Deadeye
Guest
My first trip to anywhere outside the US for diving was to Cozumel.
My friend and I left on December 9th at 9am from Houston, and we were on the island at 11:30am. The confusion with so many people leaving the airport at the same time, and so many people who seemed like hustlers trying to get you into 'their' van was kinda fun. We got in a van which was supposed to be associated with our tour package, and we were the last two to get in.
Wow, did you know a 12 passenger van will actually hold 12 people? Even if they don't know one another well? Along with all the luggage? The driver then proceeded to drive us to Deep Blue, then insisted someone on the van was supposed to get out there even though no one in the van wanted to.
Then he tried to find the location for another hotel which two people were staying at. They told him at the intersection of 50 and 11, but he didn't believe them and we toured Coz for a while as the driver got out and asked directions from three different locals.
My friend and I were enjoying the 'free' tour of Cozumel, but the other vacationers were getting somewhat miffed. As the driver got in from the last set of instructions from a local, one person told him to get the van to a hotel or a taxi on the next stop!!!! Fortunately the next place we went was the hotel we were staying in, the Plaza Las Glorias. When we got out, so did most of the others, saying they would catch a taxi since at least taxi drivers knew where they were going!!!!!
Check-in was easy, and by 1PM we were walking along the wharf and I was ready to get wet. My friend had not gotten the final part of the certification done yet, so we set that up with Aqua Safari since it was right there at the hotel.
Ok, I bit the bullet, didn't get wet, and we went and found some great Margaritas in town to soothe my urges.
Next day I didn't want to leave my friend, so I asked her instructor, who happened to be Gabrielle, if I could go along. After promissing not to interfere with his instruction he agreed, so we did a couple of beach dives at the hotel.
Monday was pretty much the same, except after my friend got certified, we did a beach dive together and saw a lot of things we wouldn't have seen with the instructor, plus we got a lot of bottom time since it was a shallow dive.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we did reef dives. It was really great to do these drift dives, barely kicking and just going with the current. Palancar was OK, but we both liked San Francisco better, as there was more sea life around it.
Thursday we did the afternoon dive at Paradise Reef, then went back for the night dive to the same reef. The night dive was great, and we saw octopus, sea cumbers, crabs, lobsters, lots of fish, eels, and phosphorescent plankton!
No, I don't have pictures anywhere except in my head.
Friday we toured the Mayan ruins on the island, then had a great seafood lunch at one of the no name restaurants on the eastern side of the island.
All in all it was a great trip.
The trip back to Houston on Saturday was uneventful and I flew to San Ramon Sunday on business, so that's why this report is late.
Terry
My friend and I left on December 9th at 9am from Houston, and we were on the island at 11:30am. The confusion with so many people leaving the airport at the same time, and so many people who seemed like hustlers trying to get you into 'their' van was kinda fun. We got in a van which was supposed to be associated with our tour package, and we were the last two to get in.
Wow, did you know a 12 passenger van will actually hold 12 people? Even if they don't know one another well? Along with all the luggage? The driver then proceeded to drive us to Deep Blue, then insisted someone on the van was supposed to get out there even though no one in the van wanted to.
Then he tried to find the location for another hotel which two people were staying at. They told him at the intersection of 50 and 11, but he didn't believe them and we toured Coz for a while as the driver got out and asked directions from three different locals.
My friend and I were enjoying the 'free' tour of Cozumel, but the other vacationers were getting somewhat miffed. As the driver got in from the last set of instructions from a local, one person told him to get the van to a hotel or a taxi on the next stop!!!! Fortunately the next place we went was the hotel we were staying in, the Plaza Las Glorias. When we got out, so did most of the others, saying they would catch a taxi since at least taxi drivers knew where they were going!!!!!
Check-in was easy, and by 1PM we were walking along the wharf and I was ready to get wet. My friend had not gotten the final part of the certification done yet, so we set that up with Aqua Safari since it was right there at the hotel.
Ok, I bit the bullet, didn't get wet, and we went and found some great Margaritas in town to soothe my urges.
Next day I didn't want to leave my friend, so I asked her instructor, who happened to be Gabrielle, if I could go along. After promissing not to interfere with his instruction he agreed, so we did a couple of beach dives at the hotel.
Monday was pretty much the same, except after my friend got certified, we did a beach dive together and saw a lot of things we wouldn't have seen with the instructor, plus we got a lot of bottom time since it was a shallow dive.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we did reef dives. It was really great to do these drift dives, barely kicking and just going with the current. Palancar was OK, but we both liked San Francisco better, as there was more sea life around it.
Thursday we did the afternoon dive at Paradise Reef, then went back for the night dive to the same reef. The night dive was great, and we saw octopus, sea cumbers, crabs, lobsters, lots of fish, eels, and phosphorescent plankton!
No, I don't have pictures anywhere except in my head.
Friday we toured the Mayan ruins on the island, then had a great seafood lunch at one of the no name restaurants on the eastern side of the island.
All in all it was a great trip.
The trip back to Houston on Saturday was uneventful and I flew to San Ramon Sunday on business, so that's why this report is late.
Terry
