Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting in Cozumel, Mexico

The most beautiful, golden sunrise I have ever seen in my life in Cozumel, Mexico. Thanks Bunny for the photo. Sorry I woke you up so early to see this!

After a full day at sea on the Celebrity Silhouette cruise ship, I awoke the next morning and threw open the curtains to greet Cozumel, Mexico.

It was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen - golden yellows of all shades and hues with a touch of blue from above and below against a city skyline. No pink and purple like other places, just gold.

With that greeting, Bunny and I got up and made our way down to the pier to meet our excursion group. We had scheduled excursions for each port we visited so we could see more. If we didn't, I was worried we would just walk off the boat into the same touristy shops at all four ports of call. We signed up for a Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting in Cozumel.

It was windy when we got off the ship and I'm so glad I had a jacket on. Another passenger offered me $50 for my jacket, but I declined. Bunny bought a beautiful aquamarine ring from a vendor while we waited, She haggled him down from $350 to $100 and was pretty pleased with herself.

When our group was assembled, we met Carlos our guide and hopped into vans for a short drive to the Discover Mexico building. We looked at a map and learned a bit of Mexican history and saw baby agave plants for a comprehensive explanation on how tequila is made.

Our tequila tasting was set up beautifully. 

For the tasting, we were sat in an air-conditioned room on high stools. It felt like a very classy pirate drank tequila there and the tasting was set up beautifully with three glasses filled with different kinds of tequila and a plate with coffee beans, cinnamon sticks, lime rind and crackers.

The pours were very generous and most of us did not consume all of the tequila we were provided. Ninety-three-year-old Helen behind us kept us giggling and she exclaimed "I'm great but I'm seeing double!" The Jose Cuervo tequilas presented were aged various lengths, from months to years, but even with Carlos' tutelage, I have to say I like tasting wine or beer a lot better.

Next, we were given some time in the gift shop to buy souvenirs, taste reserve tequila and chocolate liqueur and then we were shown a short film with clips from Mexican traditions and geography. This is where things started to get a little dull. I liked the artifacts in the museum we walked through, but none of the pieces had dates on them, so they seemed less authentic. But, when we walked back outside there was a donkey named Sophie ready for photo ops.

Things livened up a little bit when we were treated to blended mango margaritas and authentic Mexican tacos. I really like spicy salsa, so it was fun to test my taste buds and try the spiciest of all. None of the meat was dry and the flavors were bold.

The grand finale: A rain dance performed by the Papantla Fliers. This was amazing. Yes, they're hanging upside down.

The grand finale of the excursion was a performance of a Mexican rain dance by Papantla Fliers. Five men in beautiful costumes with streamers flowing from their heads scampered up this very, very tall pole, played music, and swung around the pole upside down as they descended to the ground. It was quite the sendoff.

We bid Carlos farewell and headed back to the boat. I had woken Bunny up too early, "the sunrise!" and I was still feeling the effects of jet lag so I opted to lay by the pool on board.

Verdict: The Jose Cuervo Tequila Tasting experience at Discover Mexico was a little slow at times, but I learned so much about Mexican culture and traditions that I have no regrets. I would have liked to make this excursion shorter and add in some beach time, but that wasn't an option through Celebrity at the time. The excursion is not for children, but is great for all ages of adults, regardless of mobility. Plus, you can take home a photo with Sophie the donkey and get a certificate celebrating your newly acquired tequila education.

There were plenty of photo opportunities at Discover Mexico. Isn't Bunny adorable!?