Disney Cruise: Cozumel, Day 3

Before we left on the cruise, we saw the forecast of rain just about every day of our cruise.  On the Cozumel day it sure did rain!  We took a boat shuttle off of Cozumel to Playa del Carmen to take a tour of Tulum.  We had set up a personal tour with Helaman, an LDS man who gives tours with an LDS perspective.  While the ruins at Tulum aren't as old as the Book of Mormon, he gives a lot of insight of how the Mayans may have been the Lamanites.  There are a lot of things the Mayans believe that align with our beliefs and the Book of Mormon. It didn't rain too hard until we got on the bus to go to Tulum.  Then it poured.  I was sitting up front and could see the bus driver struggling with the wipers.  They completely weren't working.  It was kind of freaky when the rain was coming down so hard you could hardly see out the windshield.  I just prayed we would all be okay and tried not to stress too much.  When we got to Tulum the parking lot was a lake.  There was several inches of water here.  I was glad I wore my Chaco's, and that I brought my umbrella.

By the time we shuttled to the site and walked in to the actual ruins, the rain had slowed to barely a drizzle.  Then it was perfect and beautiful. Such a blessing, because I know Tulum can be so hot (it was when Devon and I went 4 years ago).

 Devon was supposed to come, but Lauren got sick on Sunday and was throwing up.  We thought we got things under control, but at the last second I decided one of us should stay behind.  Devon decided to since I wasn't going scuba diving on Grand Cayman.  It was a good thing he didn't go because Lauren ended up throwing up right after we left.  Mother's intuition, right?!

 One of the interesting things I remember from the tour was that Helaman explained the red hands on the building as representing the laying on of hands.  They also incorporate in their architecture a god that descends (like Jesus decending from Heaven).

The little harbor that is below Tulum has only one safe passage into it.  The rest of it is rocky.  They devised this "lighthouse" to help guide them in safely.  If they made it so they could see a light in each window, they were at the spot that was safe to come in to harbor.

These bees don't have any stingers.  Helaman suggested that perhaps this is the "deseret" that the Jaredites brought with them. This is Leandra's finger.





While we were touring, some of the medium old cousins (Mikayla, Allie, Lizzie, and I'm not sure who else) thought it would be fun to check their little cousins out and get pictures taken.  It was really nice of them, but make it crazy for Devon and Shirley (who wasn't feeling well, so didn't come along - sister Shirley, not Mom Shirley) to keep track of where kids were.  They sure got some cute pictures, though.





















Austin was worn out from all the fun and fell alseep watching a show.


Ashlyn loved the balcony. She would say "fish," though I can't remember if she ever actually saw any.  I was bummed that yet again this cruise I saw nothing.









Dinner was at Animator's Palate.  I wish all the dining rooms were this amazing.  It is just such a fun atmosphere!

The details on the Disney Cruises are just amazing.  This cute Mickey was on Lauren's ice cream.

The Muppets door... always a favorite.

Ashlyn learned the joy of pushing elevator buttons on this trip.  She would get so excited and jump out of the stroller every time.

This is a fun wall in Cabanas, the buffet restaurant for lunch and dinner.