Cruisin'

The newlyweds set sail! The cruise was amazing and just what we needed.  After seeing 9 months of planning evaporate in one action packed day, we needed the few days to get our heads back on straight.  First stop was Key West.  Having only a couple of hours at our disposal, we walked around Mallory Square and checked out the southern most point of the United States.  Key West has, to say it lightly, some interesting folk.  Although to their credit, the homeless don't beg but craft jewelry and hats, painted tiles, and even play instruments for your dollar.

Next stop was Cozumel, Mexico.  The beaches were simply unreal.  We saw no less than 6 shades of blue in the water.  The sand was soft and the breeze refreshing.  A rented jeep took us around the whole island.  Once we got away from the tourist areas, we were exposed to the real Cozumel.  Needless to say, it did not look like what we saw on the brochures.  The local town is dirty, having animals from stray dogs to burros (mules) walking around.  The entire economy is 100% reliant on tourist income.  As soon as you set foot on the island, the begging begins.  It was a little uncomfortable seeing as how these people are struggling on dollars a day, meanwhile we have all you can eat buffets on board.  On a brighter note, we heard the snorkeling, scuba and fishing we great.  If we ever go back we'll surely do one of those.  The reefs are huge and home to hundreds of species of coral and fish.