Madrone
Guest
Cozumel trip report. Dec 1st thru Dec 17th, 2007.
Realizing my frequent flyer miles were going to expire led me to explore the possibility of a dive trip somewhere in the Caribbean. Of course you can't really use them, as its almost impossible to find an available seat. So I ended up coming back to Cozumel after 9 years. I had not realized much about Hurricane Wilma and the damage it had installed over the reefs. I dont watch mainstream media and realized the full extent of the reef damage whilst researching during my visit.
The accommodation: Amaranto B & B on Calle 5 just near Avenida 15. Jorge is your host, and what a great guy. Fun, and very friendly. He gave me a discount as I was staying 16 nights. Lovely round bungalow with traditional Mayan thatched roof, fans, microwave, coffee maker, hammock and gigantic beds, fresh towels every day, room service except Sundays. Breakfast is extra if you want it $5 but I just ate yogurt and fruit in my room. There is a wet bar and some basic dishes. I will post pics to my album if you would like to see. It has character and much more my taste. Im not into mainstream hotels. Hang out area in the front with internet and local phone access. As a woman traveling alone, I felt safe and secure. Small sunning pool and rinse area for your dive gear. Bikes to borrow if you choose.
I was delighted at the mass of new delicious restaurants that have sprung up around town. The quality blew my mind of a few of them. A few of my personal favorites are: Parilla Mission on 30th Ave, near the San Francisco Supermarket. Taco plates for 38 pesos, chille rellenos 60 pesos, good margaritas made from scratch. no sugary mix Sorissi on Calle 3 just near the water, Italian food and an outrageous gelato bar, more $$$ 33 if you have a glass or two of wine. Rock N Java on the water front, vege lasagna, vegie burgers some of the best I have ever had, nice salads with beets. Good people. Las Conchitas Del Caribe on 65th Ave btwn 15 and 17, seafood and cocktails. Outrageous and yummy. 88 pesos shrimp cocktails.. 100 pesos for ceviche. Great. Coffee bean on Calle 3 near the water, great chillequilles 35 pesos, decent coffee and carrot cake slabs. I was a bit surprised at the prices. Some more expensive than the USA. It was still possible to eat well for 20pesos but you had to search, one place is Chilangos on 30th Ave. A massive oval shaped tortilla piled high with whatever you choose from the platters. Different things each night.
Cozumel has come a long way in the last nine years. So have the droves of cruise ships. They are like giant space crafts. I understand they bring money to the island, but I found myself staying away until after 4.30pm when most of them left. The 3 guys in my house called them the pod people. LOL. These giant pods arrive and all the seeds spill out for a few hours and off they go again.
The Diving: My first week I was with Cristina Roman. Divewithcristina.com cristina@divewithcristina.com cristinaroman@prodigy.net.mx 011-52-987-872-6099 her boat is the Nena. I met Cristina on my trip 9 years ago. I love diving with her as she really spends time looking for critters and is always pointing out cool things I never would of noticed. Long dives 60 plus minutes. No pressure to hurry up. I got to dive with the Luna Fins a group from Nasa, I thought this would be interesting, and when one of them showed up with dive flags painted on his toenails and a gold earring I knew I was in excellent company. Crisitina has a slow boat which I prefer, nice lunch make your own sandwich, sun deck, sodas, water and fresh water hose off. Bathroom on board good if you ate weird food the night before. I spent one day with Sergio Sandaval when Cristinas boat was in service. I had also dove with Sergio 9 years ago. He dove with Jacque Cousteau years before on the Palancar reef.
I spent my last week diving with Blue xt sea info@blueextseadiving.com (52) 987-869-8574 contact and owner is Cristi. I found her dive crews excellent. The captains were great especially when the water got rough at the end, while on the surface a perfect approach to me so I would be able to land with the large waves easily. Fast boat, the Shamu. They are a friendly operation and have boats for advanced divers and you get to pick where you go. Long dives usually 60 min. Jackets and towels provided. Snacks, fruit cake and water. We got one dive in right before the port closed; they did everything to make sure we got to dive. Las Palmas was the last dive before the port closed and what a dive, we saw a huge spotted eagle ray, tons of toad fishes, octopus, turtle. They rinse your gear every night for you and it appears back on the boat for you the next day. Cristi is a sweetie and I spent some good time chatting, finding out we had a lot in common. Blanca a dive guide also works in the office and I hung out and chatted with her one night, she is also really great. We got to talk my favorite subjects that I never talk on dive boats, cultural politics and religion. HEHE.
Night dive: I did one night dive with Aldora, we did the Santa Rosa wall. The crew were excellent. The best thing is ankle long fleecy parkers for after the night dive. Very nice.
The Cenote Dives: Booked via Deep Blue in Cozumel. I had always wanted to dive the fresh water cenotes on the mainland. Deep Blue offered a great deal $90 for a two tank dive. I was picked up by the guide Pietro, who that day was working for Go Cenotes. He is also and independent dive guide. What a sweet guy, he is from Chile and speaks great English. He gave his dive briefing on the drive down. He is a calm and excellent cavern guide. Pietro knew a lot about how the cenotes are formed and had some history to share. He also knew the name of the bizarre spider we saw hanging on the ceiling during our surface in one of the stalactite rooms. He showed us these odd little worms that cast straight hanging lines of sticky silk to catch bugs. They make funny little webs like beaded curtains. This room was prehistoric with the roots of the sacred (what is the name of that...tree) growing down in the water, forming a dome on which stalactites can form. I was able to gently play music with my fingers on the stalactites, such beauty. I highly recommend Pietro Donaggio as a guide, contact him at
(52)984-125-6649 pietro@karstdiving Karst Diving: Construction Page
Some funny things I just love about Mexico. On the main drag outside one of the diamond stores is a disabled wheel chair ramp. The thing was so steep I was physically unable to walk up it. We laughed our heads off and took pictures. They must think the wheel chairs have 4 wheel drive. On the ferry ride over from playa the waves and wind picked up, one huge blast soaked everyone on the back. I love how the locals laugh at their own mishaps. I love how goofy so many of the dogs are, the strangest mix of breeds. I saw one dachound, that had the longest ears, they dragged on the ground. I met roof, dog and street dog. They both envied each other. I met Wombi the divine black cat that lives at the Flamingo hotel.
This trip was bizarre sometimes as my computer flooded my camera flooded the door popped open at 100ft, it was not an o ring leak. I got bit on the bum by a dog, who promptly got a punch on the nose from me. Its not often I have trips with mishaps. I did one dive day on a boat called the Nuria and the captain ran over a woman diving with us. I had to scream at her GO DOWN. The dive platform hit her on top of her head and would of hurt her bad if she had not already started to go down. On my safety stop I was directly the sausage and heading to the surface when the boat suddenly appeared above my head I was 5 feet from the surface and able to kick down. Why captains get that close to a sausage is beyond me. I cannot remember the name of the captain.
I love Mexico; mostly I love the warmth of the people. I loved the random meetings of other travelers. My last night was with a Brit, Italian, Israeli, two local Mexican women and me, taking shots of mescal, courtesy of Mr. Italian, whose name has escaped me forever. Walking down streets and someone recognizing me from my pic on scuba board. All is good. Have fun everyone. Cheers Macrons, reporting home in San Francisco, Gearing up for skiing this weekend. How can I resist the big dump from mother earth.
Realizing my frequent flyer miles were going to expire led me to explore the possibility of a dive trip somewhere in the Caribbean. Of course you can't really use them, as its almost impossible to find an available seat. So I ended up coming back to Cozumel after 9 years. I had not realized much about Hurricane Wilma and the damage it had installed over the reefs. I dont watch mainstream media and realized the full extent of the reef damage whilst researching during my visit.
The accommodation: Amaranto B & B on Calle 5 just near Avenida 15. Jorge is your host, and what a great guy. Fun, and very friendly. He gave me a discount as I was staying 16 nights. Lovely round bungalow with traditional Mayan thatched roof, fans, microwave, coffee maker, hammock and gigantic beds, fresh towels every day, room service except Sundays. Breakfast is extra if you want it $5 but I just ate yogurt and fruit in my room. There is a wet bar and some basic dishes. I will post pics to my album if you would like to see. It has character and much more my taste. Im not into mainstream hotels. Hang out area in the front with internet and local phone access. As a woman traveling alone, I felt safe and secure. Small sunning pool and rinse area for your dive gear. Bikes to borrow if you choose.
I was delighted at the mass of new delicious restaurants that have sprung up around town. The quality blew my mind of a few of them. A few of my personal favorites are: Parilla Mission on 30th Ave, near the San Francisco Supermarket. Taco plates for 38 pesos, chille rellenos 60 pesos, good margaritas made from scratch. no sugary mix Sorissi on Calle 3 just near the water, Italian food and an outrageous gelato bar, more $$$ 33 if you have a glass or two of wine. Rock N Java on the water front, vege lasagna, vegie burgers some of the best I have ever had, nice salads with beets. Good people. Las Conchitas Del Caribe on 65th Ave btwn 15 and 17, seafood and cocktails. Outrageous and yummy. 88 pesos shrimp cocktails.. 100 pesos for ceviche. Great. Coffee bean on Calle 3 near the water, great chillequilles 35 pesos, decent coffee and carrot cake slabs. I was a bit surprised at the prices. Some more expensive than the USA. It was still possible to eat well for 20pesos but you had to search, one place is Chilangos on 30th Ave. A massive oval shaped tortilla piled high with whatever you choose from the platters. Different things each night.
Cozumel has come a long way in the last nine years. So have the droves of cruise ships. They are like giant space crafts. I understand they bring money to the island, but I found myself staying away until after 4.30pm when most of them left. The 3 guys in my house called them the pod people. LOL. These giant pods arrive and all the seeds spill out for a few hours and off they go again.
The Diving: My first week I was with Cristina Roman. Divewithcristina.com cristina@divewithcristina.com cristinaroman@prodigy.net.mx 011-52-987-872-6099 her boat is the Nena. I met Cristina on my trip 9 years ago. I love diving with her as she really spends time looking for critters and is always pointing out cool things I never would of noticed. Long dives 60 plus minutes. No pressure to hurry up. I got to dive with the Luna Fins a group from Nasa, I thought this would be interesting, and when one of them showed up with dive flags painted on his toenails and a gold earring I knew I was in excellent company. Crisitina has a slow boat which I prefer, nice lunch make your own sandwich, sun deck, sodas, water and fresh water hose off. Bathroom on board good if you ate weird food the night before. I spent one day with Sergio Sandaval when Cristinas boat was in service. I had also dove with Sergio 9 years ago. He dove with Jacque Cousteau years before on the Palancar reef.
I spent my last week diving with Blue xt sea info@blueextseadiving.com (52) 987-869-8574 contact and owner is Cristi. I found her dive crews excellent. The captains were great especially when the water got rough at the end, while on the surface a perfect approach to me so I would be able to land with the large waves easily. Fast boat, the Shamu. They are a friendly operation and have boats for advanced divers and you get to pick where you go. Long dives usually 60 min. Jackets and towels provided. Snacks, fruit cake and water. We got one dive in right before the port closed; they did everything to make sure we got to dive. Las Palmas was the last dive before the port closed and what a dive, we saw a huge spotted eagle ray, tons of toad fishes, octopus, turtle. They rinse your gear every night for you and it appears back on the boat for you the next day. Cristi is a sweetie and I spent some good time chatting, finding out we had a lot in common. Blanca a dive guide also works in the office and I hung out and chatted with her one night, she is also really great. We got to talk my favorite subjects that I never talk on dive boats, cultural politics and religion. HEHE.
Night dive: I did one night dive with Aldora, we did the Santa Rosa wall. The crew were excellent. The best thing is ankle long fleecy parkers for after the night dive. Very nice.
The Cenote Dives: Booked via Deep Blue in Cozumel. I had always wanted to dive the fresh water cenotes on the mainland. Deep Blue offered a great deal $90 for a two tank dive. I was picked up by the guide Pietro, who that day was working for Go Cenotes. He is also and independent dive guide. What a sweet guy, he is from Chile and speaks great English. He gave his dive briefing on the drive down. He is a calm and excellent cavern guide. Pietro knew a lot about how the cenotes are formed and had some history to share. He also knew the name of the bizarre spider we saw hanging on the ceiling during our surface in one of the stalactite rooms. He showed us these odd little worms that cast straight hanging lines of sticky silk to catch bugs. They make funny little webs like beaded curtains. This room was prehistoric with the roots of the sacred (what is the name of that...tree) growing down in the water, forming a dome on which stalactites can form. I was able to gently play music with my fingers on the stalactites, such beauty. I highly recommend Pietro Donaggio as a guide, contact him at
(52)984-125-6649 pietro@karstdiving Karst Diving: Construction Page
Some funny things I just love about Mexico. On the main drag outside one of the diamond stores is a disabled wheel chair ramp. The thing was so steep I was physically unable to walk up it. We laughed our heads off and took pictures. They must think the wheel chairs have 4 wheel drive. On the ferry ride over from playa the waves and wind picked up, one huge blast soaked everyone on the back. I love how the locals laugh at their own mishaps. I love how goofy so many of the dogs are, the strangest mix of breeds. I saw one dachound, that had the longest ears, they dragged on the ground. I met roof, dog and street dog. They both envied each other. I met Wombi the divine black cat that lives at the Flamingo hotel.
This trip was bizarre sometimes as my computer flooded my camera flooded the door popped open at 100ft, it was not an o ring leak. I got bit on the bum by a dog, who promptly got a punch on the nose from me. Its not often I have trips with mishaps. I did one dive day on a boat called the Nuria and the captain ran over a woman diving with us. I had to scream at her GO DOWN. The dive platform hit her on top of her head and would of hurt her bad if she had not already started to go down. On my safety stop I was directly the sausage and heading to the surface when the boat suddenly appeared above my head I was 5 feet from the surface and able to kick down. Why captains get that close to a sausage is beyond me. I cannot remember the name of the captain.
I love Mexico; mostly I love the warmth of the people. I loved the random meetings of other travelers. My last night was with a Brit, Italian, Israeli, two local Mexican women and me, taking shots of mescal, courtesy of Mr. Italian, whose name has escaped me forever. Walking down streets and someone recognizing me from my pic on scuba board. All is good. Have fun everyone. Cheers Macrons, reporting home in San Francisco, Gearing up for skiing this weekend. How can I resist the big dump from mother earth.
