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Cozumel Trip Report
Posted by Nancy on 07/10/01

Cozumel, Mexico trip report

We left Portland, Or at 6:10 am Sat 06-23-01,  Check in went smoothly & so did flight into Houston, TX.  2nd leg Houston to Cozumel was also smooth.  Check in at Cozumel airport
through customs was about 1 hr with temp at 85 degrees inside.

   We were met by the Fun jet rep at the airport who set us up with a van to our hotel, El Cozumeleno.     The hotel was very nice just like the pictures from the brochures & website elcozumeleno.com.  At check in they told us that they had no more garden view rooms so they upgraded us to the new part with an ocean view at no charge.  We were happy!
     My step daughter & her friend had their own room in the older part of the hotel.  It still had an ocean view, but not as nice as our room.
     The view frm our 3rd flr room looked out onto the plaza.  A giant chess board with chess pieces 3 feet high, a beautiful swimming pool with about 6 sections to it-all connected with water falls, bridges etc. There was a sandy white beach along the outside pool area. (lots of hotels are built on rocky beaches there so this was great for us to look at & use). There was a thatched roof area that housed aprox 50 tables for the 3 daily buffets there.  The hotel was all inclusive which meant unlimited drinks at no additional charge.  The drinks weren't watered down.  The straight drinks like coke & sprite tasted a little different than usual though. We saw plastic bags filled with water hanging about every 8 feet over our heads on the outside
beams of this building.  I asked the waiter what they were for & he said that when flies see their reflection enlarged thru the plastic that they get scared & fly away!  How rediculous.  That was 1 thing we didn't like----flies landing on our food at the buffet.
     We had a few mix ups at the hotel.  When we were given our key it said 3115 on it but the room that the bellboy took us to said 1315.  I questioned him about it but he didn't speak english so we went back to the lobby. Evidently that is their numbering system & we were at the right room.  Once we changed into our swimsuits we went out to the pool for about 30 mins.  We came back to our room,  I opened the door with my key on a necklace.  All of our
suitcases & personal belongings were gone & someone else's were there.  I laid down my camera & hat on the bed to use the phone to call the front desk.  They said they would send
someone up.  In the meantime we checked out that lock & my key didnt turn it.  In fact the door was 1312 not 1315.  My husband shut the door.  I told him that my hat & camera were
on the bed in 1312.  Security did come while we were in front of that room.  They had an extra key & let me get my things off the bed.  They said that when I had called them that my call came in on their line for 1312 not 1315.  So they believed me.
     We took a tour to Tulum & xel-ha.  We took a ferry over to Playa Del Carmen met our funjet guide walked 3 blocks to meeting area to get onto the  bus.  The guide told us while
we waited that we could use the restroom 50 feet away.  Of course my daughter needed to use it.  We walked to it together.  It was a unisex bathroom both a man & woman's face was carved on the door.  We went in.  Saw 2 stalls, 1 at the end was wide open.  I started to go into it but caught a glance of a man in there.  I felt uncomforable.  I should have left.  The stall next to that one was empty.  My daughter went in while I waited outside of it.  About 1 minute later the man in the end stall came out. He was carrying a MACHINE GUN! Very scary.
     The bus came. The tour guide was very personable talking about Tulum & Xelha.  Tulum was 92 degrees with no where to cool off. It was interesting but the temperature made it less enjoyable.  The beach area there was beautiful & very educational.  On to Xel-ha.  The first thing we wanted to know was whether we could get in to swim with the dolphins-me & 2 of the girls.  They had an opening at 3pm it was 1pm.  We had to get our locker, chng into swimsuits, get snorkel gear, eat lunch, snorkel- all within 2 hours.  Too much crammed into not enough time.     The lunch was sirloin & newyork steak.  Tasted excellent.  Also was an all inclusive tour so no extra $ was nice, too.
    The dolphins cost $65 each.  We had our posed pictures taken with the dolphin.  They were $10 each.  They aren't as interactive there as at Chankanaab park where the other 2
girls swam with the dolphins for $119. At Xel-ha, they sort of swim around you in the water & you get to pet them only no riding on them by grabbing onto their fins, no water sking with 2 dolphins pushing your feet.  That is why it is more at Chankanaab park I guess.
     The food at El Cozumeleno is good but I wouldn't rate it as excellent.  The buffets get old after a few days.  I recommend signing up for the inside dinner at least 2 times while you are there.  Sign up early at 7:00 am if you want a 6:00pm dinner. I always didnt get down to the area to sign up until 7:45-by then the 10:00 pm dinner is all that is left.  That still works out tough.  You can still munch out at the dinner buffet & then go to dinner at 10 pm.  The 1st
time at inside dinner I had chicken kiev.  Very good rest of family ordered avacado shrip salad, steak Diana.  I had a baked alaska & was very impressed by the waiter's presentation.  I had never seen fire pour back & forth between 2 cups.  So, thumbs up to the inside restaurant.
Plus no flies.  2nd thumbs up.
    We took the Atlantis submarine tour.  That was $75 each. You meet at the Atlantis pier & are shuttled by a boat out to the sub that is tied to an anchored boat in the ocean. The prev passengers of the sub are getting off it while you are getting onto it.  Of course the picture is taken of each group upon boarding to be sold later I think at $12.  The sub holds 48 people with small butts.  Mine is large & I felt like I was getting intimate with the man sitting next
to me.  The sub goes to 110 feet below the ocean & follows the ocean floor. I would guess the time underwater to be 40 minutes.  It is beautiful. None of my pictures turned out though.  I had to take them thru the porthole with my auto flash covered up.  All the sea-nery was blue green.  None of the fabulous colors that I had seen with my eyes.
    We rented 2 VW beetle convertibles & drove around the island.  That was really great.  We stopped at Bob's Marley Bar (not a typo-that's what the sign said). This bar was inside Paradise Cafe.  We all ordered Coke in a bottle for $1 each & husbands Corona at $2.  Good prices.  We stopped at a beach after that don't remember the name only had "bonita" in the name. Used their restrooms & beach.
    On to Mescalito's.  I had read good reviews about this place.  Very cute place right on the beach.  They have a sign in the sand that says, "Naked Beach."  My step daughter & her friend took off their tops there & gave us a picture from the back.  They are pretty conservative.  The waiter then gave us a photo album full of pictures of previous visitors either totally or partially naked.  The food was excellent.  The bathroom was like an outhouse.  It was padlocked shut.  I had the revenge so I used it anyway. When I was through, I noticed a sign that said not to flush toilet paper to throw it into the inside garbage.  How disgusting.  The toilet didnt flush & felt sorry for the next person that would have to use it.  I asked where I could wash my hands & I was pointed to a bucket filled with water, a bar of soap and a towel.  This was a quaint place but bathroom situation not good.
    My step & her friend went out on the town 1 night & when they returned went to the beach at the hotel.  My step left her room key in a mug she had won along with $80 cash.  When
they got out of the ocean the mug was no where to be found. So they didnt have a key to get into their room.  It was late & they didnt want to bother us so the friend climbed over the 4th floor balcony to their room's balcony which was just 6 inches away but 4 floors up to go thru the sliding doors into their room.  Then she was able to open the door for  my step. When we heard about this the next day we were a little upset since it was so dangerous & stupid.  The
replacement key was $10.
    The girls all got their hair braided.  The 2 oldest got partial braids just on top for $15 and the 2 younger girls had full head braids for $30.  These rates were typical. All the girls got henna tattoos.  The price was 10-20 dollars for the tattoos.  Make sure you go to something "Margaritas" for the tattoos because 1 girl went somewhere else & It was a smeary mess.
    We went to Carlos & Charlie's downtown.  Food was ok not the best.  We just wanted to see what it was like.  People on dance floor were getting wild.  2 girls were lifting up their tops exposing their bare chests.  Had a picture taken of our group in a nice frame there for $22.
    I got bit by a few mosquitos-My oldest dtr was worst at 38 bites.
    The weather was always nice until the last day was overcast. We left 1 week frm arrival on 06-30-01.

Things to do  1)eat at Mescalito's
                    2)rent a car for the week -a taxi for 6 people is too much & the prices
kept going up frm $8-$12 to go into downtown 3 miles away. Chanakaab park was $26 1 way!
                    3) GO to Carlos & Charlie's just to do it
                    4)Go on the Atlantis submarine
                    5)Go into town just to barter with the merchants
                    6)If you wnt to swim with dolphins, go to Chankanaab park & spend $119 for more interactive time with dolphins compared to Xelha for $65 & only being able to pet dolphins.
                   7)The most important thing is to do what you want while you are there & try not to let money be the deciding factor.  Since you have traveled so far anyway live it up.

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