Enjoying the Island of Costa Maya!

The first few photos are of the Costa Maya Port, which we bypassed and hopped on the shuttle to Tropicante. There was a nice sitting area around the swim up bar and lots of great eating spots. If you just want a pool day or are on a tight budget, I could see this being a nice place to just chill and read a book or maybe do a little port shopping. Our first option was to visit the Chacchoben Ruins but we knew that it was going to take up so much time and we only had so much allowed time before heading back to port. Maybe next time!

The shuttles to Mahahual are further out of the port, past all of the shops. The tickets were $3 per person and the open air trolley was very nice! If you walk even further down, you can grab a taxi for only $2 per person.

I had done quite a bit of research on where to visit in Mahahual; it had been years since our last visit. I finally decided on Tropicante because I had read great reviews on Trip Advisor and found out that it is owned by Steve from America. I emailed him before our trip and reserved 2 beach chairs w/shade. As soon as we got into town, one of Steve's employees came up to our trolley and had our names on a chalkboard sign and walked us over to the sitting area on the beach. Such great service!

The views were just amazing! The water was such a beautiful color of blue. It was so nice to watch the boats and people kayaking in the water.

This guy came by and sang an entire song for me so I tipped him a couple of dollars. I should have asked to pose with his sombrero!

The first thing that I did was order a margarita- pretty much my favorite drink! It did not disappoint; very delicious!

Later, we ordered lunch and opted for the Grande Burrito to share. It was a pretty big plate and all that we needed between the two of us. It was really fresh and delicious and the waiter was so nice and brought out extra chips for the salsa.

The hubby and I walked up to the Tropicante Bar and each had a shot of their 100% agave tequila. Some of the best tequila that I have ever had! It was so smooth that I didn't feel a heavy buzz/hang over after, which is always good!

 

We paid our tab and grabbed a taxi back to the port for $4 for the both of us. Our day in Costa Maya was really amazing! We are hoping to explore some more new spots on our next trip. Comment below if you know of any more great spots that we should check out!

Where is your favorite spot/thing to do in Costa Maya?

On the Island!

We recently Cozumel and our first choice was to visit Tulum to see the ruins but we realized that we didn't have enough time to really enjoy the tour, the local ceynotes and beach so we opted to visit a local beach. We decided on the Money Bar after reading great reviews on Trip Advisor about the great snorkeling. Overall, it was a great spot for the price. There was no cost for admission unlike most of the beach clubs in Cozumel. I had done some research prior to the trip and found that almost every beach bar charges admission fees, ranging from $25 all the way up to over $100 with inclusive items such as food, drinks, alcohol, snorkeling, etc. Since we aren't big drinkers, we decided to go to the Money Bar instead.

We normally take a taxi but this time we decided to walk. I wouldn't suggest it, just because it was around a 4 mile walk and we weren't wearing the correct shoes for walking. We were more than happy when we were seated immediately upon arrival. We quickly ordered two margaritas which were really delicious!

Later, we ordered some guacamole & chips which was the perfect beach lunch. Their menu is in pesos but I came prepared with my pesos conversion app. That is, until mid-lunch, I showed the waiter my peso converter and he said that it wasn't correct, that the correct conversion was 16 pesos to 1 dollar. I just let it go since I was on vacation- who has time to try to figure out conversion rates?  Our total bill came out to around $31 (w/gratuity) for 3 margaritas, 1 beer and a plate of guacamole & chips, so I was pretty happy.

 

 

The hubby rented some snorkeling gear for only $10 for the set. I read on Trip Advisor that they used to charge $40 for equipment, but they must have changed it because of local competition with lower prices (there is a place right across the street that rents snorkeling equipment for $12). I honestly don't like using the mouthpieces after people, so it's on my shopping list to purchase sets to take on our next trip.

I joined the hubby for some snorkeling after some convincing from him that the water wasn't bad once you got in. Isn't that what they always say? I didn't want to miss out on the snorkeling, so I decided to brave the cold water and I'm so happy that I did, because there were beautiful fish everywhere! They were swimming all around my legs and it was pretty amazing.

All in all, we had a pretty amazing time and we got to try out a new spot in Cozumel! They also had taxis right behind the bar, so we didn't even have to wait on one. The cab ride back to the port was $12 total.  On our taxi ride back, our cab driver told us that the Sky Reef Club was another nice place to visit. For $15 admission per person, you get 1 welcome drink, a beach chair w/umbrella, snorkeling gear & a tequila tasting, so we will definitely have to try them next time.


Have you visited Cozumel before? 

Winter Getaway!

We are leaving for Mexico in less than an hour!!! I'm currently up at 3:00 a.m. enjoying a latte and finishing up this blog post. I am so excited you guys! We have been working extra hard this year trying to finish house projects, so it will be nice to have a week-long break. We will be visiting both Costa Maya and Cozumel- we have been to both, but it's been a while since we last visited.

I am looking forward to catching up on some kindle reading, writing in my journal and hopefully get some clarity on my business/career for the upcoming year. I have been so overwhelmed with my business that I really need some time to just step away from it all and do some soul searching about the direction that I want to go. And let's just be real, I am especially looking forward to some sun and tropical drinks on the beach! I will be back soon with some photos to share!

What are some of your favorite spots in Cozumel & Costa Maya?

Getting Ready for Restoration!!

Wow, where do I start?! So much has been going on and the hubby and I have been working insanely crazy to the point of exhaustion. We are both in need of a much needed break; but before we get to that, let's talk about what we were able to accomplish the past week!

Past Week Accomplishments: 
>> I have been picking up limbs and sticks for an entire week from Hurricane Hermine
>> Ordered 18 tons of dirt and helped hubby with filling dirt for our concrete drive for the garage
>> Hubby framed out and dug for the well house and the garage drive
>> Cleaned Roof
>> Cleaned Deck
>> Ordered Propane
>> Ordered Tub Tool
>> Ordered Lawn Mower Blades
>> Ordered some healthy food items, drinks on Amazon and Jet
>> Ordered a Kate Spade iPhone charger (when our electricity was out, I really relied on my back up chargers! Plus, they are great to have while on vacation & there is no access to an outlet)
>> Hubby cut wooded area
>> Purchased a new Ryobi weed trimmer- amazing!
>> Ordered a replacement Keurig + some kcups
>> Picked out our new Kitchen Backsplash- Natural Color Hexagon
>> Booked Hotel for Beach Stay! ( I'm so excited for some R&R, including some delicious seafood, beach, reading books & shopping!)

I have to tell you, something is going on behind the scenes and God is working!! This scripture keeps showing up on my Pinterest, Facebook, etc and I wanted to share. I read it aloud to the hubby and felt God's presence around me. God has seen the struggle that my husband and I have gone through for over 5 years now. There were several things that Satan stole from us but I have been diligently praying for restoration and for God to bless us with seven-fold what Satan has stolen from us.

I really don't discuss our problems or things that we go through with anyone or share via social media- that's why I have my blog so that I can safely write here. I hope that writing about the things that I go through, will somehow help someone else and at the same time, allow them to see how prayer works and how good God is!!

We have been through so much throughout these past 5 years when all we had to depend on was God, when everyone else walked out. We went through losing our dog of 15 years, losing half the money on selling our home, losing half of a salary that we were accustomed to, my husband losing his Father, his job. We had to work a hard job on the road for almost 8 months and it was not easy, but we worked hard and trusted in God for our future. We went through struggling with almost 8 months of unemployment- literally, no one would hire us. It got to the point that we didn't know how we were going to make it but God got us through until the last few dollars and he performed a miracle and I got a great job and soon after the hubby did as well!

God has been beyond good to the husband and I throughout the years. It has been a struggle for us, but it has made us depend even more on God to get through things. I have watched him heal our dog when he was completely paralyzed, I have witnessed being on our last few dollars and he deliver us with jobs and money, I have watched God help us financially when things have gotten rough. But I don't complain that we have gone through any of these things. Yes, we lost money on our home, yes, we don't have the same financial lifestyle that we had before and we have had to make sacrifices but God has taken care of us every time!

Everyday, sometime during the day I go on a walk up and down our drive and I talk to God about what is going on in our lives and I pray over our future. I pray mostly about God restoring what Satan has stolen from us. I watch my husband every day, diligently work even though he deserves more and is meant for greater things, but he never complains. My heart hurts for him and I pray over him daily for God to bless his future and for him to be successful and be in the favor of God. One thing that I really love about my husband is that he is extremely intelligent but he is never boastful or proud about it.  In this day and age, that is extremely rare. I have been watching God bless us in the past few weeks about some things that I have been praying over and I know that he is working on our future. The hubby and I talk about things that happen and we both know that it is God working! Right now, I couldn't be more excited for our future and the blessings that are on the way!

What are you praying/trusting in God for today?

St. Augustine Trip: Day 2

The next morning we got out early and did some walking around historic downtown. It was nice to be up and about early without so many people on the streets- it gave me a chance to take some great photos! 

 

 We missed out on the St. Augustine Distillery on our last visit so we made sure to fit it in this time!

 It was interesting to hear and see how their Rum, Gin, Bourbon and Vodka is processed. It's definitely a lot of steps to create!

 After our tour, we were given the chance tot try samples of their drinks with their specialty liqueurs which was my favorite part! 

We  visited the San Sebastian Winery next. Every time we visit St. Augustine, we make sure to visit San Sebastian to do the wine tasting and purchase some wine to take home.

After finishing up our St. Augustine trip, we packed up our things and headed back home. We made a couple of Starbucks stops on the ride back home. It was a fun trip and we plan on visiting again this fall!