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| Left, me with bestie Donna Wilson; Right, our ship was the Carnival Paradise |
Full disclaimer: I DO NOT like big-ship cruises. I think
they are generally awful – mediocre food, crowded, second-rate entertainment
(that I didn’t want anyway) and far too little time in port. I do LOVE
small-ship cruises. Ironically I went on ONE small-ship cruise (click here to
see the beginning blog of a series on my cruise to Svalbard, Norway) and TWO
big-ship cruises this year.
The reasons for the latter two had nothing to do with the cruise experience, however. The first was a pelagic birding trip and the second was this trip with a group my Clearwater High School friends.
 |
| Our ship |
My high school graduating class has held reunions on a
more-frequent-than-usual basis for years. We started with a 10-year and then had a fairly
good-sized gathering every five years after that.
When we all turned 60, we had an
informal gathering a Clearwater Beach hotel. No dinners, no activities, no fees
– just a bunch of old (and getting older every day) friends getting together to
chat and drink and enjoy the beach.
After that event, we did it every year. Last year, instead of a hotel gathering, it was a cruise. I didn’t go.
So, when
the opportunity to go on a cruise this year came up, I decided that I would go,
even though I am not particularly fond of giant cruise ships. I just wanted to
get together with old friends and have some fun.
 |
| Our cruise departed from the Port of Tampa, near where most of my classmates live |
It was, however, very cool because we were going to Cuba! It
was a short Carnival cruise with just one day in Key West and a day and a half
in Cuba. But, Cuba! Once in a lifetime chance. I was jazzed.
Scott didn’t want to go, so I booked a cabin with a view for
myself (balcony was just a bit pricey to justify for just me). Although I was
fully prepared to go it alone, I later found out that a classmate was looking
for a roomie. So, now, my costs were cut in half and I was rooming with Mindy
Siegel.
 |
| I was looking forward to Cuba; Photo: Carnival CL |
When Mindy joined, I attempted to upgrade to a
balcony room. Oddly, I couldn’t get Carnival to upgrade me and I couldn’t get a consistent reason why. Perhaps my class of service wasn’t allowed to
upgrade. Perhaps they were sold out. I talked to multiple people and only got
as far as a waiting list.
Meanwhile, I signed up for a day tour and a night at
the Tropicana nightclub.
Then, our delightful President screwed it all up: the Trump
administration banned cruise ships to Cuba as a punitive measure against the
island’s communist government.
In May 2016, President Barack Obama’s administration opened
up cruise and educational travel from the U.S. to Cuba. Cruises became very
popular because they provided a simple, one-stop, guaranteed-legal way to travel.
 |
| New itinerary; Chart: Carnival CL |
When Trump pulled the plug, an estimated 800,000 cruise
passenger bookings were affected, including us.
Carnival offered us a full
refund if we cancelled or a $100 shipboard credit if we stayed on the trip,
which was redirected to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
I was a bit disappointed in the destinations; they seemed
more “party” cruise than educational and, Grand Cayman is one of the few
places in the Caribbean I have already been. Plus, because they were farther
away (we had to cruise around Cuba), the stops were shorter.
But, I decided to
go for my original reasons: to spend time with friends. Most of the group
decided to go, as well.
With the change, I was able to upgrade to a balcony at, unfortunately, a bit more than we really wanted to spend. But, then, Carnival advertised a big
sale and, with one quick phone call, I cut our cost almost in half! Now, it was
looking pretty good.
 |
| Putt-putt golf with classmates Suz and Andy |
So, off I went to the Caribbean with 14 classmates and six of their spouses, friends and/or siblings. No, I didn’t go to a small school; actually, our
graduating class had about 680 members.
But, over the years the diehard reunion
group has whittled itself down and this cruise was most of those people.
Many
are actually on the “reunion committee,” which has now become a social group
that gets together often in our hometown of Clearwater, Florida.
Pre-Cruise Birding
I flew to Florida two days in advance so that I could visit
my mother-in-law and get in a little birding. It was cold and rainy (I mean,
November … you get what you get), but I managed a nice walk with my friend (and fellow cruiser) Donna Wilson at Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs.
Because it was foggy, the place had a primordial look.
 |
| Spanish moss and interesting lichen |
I didn’t get any NEW birds,
but I did get some nice shots of Black-Crowned Night Herons, adult …
 |
| Adult Black-Crowned Night Heron |
… and Juvenile …
 |
| Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron |
Anhingas …
 |
| Anhinga ready to take off |
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher …
 |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
Tufted Titmouses (Titmice? Who knows?)
 |
| Tufted Titmouse |
And, a favorite, Pileated Woodpeckers …
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
After our walk, Donna went home and I took a quick trip to John Chesnut Senior
Park in Palm Harbor, where I saw baby American Alligators …
 |
| Baby Alligators! |
Northern Cardinals …
 |
| Northern Cardinal |
Red-winged Blackbirds …
 |
| Female Red-winged Blackbird |
A Black-and-white Warbler …
 |
| Black-and-white Warbler |
More Anhingas …
 |
| Anhinga showing off its wing feathers |
And, a Palm Warbler …
 |
| Female Palm Warbler |
Oh, and by my hotel, I got some great shots of Limpkins (the
only one I had ever seen before was hiding deep in the plants along the water’s
edge in the Everglades) ...
 |
| Limpkin |
Cruise
 |
| Carnival Paradise; Photo: Carnival Cruise Line |
But, let’s talk about the cruise. We went on the Carnival
Paradise, a “Fantasy-class” (wha ……?) cruise ship built by Kværner Masa-Yards
in Helsinki, Finland.
It took two years to build and was christened in 1998 by,
interestingly, journalist Paula Zahn.
It can hold 2,124 passengers, which, to
my mind is about 2,000 too many.
The décor is, well, a cross between a brothel (well, what I
think a brothel might look like) and The Shining with a little Mardi Gras
thrown in.
 |
| Coincidence? |
In other words, pretty darn hideous.
 |
| What is this look they were going for? |
The room was tiny. I knew
cruise ship rooms were small, but this was smaller than any I had been in
before. And, instead of an easily “seeable” balcony, it wasn’t particularly
visible behind the door and the heavily draped window.
 |
| Separating the bed into twins makes the space even tighter |
But, I found the bed very comfy (Mindy didn't) and there was a great supply of very hot water in the bathroom (which, by cruise ship standards, was an OK size; I have seen smaller). The balcony, while
small, was nice, with two chairs. I didn’t spend a lot of time out there, but
it was nice to be able to go out when I wanted to.
I will say that boarding was pretty smooth for a big ship.
 |
| Ship boarding is from a huge terminal |
I
Ubered from the airport. The
new rental car pavilion at Tampa International Airport is very nice and it is
reachable by tram rather than bus. No waiting outside, no hoisting luggage, no
braving weather. Just very nice.
Carnival seemed to have the dockside boarding process down
to a science, but once we arrived on the ship, all instruction ceased. It
wasn’t clear when we could access our room or where to go. I had to seek
someone out to get an answer. The impression I got is that many people are frequent cruisers, so it is assumed everyone knows what to do.
But, after a bit of flailing about and meeting up with my
group (which I had seen the night before at a pre-cruise party at Betsy and
David Walker’s house), it was, as they say, “smooth sailing.”
 |
| The gang the night before departure |
In fact, the ocean was very smooth, so there was no issue
with sea sickness. Nor was there any rain except for a small sprinkle in Grand
Cayman.
 |
| Chillin' by the pool |
While on the ship, we ate meals in either the buffet-style
restaurant (so-so and crazy crowded), Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint by
the ridiculously over-crowded pool (yummy burgers and fries), or in one of the dining rooms where our
group had two assigned tables (so really good options).
The food was OK, but nothing remarkable. And,
seldom hot. No big deal; it’s just that one of the myths about cruising is
extraordinary food. It’s not; it’s just all included.
Departing
As we left Tampa, we got a beautiful view of Davis Island
and the port of Tampa. And, it struck me that after living in the Tampa Bay
area for nearly 24 years, I was never on the water in the harbor.
 |
| Davis Island with Tampa in the background |
We passed
MacDill Air Force Base ...
 |
| MacDill AFB |
... and then – about an astounding two hours later – we
passed slowly under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge just as the sun was setting. I
gotta say, this was perhaps the most spectacular part of the trip.
 |
| Sunshine Skyway Bridge |
The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a cable-stayed
bridge spanning lower Tampa Bay connecting St. Petersburg to Terra Ceia north of Bradenton. The current
bridge opened in 1987 and is the second Sunshine Skyway on the site.
 |
| A picture I took from land a few years ago |
The original two-lane bridge opened in 1954 and a
second matching span opened in 1971 to increase the traffic to four lanes. In
1980, there were two major disasters within a few months. In January, a Coast
Guard cutter collided with a tanker near the bridge and sank, killing 23 crew
members, most of whom were trapped in the ship. In May, a freighter collided
with a bridge support during a sudden microburst squall, collapsing 1,200 feet
of the southbound span and killing 35 people when vehicles (including a bus) plunged
150 feet into the bay.
 |
| Close call for one driver; Photo: Tampa Bay Times |
One person survived when his truck first bounced off the
freighter, partially breaking the fall. I was working in St. Petersburg at the time and remember both events very clearly, since I traveled over the Skyway frequently for my job and was lucky to not be on the bridge for the May incident.
Within a few years, the damaged span
was demolished, the surviving span was partially demolished and converted into
a fishing pier, and a new bridge was built.
The new bridge's main span is 50 percent wider than the old bridge. The piers of the main span and the approaches for 1⁄4 mile in either direction are surrounded by large concrete barriers, called "dolphins" that protect the bridge piers from impact should another ship stray from the channel. Fortunately, that has not happened.
 |
| The bridge is gorgeous at night |
In 2005, the bridge was officially renamed
to honor former
Governor of Florida and then U.S. Senator Bob Graham, who presided over bridge design and most
of the construction.
Everyone, however, just calls it the Sunshine Skyway or the Skyway.
Graham was inspired to suggest the current design by a visit
to France, where he saw a similar cable-stayed bridge, the Brotonne Bridge.
This past year, a lighting projected funded by the bridge’s
$1.50 toll, was completed. More than 1,800 LEDs along 1.7 miles of the bridge
cycle through a variety of colors. It is
stunning to watch, especially as you sail toward and under it.
 |
| The lights change colors and can be reprogrammed depending on the season |
Because the bridge is now part of the Interstate system
(I-275), pedestrians and bicycles are prohibited and motorists cannot stop for
any non-emergency, including sightseeing.
The Skyway's low bridge clearance prevents vessels larger
than 180 feet high from using the Port Tampa Bay terminals. When we passed
under, it certainly looked as though we wouldn’t clear the span.
 |
| Whew! |
Once we cleared the bridge, we were officially out of Tampa Bay and on our way.
 |
| A look back as we depart |
And, once out of the bay, we saw almost nothing except water
and sky until we passed Cuba on our approach to Grand Cayman.
 |
| Cuba! |
I had hoped for
lots of birds and, perhaps, Dolphins or even Whales. With the exception to two
Brown Boobies ...
 |
| Two Brown Boobies flanking our ship |
... scores of Flying Fish ...
 |
| There were hundreds, but the big groups were hard to photograph |
... and one bird that looked out of place on
the open ocean ...
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| I have no idea what this is |
... we saw nothing, although I heard some folks saw Dolphins in Tampa
Bay.
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| Donna and me in Grand Cayman in 2001 |
Ironically, one of the replacement destinations was one of the few places I had been in the Caribbean (in addition to Atlantis in the Bahamas). I visited
Grand Cayman with best friend Donna, who was also on this cruise, in 2001. That was a land-based trip.
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the
location of the territory's capital, George Town, which is where we stopped (we
did not dock; rather we were tendered into port).
 |
| Map: Google Maps |
Grand Cayman, 75 miles
southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac, encompasses
76 percent of the territory's land mass and 95 percent of the population. It is
22 miles long with its widest point being eight miles wide. Elevation ranges
from sea level to 60 feet.
There are just under 600 banks and trust companies in Grand Cayman, including 43 of the 50 largest banks in the world. Because of this large financial presence on the island, banking, investments and insurance drive the economy, followed by tourism. It is an Overseas Territory of Britain and any hint that Britain may wish to divest itself of the islands is met with strong opposition.
 |
| Another shot from back in 2001 |
Christopher Columbus saw the Cayman Islands in 1503 on his
fourth voyage to the New World and named them Las Tortugas because of the large
number of sea turtles.
In 1586, when Sir
Francis Drake's fleet of 23 ships stopped for two days in Grand Cayman, he
recorded that the island was covered in crocodiles, alligators, iguanas and
turtles. Soon, ships sailing through the Caribbean started stopping off in the
Cayman Islands to stock up on turtle meat. So many turtles were hunted over the
next few hundred years that their population has been severely depleted. Although I saw lots of fish while snorkeling, I
didn’t see any turtles.
 |
| A variety of fish from my snorkeling trip |
The Islands remained uninhabited until the 1660s, primarily
because of pirates. Throughout the 18th century, some of the most infamous
pirates of the Caribbean, including Blackbeard, frequently stopped off at the
Grand Caymans to repair damaged ships and stock up on water and turtle meat.
 |
| Donna,Turtle Centre, 2001 |
The Islands were not permanently settled until the 1730s,
when the first land grants were made to settlers from Jamaica and to deserters
from Oliver Cromwell's army. The new residents survived on farming and trading
turtle meat with passing ships.
An 1802 census recorded the population of Grand
Cayman at just 933, roughly half of whom were of British descent, the other
half being slaves of African descent.
In 1794, ten merchant ships foundered on the reef at Gun Bay
in the East End of Grand Cayman and local residents rescued every crew member.
Allegedly,
King George III expressed his gratitude by declaring that the people of the
Cayman Islands should forever be free from taxation and war conscription. Although
the shipwrecks are documented, there is no evidence of the royal decree. More
likely, residents weren’t taxed because they were so poor.
Shipbuilding, seafaring and subsistence farming have long
been mainstays of the economy, with many locals leaving for jobs on neighboring
islands, Nicaragua, Honduras or the southern United States.
 |
| Fishing is still a major occupation |
A major factor held back early development of the Cayman
Islands was mosquitoes, which have now been reduced to a level that makes
progress possible. We didn’t encounter any.
 |
| A carnival was in progress when we visited in 2001 |
In 1953, Grand Cayman's first airfield, hospital and commercial
bank opened. A few hotels also opened in the early 1950s and 1957 welcomed the
first commercial dive center. A few years later the government enacted
legislation designed to take advantage of the absence of taxation and encourage
the growth of banking. Now the Cayman Islands are a major tourism and
recreational dive destination and an international finance center. The
population is now over 60,000.
 |
| Snorkeling selfie |
When I visited Grand Cayman, I was impressed with the
snorkeling, so I signed up for a snorkeling excursion at the wreckage of the USS
Kittiwake, a rescue submarine launched in 1945 and decommissioned in 1994. She was transferred in 2008 to the government
of the Cayman Islands to use to form a new artificial reef off Seven Mile Beach.
Three other classmates – my roommate Mindy and Jeff Wycoff
and Leslie Miedema – also went snorkeling.
 |
| Mindy |
Other people did a variety of
things, ranging from visiting the Grand Cayman Turtle Centre (Donna and I went there in 2001)
to just walking around.
 |
| The Kittiwake |
Our first snorkeling stop was the Kittiwake, which was originally placed at 30 feet below the surface, but was moved by a hurricane and now sits on its side at 70 feet. Although it has some growth on it, it still has a long way to go before it actually becomes a reef.
The water was reasonably calm and clear and the temperature
was perfect, so it was nice snorkeling.
 |
| Very pleasant snorkeling |
Because of the depth of the ship, most
of the fish were pretty far down, but we did encounter some and I was able to
photograph the entire length of the Kittiwake. Click here to see the video.
At the far end of the ship,
there was a huge school of Creole Wrasses, brilliant purple and green to the
eye but not so much on video. I hurried back to the boat to switch to my camera
from my GoPro to get pictures, but didn’t have enough time to make it back to
get pictures.
 |
| Creole Wrasses |
Our next stop was “Cheeseburger Reef,” which, oddly sits
right in the middle of the area where the big ships dock and right next to the
small boat channel. I don’t want to even think about how many pollutants are in
the water. Why is it named “Cheeseburger?” Is it a strange coral formation?
Nope. It’s because there is a Burger King on the nearby shore that used to dump
its garbage in the bay, attracting fish!
 |
| Not the secluded bay I expected! |
Here, the reef was closer to the surface and I saw a great
many more fish (probably still looking for some old buns and fries, maybe even onion rings).
 |
| Cheeseburger Reef |
Still, no turtles. There were also lots of Laughing Gulls and
one Magnificent Frigatebird, but I didn’t have my long lens with me.
After snorkeling, Mindy, Leslie, Jeff and I had a yummy
lunch at Rackam’s right on the gorgeous turquoise water.
 |
| Rackam's (that's Leslie on the left and Jeff reaching for his drink) |
After lunch, they
encouraged us to throw leftover fries and bread to the Tarpon that were
patrolling the shore. Seems ecologically and biologically wrong to me (but we did it).
 |
| Atlantic Tarpon waiting for a snack |
There were also a number of Ruddy Turnstones waiting for
scraps as well.
 |
| Ruddy Turnstones (the one on the right seems to be levitating) |
After lunch, we had to get back to the ship for departure.
That is my biggest complaint, we had sailed for a day and a half to get there
and had really just a few hours in Grand Cayman. As it was, we never ventured
more than 20 feet from shore. So, we didn’t really experience the Island, just the water ...
 |
| Cheeseburger Reef |
Mexico
The water factor was even more dramatic when we got to Mexico the
next day. Our next stop was Cozumel, Mexico, which is island in the Caribbean
Sea about 10 miles off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula,
opposite Playa del Carmen.
 |
| Playa del Carmen |
 |
| Our destination; Map: Google Maps |
Cozumel is separated from the mainland by Cozumel Channel
and is close to the Yucatán Channel.
The name was derived from the
Mayan "Cuzamil" or "Ah Cuzamil Peten,” meaning "island of swallows.”
About 30 miles long and 9.9 miles wide, Cozumel is Mexico's largest third-largest island. The majority of the
island's population lives in the town of San Miguel on the western
shore.
I spent only a few minutes on
Cozumel, because I had signed up to visit the Mayan ruins of Tulúm, which are
on the mainland south of Playa del Carmen. I had contemplated snorkeling again
because Cozumel is famous for its reefs, but I wanted variety.
 |
| A good view of the ruins |
I also have heard that the reefs are far less impressive
than they used to be because of damage from the deep-water cruise ship pier and
two Category 4 hurricanes, Emily and Wilma, in 2005.
The Tulúm excursion was a good choice. I found it
interesting that, with more than 2,000 people on the ship, only 27 opted to go
to Tulúm. Only one classmate, Suz Priest, went with me.
 |
| The area is very green and tropical |
We got there by a ferry, which we boarded directly from the
ship. We had been warned that the passage could be rough, but it was a gorgeous
day and it started out a little rocky, but fine. I got my cameras out and
looked for wildlife.
 |
| I didn't see much wildlife, but there were sailboats |
The swells increased and we started getting hit by spray,
a little here and there. It was too rough to find a new seat or wrangle my
cameras back in the case, so I pulled out my travel towel to protect the
cameras. That was a good move, because, by the time we docked in Playa del
Carmen, we were soaked. I mean, soaked. I never completely dried during the five hours we were on land.
 |
| Suz and I both got very wet (notice the man with the towel behind Suz) |
From Playa del Carmen, we took a small bus to Tulúm, maybe
30 minutes or so away. Our guide, Juan, briefed us along the way and then conducted a short walking tour when we arrived. Juan was of Mayan descent.
 |
| Juan, out tour guide |
Tulúm is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city that
served as a major port for Coba in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins
are situated on 39-foot-tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán
Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea.
 |
| The cliff-top setting is spectacular |
 |
| A small building |
Tulúm was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the
Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to
survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World
diseases brought by the Spanish settlers resulted in very high
fatalities, disrupting the society and eventually causing the city to be
abandoned.
Tulúm had access to both land and sea routes, making it an important trade hub, especially for obsidian. From depictions in murals and other works around the site, Tulúm appears to have been an important site for the worship of the Diving God.
The site might have been called Zama, meaning City of Dawn,
because it faces the sunrise.
Tulúm is the Yucatán Mayan word for fence, wall
or trench. The walls surrounding the site allowed the Tulúm fort to be defended
against invasions.
 |
| Tulúm means wall or fence; the city is surrounded by a wall |
Tulúm has architecture typical of Maya sites on the east
coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, featuring a step running around the base of the
building, which sits on a low substructure. Doorways are narrow with columns
used as support; walls flare out and have two sets of molding near the top. Tulúm
resembles what can be found in the nearby Chichen Itza, but on a much smaller
scale.
 |
| Multiple views of the ruins and grounds |
Tulúm was protected on one side by steep sea cliffs and on
the landward side by a 1,300-foot-long wall that averaged about 10-17 feet in
height and 26 feet thick. The part of the wall that ran the width of the site
was slightly shorter and only about 560 feet on both sides. Constructing this
massive wall would have taken an enormous amount of energy and time, which
shows how important defense was to the Maya when they chose this site.
 |
| Columns guard a doorway |
On the
southwest and northwest corners there are small structures that have been
identified as watch towers, showing again how well defended the city was. There
are five narrow gateways in the wall with two each on the north and south sides
and one on the west. Near the northern side of the wall a small cenote (a natural sinkhole filled with water) provided
the city with fresh water. It is this impressive wall that makes Tulúm one of
the most well-known fortified sites of the Maya.
 |
| These tourists are viewing the ruins from the water; it was probably pretty, but rough |
Among the more spectacular buildings at Tulúm is the Temple
of the Frescoes that was used as an observatory for tracking the movements of
the sun. Niched figurines of the Diving God decorate the facade of the temple.
This god is also depicted in the Temple of the Diving God in the central
precinct of the site. Above the entrance in the western wall, a stucco figure
of the Diving God is still preserved, giving the temple its name.
Also in the central precinct is the 25-foot-tall Castillo,
which was built on a previous building that was colonnaded and had a beam and
mortar roof. The lintels in the upper rooms have serpent motifs carved into
them.
 |
| Carving adorns some walls; the original brilliant paint and obsidian is worn away |
A small shrine used as a beacon for incoming canoes marks a break in the barrier reef opposite the site. A cove and landing beach perfect for canoes may have been one of the reasons the Maya founded the city, which later became a prominent trading port.
 |
| The beautiful beach was an access point |
Both coastal and land routes converged at Tulúm. Copper
artifacts from the Mexican highlands have been found near the site, as have
flint artifacts, ceramics, incense burners and gold objects from all over the
Yucatán. Salt and textiles were among some of the goods brought by traders to Tulúm
by sea that would be dispersed inland. Typical exported goods included feathers
and copper objects that came from inland sources.
 |
| A fleet of boats moored nearby |
The Tulúm archaeological site is relatively compact compared
with many other Maya sites in the vicinity and is one of the best-preserved
coastal Maya sites. Its proximity to the modern tourism developments along the
Mexican Caribbean coastline and its short distance from Cancún and the
surrounding "Riviera Maya" has made it a popular Maya tourist site in
the Yucatán. The third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico, after
Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza, Tulúm had 2.2 million visitors in 2017.
 |
| This building has some restored thatch |
We had to walk through a small tourist area with shops and
restaurants and then down a long boulevard to reach the ruins.We had to return the same way, but started out going in the wrong direction (toward Belize) because out guide's instructions skipped one important turn.
 |
| White-Nosed Coatimundi |
Also, just as we arrived at the ruins, we saw a White-Nosed Coatimundi.
I had seen one once before in southern Arizona, but didn’t get a photo then. So,
this was a real treat.
Also called Coatis, Coatimundis are diurnal mammals native
to South America, Central America, Mexico and the extreme southwestern United States.
They are 13 to 27 inches from head to the base of the tail (the size of a big housecat), but appear much
bigger because their glorious tails (of which they appear very proud) are as
long as or longer than their bodies.
Males are almost twice as large as females
and have large, sharp canine teeth. I assume the one we saw inside the walls
was a male.
Later, as we were leaving, we saw about five more, including some
young ones. But, they dashed across our path into the shady mangroves too fast to
photograph.
 |
| Looking for bugs |
The Coatimundi has a slender head with an elongated, flexible,
slightly upward-turned nose, small ears, dark feet and a long, non-prehensile
tail used for balance and signaling. They often hold the tail erect; using it
to keep troops together in tall vegetation. The tip of the tail can be moved
slightly on its own, as is the case with cats, but it is not prehensile.
 |
| The upright tail is a characteristic of the Coatimundi |
Related to raccoons, Coatimundis have non-retractable claws
and can rotate their ankles beyond 180°, allowing them to descend trees head-first.
They can also rotate their snouts up to
60° in any direction.
 |
| Their long snouts are very flexible |
Coatis are omnivores; their diet consists mainly of
tarantulas, fruit, lizards, rodents, small birds, birds' eggs and crocodile
eggs.
When provoked, or for defense, Coatimundis can be fierce
fighters; their strong jaws, sharp canine teeth, and fast scratching paws,
along with a tough hide sturdily attached to the underlying muscles, make it
very difficult for potential predators to seize them. They can carry rabies.
 |
| Walking along the wall |
Seeing one so casually feeding right in front of us was very cool.
 |
| Birds on the ruins |
I am glad that I took time to photograph this one (even walking away from the tour for a few minutes to get better shots), because I didn't see it after our guided tour was over and I didn't see any more Coatimundis inside the walls, either. And, the ones I saw on the walk back were in deep, dark mangroves.
After our guided tour, we did have a lot of time to walk around. So, of course, in addition to photographing the ruins, I also looked for wildlife.
I knew birding would be tough on this cruise because of the tight schedule.
However, I still had hoped to see lots of exotic birds because Mexico is home to many colorful and interesting ones.
But, that didn't happen.
There were some birds. Not lots, but a variety, including a few lifers for me. Most were fairly mundane, however. No bright feathers or crazy crests or tails.
And, as I mentioned, I saw lots and lots of Black Spiny-Tailed Iguanas.
Among the birds I saw were Royal Terns …
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| Royal Tern |
Yellow Warblers …
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| Yellow Warbler |
A Yellow-throated Warbler …
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| Yellow-throated Warbler |
Great-tailed Grackles …
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| A female Great-tailed Grackle |
And, a few lifers, including Melodious Blackbirds (I thought they were Grackles; I would
have taken more pictures had I realized they were a different bird) …
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| A flock of melodious Blackbirds that was interacting with Great-Tailed Grackles |
Tropical Kingbirds …
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| Tropical Kingbirds look much like Western and Cassin's Kingbirds |
Tropical Mockingbirds …
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| Tropical Mockingbirds are much lighter than Northern Mockingbirds |
And, Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures …
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| The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture is somewhat rare |
Oh, and we also saw a huge termite nest in a tree ...
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| The nest was about three feet long |
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| Me with lots of cameras and bad hair |
Even though it was very hot and sticky (and I was damp and
salt-crusted from the ferry dousing), it was a very enjoyable excursion.
I have always wanted to see Mayan ruins. Tulúm was a nice introduction.
The entire tour lasted about seven hours. We were promised a light snack. What we got was a tiny bottle of water and a small bag of chips.
I am glad I brought water and Suz brought some peanut butter crackers. Fortunately, it was too hot to get terribly hungry. And, we were able to buy a diet coke when we went back to hashtag land to wait for our bus.
Our ferry ride back was calmer and we sat inside (it was a
different boat). So, we stayed dry.
Instead of going to the ship, this ferry docked in Cozumel and we had just enough time to walk off the ferry down a long pier, cross a courtyard and then walk down another pier to our
ship. So, I was technically in Cozumel.
Then, we were off.
Definitely not enough time on shore. I would have like to actually see Cozumel, but, as I said,
shore time wasn't a hallmark of this cruise. Still, Tulúm was the highlight.
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| Palms and ruins |
Now, we had a full day of sailing back to Tampa.
The cruise back was equally uneventful. We hung out by the pool and watched an ice-carving demonstration.
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| Poolside fun |
We had a fun game
evening, organized by Debby Infinger, where money was won (but not by me!).
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| Left, Debby Infinger; Right, Susan Young and Donna Wilson |
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| The CHS gang |
And, we managed to get everyone together for a group pic. It took two evenings and lots of texting, but it happened.
I cannot gloss over how extraordinary it is to have such great bonds with people I have known for 50 years or more.
That's just awesome. And, it certainly made the trip special.
As I said, I am not a big fan of big-ship cruises, but would
I go again?
Yep, if it is a group friends thing.
Maybe we could pick another
destination (which probably means leaving out of the east coast of
Florida because the Tampa departures don’t go many places).
And, that is
assuming Carnival can stop running into its own ships!
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| Two Carnival ships collided in Cozumel on Dec. 20 |
So, the trip was over. The departure process was very smooth and I was quickly on my
way for a lovely day with brother- and sister-in-law Craig and Cheri before
heading back to Colorado.
Trip date: November 15-24, 2019
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