Fun on the island of Cozumel!
I always have fun, fun, fun when I come to my second home, the island of Cozumel in the Mexican Caribbean! From friends to fabulous restaurants to great boat dives and great shore dives and tourist attractions like the awesome Cozumel Pearl Farm, there is always something to do! My 2018 summer trip is almost over, but the memories will last forever. Take a look at what I’ve been up to on Cozumel! [Read more…] about Having Fun, Fun, Fun on the Island of Cozumel!
Alternative Travel for Adventure Lovers!
What does “vacation” mean to you? Sometimes people have three things on their minds: sun, sea, and sand. However, every now and then you do need a vacation that entirely revolves around rest and recuperation. For the adventure lover, there are plenty of alternative vacations out there that might suit you a little better! No matter what your area of interest, there will be some sort of specialist trip out there to suit your needs. So, here are a couple of alternative getaway ideas for those who are looking for something a little different!
Sailing
Who said you need to stay on dry land while you’re away? Sailing remains an extremely popular means of exploring unfamiliar areas, not only do you get the thrill of the sea breeze through your hair out in open waters, but you can pull up at some truly unique beaches and coves along the way! Now, there are two different ways to undertake a sailing trip. The first is to go it alone (or with whoever you’re travelling with). This will require a thorough understanding of how to sail – not only will this help your trip to go smoothly, but it’s important for safety’s sake, as open waters can be dangerous if you don’t know how to navigate them properly. On the other hand, if you are feeling a little reluctant to head straight out into open waters alone, you could take part in a pre-planned sailing trip that will follow a mapped out route. To take a look at some of the most desired sailing package trips in the world, click here.
Rock Climbing
If you’re comfortable with heights and are looking for an intense trip that can provide you with an adrenaline rush and some of the best views of different areas that you visit, then a climbing trip might be the best option for you. If you’re already into climbing, you’re probably pretty set and ready to go. You’ll have the necessary skills and equipment to take straight to the cliff edges or mountain faces. But, if you’ve never tried climbing before, you don’t necessarily have to rule yourself out of this kind of trip. There are plenty of ways to prepare yourself. Perhaps the easiest and safest way to get into rock climbing is to participate in indoor climbing closer to home first. Your first visit may feel a little intimidating, but it will be more than worth the effort. A tutor will be able to guide you step by step through all of the basic moves, meaning you add some to your inventory every visit. It won’t be long until you have the essential skills to climb unsupervised and can start planning your climbing holiday. Just make sure to always climb with a group of friends so that someone can seek help if an accident does occur.
These are just two different types of adventure holiday that you might like to consider when planning your next trip! So, be bold and brave and try something new and a little more adventurous!
Contributed and collaborative Post
Yes, you heard me! Cozumel has a Pearl Farm and it is the only one in the Caribbean! My fellow traveler, Linda Beach of A Passionate Dream Life came to visit and we decided to check it out. We had a great time, and learned so much.
I’ve seen pearl farms in Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean, and they are huge. The Pacific is an ocean of rich nutrients, but the Atlantic, and especially the Caribbean, offers much less in the way of nutrients and food. Compared to the Pacific, the Caribbean is a desert. But this wonderful family from Mexico City had a dream, and they have made it a reality. Isa Caamaño gave us a fantastic tour, and since she is the biologist in the family, we really learned about the biology of pearl farming. Her enthusiasm is infectious!
The story of the farm could be made into a movie. Dad was a successful contractor in Mexico City, but had a dream of starting a pearl farm in Cozumel. The entire family became involved in the project, and they started up in the early 2000s. In 2005, WILMA came along and destroyed everything, and I mean every single thing on the farm and the island. They decided to stay and rebuild, and in doing so, have created unique technologies and a successful business. They have also called upon Our Lady of Guadelupe, the patron saint of Mexico, to help. Visiting the Pearl Farm is a must do on Cozumel!
The tour also includes lunch, and plenty of time to relax and rest on this uninhabited beach on the north side of the island. It is about as far north as you can go on Cozumel, and utterly undeveloped except for the pearl farm. It is a beautiful area and one that is very rarely seen. I highly recommend visiting the Pearl Farm, and you can find them at Cozumel Pearl Farm on Facebook! Tell them Travels with Tam sent you! 
Being on the wrong side of history isn’t unusual, and there are many examples of it in the United States (and around the world). Learning about such circumstances can be very enlightening, and when the wrong is clearly acknowledged I am so appreciative. Not long ago I paid a visit to beautiful St Simon’s Island in the state of Georgia, and learned so much about the history of the area! One of my favorite experiences was our visit to The Harrington School, and meeting Amy Roberts.
My group toured with Cap Fendig’s Lighthouse Trolleys and Tours, and he obtained permission to visit The Harrington School off hours. The school was founded in the 1920s by emancipated slaves on St Simon’s Island. The school provided education for children through 7th grade until the Georgia schools were desegregated in the 1960s. The school became the focal point of African American communities on St Simons Island. Apparently, Gullah Geechee heritage is simply being an American whose origins are in Africa and whose ancestors were slaves. At least that is what I gathered from Amy Roberts, our lovely guide at The Harrington School, which is open to the public.
Amy Roberts was a thoroughly enjoyable personality who attended the Harrington School in the 1950s. Her stories of the school and the community of former slaves and their families was riveting. I learned that Eugenia Price, a southern author, wrote a trilogy about the history and lives of the plantations of St Simons Island. From Amy, I also learned about an incident in St Simons that ought to have tremendous historical influence on us as Americans. The story as I heard it from Amy is that slave catchers “conned” a group of Igbo (now Nigeria) Africans to come to the United States to participate in agricultural endeavors. When they boarded the ship they were chained and learned what their fate was going to be: slavery. The Wanderer, the ship that carried them to America, docked in Savannah where most of the people were bought for about $100 per person by slaveholders John Couper and Thomas Spalding of St Simons’ Island. These poor people were crowded onto the York, a coastal vessel, in chains and transported to Dunbar Creek on St Simons. During the trip, led by their chief, the Igbo rebelled, took over the ship, and drowned their captors. Rather than endure slavery, several of the Igbo people committed suicide by drowning themselves in Dunbar Creek. The story grabbed my heart and I felt this sacrifice in my bone marrow. The event is known as the Igbo Landing Mass Suicide and even though there are accounts that differ regarding the event, the power of this story has a huge impact.
I love the South, but its past is on the wrong side of history. The Harrington School and the stories of “slaves” and their “owners” help to give us a view into the actual humanity of the individuals, and the redemption of the evils of slavery. I feel the same way about Confederate flags and statues, they should be displayed as artifacts of a time in history that must be remembered because of the great wrongs committed, not in honor of their “lost cause”. The idea of the demise of a society based on slavery being “romantic” doesn’t sit right with me. For me, it is an unfathomable evil to “own” people. Glorifying the antebellum society pre Civil War is something people tend to do, without recognizing exactly what they are glorifying. I found the history of St Simons and the birth of an African American community around The Harrington School to be a story of hope, perseverance and honesty on the part of the island, and the people of the island.
A visit to St Simon’s is many things, but among the many activities and quaint streets, there is a history worth knowing.
Cozumel is a Fantastic Culinary Destination!
I love Cozumel, Mexico, a beautiful island in the Mexican Caribbean. It offers so much to visitors like world class diving, snorkeling, and yes, fantastic culinary delights! I know people in the USA are on edge about visiting Mexico these days, but let me tell you, I feel safer here than I do in my home in Dallas, and I’m betting you will too! [Read more…] about Why Cozumel is a Fantastic Culinary Destination!
You should visit amazing St Simons Island if you love animals! I was overjoyed to find different types of interesting animals in and near St Simons. My son in law once asked my daughter why our family always spent our vacations looking at animals. The answer is animals are endlessly fascinating, and important to our ecosystems…. I love them, and since I planned the trips,we traveled to see animals. [Read more…] about Visit Amazing St Simons Island if you Love Animals!
