2026 Number 2

What possessed us to embark on a 4-month cruise?

Away from home and no visits to our granddaughters in Gqeberha. No daily pushing our Cape Town granddaughter around the block. What happens when crises arise? How does any work get done? Surely, you’ll drive each other mad, stuck in a room together for all that time.?!   Now doing it for the third time!!  Absurd?

“Been” is an application that records visits to Countries.  But when have you Been to a “new” Country?  Passing through airport terminals doesn’t count, but does just one day in a Country, without even sleeping over, as our ship often does, mean that you have “Been”? 

We attend lectures about the place’s history, cuisine, people, culture and go ashore on excursions.

The vibrant underwater coral reefs, world’s second largest, put Cozumel Island, Mexico on the map in recent times. The excursion around this sacred Island exposed us to a blend of pre-Columbian Mayan cultural rituals, storytelling, body painting, spiritual expression through dance, performance, symbols, food preparation: maize; cacao; vanilla all central, giving a sense of how previous generations lived. Somewhat contrived but interesting. We walked through the San Gervasio Mayan ruins, an ancient pilgrimage centre. Then travelled many kilometres of “no development allowed” land, to protect the eco-system: uniform monotonous vegetation and rocky shoreline. Humid and too many tourists to spend time in the town.

Back on the ship our experience of Mexican food prepared by a world-renowned Mexican chef was strange, interesting, unusual.

How much enjoyment, learning, experience from our brief Cozumel experience? Our friends who live in Mexico asserted, “that was not the real Mexico”. Clearly real immersion into a “new” Country is not possible through one day’s exposure.

So have we been to Mexico?  I am not sure!

We’re settling in. Connecting with friends from previous journeys. Establishing a routine. Tortuquero Canals & Rainforest Skywalk in Cost Rica lie ahead today.

Absurd?  I don’t think so!