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enchanted capri to mexico, august 2000

2003-03-25 - 9:43 a.m.

detail of wall of carved skulls seen at Chichen Itza
Detail of Wall of Skulls at Chichen Itza, Mexico
© 2000 by Elaine Radford, all rights reserved

The Isle of Capri casino used to be associated with a cruise ship, The Enchanted Capri, which they used to give gambling cruises to Mexico to high rollers, medium rollers, heck, even any number of low rollers who sneaked onto the list. They also offered to give some of us high rollers a free gambling cruise over the week of New Year's Eve 2000/2001 to Grand Cayman Island and Jamaica but, alas, their Christmas cruise the week before went bankrupt, and they dumped customers back at the port of New Orleans and unpaid staff in St. Bernard Parish. But it was fun while it lasted.

These photos are from a cruise I took with M. in August of 2000. We visited Cancun, where we took a glass bottom boat tour and had much better views of the fish than I was able to photograph through glass. Then we visited Progresso, allowing us to take a bus tour to Chichen Itza, a large, spectacular ruin with way too many tourists there already. At the time of my visits, they were "improving" the port of Progresso, so that it could take on larger vessels, so Lord only knows what the crowds are like now.

On another tour, I visited Tulum, another spectacular and perhaps over-visited ruin which overlooked crashing waves and water so vividly blue that it looked dyed.

Birding was poor, but I did add Orange Oriole, Graceful Mockingbird, and Turquoise-Browed Motmot to the life list.

The Enchanted Capri
© 2000 by Elaine Radford, all rights reserved
The Enchanted Capri was a small cruise ship, but it had a full casino, showroom, swimming pool, movie theater, and multiple bars and near-constant eating opportunities.

fish from glass-bottomed boat

© 2000 by Elaine Radford, all rights reserved
On none of my trips could I get anyone to take snorkeling lessons with me, but I did manage to take a glass bottom boat tour with M. The fish were magnificent but difficult to photograph through the glass and the water. On another trip, BF and I did the four wheeler off-road thing.

pyramid at Chichen Itza
© 2000 by Elaine Radford, all rights reserved

detail of top of pyramid at Chichen Itza

© 2000 by Elaine Radford, all rights reserved
I suppose every educated person should see the pyramid and other outstanding ruins at Chichen Itza and, judging from the crowds, everyone is making every effort to do so. The climb up the pyramid is very steep. It might not be very dignified, but I always came down on my butt, sort of wiggling my way down the stairs.

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