Travel Stories #1 - Bachelor Party ends half stranded in Mexico

Bachelor Party in Cozumel (and not Progreso, because half of us weren't welcome back on the boat)

So my kid brother is gonna bite the bullet this year and decided to have his bachelor party on a C-ertain cruise ship.  Sounds like a lot of fun, and it always is until that thing happens.  The people most fun to travel with, never break stride when the sh*t hits the fan.  This was the last pic before the group had to split ways.

So there is one small part of this trip that will have stay in Cozumel on account of bro code.  If you find this room, you will understand.  Short of that, our buddy's eyes will have to tell this part of the tale.  Which is a bit less typical than you may assume.

The first day on the ship was blissful, food and eye candy abounds (for the 3 single guys, that is).  The next morning would find sandy beaches and crystal water, but this was a party first and a vacation second.  So, we drank and caught up with each other.  I held my own the best I could till two guys left for the club that was open later than the bar, three of us crashed.  We wake to news that the two, my brother and his friend, were to be ejected from the ship immediately upon arrival in Cozumel and left in Mexico to find their own way home.  Apparently, after the club shut down, they were engaged by this drunk obnoxious couple that was also leaving (I was not there for this part).  Words happened and the girl punched my brothers friend, twice; shoved then punched in the face.  Being a gentle soul from Texas, where we know how to treat women, he hit the guy with her.  Scuffle ensues, my brother who you can see is a huge person, forcefully separates them.  The couple walked, we were told to surrender keys of parties involved and leave the ship in the morning, and the trip has just started.  I don't blame the security crew, I just wish they could have resolved the issue with some discretion.  Take the drink packages away from both parties (clearly an alcohol induced incident) or something, but something equal for both parties.  I should also mention, they only forcefully ejected one person from the ship; bringing six security guards to escort them off.  My brother had to pay an addition fee (I think it was $135) to voluntarily stay with his friend on the island, cause we run the buddy system when told "you have to stay in Mexico".  I told the security head later, that they were good guys who just had a bit too much to drink, you could have sent one person to see them off.  Your smallest person.  No one is going to fight one guy they have no issue with who was just sent to do his job; I just suggested that sending six guys told to be ready for a fight was more provocative. 

Now in Cozumel, with two in the party dragging all their bags, we grab a cab.  Ready to make the most out of our last day together and being led by one in the group who had been here only a few months before, we want to head away from the crowd.  Asked the driver to take us to the farthest beach from the pier where our friend swore there would be ten times less people.  He was right, Playa Palancar is not only beautiful and quiet (barely 20 people that day), but the guys at the bar can hook you up with anything you need.  We were only there 5 minutes before having a table full of beer and cuban cigars (from a guy on the beach $10-20/case), they told us it was no problem to have a boat come down to take us scuba diving.  

They gave us a lesson right there on the beach and took us out to Palancar Gardens, which is an incredible diving spot.  We lost our underwater camera down there, so i don't have the shot i hoped for, but my brother swam off to join a school of tuna ten feet tall and at least 50 yards long.  He could swim with them at about arms length, but then each time he tried to scoot closer they would bend around him.  The caves and arches down there are really cool too.  When we got back they introduced us to their two pet raccoons and pet coati who were trained to stay on one side of the fence away from the bar.  You had to feed them on that side of the fence, but they will take the food right from you. 

I've rambled long enough, thanks for listening this long.  After the beach we only had time for one other adventure on the island, but those are night time stories.  Palancar 10/10 and the people too.  Big thanks to Martine (blue shirt) and the guys who took us out diving (these guys had a great sense of humor), and especially to Phillipe (red shirt) who hooked my brother and his friend up with food, hotel and more for a couple of days till they could get a flight back to Houston.  Everyone made it home safe, we went on to see some Mayan ruins that I may post about if y'all enjoyed this.  

Every few months Amanda and I travel to a place we have never been to do something we have never done, on a budget slotted for either $500, $1000, $1500 (one of each, each year).  Obviously, she wasn't on this trip which was an extra one for me.  Follow us to see how and where we go.  Both working regular jobs, we use all our vacation time every year to space out trips around North America.  And we do it cheap.  Our first European trip is coming up in just two months.  We will also review the side excursions we take and let y'all know if they are worth the extra money.  Just one other thing, we are super new at blogging so any advice on how to format this stuff better would be much appreciated.  I think this second post ended up better than my first.  Thanks for sticking with me here.  Be safe out there.