The Perfect Escape

Iam not a big "beach person" other than to hear and look at the ocean but I recently returned from 7 days in Mexico and it was heavenly. We flew to Cozumel via Charlotte, NC from Newark. It is an easy journey on US Airways (Newark to Charlotte is a little over one hour; clearing security and customs in North Carolina = one hour and the flight from NC to Cozumel is a little over 2 hours.) Cozumel is an island that offers a variety of scuba diving and snorkeling options. I was traveling with my son who is an avid scuba diver. He was going to Mexico for the wedding of close friends and wanted to catch a few dives beforehand. Since his usual dive buddy could not make this trip, I convinced him that he should have someone with him. In exasperation (and to shut me up) he agreed to let me tag along. I was looking for a few days of solitude - my scuba diving days are past but I understand the fascination of the ocean.

We arrived at an oasis – Baldwin's Guest House Cozumel - The perfect place to sleep, read, have amazing breakfasts and relax. The innkeepers, Dale and Kathy Gardner are very attentive. They share their wonderful B&B with lots of native creatures and birds. Dale and Kathy have been on the island for more than 15 years. They came down from Western Canada to Cozumel. Among the natural disasters, they have experienced hurricanes. All the food and supplies come to the island by ferry. When a hurricane is forecast, the ferries stop running two days before the storm and for a week after the storm. Kathy told me that two years ago, a hurricane wiped out thousands of birds because they had no shelter. Island living requires a certain resourcefulness.

If you visit Cozumel by cruise ship, you will most likey miss seeing the wildlife, neighborhoods and the lifestyle of the native people. There are children everywhere and lots of young girls with babies. The other phenomenon is mopeds. They are the transportation of choice and seem to be driven at record speed with anywhere from 3-6 people (an entire family – no helmets for the children) on board. The food everywhere we went was delicious and affordable. Visitors seem to be mostly from Europe and the West Coast of the USA.

Where have you visited that opened your eyes to a different way of life. Reach me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Wishing you and yours a restful 3-day weekend. Have you signed up for our wine tasting on June 10, 2010? Hope to see you there.