Caribbean.....second week

In March 10. early in the morning we, a group of us, left to Everglades by speedboats for bird watch and for alligators of course. We really saw some very special birds and some gators too, quite near. That afternoon I spent in the buzzling center part of Fort Lauderdale before it was time to return to the ship. On Monday then we had another marvelous day in a paradise, back in Half Moon Cay again. Next day we enjoyed the sea life, sailing around Cuba heading towards Jamaica. When we arrived to Montego Bay in the morning, I was seriously considering if I should visit the city at all due some unpleasant experiencies some 38 years earlier. Then I decided that I am not staying cowardly onboard but took a taxi and got a Canadian couple to share the costs for a few hours, and we had a lot of fun that day. Next morning brought us a disappointment when the capitan informed that due too windy weather conditions we cannot visit Cayman Islands but we'll continue to our last harbor, Cozumel in Mexico. I had been there some years earlier and found the place quite boring, so next morning I took a ferry to Playa Del Carmen, from were I took a bus to Tulum, an old Maya city some 90 km north from Playa Del Carmen. It took maybe two hours to walk from and back to main road and to study those ruins in very beautiful surroundings. Then there suddenly was a big problem. The bus driver refused to take me to the bus, because it already was filled up. I had a ticket but it did not help, and I did not have enough money to take a taxi back to Puerto Del Carmen. But at the end I am always lucky when something seems to go wrong. Suddenly two Swedish ladies appeared and wanted to join the bus. No. not possible even with their tickets. I asked if they would like to share a taxi. They hesitated and were afraid if it would be too dangerous. Finally I could convince them because talking swedish to them an communicating in spanish with the taxi driver. On the way back we passed the bus, and at the bus station after some fight we got back the value of return tickets, and I paid to the ladies one third of the taxi fare, and everybody was satisfied. After this adventure I needed a strong drink and got the company of a beautiful English traveller from London for about two hours at a beach bar before returning with the ferry to Cozumel, and the ship. Last day was on the sea again, and in Sunday morning March 17. I left m/s Nieuw Amsterdam with happy feelings.