scubadobadoo
Contributor
Well, let me start by saying I am going to keep this short because we have to catch our connecting flight at 6:40am and we are dead tired.
My wife (Gillyweed_girl) and I are just fine. Christi is also fine and expected to fly out in the afternoon on Thursday or Friday. She was trying very hard to get out today but luck was not on her side and we last saw her at the airport. It was hard to say goodbye to her. Her boat is going to be ok but has alot of damage. We helped Mago strip the cover off, bail out the water, and push it back into the water. It was an honor to help. This man is one of the hardest working people I have EVER had the pleasure of meeting. Same goes for Pedro! More than half of the boats in the Caleta were destroyed or sunk. Papa Hogs, Dive Paradise, and Blue Angel all lost boats. I saw them and will have video and pictures when I have a moment. Caribe Blu Hotel is almost destroyed. The pool is part of the ocean. Mike and Jeannie say they may be able to rebuild it in 2-3 months if the island can get materials. I hope they can. I love that place.
Let me also add that Cozumel is far worse than you can imagine. The locals say that Hurricane Gilbert was merely a Norte compared to Wilma and I have to agree. Destruction everywhere. Food and water is very hard to get for everyone. Electricity is going to be a long way off for most. Many homes and businesses are gone. Buildings have literally vanished in some cases. I hate to say it but Cozumel looks like Katrina's mess but luckily the storm surge wasn't as bad due to it being porous and not having rivers flooding the island. The waterfront is missing in places. I just don't know how to describe it.
I will also say that if I ever hear anyone calling Mexican's lazy I will freak out. The Mexican people are calm, proud, and full of love even in this situation. I watched the poorest people eating and drinking god knows what in flooded and broken homes offering food to the tourists. They never complained and started working as soon as the storm was past. I can't wait to return to Cozumel.
As for the storm, it was long and strong. The winds would not stop and didn't for several days. Christi's well built cement home shook from the winds and debris hitting it. It was tremendous. That's all I will say for now. Thanks for your thoughts. I will now eat pizza in my hotel in Dallas and will probably have to force myself not to tear up from guilt over what we have left behind. Destruction. But don't worry. I know the folks in Mexico will rebuild. They have no other choice. It may take SEVERAL months before they can. More info manana and Viva Mexico!!!
As for reports of airlines making it hard to get out, it's true. That's all I will say about that. It's a fight to get on a plane. Reservations mean nothing to them now.
As for people worrying about future trips in the next few weeks...Even if your dive op has boats, hotels, and electricity, you may still have trouble getting food and water. I did. People are starving and water is like gold. Remember, Coz is an island and is supported by an equally devistated mainland. Make sure to speak to your hotel and dive op before you go or cancel. When I left, the Coz airport said it may be weeks before people can fly in to Cozumel. Rumors abound now in Coz and getting a straight answer from anyone may be tough. It was for us. I will answer no more about this and WILL NOT speculate on wether your trip will be cancelled so please don't ask. Sorry. Again, thanks for your support! I hope other SB members that were in Coz are okay. I will post photos and video soon...
My wife (Gillyweed_girl) and I are just fine. Christi is also fine and expected to fly out in the afternoon on Thursday or Friday. She was trying very hard to get out today but luck was not on her side and we last saw her at the airport. It was hard to say goodbye to her. Her boat is going to be ok but has alot of damage. We helped Mago strip the cover off, bail out the water, and push it back into the water. It was an honor to help. This man is one of the hardest working people I have EVER had the pleasure of meeting. Same goes for Pedro! More than half of the boats in the Caleta were destroyed or sunk. Papa Hogs, Dive Paradise, and Blue Angel all lost boats. I saw them and will have video and pictures when I have a moment. Caribe Blu Hotel is almost destroyed. The pool is part of the ocean. Mike and Jeannie say they may be able to rebuild it in 2-3 months if the island can get materials. I hope they can. I love that place.
Let me also add that Cozumel is far worse than you can imagine. The locals say that Hurricane Gilbert was merely a Norte compared to Wilma and I have to agree. Destruction everywhere. Food and water is very hard to get for everyone. Electricity is going to be a long way off for most. Many homes and businesses are gone. Buildings have literally vanished in some cases. I hate to say it but Cozumel looks like Katrina's mess but luckily the storm surge wasn't as bad due to it being porous and not having rivers flooding the island. The waterfront is missing in places. I just don't know how to describe it.
I will also say that if I ever hear anyone calling Mexican's lazy I will freak out. The Mexican people are calm, proud, and full of love even in this situation. I watched the poorest people eating and drinking god knows what in flooded and broken homes offering food to the tourists. They never complained and started working as soon as the storm was past. I can't wait to return to Cozumel.
As for the storm, it was long and strong. The winds would not stop and didn't for several days. Christi's well built cement home shook from the winds and debris hitting it. It was tremendous. That's all I will say for now. Thanks for your thoughts. I will now eat pizza in my hotel in Dallas and will probably have to force myself not to tear up from guilt over what we have left behind. Destruction. But don't worry. I know the folks in Mexico will rebuild. They have no other choice. It may take SEVERAL months before they can. More info manana and Viva Mexico!!!
As for reports of airlines making it hard to get out, it's true. That's all I will say about that. It's a fight to get on a plane. Reservations mean nothing to them now.
As for people worrying about future trips in the next few weeks...Even if your dive op has boats, hotels, and electricity, you may still have trouble getting food and water. I did. People are starving and water is like gold. Remember, Coz is an island and is supported by an equally devistated mainland. Make sure to speak to your hotel and dive op before you go or cancel. When I left, the Coz airport said it may be weeks before people can fly in to Cozumel. Rumors abound now in Coz and getting a straight answer from anyone may be tough. It was for us. I will answer no more about this and WILL NOT speculate on wether your trip will be cancelled so please don't ask. Sorry. Again, thanks for your support! I hope other SB members that were in Coz are okay. I will post photos and video soon...
