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Cozumel Trip Report
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Posted by Di on 12/14/02

Part 1.  My illness.......and thanks all for worrying about me. +

My dad picked me up at 3:30am on Saturday, November 30th to take me to the airport.  I stayed up packing and cleaning until he arrived as I had been so sick that day and didn't do much.  Needless to say, I was extremely tired and feeling yucky.  The plane departed at 6:30AM and arrived in Coz at 9:30AM local time. Would have been 10:30AM here.  Got off the plane and felt the heat. I absolutely love that feeling. I had felt so bad on the 29th that I emailed my travel agent and asked what I needed to do to stay home and get the benefits of my travel insurance.  So glad he missed my email and didn't respond.  I took it easy on the 30th and ate very little.  I actually had a 4 hour nap.  Something I do not do on vacation. Was feeling much better on Sunday, December 1st.

Part 2.  Hotel Brisas, formally Costa Club, formally Fiesta Inn.....

Loved it!  Check in time is 3:00PM but when I arrived at about 10:30AM, my room was ready.  Room 1225.  It had an ocean view.  Standing on the balcony, I looked at the beautiful turquoise water and a sailboat.  Is that not perfect?  The room was spotless.  Two double beds, a bureau, table and two chairs, night side table, bathroom with tub and shower and separate vanity area.  The room was not fancy but was well kept and incredibly clean.  Yes, the beds are cement beds but I love cement beds.  Slept so well that my bed will not seem comfortable tonight.  Part of the upgrades to the hotel were to put those egg shell pads on the beds. I did as someone suggested and tipped the maid daily as opposed to tipping at the end of my stay.  I peeked in other rooms as I walked by open doors and all the rooms were spotless.  As for the food, breakfast was quite good.  Especially the omelettes. Being vegetarian, lunch was satisfactory and supper could be dismal.  There were many nights where there was not a veggie choice such as pasta but when they had pasta, it was good!
The upgrades to the hotel are very nice.  There is now a hair dryer in each room.  I only used it once and I will tell you why in another part of the report.  They have added a pool to the beach and made a very nice beach club and dining area.  The grounds of the hotel are lovely and well maintained.  
I read a few reports about loud music and lots of noise.  Not while I was there.  The music at the pool was never played loudly and I never heard a thing except some traffic as I was on the ocean side so the road was right there.  Sure didn't keep me awake.  I fell asleep a few nights with a full rum punch on the bedside table.  
I also read a couple of reports that the staff is not as friendly anymore.  I have never stayed in Coz before so this hotel was a first for me.  The staff. WONDERFUL!!! I think the only one who didn't smile was one of the chefs.  Everyone else....WONDERFUL!  From the ladies and young men that cleaned the rooms to the waiters, bellhops, reception desk staff, bartenders, grounds keepers, gift shop lady, security and the list goes on.  When I left, I got hand shakes, hugs and kisses!  I would stay there again in a flash.  I am also going to email the hotel and suggest that they add one vegetarian main choice to every dinner even if it is repetitive.  I know many meat eaters that don't always want to eat meat.  It can't hurt to make a suggestion.  The hotel is so close to town.  No more than a fifteen minute walk.  When I go back, I will stay at Hotel Brisas again and request my room.

Part 3.  Papa Hogs....+

Loved them, loved them, loved them!!!! Did I mention I loved them?  I had prebooked and paid for 25 dives.  Was that enough?  NO!  I added three more dives so that I did a total of 28 dives.  I would highly recommend Papa Hogs.  Not only did they pick me up at the pier at Hotel Brisas and take me home.  (Oops, back to the hotel) but their dive masters and captains were superb. I was totally impressed with Papa Hogs' dive operation.  Those 28 dives were some of the best of my now 171 dives.  I was lucky enough to have Ricardo for 3 dives, Geovany (spelled correctly as they all signed my log book for being my buddy) for 3 dives, Raul for 7 and Enrique for 15 dives.  I think I laughed more with these guys than any other dive masters/instructors that I have had in the past.  Needless to say, when I return to Coz, I will be diving with Papa Hogs.  Hee hee hee....they said they would be waiting for me! :-)

Part 4.  Christie, Stephanie, Chas and Kas.........

Well I must certainly apologize to all of you.  I got to Coz and for the first couple of days did much diving and walking to town.  I did not have any of your phone numbers but knew when I got a hold of Chas, he would have them. Missed Chas by a day. I looked up your number Steph in the phone book but it wasn't there or maybe it was but I couldn't find it.  Then I looked in the yellow pages under photography hoping something about you and wedding photography would pop out.  For the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the dive operation Christie owned and did not have a phone number for her. I looked in the phone book at the dive operators but none of the names reminded me of Christie. I called Monica from the Humane Society and she was vacationing in Cuba. Kas, I was so sick before leaving that I wrote down when you would be in Coz and where you were staying and the phone number but didn't write down your last name.  So, I missed you all.  So sorry as I would really have enjoyed meeting every one of you!

Trip Report, part 5.  Other parts below......+

I arrived in Cozumel at 9:30AM on Saturday, November 30th.  The Sunquest(Canadian tour operator)rep was there to greet me.  As I was the only one going to Hotel Brisas, I had the transfer van to myself.  Had a really nice chat with the driver.  The rep gave me his number in case there was a problem which there wasn't so I never saw him again.  I was given a taxi chit to get back to the airport.  I was so pleased to get the room I did (oceanview) and unpacked my stuff.  I then went and had lunch which is served at the restaurant on the beach.  Although, I was very careful about what I ate that day because I had been so sick and still felt yucky, I felt I could have a rum punch! :-)  The tunnel under the road to get across the street is so cool.  It has pictures of fish and speakers with ocean sounds.  After lunch, I walked to Papa Hogs to say I was there and to find out when I would be diving.  They asked if I wanted to dive that afternoon but I told them I was tired and just had a rum.  Never mentioned I had been sick.  So my diving was to start on Sunday morning. I walked back to the hotel and lay down.  Four hours later I woke up. It was about 7:00PM so I went downstairs and had supper.  I had an early night and the best sleep.  Next morning I was up bright and early to start my two weeks of diving.  Papa Hogs picked me up and I did my first dive at Las Palmas.  Saw my first Splendid Toad Fish.  I hadn't been diving in a year and have only done around 10 drift dives.  Nothing like the drift diving in Coz.  I could not get over the amount of Queen Angels I saw over the course of 28 dives.  They were everywhere as were all the other angel fish.  My second dive at Paradise, I saw my first Eagle Ray and another Toad Fish.  Could it get any better?  I walked in to town that afternoon as I did every afternoon except for one or two.  Some days, I walked into town twice. I never took a cab to town or back.  Even in the rain.  I walked.  The walk was so enjoyable.  
Well I have laundry to do so will continue later...As well, I just picked up Teddy, Willie, Yellow Bird and Green Bird at the vets so have to spend some quality time.  They all fared well, thank goodness.  Teddy actually gained a bit of weight where as Willie lost some.

Trip report  continued and completed. (please ignore typos if there are any)

The first week seemed to go by at a leisurely pace.  I kept thinking, I still have 12 days, I still have 10 days.  Then all of a sudden I only had a day or two left.  I walked by many of the restaurants everyone talked about but I don't really love to go out to dinner alone so didn't go to any of them.  I did eat at Papa Hogs 5 or 6 times though.  The food was great. Tuesday night, the 3rd, 4 people I met at the hotel invited me to go shopping in town with them.  We then ended up at Viva Mexican or something like that.  Two for one drinks and they made a fine rum punch. Like always we walked to town and back. We danced and acted silly like everyone else. On Wednesday, December 4th, I went on the Jungle Jeep Tour.  It was a blast.  Heather was the driver and tour guide and she was great.  There was only Heather, a really nice lady off a cruise ship and myself.  We certainly laughed a lot that day.  I was trying to drink beer in the jeep and had to plan my sips carefully or I would have smashed my teeth out.  The east side of the island is absolutely beautiful. Heather was a wealth of information about the island and she was genuinely keen on sharing it.  It was such a fun day and the sun was shining.  After we dropped the lady off at her ship, Heather took me to her house to show it to me and for me to see her dog and her roomie's dog.
The weather kind of sucked my second week but it didn't stop me from having fun. A storm came on the afternoon of Friday the 6th.  They closed the port in the afternoon so no dive boats could go out.  The port remained closed on Saturday so once again, dives were cancelled.  They had so much rain in a 24 hour period.  The streets were flooded and there was water everywhere.  It pretty much rained a lot the second week and was very cloudy with little bursts of sunshine.  Even chilly at times.  Still got 28 dives in though and the diving was amazing.  My tan is not!!!  The day the storms flooded the streets was fun.  I walked in to town when it stopped raining for 5 minutes.  I foolishly thought the rain was over.  I had a rain resistant jacket on.  Well part way to town, the skies opened up again.  I was soaked to the skin.  Absolutely soaked.  That was the only time I used the hair dryer in the room.  To try and dry my bra! :-) There were many cruise ships in town that day.  People wearing their expensive shoes.  The water in the streets went up close to your calves.  It made me laugh.  Why would anyone wear expensive good shoes to town when they saw it was pouring.  Lots of complaining going on too.  People saying they would never go back to Cozumel again because it was raining.  I wonder where they all live that it never rains or snows.  One of the many highlights of my trip was meeting Alicia.  I went to her B & B on the morning of the storm to bring her the used clothing I had brought for the Chrysalis Group and the new school supplies I had brought with me from home.  Alicia is such a nice lady.  I met Chuco,Chavita and Venadita.  I brought the two dogs a couple of all natural bones and Chavita was so funny.  She chewed on the end of one of them and seemed perplexed on what we had given her.  Venadita didn't want hers at the time.  Alicia's B & B is lovely and the rooms are spotless and spacious. Going as a single though, I would still stay at Hotel Brisas as like I said earlier, I don't love going out to dinner by myself and at a B & B, you have to go out for lunch and supper.  Would definitely recommend it to others though.
I met some wonderful people staying at Hotel Brisas and people I dove with from other hotels.  Ate dinners with others many a time at my hotel.
Cozumel was decorated beautifully for Christmas.  Big Santa's and a big lighted tree in the town square.  Lights everywhere.  Nothing more lovely than Christmas in a warm place with the turquoise ocean in the background.  
Well I certainly did not need more blankets but came home with 4!  They are bulky and take up much room in a suitcase.  Will not be buying more blankets on future trips.  Really!  I also bought a metal thing that has 6 places to put fish.  Looks like a reef.  I carefully wrapped the 6 ceramic fish so they would not break.  At the airport in Cozumel, customs hand searched all my luggage.  My carry on was full of breakable things and the first thing the customs officer picked up was one of the fish.  He dropped it on the floor and it broke.  He didn't even say sorry.  Pissed me off beyond words as it is part of a set and very much needed.  That was my only bad experience of the whole trip.  Thank goodness I got a green light and not a red light when I arrived so I got through customs hassle free.  Remember I had antibiotics, syringes and surgical gloves with me to donate to the Humane Society as well as many treats for the critters and toys.  The vet, Hector was most appreciative for the sterile surgical gloves as it appeared he was down to his last pair and had to keep re-sterilizing them which you can only do a certain amount of times.  Next time I will skip the antibiotics and syringes and bring lots of gloves.  My vet and Hector wear the same size.  My afternoon walking dogs was heart breaking.  I walked two dogs at a time except for a couple of dogs that I walked singly.  None wanted to go back in their cages and I had to lift up most of them, even the bigs guys to put them back.  They were so happy going on the long walks and so sad to go back.  It broke my heart.  Every single one of the dogs walked well and had fun.  My favourite and one I can't get out of my mind was an old female.  Probably 8 or 9.  Quite large.  An American tourist brought her to the society as she was hanging around the hotel she was staying at.  She will probably be put to sleep as no one will adopt her.  She walked slowing and wagged her tail when I talked to her.  She was so slow and seemed to enjoy her limited freedom.  Putting her back in the cage was the hardest.  I cried and kissed her on the nose several times.  I am getting weepy now just writing about her.  I accidentally stepped on the tail of one of the young dogs(5 or 6 months old) when he tripped me.  He immediately flipped over in to a submissive position as if he had been beaten in the past.  When I went to pat him and say sorry, he looked scared to death that I would hit him.  I had to get on my knees and give him lots of hugs and kisses.  Then he was all happy and jumped up all over me and gave me doggy kisses on my face.  An afternoon I will never forget and an afternoon I don't think I could repeat.  It was too painful for me.  Hector, the vet was really nice and truly loves animals.  He talked to me in his broken English.  Super nice guy.  I played with the kitties too but this time, it was the dogs my heart went out to.  I wanted to take them all.  Every single one of them.  I still can't get the old girl out of my mind.  Hector couldn't call me a taxi as he had no credit on his cell phone so I started to walk back to the hotel.  Once I got to the main street I got a beer and kept walking with it.  I then arrived at Papa Hogs and had a couple of rums.  Someone that reads this board was there and his wife and him drove me back to my hotel on their way to dinner. I actually did a dive with him.  On the boat one morning he asked if I was Di? Really nice guy and his wife was really nice too. There are so many stray dogs in Coz and one day in town I saw a dog that looked really thirsty.  I had about 1/2 a bottle of water left so I tipped the bottle and slowly poured the water out.  He lapped it all up barely spilling a drop.  If I tried that with my guys, they would let it all spill.
The pool at the hotel was really big and lovely.  I never went in it.  Never snorkelled either.  Never did a lot of things but had a great time and never stopped.  I didn't even lie out in the sun which is totally unusual for me.  There actually was sun the first week and snippets of it the second week.  
I should have lost weight while I was gone as I did so much diving and walking but I don't think I lost an ounce.  I guess the rum punches and beer helped keep it on.  I love Corona but like someone mentioned on this board, the people in Cozumel call it "turista piss"!  They all drink Sol.  So I did too.  The dive masters all joked that I had to buy them a beer on my last day.  Well damned if I didn't leave my t-shirt on the dive boat the last day so had to go to Papa Hogs to pick it up.  All the dive masters were there as they were not diving that afternoon so I did end buying them all a beer.  They were going to some "cantina's" and invited me but it was already later in the day and I had so much to do before leaving early the next morning so I had to decline.  Next time..... I will definitely go back to Coz.  Hopefully next December.  The dive masters told me to come for Carnival but I will still be paying for this trip then.  There was so much to see and I still want to dive some other sites.  I took the ferry over to Playa del Carmen which has always been one of my favourite places.  Stayed there in 1995/96 and 97.  I was so disappointed.  It has grown so much it felt like Cancun.  Nothing was the same and I stayed for only 2 hours.  Apparently crime has risen in Playa too.  Many banditos over there now the locals in Coz told me.  Couldn't wait to get on the ferry and get back to Coz.  
Next time I go to Coz though, I will do two dives on the mainland with Papa Hogs.  They do a dive where you see about 35 turtles and Tarpon Alley where they are really large tarpons.  
Two of my favourite dives in Coz were Eagle Ray, an advanced dive in the north end of the island.  Saw about 16 Spotted Eagle Rays.  Two groups of 5 swimming together and then two at a time.  Unbelievable.  I also did Devil's Throat at Punta Sur.  My record for my deepest dive was 137 feet.  I broke the record on this dive.  Someone dropped their flashlight in out group and didn't see it fall.  I went to retrieve it for them.  My new record is 146 feet.  Makes me wish it had fallen four more feet and a bit so I could have broken 150.  
Oh, and I saw seahorses.  About 3 or 4 on this trip.  One of them actually moved from his spot to another so I saw him swim.  Too cool!
Well can't think of anything else right now so this is the end of my report.

P.S.  If any of you find a hot pink flashlight next time you are diving in Cozumel, it is mine! :-(  I lost mine the second to last day.  The day before I did Devil's Throat at Punta Sur and my night dive.  Thank goodness Mike (Papa Hogs owner) lent me a flashlight instead of making me rent one.  After so many dives with them, I thought it was an extremely nice thing to do.

I will also try some of the restaurants I found on my walks next time.  And go in the pool and lie in the sun and snorkel and............

Oh, I was also invited to a birthday party of a local resident but it was the night of the day I was leaving.  Darn!

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