Hurricane Wilma and Coz

[mnj1233]

testing my e-mail notification!!!!!!

 

[jmps]

I spoke with the Houston booking office for Scuba Club and they said it will reopen on 11/15. We were to go on 11/12 so I guess we are out of luck. She said they had electricty but she first said with generators but then was corrected by someone in the office. I would guess it was really generators (as long a fuel lasts).

 

[recovery]

Oct.28,2005 my wife and I got out of Cozumel yesterday after being there throughout Wilma, hurricane lasted 48 hrs and sat on top of us with winds with gusts to 170 and winds at140-150 mph. We stayed at Scuba Club Cozumel formerly Gallapagos and they took wonder ful care of us. We never left the resort site, they had minimum of three people on site and hot meals (3 x daily) by Sunday. We were scheduled to leave on the 21st and due to the storm were unable to leave. Scuba Club Cozumel did not charge us for anything. If you have never been there please give them a try they are wonderful people and we have dove with them since 92 and they continue to have the same staff. They really need the tourist and we heard they should be up and running in about three weeks.

 

[recovery]

I spoke with the Houston booking office for Scuba Club and they said it will reopen on 11/15. We were to go on 11/12 so I guess we are out of luck. She said they had electricty but she first said with generators but then was corrected by someone in the office. I would guess it was really generators (as long a fuel lasts).

When my wife and I left yesterday Oct. 27,2005 majority of island was without electrcity, there is massive damage to the island although only three people died. Sorry about the timing of your trip, we also stayed at Scuba Club and throughout the hurricane they never left us, they provided minimum of three staff and had hot meals by Sunday. Yesterday Continental provided three jets to evacuate us out of Cozume and charged us only $175. per person to Houston and from there we drove to our home in Carrollton. If you would to see pictures e mail me your address and will send pictures of the storm we were right on the beach.

 

[mattmexico]

I intended not to write another newsletter regarding Wilma but I have received dozens of request to let people know what is going on and if anything is changing. Well, things are changing slowly, in some areas very slowly, for the better, thank god.

General
There is no TV here in the area so we can not get any news via TV. Only source for news is the internet if people have electricity. Here in Playa and in Tulum newspapers are sold.

Flying in and out on Cancun
The control tower has been knocked over and the airport building itself has been hit but things are getting better.

The airport is open and is receiving flights
• For people that have a return ticket back into Mexico
• From Mexico city regular flights

- International regular airline flights are supposed to resume on November 2nd
- International charter flights are supposed to resume on November 15th to 20th

Cozumel
• It was estimated that some of the diving operators might be in operation within one month
• Some of the small hotels are going to be open within two month
• Some of the south of town resorts are badly damaged and will not be repaired but razed and rebuilt
• Some 30 boats sunk in the caletta marina, some of them with engines on them
• Tomorrow morning ( Saturday 29th ) there is a meeting with the boat owners and captains and the city officials to talk about a help or credit program to help buy and repair engines that have been sunk
• Yesterday on the 27th a cruise ship came by ti pick up stranded tourist and bring them to Florida
• Tomorrow or the day after a cruise ship is coming in with food aid
• The Chedraui supermarket is going to be open tomorrow, latest the day after
• Cozumel has no electricity and no cellular phones are working

Puerto Morelos
The beach front properties, houses, condos, restaurants, hotels and apartments are devastated. Unreal how huge the waves must have been.
• Puerto Morelos has no electricity and no cellular phones are working

Isla Mujeres
I have heard nothing about Isla Mujeres

Hol Box
I have seen some pictures from Hol Box, they got hit hard as well

 

[santafecelia]

We also have reservations for Cozumel, in Dec., and found out on Friday that the hotel and dive operation expect to be "inoperable" for at least 3 months. Aldora Divers has a website with very topical info, and it doesn't sound like anything - including power! - is either predictable or reliable.

I did find out that the airport is still operable, altho the control tower was apparently damaged. Continental cancelled its flights, but Frontier hasn't experienced any flight interruptions either in or out, and doesn't have a policy like they do for Cancun!

Now I'm looking for alternatives, since our plane tickets, on Frontier, may be changed without charge but only for a short time. Does anyone have any experience with diving at either Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo or Puerta Vallarta?

Thanks ...

 

[massage]

Hi Recovery,
I am hoing to go diving in Cozumel December 1st. Staying in a provate house, but friends are planning to stay at the Scuba Club. IT would be great to see some of the pictures of the storm. Thanks,

Keukarules@yahoo.com

 

[Xarifa]

...Now I'm looking for alternatives, since our plane tickets, on Frontier, may be changed without charge but only for a short time. Does anyone have any experience with diving at either Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo or Puerta Vallarta?

Thanks ...

I have dove Puerta Vallarta--it's not on my list of places to return to for diving, but there is diving there. We went a number of days with Pacific Scuba--best diving we had was at Mariattas (sp?), but if you've dove Coz, Puerta Vallarta doesn't really compare (IMHO).

Hope that is helpful.