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Posted by jeanniejo on 03/23/03

Trip Report 3/15-3/22/03

TRIP REPORT 3/15-22/03
This is a tell-it-like-it was report.  Wish I could be as entertaining as CozAl-but maybe some of this will help you first timers. We have been going to COZ for ten years and still learning things and finding new things on the isla. We are a soon-to-be retired couple. Here it goes:
DAY1- (SAT) Flew out of Mpls/St. Paul, MN @ 6am.  Had to be at the airport by 3, so opted to try something new. Living an hour north of the area, we stayed at the Excel Inn.  The price for a night’s stay, plus free parking and 24 hr shuttle service was about equal to a parking service that we usually use.  24hr shuttle service is important because many of the hotel shuttle services are not 24 hr. They were promptly there to take us to the airport at 3 am and prompt to pick us up after we called them when we arrived from COZ. We would do this again anytime we have early flights.  This was a trip of many small problems- usually our trip is flawless, but this year we couldn’t believe all the small stuff that happened to us. It all started when my husband sat on his glasses, which he had put on the bed-had to go to the local Wal-Mart to get them fixed.  Returning to the hotel, I realized that I had only one cap to my contact case, but dealt with it by using a piece of plastic bag and masking tape as a cover.

Our flight was delayed as a crew member had lost her passport and another had to be called as a stand in- she got a big round of applause when she came aboard.  Arrived in COZ about 10:30 am. Problems with our car rental.  We knew that most of the car rentals had moved to town due to increased rates to rent space at the airport- We were assured via phone that Alamo was a the airport, so even  though it was $20 more, for the convenience, we rented.  Got there –no Alamo, but Executive was, and they matched Alamo’s price so we rented from them. (called when we got home and found out that  the wording is not clear to the operators- they were supposed to tell us to call the Alamo agency when we got to COZ and they would bring us a car ).  So we rejected 2 cars from Executive before we got one that we thought was runable-VWBug- but even then we forgot to check the gas cap and had to go back and get one mid week when we realized that we were using a lot a gas and when we saw that we had no gas cap and there was a dried gas streak was running down the side of the car, we knew we were losing gas when we turned corners.

On to Hotel San Miguel (www.hotelsanmiguel.com) .  We gave up hotel packages years ago opting for local apartments. This is the best of the bunch so far.  @$61 a night(a little higher than we usually pay) it was a large room with a fridge and stove and AC. Plenty of hot water.  Close to town on Calle 10 about ½ block up from the Forum shops. There are 11 rental units in this complex. This hotel has changed hands and is now owned by the same people who own Vista Del Mar and Mr. Sanchos. Went to La Chosa for dinner-shrimp in sweet mustard sauce and lime soup. ($14US) I look forward to this meal many times during the year. To Chedraui for food.

DAY2: (SUN):  Took our morning walk to the airbase. Rain set in, so hung around the apartment and after lunch in our room.  As long as it was raining we took a drive around the island to check out the changes in the last year. Found  out that our favorite hang out area (DIF Balenario beach between Pbonita and Chen Rio) is definitely almost wiped out.  When it was first built, it was so nice – and the government building across the road would have been a nice addition to the east side had it ever been completed.  There are only a couple of palapas standing as most of them are wrecked. So will have to use by LLBean cabana tent.  There is a bar/stop on the road called “Andale” at the spot now.  The DIF sign is gone. Checked out our snorkel spots.  Dinner at SIGLOS(Caribbean shrimp-9 huge in 3 sauces$18US). Got there at 6pm and no one else came in until we were leaving. Excellent food. Tortillas with 4 dunking sauces for free appetizers. 10% discount with Inet coupon.Through park on way home- no entertainment but a boom box system with CDs.  Were told they have moved the entertainment to another park for that night, but didn’t feel like walking there. ( No cruise hips in today)

DAY 3 (MON): After morning walk, had to get some WD40 as the car lock was getting impossible to open. Actually the people at HSM got it for us and didn’t charge-kept it to use themselves. Couldn’t get our ATM card to work  in any machine. (have a call into the company now to see why not- but their computers are down for a few hours). Off to snorkel on this beautiful day in paradise. Have been hearing about beach rip offs for the last couple of years.  That is why we always get a hard top VW-to lock stuff up and we take only what we will need. Well, we were snorkeling off a beach- only ones there- and when we came back in , our back pack was gone. It was a cheap old, ratty pack with only 2 hats, and tan lotion in it-so we didn’t lose much of anything. They didn’t take our sandals, 2 rugs or another bottle or lotion, so we figure it was a grab to get maybe money or valuables in the pack-.  One year we had left our car windows open and they got my Land’s End tank top and shorts- so be careful. On the way home, we stopped at an inland clothing store to buy some hats, and locked our keys in the car.  Luckily,  with sign language and a little Spanish, a clerk went out to her car and got a piece of wire and  my husband was able to break into our car- couldn’t do that in a new car these days! Off to Manati for dinner-stopped by at 4 to see about reservations and she said no problem for 2 people.  Got there at 6 pm. There were no other diners there during our entire meal, nor ½ hour when we walked by after our evening stroll.  Had the mango chicken –delicious ($10.50 US) The original chef is not with them any more.  He is working for a TV station in Mexico City and the new chef is Italian. (2-4 cruise ships in)

DAY 4(TUES):  Off to the Museo for breakfast-our first time. Good food –omelet around $4 US. The entire week was hot-in the 80’s and very humid.  Even the locals were saying it was unusual for this time of year. Looked around a few shops- back to room for lunch. Spent the afternoon exploring.  Ended up at two areas we had not been any year before. Drove to the beach area on the north end of the isla- have to find the right road on the way to the sewer plant through the area that has streets and sidewalks but was never developed and is being over grown by jungle. Parked and walked to the end of the road.  A nice, quiet, private area- shallow water at least a block out. The other area that we found was the Bahia Ciega Pier where the boats leave for Isla de Pasion.  There were several tour buses, a jeep caravan, plus many other cars and vans from hotels, so we left-.  Couldn’t believe the size of the pontoon boats that ferry people to the isla.  May go back another year – maybe on Sun when the cruisers aren’t in. Went with a family from our compound to Especias for dinner.  Although it was good, and we were the only party there at 6 pm (6 of us), the service was very slow.  4 of us had the beef filet, one the spicy chicken, and one the grouper.  All agreed the food was good.  Personally we wouldn’t go back because of the slow service, and they cheated us on the bill.  The filet was 950 pesos on the menu and we were charged 110.  Instead of making a big deal of it, we took it out of the tip.  Also, the food wasn’t fresh except for the fish.  We would see they were taking the filets and chicken out of the freezer, Mwing them and then finishing them off on the grill.  It is also a  pretty basic menu- no camarones. Salads were good. Back at the apartment, we were sitting in the courtyard and the wind blew the door shut and locked out keys in the room- so we had to get the master from the watchman to let us in.(2-4 cruise ships in )

DAY 5 (Wed): Spent the day snorkeling off our favorite beaches. Lunch on east side at a favorite beach spot (we bring a  cooler and ice packs with us from the states and carry our own lunch ). They had five of their Mexican air force planes flying around the isla today- WW2 prop planes at that! To El Moro for dinner.  The place was full at 6 pm. They are taking Master Card this year- it is off and on with  credit cards there.  Garlic shrimp as good as ever-  Noticed this year that there are more of those accident shrines (little white houses) along the road than we have seen before. (9cruise ships in today.)

DAY 6 (Thurs): To Jeanie’s Waffles House for breakfast. Food, good food- after a long walk we hung out at the apartment for lunch.  We are geocachers, so took the GPS and found the caches on the island and set up one of our own. Go to www.geocache.com
And look under Mexico. We are the COZUMELENO cache. Off to Capi Navigante for dinner. About $14.50 US for garlic shrimp-it was good, but prefer El Moro($12.50Us and it has actual pieces of garlic, not garlic butter).  Only 3 tables filled at 6 pm. 11 cruise ships today- matches the record for the day- a rarity.  My husband says –when he sees the ships unloading “ looks like someone licked an ant hill”

DAY 7 (Fri):  Went to town for our morning walk.  Went to the plaza for the B. Juarez birthday celebration.  There were speeches and flower presentations and a little program. The military was represented – army, navy, air force, special force. Of Course they had their weapons- well, we knew what was going on, but it was fun to watch the faces of the people from the 2 cruise ships which that were unloading and the people were coming into the square- I think they thought all this military presence had to do with the Iraq war. Especially when the units were marched back to their bases- tow of the units were in full combat gear with weapons. I did hear from our land lord that due to the Iraq conflict that extra units had been called in to add to the guards at the airport and cruise ship piers –wasn’t evident to me- but  you get used to seeing military presence on the island as normal every day people. (5 cruise ships in today). Off to Sonora Grill for dinner- excellent as usual.  Only 2 other tables there at 6 pm.

DAY 8 (Sat) : to the Museo for breakfast after our walk. To the airport by 9 am-flight off at 10:30.  Things we noticed: (1) trouble cashing travelers checks – never had a problem before. (2) Got by with Master Card- but  more and more places not accepting any credit cards. (3) More and more places will not accept US dollars is they are mutilated in any way- even the tiniest piece of corner ripped off- nor any taped together- so make sure your cash is entirely whole.  That’s it for another year.  Hope this give some advice to someone.

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