Adventures in Cozumel

I find myself in Cozumel and yes, life is very, very good! Hee-hee!

Mike and I decided to save money and not rent a vehicle while we stay here so in order to get groceries, to go anywhere, we have to bike.

Yes you read that correctly. Mike is biking now. He bought a cheap one speed cruiser for $140 down here and bikes to the international pier every morning to go scuba diving. Then bikes back! April 6 was his one year anniversary of quitting smoking! YAY!!

I brought along one of those big canvas reusable bags from Wally World and use that as a backpack to load up with groceries. When I go for a bike ride, I wear my clip-ons, when I am going grocery shopping I just wear my sneakers. lol -- I feel so bad, like I am breaking the rules of tri biking! Hahahaha!

It hasn't taken me long to get quite confident darting in and out of Mexican traffic. lol -- I remember there was a time not very long ago when I was PETRIFIED of riding around Cochrane, AB. Hahahah! This morning, I biked up the road to check out the Mexican version of Wal-Mart (what a disappointment -- you have to watch your prices, and I was hoping to find a cheap pair of bike shorts as one pair is definitely see through now, and I have to wear a long tank top to cover my butt cleavage.) No shorts. Boo.

At one point during the ride back to our condo, I was smack dab in the middle of scooters and vehicles -- literally. I could reach out and lean against a vehicle if I wanted to, that's how close I was to traffic. LOL -- I had to smile because the mere thought of this would have terrified me not that long ago! Hahahaha!

The driving here is totally different than at home (as if I had to even say that - lol). You don't signal if you want to turn (I do though, don't worry!) If you want to make a left, you don't get to take up the whole left lane either....you have to move as far to the left as possible so a vehicle can wedge in beside you to turn left as well. Hahahah! I am not kidding!

I've been biking EVERYWHERE on my bike and I just love it! I wish, wish, wish I could do this at home, you know? For more than 2 months of the year. lol.



Here's some more stuff for ya!

• The best place to buy groceries is a place called Soriena (I think that's how its spelled). Here's the drill: if you have a cheap bike, you can lock it up on a bike rack, or if you are anal about your tri bike (me) you can pay a guy 5-10 pesos (just under a buck...13 pesos = 1 USD) and he watches it for you.

• Soriena is BY FAR the cheapest and has the best selection of stuff I've seen so far. There is a big honking store called MEGA right on the main drag. The prices there are inflated because they are on the waterfront, but they have the best bulk guacomole EVER. HOLY COW. It is effing good. And bulk pico de gallo and bulk ceviche.
  

• What the heck is bulk ceviche? It looks like salsa (but not the crap you get at home, this is the really good stuff and fresh!) with big chunks of white fish in it. It is so cheap and so good. I eat it right out of the container, with nacho chips, or on top of yams, etc.

• Fruit and veg stay fresh so much longer here -- even the avocados! At home, if you put half an avocado in the fridge (even with some lemon juice and saran-wrapped), it turns to grey/brown mush right away. Here, one half of an avocado got pushed to the back of the fridge FOR A FEW DAYS and it was still green!!
  

• And the size of the avocados! Oh my. Big, green and beautiful! I just about broke out into song the first time I cut into one and saw all that brilliant green goodness. :D
  

• I don't even have to mention the bananas do I? LOL :D

• I bought protein powder at a GNC in the same mall-thing as Mega. $78 USD!!! If I had a GNC card, I think I could have saved 20%.
  

• The humidity here is incredible. Hot, humid, but so awesome.

• I love biking around and around the island. The wind makes it challenging enough to make up for the lack of hills. Yesterday, I had a 5 hour ride and I forgot my chamois butter. Think: sweat, humidity, saddle sore, chafing. I was squirming around so much by the end, holy crap, but I was too stubborn to simply go back to the condo and get the cream. I had started my ride! I couldn't stop! It's my session! lol.

• After the brief run after that ride yesterday (I was so hot and cooked and drenched -- it is so humid here your clothes are SOAKING WET) I was so bagged I had to watch my feet to tell them to take one step in front of the other as I walked to the fridge. Then I bumped into and almost fell over the couch. Hahahah -- After some grub and a COLD shower, I started to come back to life.

• The roads can be pretty rough and I've been rattling all over the place on my bike. Good thing Tucson prepared me. Tucson was REALLY bumpy!

• Coach Sara has been reminding me every day to HYDRATE and to make sure I get enough salt. Thank you Sara!!! (I am so excited to be out and about I lose my head sometimes)
  

• There is an airforce base near our place and army guys in trucks and camo gear and guns all over the place too. I don't think I will ever get used to the sight of camo-geared army guys hanging out of the backs of open-air trucks armed with machine guns. And just watching traffic. Should I wave? Nod? I wave sometimes, sometimes I think I might get taken out! LMAO.

• Public toilets...um why are there no seats? I guess all those times in the middle of the night when Mike hasn't put the seat down were good preparation? Or are you supposed to sort of hover over them? I've done both...and I still don't know what I am supposed to do. lol.
  

• And you are not supposed to flush toilet paper. I always forget this -- you are supposed to throw it in a wastebasket beside the toilet. There are places where the basket isn't lined with a garbage bag and I can't help but pity whoever has to clean the poopy/pee-ey toilet paper out of there.

• Tarantulas! OMG. BIG ones. Mike got two on video just outside our place. Shudder.

• Sea lice? I think I got stung (well, I KNOW I got stung) -- I need to google what they are, but I got stung again and again and again, and I am like, "What the heck is going on?!?!" Like tiny little pin pricks.
  

This is where we are staying. Seriously awesome.

Coach Clint made the mistake of telling me once:
"Train heavy, race light,"
and ever since that day I have biked with full water bottles.
LMAO.