It is remarkable how much life can change in such a short time.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has changed the face of travel on a global scale. Governments and communities around the world are taking stronger action to limit the spread and flatten the curve. Orders for staying at home, complete lock downs, and states of emergency are quickly becoming the norm. Our government has issued a level 3 avoid all non-essential travel advisory for all international travel and just recently, the long awaited Oberammergau Passion Play performances have been postponed until 2022.

Next Journey | Morocco | October 11 - 26, 2020 | 16 Days | 28 Meals

We are all too aware of the current outbreak of COVID-19 and its potential impact. During this time of heightened awareness and in depth news coverage, it is vital that we understand the reality of the situation. We are still in the early stages of the outbreak and details are developing daily. The news media, while informative, will always focus on shock value to grab attention, clicks, and headlines. In this respect, they tend to focus on negative aspects in any situation while underreporting the positive news. As of this writing, there are over 84,000 cases worldwide.

Along the coast of Cozumel, which is an island just east of Playa de Carmen in Mexico, a very special project is beginning to take shape and grow. Cozumel is one of the most popular cruise ship destinations in Mexico and its nearby coral reef is the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Unfortunately, cruise ships that come to port in Cozumel stir up sediment which is damaging and destroying the nearby reef.