Vacation to Mexico or days 44-50

This past week I went on a cruise to Mexico.  I had never been on a cruise before.  I ended up taking over 700 photos over the course of a week.  This post is a little different than my posts usually are.  

Our first day there we got to Mobile, AL very early... like 7 am early.  We couldn't get onto the ship yet so we decided to go see the U.S.S. Alabama which is retired in Mobile.  The couple that we went with took the tour inside the battleship but we stayed outside to walk around.  It was so hot and humid and cloudy that day.  The battleship park has more than just the battleship... there are tanks, fighter planes, ground cannons, and a submarine there too.  

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We left the Port of Mobile a little after 4pm on Friday evening.
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Serenity.

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” -Jacques Cousteau

Our first full day away from land was a full day at sea.  We laid out on the deck in the sun, swam in the pool on the top deck, and relaxed.  We did a lot of that.
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Ocean Bokeah. 

Our first port was in Progresso.  The Progresso pier is 8 miles long because the water there is so shallow.  Our tour guide explained that the the water looks green because of the shallow water.  Progresso is on mainland Mexico.  We booked an actual excursion in this port and had to ride a bus about 30 minutes to get to our beach.  We passed armed guards on the pier.  The buildings are all tiny and run down looking.  The beach was nice though.  It was the first time that I had ever set foot on a beach or into the ocean.  I was at once in love with the sea.  We swam and enjoyed the sun.  My husband also started a sea weed fight.  Yuck!  We were walking in the ocean... we were probably about 15 yards from the beach in about 4 feet of water... and my husband almost stepped on a starfish.  He wouldn't pick it up... but neither would I.  I don't have any photos of the starfish though since we were out in the water... next time I will definitely have a water-proof camera!
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Our second port was in Cozumel, Mexico.  This is not on the mainland and the water is much deeper there.  It is also not green.  It is beautiful blue!  And amazingly clear.  If you have never gone I strongly suggest putting it on your bucket list.  We didn't do an excursion there.  Our friends wanted to do some shopping and really we didn't have to do one.  There was a public beach right there at the pier that we took full advantage of.  Cozumel is more rocky than Progresso was but it was still wonderful. 
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We only had two ports on our trip so the next day was a full day at sea as we began our journey back to Mobile.  I was really hoping to see a dolphin or a shark somewhere in open water but that didn't happen.  We did, however, see jellyfish!  There were hundreds of them!  I took the photo of them out of a window on the 9th deck.  There were jellies everywhere.  As far out to sea as I could see.  I don't know how long we had been going through them before I got there... it could have been miles for all I know.  
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The next day we were back in Mobile.  It was sad to leave the ship.  It was even more sad that we still had an eleven hour drive back home to make.  There wasn't much to see but I did take a photo of Mississippi swamp land out the car window.  Neat... different... doesn't compare to the ocean.
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Friday morning was a little depressing to me.  For five mornings I woke up to the ocean... Friday I woke up to grass... stupid grass... and it needs to be mowed.  *Sigh*
We have already started planning our next vacation!