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Shore Excursion in Cozumel: The Ruins of Coba

Here it is, almost a whole month after going on the cruise, and I'm still writing posts about it!  I guess timeliness isn't really a factor, though, when writing about ancient ruins.

 Though I have booked shore excursions outside of the cruise line before, when it comes to Mexico, I feel more confident booking with the cruise.  I was expecting that we would be on a big bus of people going to see the ancient ruins of Coba, but I was surprised. Including John and I, there were only 6 of us tourists on this particular tour.

 The ride from Cozumel to Coba took about 45 minutes.  We stopped for a quick break, and I decided to order a smoothie. Fresa I remembered as "strawberry," but chaya didn't ring a bell, and when I asked what it was, I was shown an unfamiliar leaf.  I like greens, though, so decided to be adventurous.  When I got back on the van, the tour guide explained to me that chaya is a leaf that basically cures all that ails you.  Oh, and that I should not be alarmed if I peed green for a while.  I hoped I hadn't inadvertently started a juice cleanse, but needn't have worried.  Fresa y chaya was tasty and without ill effect. 

 Soon we were at the ancient ruins of Coba.  Amazingly, climbing on the ruins is still allowed.  John and I scaled the big stone structure and had a commanding view of the vast landscape.  It was drizzly when we were there, and off in the distance I heard the rumbling of thunder.  I wondered just how stupid we were to be on the highest point in miles.  Fortunately, the storm stayed far away, and we were able to get down safely.
Photo:  Many tourists climb the ancient ruins of Coba.
Photo:  John and I after climbing the ruins
Photo:  Climbing down the ruins was a lot harder than climbing up
Though I think the highlight was climbing this particular ruin, it was also amazing to notice just how many ruins there were in the area.  Archaeologists could keep busy here for years, trying to make sense of all the stones.
Photo:  Trees grow up in and around stone ruins
After taking in the sights at Coba, it was time to return to the cruise ship--and this is when I was glad we had booked through the cruise line.  Our little van was the last to return to the ferry that took up back to port--and the ferry waited for us!  I wasn't concerned, because I knew the ship wouldn't leave without us, but I was happy that I didn't need to be concerned.  

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Thanks for the chance to climb ancient ruins. 

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Comments

  1. Tired TeacherMarch 24, 2016 at 7:44 AM

    Fascinating adventure, and I love that you were able to climb it. Imagine all the trees gone and a city at your feet. The decent would have intimated me a bit.

    If there is deadline for posting photos of trips, I would be in trouble with my Foreign Friday posts - those photos are nearly 40 years old.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 28, 2016 at 12:33 PM

      Thank you. I always enjoy your Foreign Friday posts!

      Delete
  2. UnknownMarch 29, 2016 at 6:39 PM

    That does look like one heck of a climb down. Usually going up stairs is the hardest part but that looks very difficult! Love your photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristiMarch 29, 2016 at 7:11 PM

      I was much more likely to trip going down than up these particular steps. I was glad to have a rope to hold onto.

      Delete

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