We just returned from a fantastic 8 days in beautiful Cozumel, Mexico.  We’ve been returning to Cozumel almost every year since our first dive in 2000.  For awhile there I was concerned that we might be getting ourselves stuck in a rut by returning over and over again to Cozumel, but what I’m discovering is that we find new and interesting people, places and activities every time we return. I’m learning that there are diamonds to be discovered within the jewels that we already have when we are willing to slow down and enjoy them….. This time, thanks for the persistence of our dear friend Janet Williamson, we were allowed to accompany some local school children and a biologist to watch the turtle hatchlings run to the ocean under the guidance of the moon light. Go to www.cozumelinsider.com/turtles for more information.  The good news about the hurricanes last year is that a whole lotta sand got dumped along the beaches in Cozumel. If you’ve been there, you know that Cozumel has not been an island known for its sandy beaches!  The turtles, of course, love the sand for digging pits to lay there eggs.  Cozumel is going to great lengths to educate their community and provide a safe place for turtles to return to lay their eggs.  If you’ve never seen a tiny green sea turtle clamor across the sand towards the waiting sea, then you need to give yourself this experience. It’s amazing that ANY turtles live, much less 1 out of 4.  

 We also discovered two new restaurants nestled within the city. The first one was La Cocay Restaurant . We met with the owner, Jerry, who moved to Cozumel from New York about 20 years ago.  La Cocay was an oasis, intimate and very tastefully decorated. The food was delicious and amazingly prepared.  The chefs helped design the kitchen so that a small window allows us to watch them prepare the food (and them to watch us!).  I’ll save the surprise for you to discover about how they prepare the desserts, but suffice it to say it is a feast for the eyes!  The other restaurant we discovered was “La Veranda” owned by Jan and Ernesto Diaz.  Jan came to Mexico about 30 years ago and met Ernesto. The rest, as they say, is history! If you come from Louisiana or are just a lover of all things southern, you will LOVE this restaurant.  I felt like I was walking off the streets of New Orleans right into a home on

. Jan and Ernesto made us feel very welcomed and loved (course it did help that one of our party is from the same town as Jan!).  The food was superb, the service unbelievable and the backyard garden quite luscious and lovely in spite of the fact that many of the plants were newly planted within the last year due to the damage of the hurricanes from last year. Much more to say about my time in Mexico, until then adios mi amigos!