The ironman of travel Yoshimasa Ikeuchi

Mexico

Prologue

Exploring Cozumel Island

Epilogue

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Isla-Mujeres

Chichen-Itza Ruins

Cozumel

Isla-Mujeres
Epilogue

Cozumel

Access 　Cancun Playa del Carmen
　　　　　　Playa del Carmen-Cozumel 45 minutes

All traveling friends are friends

Isla-Mujeres

Mexican food

Kotetu

There are 5 boarding points from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. Purchase a ticket for two people (round trip 30 dollars) at the hotel tour desk. "Eh! Have you bought it yet?" "Can't you cancel?" The round trip from downtown to the Island is 5 dollars per person, which is 3 times the price!

AA (American Air) arrived in Cancun smoothly with good connecting flights from Dallas. I was surprised to see the customs clearance procession when I thought that the price was cheap and there were few tourists in January, which was off-season. This is like old Hawaii. Wait 30 minutes customs officials are kind to Japanese and speak Japanese.

Video inside the ship

Mexican food

Mexican food

Mr. Ikemoto at a restaurant in Cancun

High and slow boat

Cheap and fast boat

From a hotel in Cancun

yoshimasa Ikeuchi

Ikemoto tomiko

That ship is also the best rag boat with no windows compared to other ships. There is no way to know that the pier that we arrived on the Island is poor She changes her mind as to whether it's okay if the ship doesn't sink.

There is also a bus guide service to the hotel side in the arrival lobby. "Ikemoto Tomiko", who I met on the internet four days before departure, welcomed me to the airport. A Japanese Caribbean travel agency couldn't even book the hotel I wanted.

Prologue

I'm grateful that Mr. Ikemoto sent me an e-mail about the Island and the hotel in just one hour after I got to know him. All reservations were completed 2 days before departure. This is the first time I have had a hard time making a reservation. There is a tour pack for the Caribbean Sea (Mexico), but it is quite difficult for individual trips.

・

A hotel and shopping center under construction are rushing through the night near the harbor. The season is already there. Most tourists take a day tour from Cancun. The wind is strong and the weather is bad. Even though it is not the rainy season, it rains well and the sea is rough.

The hotel is "Cabaña Maria del Mar" along the white sands of Coco Beach Complete a simple check-in and pay a $ 150 security deposit. A light blue tape is wrapped around the arm to serve as a mark for guests. Everything seems unreliable. The location is often a few minutes to get to downtown.

Isla Mujeres Island

Isla Mujeres

Women's Island　

Pelicans also play together

Accommodation Cabana Maria del Mar.

Dolphin Discovery Dolphin

Hotel rates are cheap because the season is off from January to February. Tourists come at this time, and I am one of them. Arrive at the Island in about 40 minutes.
The Islanders use a one-way boat for 25 pesos (170 yen).

 

It was 500 years ago that the Spaniards discovered the statue of the Maya goddess and named it. An elongated Island (total length 8km) on the opposite bank that can be visually identified from Cancun. My reserved ship is the worst among the new high-speed ships "MAXICON".

Well-trained dolphins

Dolphins and kisses

Coco beach

Coco beach

A house reminiscent of an alien

A rare resort-style house

Taxi stand next to the pier

There is little traffic at night.

Snorkeling is the main at the marine park. Large waves are rushing due to strong winds. His all-inclusive "$ 59", which was empty on the reef, seemed cheap and expensive.

Go to the Island's most popular "Dolphin Discovery" and the marine park "Galaphone". You can play with dolphins in the sea. It's a very popular program, but I'm not interested in it. Dolphins that swim naturally are much better than fenced dolphins. It looks like I'm watching a dolphin show.

When I approached to find a cool ship and take a picture, a whistle, sounds. The Navy is stationed here for border security. I completely forgot about the territorial waters. When you think of the Caribbean Sea, you think of pirates, but there is no sign of that. It's a developing resort area. I like lonely Islands better than luxury resorts.

The restaurant near the pier is a barracks-style restaurant from a long time ago, and the number of customers is few. Rental golf carts run on the road, and empty taxis stand out. Walk slowly and stroll around the island. Twice High-speed boats and black-painted boats are moored on the outskirts of downtown.

At the marine park, you can't enter the sea due to big waves

Day trip tourists from Cancun

MAXICON

Old man riding a dolphin

Pelicans dance in the harbor

Pelicans dance in the harbor

Contoy Island

lunch time

The fish swim leisurely while looking at this

The next day there was less wind than yesterday and the sea seemed calm at first glance. It is not possible to exchange Japanese yen at the bank. After all, the payment is cashing the dollar, and now it's time to leave. The bait for the trolling is a halfbeak. Wait 10 minutes. Comfortable sound. Roll up when the fish stops pulling. Get 5kg Barracuda, then 8kg.

Catch an 8kg barracuda

I came to the pier to see the touring boat for a walk after a meal. When I turned to the voice I called from behind, it was a man I met in the daytime. It's strange and we meet again. When I was talking, it suddenly started to rain, and it got stronger and stronger, and I took shelter in the car. A wife and a child are in the car. The rain is unlikely to stop, so drive to the hotel.

There were many other tour companies, but for some reason I was attracted to the old man. This is also an edge. Supper is a recommended store for Japanese information magazines. Classic tacos and seafood ceviche at a dimly lit store near the pier. We are the only two customers. Where are other tourists eating? Anyway, it's a shop with no customers. The taste is not good. A lonely dinner time for only two people.

Contoy Island

Hermit crabs in different homes

Half-pay the deposit now. "Why half price?" "Then with a card" 10% up for cards. I didn't feel like going, "Well, stop it." While talking about something at one store that was filled with information gathering sign the reservation application to come back tomorrow I went back to the hotel.

Fish swimming leisurely in the clear sea

Tourists playing with rays

Flapping Pelican

Tour company wife, Kotetsu, clerk

Father of Contoy Island Tour

Our charter ship is free to act. "Let's go home early?" The waves hit the bottom of the ship bigger than I expected. The big bounce echoes to the waist. It's a good way to go and a good return is difficult. Still, I got 2 for the return fee. Returning to the port while suffering from splashes, welcoming birds flying in the sky. Contoy Island is an Island recommended by Tetsujin.

The Island is a frigatebird paradise

It's a masterpiece that seems to be played by humans. There are no colorful fish in the sea, but the view from the ship is interesting. The "Barracuda" I caught earlier is on the barbecue net. The other groups seemed to be quite good with the big sea bream and fat caught by diving. For lunch, add avocado and condiments to the corn-baked skin and the baked fish to make a handmade taco.

How long does it take to reach Isla Contoy? "40 minutes" Let's land first. The Island shadow was faintly visible. Other ships arrive first on the uninhabited Island. The tour departs at 9 o'clock. Fed "rays", fish are so attached to humans that they swim diagonally in shallow water

島Find a contoy tour on the Island and negotiate a charter ship ($ 350) You can do all of trolling, barbecue, snorkeling, and bird watching. Departure time is also free and you can spend a carefree time here. The weather on the next day looks bad, so I decided to leave one day before leaving at 11:00 am.

Juice shop in town

Head to Contoy Island

The taste of Mexican beer on the beach is refreshing. Frigatebirds and pelicans fly in the sky. Lunch time in the wilderness. The tranquility of the Island and its excellent location. The shallow sea is a gradation of blue and emerald. The time of bliss is passing.

Isla Mujeres

Epilogue

Cozumel Island from Isla Mujeres via Cancun

New restaurant area

Have a drink at the BAR while sitting on a swing

Even though it's off-season, it's still full of day-trippers from Cancun. The beach where you walk barefoot is cool and comfortable. In the early morning walk of the daily routine, a smile is a morning greeting.

Unreliable information magazine. The speed of development of remote Islands is fast. A pedestrian paradise restaurant area 2 blocks east of the pier. No magazine has mentioned that cheap, clean and delicious shops are lined up.

Even a simple breakfast with only coffee and toast will make the sound of the waves more delicious. Every couple talks quietly. I feel happy on that back. Breakfast at Coco Beach with birds singing. The bar with a swing is also taking a rest now. Ah, the trip is good.

At the time of Siesta while being blown by the sea breeze

Walk on Coco Beach

Bar where no one is in the early morning

Group of day tours from Cancun

High speed boat to Cancun

Tomiko Ikemoto, who lives in Cancun, which runs a (Mexican) pick-up company with her husband. If she didn't get to know her, she might have been just a spectacle. New discoveries will surprise and impress your journey. The day of the encounter trip has come to the next Island, "Cozumel Island".

I also canceled the ticket for the return ship I bought at the hotel in Cancun. I changed to a high-speed boat that leaves every 30 minutes. The charge is also one-third (350 pesos). It was a big harvest to be able to rediscover unintroduced places on Japanese TV programs.

Bar with swings (Coco Beach)

Boat to Cancun

130km from Cancun, the fortified city "Tulum" that prospered at the end of the Mayan civilization (13th to 15th centuries). Maya ruins (World Heritage) standing on the cliffs of the Caribbean Sea. Although it is smaller than the Chichen ruins, I will visit it. Blessed with a sunny day unlike winter, the sensible temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius.

 

Endless lines of passengers on a full-day tour from cruiser tourists and Cozumel. Thanks to Mr. Ikemoto, I managed to get on the high-speed boat at 5 o'clock. The departure signal is a band performance. The mood rises on the ship with the rhythm of salsa.

The frescoes of "life and death" are especially impressive in the inner temple surrounded by the fortress. It has passed 500 to 700 years and still reigns. A fascinating building that can be nailed to the sculpture of God. I completely forgot to go to Cozumel from now on. I don't even know the time for the next ship. Enjoy the ruins of Tulum and hurry to the pier at Playa del Carmen.

Population 60,000

Access Cancun-Playa del Carmen 1 hour (car)

Under the temple overlooks the Caribbean Sea

Moved from Isla Mujeres to Cancun. There are few passengers going to Cancun in the morning, so board the ship smoothly. "Mr. Tomiko Ikemoto" who made a reservation in Cancun will welcome you by car as scheduled. She doesn't have any schedule and can be hit and miss, but it's a shame to go to Cozumel as it is.

Attractions at the exit of the ruins

Slide show

Arrival at Cozumel is welcome until sunset

Closed eyes

The fresco temple, eyes open

Playa del Carmen-Cozumel 45 minutes (high speed boat)

A temple on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea

Tetsujin and Kotetsu touring the Temple of Tulum

Hotel of accommodation

Iguana

Prologue

Mexico / Caribbean

A light tempo and a fierce rhythm. Passengers dance with a beer, passengers dancing on the deck are like showtime. Expectations grow for a cruise to Cozumel. Welcome greetings when the bright red Luoyang dyes the sky on arrival. Please use the rear car (250 yen) to carry your luggage to the hotel.

The inside of the ship is lively with band performances

61st Island-2 　Cozumel Island

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The taste of rice is also quite good. After all Japanese food is delicious. Specially ordered Midori Special. (Avocado, shrimp, tobiko, mayonnaise) back winding. I never thought I could eat the finest gems I ate on Kodiak Island in Alaska on a, Caribbean Island. Minneko also enjoys the taste of Japan for the first time in a while. After the promise of tomorrow's tour of the Island. Goodnight.

Me who straddles the motorcycle of MIDORI sushi delivery

Custom-made French shrimp roll (shrimp, avocado, pork, tobiko, mayonnaise)

At the entrance of the sushi restaurant MIDORI
(the restaurant is on the 2nd floor), Kotetsu's name is "Midori".

Watanabe Mineko and Kotetsu (wife)

Japanese-owned dormitory

Call immediately and visit. My only daughter, Salina, is 7 years old, the same as my grandson, and is very polite. She speaks Japanese, English and Spanish. A personal computer is also one of the toys. Flowers bloom in the story of the trip and stay for two hours. Introduce an acquaintance of a Japanese travel agency.　

Bet is waiting for an animal with a different towel every day to return

A pamphlet from Mr. Ikemoto of Cancun. The first Japanese-owned dormitory to open on the Island has 6 beds and is cheap at 10 dollars per night. Moreover, you can prepare your own meals with a kitchen. There is also a clean and spacious living room, which is a recommended dormitory.

"What's your plan for tonight?" "Nothing else." Then, we're all going to have a meal. The three of us will go to a sushi restaurant MIDORI (Midori with the same name as his wife) in Mineko's car. When I get to my seat, the telephone bell for delivery orders often rings "Why are they so busy?" "Today is a payday." Cozumel has payday twice a month,

All friends of a friend are friends

Thank you for the kindness that my husband Enrique (Mexican) drove to the hotel due to the rain from time to time. It's been two hours since I first met, but I feel like I've known him for a long time. Thank you. Mr. Watanabe Minneko of Coco's Travel who was introduced. The story is unlikely to end steadily at the meeting for sightseeing on the Island tomorrow.

Cozumel Casa Cozumelena(01-987-872-7089)

Opened in December 2008

Large cruise ships drop in at Cosmel on a daily basis

East coast of Cozumel

East coast of Cozumel

Cobblestone leading to the palace

San Gervasio Ruins

Life in the Maya era has been restored

Shows fresh fish before cooking

Watanabe-san and Kotetsu

Tequila 

Agave root sculpture

Tequila 

Agave Zura 3 year old

Although it is small, this is just right for a tour. Pillars and temple ruins of the palace ruins. I am convinced by the explanation as if I was watching life 1000 to 1200 years ago. During the Maya era, Cozumel was an Island dedicated to the moon goddess. It was praised as a child treasure and prosperous business. There are 28 steps in the temple, 7 steps each in the south, east and west. It means the number of days from the new moon to the full moon.

Taco

Archaeological guide Raymond

Tequila

Exploring Cosmel Island

A shop where locals go from the restaurant in downtown San Miguel Central Square. A cheap and delicious gourmet place when you enter the Island for about 10 blocks. The sea is really cold during the off-season. You can enjoy the seasons in Journey regardless of the season.

Tequila is made from 7-year-old roots

Watanabe's car heads to the San Gervasio ruins (15 minutes) east of downtown. A specialized guide is required inside the ruins, and Mr. Raymond accompanies him (the guide is resident at the entrance). You can see a lifestyle different from the ruins I have seen so far. The guide will explain the pattern at that time in detail, so I understand it well.

Cozumel Island Epilogue

Japanese travel agencies don't even know the name of the hotel, let alone make a reservation. Then the world will be left behind in an era of economic downturn. It is a reassuring and good ally to know the Japanese living in the area. Originality is important for traveling. Discovering your own trip is a wonderful memory. Senora and Senorita I met in Mexico Glacier Adios.

I am very happy to meet the loved ones on any small Island in the world. The Last Supper on the Island, Yukiko and Serena (7 years old), who is the same age as my grandson, also had dinner together. It is memorable that she had put up with the desire to go home early with time.

At the garden restaurant

Apple-shaped candles

Gorgeously boiled spiny lobster 450g tonight

Boat from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen

Hotel in Playa del Carmen

January 24th-February 2nd, 2009

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yoshimasa Ikeuchi, a traveling iron man

The farewell of the trip is the beginning of the encounter. Also, Kotetsu feels like I can meet you somewhere. Overnight at the port of Playa del Carmen, a relay point to the next Island after the regrettable Island of Cozumel. A place name that I have never heard of. The hotel that was booked two days before leaving Japan is 5 stars.　

A restaurant that only locals know. Even if you look at the menu, you can order it because the guidebook is recommended. How to taste tacos. Mexican Islands that don't even see Japanese people. I couldn't see the fish in the sea because it was too cold, but instead I met Japanese women who are active in various fields.

Isla Mujeres and Cozumel. The Mexican Caribbean, sea was too cold. There were days when strong winds blew, but it was a great season to visit the ruins. From Mr. Tomiko Ikemoto of Cancun who I met on the Internet Thank you to everyone who met Yukiko Enrique, who runs a dormitory on Cozumel Island, and Mieko Watanabe on a trip.

There is volume and half is enough

The sunset is beautiful tonight

Serena, Enrique Yukiko, The Last Supper on Cozumel Island, Kotetsu

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Chichen Itza Ruins. Registered as a World Heritage Site in 1988. In Mayan, Ji means mouth, Chen means well, and Itza means water magician. 2 hours, drive from Cancun. Maya civilization, the largest city ruins. A huge pyramid-shaped temple, Castillo (castle) is 800-900 AD, also known as Kukulkan Temple (feathered snake) with a height of 30m and a base of 55m. The number of floors of the stairs represents 365 days a year. The days I visited are the 1,870, and 572 days in the Maya calendar. It is a mechanism that the shadow of the pyramid appears in the form of Kukulkan on the spring and autumn equinox days. A picture postcard that beautifully photographed the situation at that time, and the light of the setting sun reflects the appearance of the golden Kukulkan falling down. Recommended ruins of Tetsujin who want to visit once. Please note that there are days when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees in summer so that ambulances are waiting at the doorway. The off-season winter is a great season for visiting archaeological sites. January-February is a little-known spot for sightseeing with hotel discounts.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

CHICHEN　ITZA　

１,８４７,９８２

Days elapsed since the beginning the maya Era

Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to visit on Autumnal Equinox Day and Vernal Equinox Day

Slide show

Kotetsu's birthday in the Maya calendar

1947/MARCH/21

Chichen Itza Ruins

Registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1988.

Slide show

Kotetsu's one word

The Isla Contoy tour from Isla Mujeres was amazed by the unexpectedly beautiful colors of the sea Cozumel Island is an Island for group guests on large cruises. Although it was a little different from our Island tour, we would like to send a yell to the efforts of Japanese women we met on the Island.

World heritage certificate

Model of Chichen Itza ruins