The 40min ferry ride (US$18 for a return trip) to Cozumel from Playa de Carmen was smooth and uneventful. Just don't sit too close to the edges near the front -- you will get wet!

The baby blue water just called out to us, but somehow, we never made it to the beach -- It's tough to think the ocean can be a lighter blue than the sky!

Here we are relaxing dutifully with daquiris and pina coladas on a beachfront restaurant.

A shot of the beachfront at dusk -- we saw some of the best sunsets in Cozumel. All the more inspiring -- it created a beautiful glow on the water's surface.

We met this gregarious Mexican (Elvis) on the bus trip to Playa de Carmen. He invited us to his restaurant there called Bistro Canela (on Calle 2 Norte) which ended up being a very intimate funky place -- with zebra stripes and large flowers painted across portions of the wall. As we entered, Elvis (the mexican) was singing Elvis (the american) tunes to clients. I enjoyed a very tasty chicken dish covered with a rich and flavourful mango sauce !

Here we are discovering cenotes (Mexican sinkholes / caves that have been carved out by water erosion over millions of years and are now filled with water). Eric is standing in the steep and narrow rocky staircase leading into the cave.

Inside, the only light we see is a 2 meter wide hole from which a tree is rooted along the edge. Near it, bats are flying around playfully. The tree's roots reach for the pond a dozen meters below to obtain water to sustain it.

Here is a view of the pond within the cenotes, with stalactites everywhere.

We even had the chance to swim in the cenote -- the water was cool and fresh. And there were plenty tiny 1" catfish around to keep us distracted. Local boys asked for money in exchange for diving off the side of a huge rock next to the water, 15 meters up.

Near one of the cenotes, was a small zoo with wild pigs, a monkey, some birds,...

...what we think is an anteater here,....

...and a wildcat kitten (note the rounded ears, the spots on the fur and the dark brown eyes).

The next morning, we tried to beat the crowd to Mexico's most visited ancient ruins, the Mayan Chichen Itza Ruins.

Here is El Castillo, the centre's main pyramid, which is set to represent the mayan calendar, with the four sets of 91 steps plus the top platform amounting to 365 days.

Here is my stylized picture of the silhouette of a plumed serpent carving set against the shadowed El Castillo pyramid.

It was pretty easy climbing up the El Castillo, but the return was a little more daunting -- as you can see from this picture. Good thing for the support rope.

You can even climb a very narrow and humid staircase inside the El Castillo to see the chac-mool sculpture, made to present offerings on the top of his belly to the gods.

Sculptures of Chac, the mayan god of rain and lightning, is seen often on the corners of the facades of some of the temples in Chichen Itza.