COZUMEL!

Neal and I spent our sixteenth anniversary on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. It was even better than I expected! Altogether, we took 746 pictures, and we think each of them are perfect. But, as much as you all love us, you probably won't feel the same. So, we have sat down and pulled out some of our favorites. We hope you enjoy seeing a trip that is now a special memory for us.



When we got to Minneapolis, we were unexpectedly upgraded to first class--a huge surprise considering we were flying on award travel. Can you tell we are excited about getting away?



















We stayed at Ventanas Al Mar, the only hotel on the whole east side of the island. There was only one other couple (they were from Indiana) staying there and we only saw them at breakfast. We loved the hotel and the owners. We hope to go back some day.









Breakfast came with the room, and we enjoyed it outside every morning.









This was the hardest part of the picture selecting. We have so many beautiful photos of gorgeous beaches and waves and sunsets, etc.



















We just included this picture to look cool. We never even set foot inside.









These statues are at El Cedral, the oldest inhabited village on the island.









These frightening creatures were all over the island, but especially in the interior of the island where it's "jungly." We saw several while we were sight-seeing Mayan ruins.










This is our hotel. As you can see, we had the whole beach to ourselves. It was like this every day.









Foot loose...









and fancy free!









This picture is only here because Neal insisted. He calls it "the relaxed look."









The sign of a true vacation... lots of leisure reading.


















My favorite part of the trip--up close and personal with the ocean. We slept every night listening to the sound of the crashing waves.









These hanging plants were dangling above the breakfast tables.










Coco is the owner of the hotel and speaks very little English. He was extremely warm and friendly and served us coffee every morning with a smile.









Neal took this unforgettable sunrise picture from our balcony.









Here we are on a ferry headed to our submarine tour.









The Atlantis was the submarine that took us down 107 feet. Cozumel is famed for its diving and has the second largest coral reef system in the world.









None of the underwater photos turned out well, but our eyes have been opened to a whole new world of God's majestic and creative creation. The fish and coral were beautiful and colorful.




































The famous turquoise of the Caribbean Sea.









San Gervasio has the largest Mayan ruins on the island.













































Ready for Bible class on Wednesday night.









There's actually the Lord's church on the island. It also has a Bible Institute and an orphanage. Pretty amazing, considering the island itself is only 30 miles long by 30 miles wide.









This is San Miguel. We spent most of our evenings here shopping and enjoying the harbor.









This flag was on the back of the ferry taking us from Cozumel back to Cancun.










We spent our last night in Mexico (our actual anniversary night) in Cancun. We stayed in a gorgeous hotel and had a lovely dinner together.









I am so thankful that Neal put this trip together for us. It was memorable, relaxing, fun, and romantic. We love Mexico!