Cozoholic:
I, myself, wouldnt want to live there..Just want to visit ~ 2X's a month..
When I daydream about winning the lottery, living in Coz is the last thing that comes to mind...Waayyy too poor, too many ships, not enough 'going on'..Guess its not exciting enough for me..
GC perhaps? Dont know, havent been there...YET.
You are absolutely right, this is a sleepy little island and there is not much going on other than diving...that's one of the reasons those of us who live here love it so much, but also one of the things that causes frustration on many occasions for those of us trying to run businesses.
Technology and modern day business practices are still very new here. When I came here over four years ago now, there was no such thing as high speed internet. Dial-up wasn't even an option in all places...still isn't. Most businesses were still not computerized. Cell phones were prety new to the market, and computer equipment was something that had to be shipped in at extraordinarily high rates. There is still no real sense of urgency to many service providers, etc. so when something needs fixed or you aren't getting the service you are paying for...it could literally take weeks or even months to get it resolved. These are just SOME examples of the prices you pay to live somewhere like this. It has it's very strong points as well, which most of the time outweigh these little frustrations.
Island life, no matter where it is is ALWAYS more challenging in several ways than living on the mainland...except islands that are connected by a bridge to the mainland maybe. I lived in Hawaii (Oahu) for about six months in the 90's and it had it's challenges as well. I also traveled for an extended period of time in Europe and lived in France for a year and went to school there (in 2000, so not very long ago)...again, many challenges. We take MANY, MANY things for granted living in the good ole USA.
As far as Cozumel being poor, everything is relative. Compared to most of Mexico, Cozumel is really moving up in the world and not NEARLY as poor as most of Mexico. It is also not as poor as places like Bonaire, Curacao, Belize and other latin/southern American islands/nations.
Cruise ships...yep, I could do without them too, but the bottom line is that they HAVE improved the lives of many locals and have hel;ped the economy of the island in general. Even thought the cruise ships only benefit a handful of actual businesses, the industry does provide ALOT of jobs for locals which stimulates the entire economy because these workers now have more income and buying power.
I guess the best summary for all of this is that it is all about what kind of lifestyle is important to you and how willing/able you are to adapt to different cultures and lifestyles. Having realistic expectations is also very important...again, no matter where you live.
My friend Sheri had a good explanation somewhere awhile back...wish I could find it. It was something along the lines of the people "migrating" to Cozumel being in one of three categories. Those who come down expecting to be on vacation everyday...they last about 6 months to a year if they're lucky. Then there are the 1 - 3 year people who just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of American living. They don't make any real investments/committments to the island and have had enough after about 3 years. Then there are the long-term and permanent immigrants. If you make it past the 3 year mark, you're safe so to speak and you've pretty much decided whether you can make it/take it here. This island will chew up and spit some people out, others don't have the patience to live here, and others think it's the best thing since sliced bread. As the old saying goes, different strokes for different folks.
Regardless, I don't think anyone will argue that the diving is magnificnt and the island has a very special charm and allure to it that draws people back again and again.
Smiles from Sunny Cozumel!
) when we were there in April. I was just wondering about the cost of diving when living in Coz - is there anyway to get around the cost of booking with a dive op? With the current and all, I know you can't just boat out and anchor (probably not even legal to anchor). I would think that $50 to $80 for a two tank day would get prohibitive after awhile. How do the locals do it?
