Cozumel Trip Report - July 2004 (Tedious)

[Wristshot]

Cozumel Trip - Detailed Report
July 15-22, 2004

Thursday July 15th, 2004
Airport Shuttle pick-up at home in San Jose @ 4:45am
Flight out of San Jose scheduled for 6:15am
(but flights are not allowed until 6:30am - what's up w/ that?)
Arrive at Cancun Airport @ 4:15pm local time

Tickets for Riviera Bus to Playa Del Carmen = $7 US per person
Bus Departs Cancun Airport @ 4:45pm
Bus Arrives at Playa Del Carmen @ 5:40pm

Tickets for WaterJet Ferry to Cozumel = 180 Pesos per person (Round Trip)
Ferry Departs Playa Del Carmen @ 6:00pm
Ferry Arrives Cozumel @ 6:30pm

Taxi to Hotel Flamingo = $3 US

Dinner at Casa Denis = $17 US (plus $3 tip) for two persons
[I had the fish special, and it was okay. Dennis had the ham & cheese sandwich, and he said that it was real good.]

Friday July 16th, 2004
Taxi to Deep Blue dive shop = 30 Pesos

Morning Dives with Deep Blue, DM = Javier (long hair)
Other Divers: Chuck and Luke from Iowa, Dennis and Kathy.
Dive 1 at Palancar Horseshoe = 89 feet 54 minutes
Highlights: Huge Crab, coral, Drums and other reef fish.
Surface Interval at the Reef Club.
Dive 2 at Yucab Reef = 53 feet 60 minutes
Highlights: Two Eels, a large Grouper and a Splendid Toadfish

Lunch at Comida Casera Toñita = 100 Pesos (including tip) for two persons
[We had the orange chicken daily specials; three course, very good]

Shower and Siesta

Dinner at Hotel Flamingo = $9 US for two persons
[We had the tacos arrechero, and it was a very tasty, but simple meal]

Saturday July 17th, 2004
Morning Dives with Deep Blue, DM = Pepe
Other Divers: Kjetil & Monika from Bergen Norway, Jerry & Sheila
Dive 1 at Columbia Reef (Pinnacles)= 104 feet 32 minutes
Highlights: Lizard Pikeblenny(?) in the sand. Caves and deep swim throughs.
Snorkeling at “Heaven” for surface interval
Dive 2 at Palancar Gardens = 64 feet 47 minutes
Highlights: Channels & corals and fans and a smiling Parrotfish.

Lunch at Las Palmas = 120 Pesos (plus 25 tip) for two persons
[I had the chicken cordon bleu as recommended by Matt Daines, and it was very good.]

Shower and Siesta

Dinner at Prima’s = $30.36 US (plus $5 tip) for two persons
[I don’t remember what I had, but Dennis had a steak. Good meal.]

Sunday July 18th, 2004
Morning Dives with Deep Blue, DM = Sandro
Other Divers: Tim from Texas, Martin from Stockholm and a guy from Austria
Dive 1 at Santa Rosa Wall = 79 feet 38 minutes
Highlights: Two large groupers, the largest lobster I have ever seen, southern stingray, schools of grunts.
Dive 2 at San Francisco Wall/Reef = 56 feet 54 minutes
Highlights: Spotted Scorpionfish, golden spotted moray eel, Hermit crab attacking a Conch.

Shower

Lunch at Hotel Flamingo = 100 Pesos (plus 20 tip) for two persons
[Dennis had the tacos arrechero again. I had the burrito, and it was so big I skipped dinner.]

Siesta and later some shopping

Dinner at McDonald’s (Dennis only)

Monday July 19th, 2004
Morning Dives with Deep Blue, DM = Mario
Other Divers: Roman from Spain, Keith and Sandy, Jerry and Sheila
Dive 1 at Barracuda = 101 feet 44 minutes
Highlights: Fast drift dive with Lobsters, Turtles, Manta Rays and reef fish.
Dive 2 at San Juan Reef = 63 feet 48 minutes
Highlights: Fast drift dive. Trunkfish, Cowfish, Drum, Large Rays.

Lunch at La Mission (downtown) = $51 US for two persons
[We both had the Surf & Turf, and it was very good.]

Shower and Siesta

Night Dives with Deep Blue, DM = Javier (short hair)
Other Diver: Jeff from Vancouver.
Dive 3 at Santa Rosa Wall (Twilight) = 83 feet 50 minutes
Highlights: Swim throughs, Big grouper, Nurse shark, Southern Stingray and many crabs
Dive 4 at Las Palmas (Night) = 52 feet 46 minutes
Highlights: LOTS of lobsters and crabs, Octopus, Splendid Toadfish, Yellow Stingray, Lizardfish, Balloonfish, Cowfish.

Dinner at Super Taqueria (on A.R. Salas between 25 &30) = 30 Pesos for one person
[I had three tacos and a coke, and they were delicious.]

Tuesday July 20th, 2004
Breakfast at the Museum = 126 Pesos (plus 20 tip)
Toured the Museum = 33 Pesos each.

Afternoon Dives with Deep Blue, DM = Luis
Other Divers: Daniel and Diana from Austria taking AOW
Dive 1 at Palancar Caves = 91 feet 35 minutes
Highlights: Up, Down, Through, Under. Close Turtle encounter. Daniel ran out of air.
Dive 2 at C-53 Wreck = 71 feet 42 minutes
Highlights: Extended penetration. Glassy Sweepers in engine compartment, French Angels on port side. Daniel at 250 PSI.

Shower

Dinner at Guido’s = $64 US (plus 100 Pesos tip) for two persons
[We had crab cakes and garlic “bread”. I had the lasagna, and Dennis had the steak. Also dessert for each of us. Excellent but expensive meal.]

Wednesday July 21th, 2004
Breakfast at hotel Flamingo = 125 Pesos

Rented a car at ISIS on Avenida 5 = 440 Pesos for the day. (No A/C!)
Drove around the island, first all the way North to Barracuda, then all the way South, and around to the other side.

Drinks at Playa Palancar = 60 Pesos for 2 sodas and 3 waters
Lunch at Coconuts = 220 Pesos (plus 30 tip) for Ceviche Mixto, Chips and Salsa and Tacos.

Picked up gear at Deep Blue and paid our bills. (ouch)

Dinner at Hotel Flamingo = 296 Pesos
[We had two orders of the special Mango Shrimp recommended by the owner Tom, and it was excellent.]

Thursday July 22th, 2004
Return Travel Day

Packed up in the morning.
Taxi picked us up at 11:35am to take us to the Ferry Pier = 45 Pesos (Rip Off!!)

Ferry already prepaid on the first crossing.
Ferry Departs Cozumel @ 12:00pm
Ferry Arrives Playa Del Carmen @ 12:35pm

Paid a bicycle cart 50 Pesos to carry 4 large bags from the Ferry Pier to the Bus Terminal.

Tickets for Riviera Bus to Cancun Airport = 65 Pesos per person
Bus Departs Playa Del Carmen @ 1:00pm
Bus Arrives at Cancun Airport @ 1:48pm

Lunch at Cancun Airport = 250 Pesos (including tip)
[Lousy cheeseburger]

Arrive at San Jose Airport around 11:15pm

Airport Shuttle pick-up at Airport in San Jose @ Midnight
Arrive at Home
Begin the long hard surface interval until the next dive trip
-------------------------
Wristshot

 

[Mike Newman]

The good news - I fly to Coz on the 14th of this month.

Your information really whets my appetite - for diving and local eating!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[jetfixer]

hi wristshot,

great details! I think i will do that next time. was in Coz july 3-11 and dove with deep blue. awesome trip! cant wait to go back!

 

[Wristshot]

Todd,

I try not to get preachy, and it seems like everyone has their own favorite dive op in Cozumel, but I have been pretty happy with Deep Blue. Matt knows how to take care of his kind of customers. I know that they aren't the best dive op for everyone, but I have no desire to try any others (except maybe Christi's).

Of course there are always minor little things, but I really like the freedom we get with Deep Blue. My only complaint this year was that I did 6 two-tank dives and I never had the same DM twice!

We got saddled with a couple that was training when we dove the Wreck, but that was because we insisted on doing the Wreck and that couple was the only other ones that wanted to do it. My buddy was totally jazzed about getting to do the Wreck. It was better last year, but I knew he would love it, and he did.

They say that Cozumel is addictive, and I agree. I can't wait to get back and I just returned!
-----------
Mike,

You have heard it all said before: if you have any kind of an adventurous streak then you should try to hit some of the restaurants that the locals frequent. Yeah, steak and lobster at La Mission was good, but I could eat a couple meals a day for a couple days for the same amount of money.

Ask the guys that work at the dive op for local recommendations. The average working guy in Cozumel doesn't eat at the fancy tourist places because they can't afford it, any more than you or I eat at fancy places at home all the time. When you find a restaurant that has a stream of locals coming in with their own "tupperware" style containers taking food to go, then that is a place to go!

Of course we had to splurge at Guido's one night, and money was no object. We had a couple appetizers, entrees and desserts. It cost a bunch, but it was one heck of a good meal, and you gotta treat yourself once in a while. Kinda like at home.

If I can figure out how to resize the 5MP pictures without screwing up the images I will post some pictures.

The Land & Sea route through Cancun can get a bit tiresome after the first time, but it usually is about $150 - 200 cheaper to fly there instead of direct to Cozumel from here. That $200 is one-seventh of another complete trip to Cozumel!

Have a great time in Cozumel, and let us know how it goes.

Wristshot

 

[sapphire]

John,

Can you tell a little more about the Hotel Flamingo? I am considering it for my next trip to Cozumel. How were the rooms? Did you miss not having a pool in the afternoon? Thanks for the excellent and detailed trip report!

Jennifer

 

[diveborg]

hi wristshot,

great details! I think i will do that next time. was in Coz july 3-11 and dove with deep blue. awesome trip! cant wait to go back!

Todd
Just wanted to say I really like your signature

 

[jetfixer]

Todd
Just wanted to say I really like your signature

diveborg, Thanks! i have found it to be true many times over...

 

[jetfixer]

Of course there are always minor little things, but I really like the freedom we get with Deep Blue. My only complaint this year was that I did 6 two-tank dives and I never had the same DM twice!

that is too bad. doesnt sound typical of deep blue. but sounds awesome regardless. we dove with gabriel for all our dives except a night dive. almost everyone on every dive had been with him at least once before. the C-53 wreck was especially fun when we all sat on the commodes (sp?) and at the end when gabriel got me with the shark hand puppet :11: . cant believe i fell for it.....