Turmexilizean Vacation Part Dos: Rain, Crocodillos, and Reggae

When Ellie and I awoke to hit Cozumel's downtown (and its only discernible urban buildup), the clouds were on the verge of rain. And no sooner had we left our hostel to find the nearest taxi then it started to rain big, wet, tropical drops. We eventually hailed a cab, but we agreed to rent a car the next day and save ourselves the trouble of finding transportation in inclement weather.

We trudged around the central plaza and the surrounding stores looking for a fabled taco place (I say "trudged" because in some places the water rushed like a brook). The superb taco joint was worth the hike, and I acquainted myself with true Central American fare. We spent a couple hours hoping to wait the out the rain. Unfortunately it only got worse, until the streets of Cozumel resembled the canals of Venice. The water overflowed onto the sidewalk, and Ellie, in sandals, had to jump on my back as I slogged across to our taxi home. I discovered my waterproof hiking shoes fail underwater. Even though everything was closed, dinner was great and the proprietors very friendly.

The next morning (Saturday the 17th), a beautiful, sunshiny day realized our hopes for good weather on Ellie's birthday. After a delicious breakfast of chocolate cereal (we ate almost the entire box), we rented a splendid little green car with a convertible leather roof. In Cozumel, only a US Driver's License is required to rent a vehicle. It only took a few moments to remember how to drive before we were off around the south of the island. The drive was lovely: sun blazing, unspoiled, rocky beaches to the right, blue skies and puffy white clouds above, and wild jungle to the left. Cozumel is strikingly undeveloped- there are very few roads other than the main circuit round the island, and those paths that do wander off lead only to the rest stops or hotels.

After some disappointing Mayan ruins (a gutted rock piling overshadowed by a new Catholic church) and delicious mangoes-on-a-stick (a fantastic treat), we reached the southern tip of the island. The total drive was less than an hour. The southern tip is a large ecological reserve, famed for its crocodiles. It is here we met Manuel (I think- we didn't quite catch his name), a beaming park ranger who spoke only Spanish. He was very friendly- he offered many times to take our photographs and seemed genuinely interested in showing off his park to us. A wooden bridge over the shallows of a lagoon led to a 20 meter high observation post. Manuel gleefully called over the "crocodillos" for us through an extraordinary talent: by simply emitting a loud whistle, he summoned no less than six lazy, crooked-smile crocodiles. He introduced the crocodiles as though they were family members- each had a name, age, length, and personality. Some were photogenic, friendly; others contented themselves in the shade beneath the bridge. Periodically he would call forth more of the family with his piercing whistle.
Eventually we moved on as a large tour group rolled in on dune buggies. Manuel walked us to our car, stopping by a small Mayan ruin. The info plaque was in three languages: English, Spanish, and Mayan. Manuel impressed us by translating the exotic language for us. The pronunciation is beautiful though not intuitive, and explained the origins of some of the more difficult Mexican place names (like Oaxaca).

We continued on to the lighthouse and its maritime museum. From the lighthouse we viewed the lagoon that makes up most of Cozumel's southern tip. The weather, water, and salty breeze were so idyllic- after the winter in Boston and Ankara, the sticky heat and beating sun were refreshing. We ate lunch at a Reggae bar, which to my dismay had no credit card abilities (something common in the region we traveled).

The rest of the drive was unremarkable- more virgin landscapes of surf and tangled growth. That night, we went out to dinner for Ellie's birthday dinner at a very Americanized restaurant next to the sea wall downtown. Travel tip: always say it's your birthday, no matter where you are. The manager himself came out and offered Ellie the choice of a free drink or a piece of cake. Not a bad deal (she took the cake). The only wrinkle in the night was the resumption of the beating rain, which again prevented barhopping and drove us early back to the hostel.
We awoke at 6am the next morning to begin our day of travel to Belize. After a frenzied drive up and down the roads of the downtown, we finally found the rental car store; we only just made our ferry to Playa del Carmen...