The youngest member of our party is a bright 14-year-old who is very good at chess. He drew our attention to what is probably the most beautiful chess set I have ever seen. The pieces represent Mayans and Conquistadors, and the details are quite exquisite.

The chess set is the reason we went to the island of Cozumel, and if you go there you will be able to buy one, too. You may also go there in order to go scuba diving, tour a pirate ship, ride in a horse and carriage, see strange characters on benches, and buy pretty silver jewelry.

In order to get there from Playa del Carmen, you will have to take the ferry which departs every hour. You will also be asked by at least fifteen people if you want to rent a Jeep. The ferry has a band playing upstairs and an informational video playing downstairs. We chose to sit out front and get wet when it rained, but we could still hear the band. The trip is worthwhile in order to enjoy seeing a turquoise sea and to visit restaurants that serve delicious drinks.

After we had bought the chess set, the young one and his mom played chess in a restaurant where all the waiters were very pleased to watch the game. It seemed like a rare treat for them to actually see someone enjoying chess, and our teenager got lots of kudos for being so smart.