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Cozumel Trip Report
Posted by Kim on 09/10/01
Trip Report: Tom, feel free to add any details I missed. (+)
Since I have made a few trips recently without Chris, I owed him one. So, for his birthday gift this year, I got him a 4 night trip to Coz at Plaza las Glorias. However, when Allegro Airlines changed their flight schedule, we managed to get a 7 night stay at El Cozumeleno for about the same price. I really don’t like the big resorts, but since we were traveling with my parents, we thought Mom would like having a pool to hang by while we were diving. We also thought, although there was a small increase in price, we could make that up by having breakfast (and beer) there.Sunday, September 2----Allegro now leaves Denver at 2:00pm, and arrives Coz at 7:15pm, rather than leaving at 8:00am and arriving around noon. Immigration and customs was a breeze this time, we all got the green light, and caught a ride to the hotel. We dropped our bags in the rooms and then grabbed a taxi to town. ($4 for 2; $6 for 4). We went to Deep Blue first, filled out our paperwork, and talked to Matt, one of the owners, about the diving we wanted to do. We planned to do Maricaibo, Barracuda/San Juan, Punta Sur–Devil’s Throat, Columbia, and others. We also planned on taking Wednesday off so we could go to the east side. After making our dive arrangements, we walked to Plaza Leza and met up with Tom and his wife, Christa; Shell and Greg; and Linda and Glenn. It was really nice to finally meet everyone. After several cervezas and lots of stories, we made it back to the El Coz around midnight.
Monday----Had a quick breakfast with Mom at El Coz. Pretty typical of AI buffet food, but in my opinion, better than the food we had at the Reef Club last year. Lots of fruit and fresh juices, omelette station, eggs, bacon, great breads, etc., Also, some Mexican dishes, empanadas, Mexican Eggs Benedict, chilequilles and other casseroles, beans, etc.
Made it to the dive shop in time for them to toss our gear in the truck to take it to the pier with the tanks. Met Debbie, the other owner, whom I had been corresponding with through e-mail, and Gabriel, who was to be our divemaster. There were 8 divers, and Debbie apologized that the boat would be so crowded, and explained that there would be 2 divemasters for two groups. (The rest of the week there were about 5 divers, total, on the boat). When we got on the boat, I recognized the other divemaster as Pepe, who had given Chas and I a ride in July. Pepe spent quite a bit of time getting to know each other and telling “Chas” stories. Dived Columbia: 104fsw for 36 minutes. This was a nice relaxing dive with beautiful swim-throughs to get into the swing of things. After an hour surface interval, we did Punta Tunich: 80fsw for 50 minutes. This dive was great—2 nurse sharks and a Great White. (Joke for Gabriel). And, finally, after 60+ dives in Coz, Gabriel found a seahorse for me. We were back to the pier around 1pm and took our gear back to the shop. Matt asked if we would like to leave it at the shop and they would rinse and hang it each evening. Wow....my gear never gets rinsed during a week in Coz!!! That was also the only time we carried our gear, the staff transported it to and from the boat for us each day after that. Chris had a little problem with air consumption, and so Matt arranged for him to dive 100s the rest of the week, at no extra charge.
Back to the pier around 1pm, and back to the El Coz for lunch. Typical snack bar food, hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos. Laid around the pool all afternoon. El Moro for dinner. Mole.....need I say more? Back to the hotel and slept like a baby.
Tuesday----To the dive shop by 8:30am, on the boat and headed to Maracaibo by 9:00am. Maracaibo: 146fsw for 44 minutes. Gabriel positioned us perfectly to go through the big coral arch.....he says he NEVER misses it. While moving to Punta Sur Shallows for our next dive, Gabriel and the boat captain spot dolphins, so they drop us in the water with our masks and fins, and circle them with Gabriel banging on the side of the boat. There were two adults and a baby. Gabriel said they probably did not want to play because they had the baby. Punta Sur Shallows: 37fsw for 51 minutes. Visibility was not great at the beginning of the dive, but there were some nice swim-throughs. This site has huge elkhorn coral which almost reach the surface. Large southern stingray at the end of the dive.
We had decided that we would try the hotel’s ala carte restaurant for one dinner. It was OK. I had the shrimp donatella, which was shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, then covered with a wine/cheese sauce.
Wednesday----Decided to have breakfast at the Diamond Café. Great, as usual. Rented a car and then went to Alicia’s to drop off school supplies. I’m still trying to get her to forgive me for not calling in July. (Even though she had told me should would be in the States when Chas and I were there). Met some of Alicia’s guests, Shawn and Kristin, whom she had busy filling boxes of supplies for the kids. Chavita was especially happy to see me, since I had her favorite treats with me. (Ask Shell why they’re her favorites, she thought they were pretty tasty, too!!!) Made it to the East side around noon and stopped at Coconuts for a sangria. Moved to Mezcalitos for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon laying in the hammocks, drinking cervezas, playing in the surf. Life is good. Dad wanted lobster so we went back to the hotel and cleaned up for dinner at the Lobster House. Dad had the lobster boiled in sea water, I had the grilled lobster, Mom had the coconut shrimp, and Chris some sort of fish filet.
Thursday----Gabriel apparently dropped at tank on his toe on Wednesday and broke it. (His toe, not the tank). So, with DM Pepe, we did Punta Sur—Devil’s Throat: 129fsw for 43 minutes. WOW!!!! I thought I had imagined what it would be like, but ..... WOW!!! We spent about 25 minutes in the caves, going in and out of spaces that I didn’t think a person could squeeze into. We did it without any light, since Pepe said, “Is good with lights; is better without lights.” Yucab: 55fsw for 62 minutes. When we dropped in, the current was running south, in the middle of the dive, it shifted and began running north.
Had a quick lunch at Casa Denis and then met Dee (Davida) and Shelly who had just arrived and Tom for a shore dive at La Ceiba: 34fsw for 50 minutes. We were the only ones diving when we first got in the water, but shortly after we got in, a large group got in. We had been planning to do a night dive there but when we overheard the group planning a night dive, we decided to bag it. Instead, we had dinner at the south Ernesto’s with Dee, Shelly, Tom and Christa. Took our gear back to the dive shop to drop it off and get the plan for the next day.
Friday----Barracuda: 136fsw for 37 minutes. Current was ripping, I wish I was better at estimating distance, but we covered a lot of the wall. Before doing this wall, I thought Santa Rosa was my favorite.......not anymore. San Juan: 75fsw for 47 minutes. What a beautiful site, I just kept looking around and thinking, “this looks like carpeting” covering the sea floor.
After another lunch at the hotel, we met Alicia and Chuco at Las Boyas. Shell and Greg were also there as were Shawn and Kristin. Spent the afternoon drinking cervezas and listening to Greg sing with the band. We couldn’t convince Alicia and Chuco to join us for dinner, but the rest of us went to Prima. After that, Shawn and Kristin decided to call it a night, but Mom, Dad, Shell, Greg, Chris and I went to Viva Mexico for a couple more cervezas.
Saturday----Palancar Bricks: 122fsw for 53 minutes. After the week we had, this was just another nice, long, relaxing dive. Ended the week with La Francesca: 59fsw for 56 minutes. The highlight of this dive was a 5 foot nurse shark.
Spent the afternoon at the pool, drinking cervezas, then went to Guido’s for dinner and picked up a few things for people at home.
Sunday----Allegro now leaves Coz at 10:00am and arrives in Denver around 1:00pm, rather than leaving Coz at 2:00pm and arriving around 5:00.
Looking for airfare....have to get back for Pepe’s wedding, and Lucas (Matt and Debbie's brown lab) will be a father, again, soon. Matt says that’s as good an excuse an any to get back........and, you know me, I’ll take any excuse I can get.
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