Salsa & Salsa-Great Excursion in Costa Maya

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In May 2014, I took my eldest Greta on the Carnival Liberty. It was a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise that I had won during a travel agent promotion Carnival ran. We had decided on this particular itinerary due to its Spanish speaking destinations. Greta was already in her 4th year of Spanish, and mom wanted to put what she learned to practice. We had a delightful time on the cruise and enjoyed both onboard and off-board activities.

A great excursion in Costa Maya and our favorite, the Salsa & Salsa.

The Salsa & Salsa was a combination of learning how to make salsa and dance the salsa.

This, of course, was right up our alley as Mexican cuisine is one of our favorites, and Greta had been dancing since the age of 2. We ended up with a beautiful day as we disembarked the ship and headed for our meet up point on the dock. We lucked out, discovering there were only 8 of us that signed up for this particular tour. The small group size made it even more fun!

We took a short van ride into the main town area. I’m not sure by size it really qualified as a town but was very colorful and friendly. We entered a covered patio area where a table was set for us. Once seated and introductions were made, our adorable guide, Frederico, explained what we would be doing. The first thing on the agenda, order a cocktail. Something with Tequila, of course. The best part, the first activity was to learn how to make your very own blue margarita. Mind you; we would be drinking these throughout the activity. Just sayin’, things can get a bit jovial when the tequila starts flowing. Once our drinks were set, we moved on to learning how to make 2 different types of salsa and guacamole. One was smoky and spicy and one mild. We even used traditional methods that the locals would use in their own homes. I had to buy a few implements to bring home with the recipes to make it the traditional way upon our return.

Once we had successfully mastered and taste-tested our salsas and margaritas, we moved away from the table to the open floor to learn the salsa. Let me say there is a reason they give you the margaritas beforehand. All shyness was gone, and for some, the ability to move without wobbling! Greta and I were partners to begin. She laughed so hard to see her now tipsy mom attempted to learn these steps without tripping over herself. Of course, being the awesome dance creature she is, she had no problems and immediately caught on. Frederico was very anxious to make her his partner after our lesson. They did a beautiful dance for us.

The remainder of our time concluded with exploring the small town. We opted for some local massages on the beach and then some browsing of souvenirs. We returned to the ship happy, satisfied, and relaxed. We returned home with recipes and memories of a lifetime!

Bonus Recipe-Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized ripe avocados

1 small ripe tomato roasted/ grilled until blistered, black, and soft

1 jalapeno chile, diced with seeds

1 tablespoon minced white onion that has been roasted/grilled

2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mash or coconut shell mash together avocado, tomato, and chile with back pistol or back of a fork until chunky smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

 


Lisa Rossmeissl is the owner of Boomerang Escapes, a home-based agency located in Old Bridge, New Jersey with agents in TN, MS, and WI. 

She has been a professional travel consultant since 2008 and specializes in Australia and the South Pacific. Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, and Cook Islands are among the specialist certificates she holds.  Her agency’s focus is on creating custom itineraries with their client’s wants, desires, and budgets in mind.  She and her planners believe in getting to know the traveler to ensure they have a vacation to remember.  With each planner specializing in a different market area, Boomerang Escapes can offer a wide variety of leisure vacation planning.


Lisa RossmeisslSalsa & Salsa-Great Excursion in Costa Maya
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