Costa Maya, Mexico

We're back in Mexico for our final port. Costa Maya was also built specifically as a stop for the cruise ships. This was a new port for me, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was actually a beautiful place. The dock was pretty long, so there was a trolley ride available to transport passengers to the end of the pier. Costa Maya had the feeling of a "lifestyle mall" (think Easton in Columbus, OH) with the exception that it had saltwater pool with a swim-up bar in the middle of the plaza. There was also a pool area along the coastline with dolphins.

There was an artisian here who personalized rings with a small tool that looked like a hacksaw. Here he is creating a ring for Bib. It took him about 3 minutes to carve her name in the top. (Unfortunately, I didn't get an "after" picture.)

This was a short day at the port, and since all the ports were starting to look alike by now, we headed back to the ship by noon. It was a hot and humid day, so we spent the afternoon lounging at the pool.

For lunch, we tried the pasta bar. Oh my goodness! It's probably a good thing that I didn't find this until so late in the week. It was delicious. The made-to-order pasta bar is an area all to itself on the 11th deck. You start at a hostess station, and she gives you an order form. You can chose the type of pasta, the type of sauce (marinara, bolognese, butter, alfredo), and any add-ins (chicken, broccoli, eggplant, the list goes on), salad, and a roll. It takes a while to get your food, but it is well worth it. Yum!

Tonight was our final Elegant night. The dining staff pulled out all the stops. For the entertainment tonight, we danced to the song "Low" by Flo Rida. Last night, Jason had taught us some of the moves, so Bib and I hopped up and danced along. Jason, of course, came in to dance with us. Unfortunately (NOT!) I don't have pictures of the dancing.

Tsvetan and Iputu (or Sweatin' and PooPoo)

The gangCarolina with Pam and Frankie

Tonight's show in the Encore had a country theme and was called "8 More Seconds." The main two singers in these shows are pretty talented, but the dancing is a little bit cheeseball for my taste. After the show, we went to Ocean Drive to hear Blackjack play. We ran into the Atlanta girls, and they're always good for a lot of laughs.

Tomorrow is our final day at sea. I'm just not ready to say goodbye to this trip.