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Cozumel Island
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Cozumel Trip Report We had a great time on our third trip to Cozumel, February 3-10, 2001. Rather than give you the play by play of every day, here’s a summary of our weather, accommodations, transportation, restaurant experiences, beach club reviews, and recommendations. Don’t hesitate to send us an email if you have questions. Weather We were a little nervous before we left because the weather hadn’t been good. We lucked out, though. Low-to-mid 80’s every day, two quick showers, lots of sun. Perfect. Transportation We live in Rochester, MN, and because of weather paranoia, we drove up to the Twin Cities on Friday the 2nd. Stayed at the Airport Hilton for $89, left our car there for the week, and took their free shuttle to and from the airport. It worked out perfectly. Both direct Northwest flights were either on-time or early, so no complaints there. A few months prior to the trip, we reserved a Geo Tracker from Avis for the week via the Internet. We got a great deal ($210 for the week). The Tracker wasn’t ready when we arrived in Cozumel at 1:30, but they delivered it to the Hacienda San Miguel at 6. We had read on the board that Avis cars are often not ready on time, and since they dropped us off at our hotel, we didn’t mind too much. The car was functional, a little clunky on the potholes, but it got us around. One caveat about the roads: we’ve seen the new road under construction in the past, but didn’t know if it was ready. If you don’t know your way around Cozumel, it can be a little confusing whether you should stay on the old road or go on the new road to get to your destination. When we were there, they were still working on entrances and exits and you sometimes had to backtrack a bit to get somewhere. No big deal though. One of our favorite moments on the trip was seeing a little bonfire lit under a road sign to illuminate it—though there’s a lot of modern stuff in Mexico, it is still Mexico, which we appreciate. Hotels We stayed our first four nights at the Hacienda San Miguel (HSM) and the last three at Allegro. We have been to the Allegro before (as well as the Fiesta Americana) but didn’t want to spend our whole trip that far from town and on AI. We loved our compromise, as the HSM was excellent. First, Rory and Stephanie were great. Second, our room was perfect for us, and certainly well worth the $75 per night we spent. We stayed in the Magnolia room, which is a junior suite on the lower level. It includes a kitchenette, small dining room table, single bed in the first room, and then a double bed in the main bedroom. The room included lots of great Mexican touches, plenty of closet space, and a wonderful patio overlooking their beautiful garden. Add the continental breakfast and the great proximity to town, and you have perfect Cozumel accommodations. We highly recommend HSM and were sad the day we left for the Allegro. However, the Allegrowas great too. Stephanie has connections there (ask her about it; it’s a great story), and arranged for us to check in early on Wednesday. We got a nice second-level room, which was a little updated since we were there in 1998. The beach was nicer too, and we had a great time snorkeling and just hanging out there. They have Corona on tap (used to be Dos Equis) and the bartenders still make excellent Planter’s Punch and Pina Coladas. The food was standard AI fare, which means we had lunch and breakfast there, had dinner there once, and went back to our favorites in town the other nights. The Mexico place was actually very good. The tortilla soup was excellent, and they served different (better) salsa there than in the other restaurants. Our entrees were just okay, though, and the hammered group of 6 people making a lot of noise didn’t make for a real romantic dinner. However, we hated the Italian place when we were here before and would definitely pick the Mexican one. Once again, the Allegrostaff was great. They are always friendly, entertaining, and accommodating. We would definitely go back there. The Beaches and Beach Bars We spent much of the early part of the week hanging out at various beaches. Our favorite is Chen Rio, especially down a bit from the main area and early in the morning. It is absolutely stunning there. We were there several times, never ate, but enjoyed a few beers and (my Mexican favorite, though I know I can get it back home) Fanta Orange Soda. We went to Mr. Sanchos a couple of times and think they have done a great job with it. HSM guests get 15% off food and beverages, so we ate there a few times. Enjoyed the shrimp quesadillas and the nachos. There aren’t that many cruise people there, but we did encounter one group of “Ugly Americans.” A note on Ugly Americans: Unfortunately, we witnessed a lot of this category of people on our trip. Perhaps too much of a sweeping statement, but it is a large category nonetheless. You are the people who are impolite and demanding of the fine Cozumel people who welcome you as their guests. You insist on separate checks for the 8 people at your table. You yell at the waiter and say “25 dollars for a beer!!??!”, not stopping to think that you are in a different country and perhaps the price is in pesos. Remember that you are visitors to a foreign land; show some respect, have a little dignity, and don’t give all of us a bad name. (Sorry, I knew I would do that…) Dzul Ha was great as always. The snorkeling here was especially good, the Coca Cola Light was nice and cold, and the staff was friendly. We still have not mastered getting into the water gracefully, but no big deal. We also enjoyed Playa Azul. The snorkeling was very good, the beach was small but pleasant, and the beers were very cold. HSM guests also get 15% off here, but we forgot about that when we went. Had to have beers at Paradise Café, Rasta’s, and Coconuts. Thumbs up once again on the Coconuts bathroom. I have already blocked the Rasta’s bathroom from my memory. And last, the grand daddy of them all, the most wonderful place on earth, the place whose picture has graced our computer wallpaper for months—Mezcalito’s. The cheeseburgers were everything we’d remembered, the margaritas were fantastic, the beer was cold, and the view was to die for. We went here twice and should have gone more. Absolutely do not miss this place. Minigolf Gotta put a plug in for minigolf. It was great to see Scott, Sally, and Sunshine, and once again get my butt kicked by my beloved husband. It was as beautiful as we’d remembered, and if we had any guts, we’d buy it. :-) Restaurants and Bars in town Pancho’s Backyard Pancho’s was our favorite place last time, but wasn’t quite as good on this trip. Perhaps we had dreamed about it so much that we’d exaggerated it in our own minds. Anyway, I had Chicken Mole and Scott had chicken enchiladas. The mole was very good. We each had a margarita on the rocks; they were a little too strong to enjoy. Still, though, the atmosphere was wonderful and we highly recommend Pancho’s. Ernesto’s Fajitas We skipped Ernesto’s on our last trip and have avoided it because it is a little touristy. However, the aroma lured us in one night, and we ended up having dinner there twice. Both times we got shrimp and chicken fajitas, and they were wonderful. The staff was great here. The first night, after we’d enjoyed our dinner and a couple of beers, they brought over some shots. I absolutely hate shots and refused, but when he assured me that it was Sprite mixed with Tequila, I went ahead. No big deal. Then he came back with two more real shots for us. This time I definitely refused. My husband, however, is too polite and ended up doing them both. The next night we went, we said “NO SHOTS” and they laughed and gave us a couple of free beers. We thought that was pretty cool. La Parroquia Much has been written about the filth of the bathrooms here. I never seen them, and urge you to ignore that and just relieve yourself somewhere else. We love this place and are always nervous it will close because it seems like no one else is ever there. We think the owner looks like a Mexican B.J. Thomas, so please go to his establishment--at least for a couple of beers. We had beer and appetizers there a couple of nights. It’s a great place, and the salsa is awesome. La Cucina Italiana We did not like this place. I just don’t think we were in the mood, because the atmosphere was nice and the food was okay. We couldn’t decide where to eat that night, ended up here, and I think we were both thinking that we should have gone to El Moro or Costa Brava or another place we missed on this trip. So, don’t take our advice, since the place is probably better than we thought. Museum restaurant Great view, and excellent food. Scott had banana pancakes (unbelievable) and I had a ham and cheese croissant (great). This is the first time we’ve been here and we’ve missed something special. Nino’s Nino’s pizza is excellent and cheap. We had a large two-topping, garlic bread, and 4 beers for 140 pesos. The atmosphere is nice and it definitely beats the pizza (and the attitude) at Prima. Fat Tuesday’s Yeah, it is a tourist trap, but a great place to listen to music and watch people. We had several Corona breaks here throughout the week and enjoyed it every time. Coco Wok This dance club looks out into the square and is another great people-watching spot. Had a couple of Sols here, listened to some good music, but also got pushed to drink shots. Ugh. Villa Blanca Had a couple of excellent margaritas on their deck overlooking the square. Their salsa and chips were really good, and the entrees we saw others eating looked good too. French Quarter We only stopped in for a beer one night and should have eaten here. It is beautiful, and a great addition to Cozumel. Stadium Club We can’t help but like this place, for people watching and for catching up on American sports. We had a couple of beers here several nights and watched a bit of our fine governor on the first night of the XFL. Shopping Since we stayed in town, we did a lot of walking around and comparison shopping, but didn’t buy much—a couple of t-shirts, some bracelets. We think the shop right on the square (can’t remember the name…maybe “Artesian” something) has the best quality for t-shirts and the best prices. We bought an anklet at the store by Mezcalitos and one at Mr. Sancho’s. I think you can bargain pretty well at some of those places away from downtown. Summary This report didn’t cover everything we did, but it is a good sampling. We had an incredible time, got to know Cozumel a little better, and definitely enjoyed the break from our stressful lives. If you have questions, send to sknietz@home.com . Lodging Reviews
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