges, fruit salad and more! Another station was set up for the continental breakfast. Yogurt, bagels and toast, muffins and corn bread. I think I also saw cereal boxes and milk on that table.

You’d think that’s be enough for anyone but they even had a dessert table groaning with cookies, Jell-O, cakes, brownies, cheesecake and chocolate pudding. You could even make yourself a bowl of frozen yogurt or soft ice cream.

Beverages include coffee or tea, orange juice, apple juice, orange~promegranate and lemonade.

No wonder people say they over-eat on cruises! All of this food is included with your cruise!

Bt the time we finished breakfast the ship had pulled into Cozumel, an island off the coast of Mexico. We were directed to go to the Xanadu lounge just one of the many lounge and stage areas on the ship. Shortly after we reached the lounge one of the cruise people came around with stickers with the number 20 to put on our shirts. There was no explanation but we would soon find out the reason.

It was still raining but pretty soon they confirmed that the excursion was still a go and called for us to line up in twos. Like funeral procession we were being led off the ship as a group and our numbers identified us as an excursion group and therefore entitled to priority disembarkation.

Getting off the ship was easy. We just had to give security our room key which was scanned to show that we had left the ship.

Now began the half walk half run down the long pier into Cozumel but we didn’t even slow down as they hurried us around a corner and onto another long pier. At the end of the pier was the ferry to the mainland. As we boarded little did we know this innocent looking boat would soon become an instrument of torture for about half the group.

Block Island at Last

Posted on May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 by Dusty Roads

High Speed Ferry Returning to Point Judith

The ferry cast off and as soon as we cleared the jetties it was apparent that we were going to hit some heavy seas. I was on the top deck (a true glutton for punishment) which was open. The deck below was enclosed and warm but silly me wanted to stay topside. It was kind of like riding a bucking horse.

The bow would go up and up and then ever so slowly we’d begin to tip into the trough and then picking up speed the stern would rise and with a crash of spray the bow would slice the waves at the bottom of the trough.

Up and down! I watched the rollers moving toward us and tried to judge how much the boat would buck by the depth of the trough approaching.

All though it was cold and wet the 55 minute trip passed quickly. Pretty soon we were passing another jetty into a calm harbor.

The waves were crashing over the sea wall making a spectacular scene.

The Ferry unloaded quickly and I found myself standing in the middle of the parking lot a bit lost. In my rush to catch the ferry this morning I had left my reservation confirmation in the car. It had the address for my guest house. I thought it was right near the ferry but I didn’t see it as I looked around but I did see a Chamber of Commerce building.

At the Chamber I asked for directions to Ashley House. At first the woman at the desk seemed puzzled but she quickly brightened up and told me to go through the Harborside Inn. As I headed over there I was approached by a taxi/tour driver. He also said I’d find it in back of the Harborside Inn so I short-cutted down an alley and sure enough..there it was. Only one problem. There didn’t seem to be an entrance. But there was an ice cream and pastry shop so I asked there how to get into the Ashley House. The girl took me out to the front and around the corner to an alley, pulled open a door and pointing said “Up the Stairs”. So up the stairs I went following a long corridor of polished wood floors and doors along the length but after I wandered the whole length and went back down the other stairs, I found myself back out side and still no place to check in.

I began to retrace my steps to the Chamber building for more detailed directions when I bumped into the Chamber lady leaving. She asked me if I’d found Ashley House. I told her yes I found the house but where do I check in?. She then went into more detail. The Harborside Inn owns Ashley House and if I go to the front desk of the Inn they will do the check in and give me my key. It seems so obvious in retrospect.

Check-in, once I found it, was quick and simple. The clerk even gave me a map and a list of restaurants that were open. Since this was still the “off-season” many of the restaurants and shops were still closed although you could see them being freshened up with new coats of paint and displays set up for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

The clerk pointed out the 2 Lighthouses. She said the southern lighthouse was an easy walk from town but the other lighthouse was more challenging. I thanked her and headed to Ashley House to find my room. I was anxious to see what the inside of the rooms would be like after my trip down the corridor.

I wasn’t disappointed. It was a beautiful room with a large sleigh bed, a TV and a private bathroom with shower. That was important to me as a lot of the guest houses on the island have shared bathrooms. I was very pleased.

It was beginning to lighten up and the rain had stopped so maybe I’ll be able to get a sunset picture after all! But first I need to stop in at the Ice Cream shop and buy something as a way of saying thanks. Without the clerk’s help I could still be wandering around looking for the entrance!

On the way to Block Island

Posted on May 23, 2012May 23, 2012 by Dusty Roads

Block Island is about 13 miles off the south coast of Rhode Island. On a clear day you can see Montauk Point Long Island, N.Y. Block Island is also known as New Shoreham. I wish I’d known that when I was searching for accommodations. I eliminated any in New Shoreham because I didn’t realize it was part of Block Island. The island isn’t that large. It’s about 3 miles wide and 7 miles long. It is part of The Nature Conservatory. 40% of the island has been set aside and protected. The only way to get to the island is by ferry or by plane.

There are 2 lighthouses on the Island and a chance to photograph them was the impetus for my trip. I planned it about 2 weeks ago. We’ve been getting a lot of rain so I was hoping we would have dried out by the time I headed out on my trip. Canceling was not an option. Next week is Memorial Day weekend and the room rates triple with the start of the summer season.I couldn’t afford that…not just to get a couple of pictures. National Geographic hasn’t discovered me yet! 🙂

So you can imagine my disappointment to wake up to pouring rain Tuesday morning. The weather person was all smiles and telling all the viewers that there was only 40% chance of rain. We might get a passing thunderstorm but it wouldn’t last more than 30 minutes. I guess they haven’t looked out the window.

I got everything in the car and went to the “Facilities” for one last stop before I got on the road…oh oh the flush mechanism on the toilet seems to be on the blink. I spent more time than I should have trying to get it to work but only ended up leaving a note of warning for the Pet Sitter. Then I was on my way. That is until I checked the driving directions. When I downloaded them I thought I had the directions to Point Judith. Now here in the car I realize all of the directions were to Newport.

No time to go back now, I tried my GPS…no luck. So I pointed the car toward Narragansett and crossed my fingers that I’d find the ferry. Of course I got caught behind a car doing 20 miles under the speed limit. I began to resign myself to the possibility that I will miss the 11 am ferry.

Made it! But it’s still raining and none of the Ferry Parking lots seem to be open. I finally found one…$20 for the overnight. I took it and headed as fast as I could toward the ferry terminal. I should have taken my time. I missed the boat (literally) by 10 minutes. The next one wasn’t until 3pm. With the rain coming down like it was, I didn’t even feel like exploring. Instead I sat on the benches in the terminal until wind kicked up. Then I moved to the benches in the restroom area. At least it was warm and dry there.

There didn’t seem to be much open in Point Judith so about 1:30 I went in search of lunch. There was a little restaurant and bar on the 2nd floor of one of the retail buildings. I lugged my stuff up the stairs and entered the bar. There was only one other patron and the bartender. You could say I got exceptional service. And the fish sandwich was wonderful. If you are ever in Point Judith and want a place to eat I recommend Clam Jammers.

It was clear that Point Judith Harbor had an active fishing fleet working out of there. Trawlers where coming in and going out the whole time I was waiting. Finally the ticket windows opened and the Ferry came in from Block Island.

At about 2:30 they started loading. The trip on the “traditional” Ferry takes about 55 minutes. It’s about $25.00 for a round trip ticket so the price isn’t bad. They also had a High Speed Ferry but it was much more expensive and I didn’t think an hour was all that long anyway.

I had one of the seasick patches and had applied it in the morning so I was ready. Let the cruising begin! I’ll be able to handle any rough seas now!

I couldn’t help but be thankful that my “travel” philosophy is not to take any little mishap too seriously. It made the rough beginning to my little jaunt a bit easier to take.