Our last port was Costa Maya, which is just on the mainland up a ways from Belize but south of Cancun and Playa del Carmen. This area was devastated by Hurricane Dean in 2007 and is just now being rebuilt. The cruise pier area has been rebuilt and they are developing a shopping area just outside of the pier.
The only thing opened there is the Tequila Museum, LOL.
Three of us went power snorkeling on a beach a few miles north of the pier. My sister-in-law stayed on the ship. There was nothing around us. Nearest houses were a kilometer or more south and a couple of them showed extensive hurricane damage.
After we returned, my brother-in-law went back to the ship to take a nap. My wife wanted to look around at the shops inside the port area. So I went back out to the area being developed and grabbed a taxi to what used to be a quiet little fishing village, just south of the port called Majahual (ma-ha-wall). $3. The little village is no longer sleepy with 3 ships in port. They have an asphalt strip called a malecon running down the beach with the beach on one side and shops and restaurants on the other. This is very similar to Puerto Vallarta, but not as fancy. You can even get a massage right on the beach for $20.
Some Canadian divers I had chatted on line with late last year, recommended I try a little hole in the wall place one block west of the malecon called 100% Agave.
It has a thatch roof courtyard and the owner, Fernando, is very cordial. He has an extensive menu of meats and seafoods. And he serves beers you cannot get in the US, like Leon Negra and Montenjo, which is brewed only in Yucatan. I was the only one in the place, despite the packed beach area a block away.
Chips came served in a conch shell with the salsa in one of the opened cavities
I noticed he offered tacos lechon on the menu and not being very hungry, I ordered them. The pig was roasted moist and tender and the marinated red onions and fiery salsa rojo enhanced the flavor. It was a great meal.
Fernando, on hearing that I “knew” the Canadians--who had dined there nearly every night for a week in November while on a dive trip—brought me a shot of his tequila, saying I didn’t need salt or lime. Wow! This was delicious! Very smooth and citrusy. Like a fine brandy. I asked him who the distillery was and he pointed to a wooden barrel.
He said he could sell me about a liter water bottle for $5. But I had no bottle to pour it in. “No problem,” he said. And he went across the street to a little store and came back with an empty plastic water bottle, poured a large measuring vessel full of tequila out of the spicket and poured it into the bottle. Total bill for 2 beers, tacos and tequila--$12 US.
If you’re ever down in Costa Maya or Majahual, stop in and tell Fernando, “Crewsweeper” told you about his place, 100% Agave.
I stumbled back to the ship in plety of time not to get left running down the pier. And the plastic bottle made it throug the screening and later thrugh customs. The tequila has been transferred to a decanter and it will rotate with my rye and scotch as my sipping whiskeies for the next few months.
That' the end of my cruise food review. But don't dispair. We're going on the Carniva Dream again in May. We'll be doing the Eastern Cribbean with sops in Nassau, St Thomas and St Maartin. Ihope to get to Fish Fry in Nassau and find a lolo( local BBQ shacks) or two in St Maartin. ot sue about St Thomas as Mountaintop with is chair lift,burned down last spring. There goes a daquiri with a view. If you want to see somthing specific on the ship or know of a spot I need to try on any of the 3 islands, please let me know.
Enjoy.
Crew
