Farsighted Fly Girl

Sunset is my favorite time of day. I love the drama of the changing sky and the pretty colors that spread across it. Of course, the best sunsets are always over water so I've compiled some of the most memorable sunsets of my island travels. My all time favorite is this stunning sunset over Hilton Head Island, above. The Spanish moss dripping over the water just ups the dazzling effect. This sunset is dipping down over Eleuthera in the photo above. The amber and apricot hues over the water and palm trees create a lovely image. I think this flame-colored sunset over Cozumel is the most striking. It looks like streaks of fire rolling over the water. The fact that I viewed this from a pirate ship seems extremely appropriate. In Fajardo, Puerto Rico, the slip of rosiness behind the palm tree on the right qualifies as the most delicate sunset. Do you have any sunset (or sunrise) memories from your travels?

I had no intention of traveling to Mexico to hang out with pirates. Cozumel was a popular hideout for pirates during the 17th century but this is the new millennium. Pirates are played out. So when I gazed at the Jean Lafitte floating slowly toward the Cozumel dock, I didn't know what to think. Until I spied Pork Chop or Chuleta, as I liked to call him, in his Mexicana pink shirt, brandishing a sword. I knew I was in trouble. El Capitain peered down from the ship's mast with a nefarious expression. He looked like he was sizing up people to loot. El Capitain climbed further up the mast with Sparky, hovering over everyone and everything in the ship. My stomach dropped. Should I jump overboard? Hideout in the lower deck? Break out my silk scarf, fashion it into a pirate doo-rag and join them? Then the whole motley crew descended upon us. They started going through purses, pulling off rings, hugging and kissing women and eyeing watches. El Capitain examined Laura's pearls but ...

Few things thrill me more than a wedding. The happiness and romance never fails to whip me into a frenzy. So when I spied a suspicious little happy face next to "Marissa and Brian event" on my Cozumel itinerary, I suspected that some sort of ceremony was in the plans. Straight from the airplane, I pounced on Marissa and Brian. (shameless I know) Didn't matter that I didn't know who they were, where they were from or exactly what they were doing. Somebody was planning a ceremony and I had to be a part of it. Turns out they had no plans at all. They wanted to renew their vows and had no clue how they wanted to do it. That was my cue. High school sweethearts! Three kids under four-years old! They deserved a twilight, beach ceremony complete with flowers, music and private 5-course, romantic dinner. So I told Laura, a Royal Holiday account manager, that they should have candles and a flower strewn path. The chairs were elegantly covered in white and were guarded by bounc...

One of the things that excited me most about Cozumel was the chance to explore the Mayan goddess Ixchel's shrine at San Gervasio. The 2,000 year old structure covers 125 acres in the Cozumel rain forest. Mimi, our authoritative guide above, showed our group the intricacies of ancient Mayan culture. San Gervasio is the biggest archaeological site in Cozumel and is located in the center of the island. Ixchel is the Mayan goddess of the moon and fertility and women made the pilgrimage to the shrine from as far away as what is now Belize and Guatemala to ensure that they birthed the average 18 kids expected of a Mayan woman. The structures were created from a mixture of stucco, honey, gum and crushed shells. Temples typically boasted a sauna and a steam bath with hot rocks so that followers could purify themselves by sweating, praying and meditating. The steps to the shrines are very small, forcing worshipers to walk sideways so as not to look the priest in the face, which is a sign of...

If your image of Cozumel involves cruise ships, hordes of tequila-drenched tourists and pushy t-shirt vendors, you're not alone. That was exactly my experience the last time I was in Cozumel but that was because I had never reached el otro lado . The other side is the undeveloped, east side of Cozumel. It's covered with a 20 mile stretch of coastline with huge waves, pale-sand beaches and exposed coral shelves. Palm trees wave and pearly sand beckons you to sink your feet in. Blow holes push out shooting cascades of glistening water. Every weekend, locals go out on boats and call to dolphins by tapping the side of the boats. The dolphins appear and swim playfully along. A cross guards Punta Morena and it seems to spread a tranquil vibe across the entire area. You can go hours without seeing anybody except a few surfers and divers. Cruise ship patrons rarely make it to this side of Cozumel because of the the time involved and lack of tourist amenities like resorts, WiFi or a Sen...

This living statue was the lively focal point of Cozumel's Plaza Central. Most major cities attract performers that spray paint themselves bronze or silver and stand stiffly like a statue, busting out with dance moves or gestures just when you thought they were real statues. This man presented some clever shimmies and turns to the live cumbia music playing by a band in the plaza. I really enjoyed Plaza Central, which is Cozumel's main downtown plaza. With colonial architecture splashed in vibrant shades of yellow, pink, orange and turquoise, the area oozes tropical charm. A cluster of shops sell handcrafted huipi les or traditional Mayan dresses, hammocks, Cuban cigars and fanciful figurines. Vendors hawk churros and cotton candy and kids skip and run through the square. What I liked most was watching the local teens dance and flirt under the dramatic Mexican sunset.

Mexican cuisine is rich and varied enough to warrant extensive culinary tours. And I'm not talking about tacos and tequila. Each region boasts its own dishes, spices and drinks. The Yucatan Peninsula, where Cozumel is located, displays a particularly diverse cuisine due to centuries of isolation from the mainland and influences from the Caribbean and Europe. I conducted some research on Cozumel cuisine on my plane trip down. Alex, my seat mate, supplied me with a list of all the essential Cozumel dishes including salbutes , pescado tikinxic and cilaquiles con pollo . More on those later, my first sample of the seafood-focused cuisine was heavenly grilled grouper with coconut and mango sauce with fried plantains pictured above. It was so delicious that I received Park Royal Hotel's very first doggie bag so that I enjoyed the rest for breakfast. A tempting array of appetizer's at Park Royal's Mexican restaurant included salbutes , a popular street food of half-fried corn...

It's amusing to see the fascination with rastafarian culture on my travels. There seems to exist a universal pull towards Bob Marley, reggae, locks and Jamaican patois. Of course, the stereotypes can sometimes be irritating but I found the tribute to rasta culture at Cozumel's Paradise Cafe to be charming. Located on the quiet East side of the island, Paradise Cafe, often called Bob Marley Cafe, displays a pretty good painting of Bob, along with a laid-back vibe and tongue-in-cheek attitude. This rasta sign kind of sums up the general feel of the cafe and beach. Freedom to lounge, surf, eat or sprawl in a hammock while reggae floats through the background, sounds like a reasonable idea for paradise. I didn't meet any rastas however and suspect they're scarce on tiny Cozumel. Inside the cafe, the walls are scrawled with signatures, drawings, handmade signs and a big banner promoting the cafe's famous shrimp quesadillas. I'm allergic to shellfish so I co...

Cozumel offers the quintessential island experience. Located on the eastern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the tiny island is just 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. There's nothing flashy or loud about Cozumel, it reflects a quiet beauty that encourages you to come closer. Covered in bamboo, cedar and palm trees, orchids, red ginger and plumeria as well as white sand beaches lining jade waters, the island glows with natural beauty. I've been to Cozumel (briefly) before and was not impressed. The beaches were rocky and crowded with drunk cruise ship tourists. I didn't appreciate the aggressive hawking of souvenirs or that all the locals spoke to travellers in English, not even a "Como Esta?" could be heard. It was like my worst Cancun nightmare on a smaller scale. But when I was invited on a Cozumel media trip for Royal Holiday resorts, I decided to give the island another chance and I'm glad I did. I saw another side of Cozumel that revealed it's Ma...