<b>On the difference between Cozumel and Progreso:</b>
Progreso has a very small port area, with maybe 6 or so shops,including the duty free shop, and one open-air bar that has an associated cart selling beer, water and the like to people lounging around. The prices in Progreso were better, and the people seemed less strained. Also, the excursions were mostly either (1) go see awesome ruins or (2) Go to a beach. I forgot to mention that Merida (where our guide was from) has ~5,000 Americans living there, mainly retirees.
Cozumel has everything that one thinks tourists want, making it a bit theme-park ish, even before you get to ''Discover Mexico''. This includes groups of people dressed up like Mariachis or like Mayans, calling to the tourists to have a photo-op. I climbed up some steps and looked behind the wall, for a view of lush tropical plants and several run-down, abandoned-looking buildings, maybe 20 feet behind the clean and bright port area. On our bus ride to Discover Mexico, we saw more run down and abandoned buildings. I am guessing that Cozumel has felt our economic slump as well.
First part of excursion -- Discover Mexico: an intro to Mexican art and history, complete with scale replicas of some of the more famous temples. There was a virgin of Guadalupe made entirely out of (loose!) sand (and protected very carefully by a glass case), some Dia de Los Muertos art , and even a rooster made entirely out of dried chile peppers.
Miscellaneous stuff I learned about Mexico:
Pre-Spanish: The Mayan culture was huge. We have something like 300 remaining temples of theirs. They Olmecs, who were adjacent and also built pyramids, were a much smaller civilization, and we have only 40 or so temples of theirs now. The Aztecs originally lived up north, in the drier, mountainous dessert region, and after the dream one of their leaders had about the eagle holding a snake atop of a cactus, they walked south. For years. Until they found it, and settled in what is now Mexico City.
The Spaniards kicked butt, in no small part due to their ''bio-warfare'' of European diseases, except against the Aztecs. The Aztecs were known to be awesome warriors, stronger (and taller!) than the other tribes around. The Spaniards had to band with the other tribes to beat them, then (in classic conquerer style) conveniently forgot all promises made to said tribes and just enslaved everyone. For 300 years.
Mexico city started off on a small island in the middle of a lake. The Aztecs built and built, slowly sort of covering up the lake, venice-style. The Spaniards who first saw it wrote back home about how it was like a dream, they couldn't believe this existed. Despite these reports, post-conquest they promptly knocked everything down and built their own stuff on top. In what is perhaps poetic justice, one of the first things they built is one of the buildings in Mexico city that is sinking (see: built atop a lake), and lopsided, tower-of-Pisa style.
For those of you who've been to Mexico City, feel free to add your commentary about the place. I've never been, but it sounds interesting. They of course did not mention the smog, but did mention the 30 million residents, and how it is the largest city in the world.
Post- independence, the States came in and went to take the capital. The first big palace-like building they saw they set out to take. However, it was just a (military) school for teens. One of the kids, when they could see that they were losing, wrapped himself in their flag and threw himself off the wall (seeking to save/protect/guard it). Polk was the president, and he said, look. I'll give you 10 million dollars, and you'll give me a ton of land. So, we acquired California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, without relocating the then-residents, which is how we have such old settlements in the southwest.
After us, the French tried to take over Mexico too, but were beaten off. This is what Cinco de Mayo celebrates.
After our extended history lesson, we headed to Chankanaab Park. We went snorkeling, which was a great way to cool down. The weather felt perfect after that (and prior it had felt a bit too warm and humid. There was a whole page of dolphin-themed excursions in our packet, and this was the location for those. So, we could see people riding with dolphins and feeding dolphins, slightly offshore. There was also a really nice sea lion show. They explained the difference between sea lions and seals: Seals use their back end for propulsion, whereas sea lions can ''walk'' on all fours. Also, sea lions have external ears, while seals do not. I can sea why you'd train a sea lion instead of a seal. The sea lions clapped and ''walked'' on their front flippers with their tails/rear in the air (looked kind of like a person walking on their hands), and some jumping through hoops.
We had quesadillas and margaritas for lunch and headed back to port, where I nosed around and my dad went back to his room. I ended up getting a beaded necklace at Los Cinco Soles.
Dinner brought another waiter dance-number. I am including a pic to prove that they did in fact dance on the tables :).
I skipped out on the after-dinner show, so that's about it for my fourth day. Day 5 is at sea, so I'll probably make one more log after this for this trip.
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