Cozumel-Trip Report

Just got back.....in spite of USAir's best attempts to delay our trip to and
from there. We missed our connection from Charlotte. Our option was to
wait one day for the lone flight each day or catch the next flight to
Cancun, then a bus to Playa del Carmen and then a ferry. We chose the
latter. We still got there in time for happy hour.

Stayed at Vista Del Mar as Plaza Las Glorias is now all-inclusive. Quaint
little hotel about 2 blocks north of Carlos and Charlies. We were ocean
front. An amazing amount of traffic from 6AM
to 11AM. Not really noisy, just traffic. Rooms were nice, but getting hot
water was sketchy. We had to remind them to turn on the water heaters
several times.

The main road along the town square is now complete. They did a really nice
job of renovating it.

As an architect, what they have done to Plaza Las Glorias should be a crime.
The building is whitewashed with bright yellow tile roofs. The open
breezeway "windows" that provided a wonderful view of Corpus Christi and the
jungle are now enclosed with frosted glass. They have completely turned
their back on the town. The exterior renovation is completely devoid of
character. Give it two years. I don't see how they will survive as an
all-inclusive.

Two new restaurants worth checking out. La Morena and Especias. I had fish
both nights and the portions were huge and tasty. They are about 100' from
each other two blocks from the main road on 10 Ave and about 2 blocks south
of the square.

Dove a couple of days with Aldora. No flames please. I've been diving with
these guys for years and have always had a good dive. Enough said.

Water temp is 82 degrees. I was fine with a thin shorty.

Dove the East side of the island with Memo as our DM. We rode over to Chen
Rio to get to the small, open boat. It was a little choppy getting out, but
our captain was a master at navigating the waves. I think we gave the dive
sites names, so the name doesn't matter.

One was near Islote or about .75 mile offshore SSW from Paradise Cafe. The
other was off the coast near Playa Bonita. 75' and 95' dives respectively.
The 75' dive was more like Ambergris Caye than Cozumel. Coral gardens
arranged like fingers on a hand would be a good description.

We used nitrox. Both dives were in the 80-85 minute range. I still came up
with 850 psi. Saw a few lobsters, great coral and sponges and a few
loggerhead turtles playing around. It's a dive to check off your list and
definitely an all day event. Surface interval was at the newly renovated
hotel on the east side next to Coconuts. These dives were not your typical
west side dives where you worked your way to shallower areas. You dove it
and then slowly made it to the surface. Not much to see "deco-ing" at 15'.

Of humorous note was the go kart track. I race F-5's in the SCCA and a
large group of us rented the track for a few hours 18 months ago. We gave
the operator some of our team's cozies for being a good sport and letting us
make up the race rules. Our logo and car are now immortalized on the CMU
wall of the building. Look for the open wheeler---that's us.

On a side note. If any of you have bought a house or own a condo in
Cozumel. Look for my next post as to ownership down there. We're ready to
take the plunge and we have a bunch of questions.

-Mark

Hello,
I read your dive report about Cozumel. I was surprised that Aldora took
you to dive the east side of the island...I thought that has been off
limits for some years now?? I'd like to try it!
A. Holland

Mark Lindsey (remove) wrote:
> Just got back.....in spite of USAir's best attempts to delay our trip to and
> from there. We missed our connection from Charlotte. Our option was to
> wait one day for the lone flight each day or catch the next flight to
> Cancun, then a bus to Playa del Carmen and then a ferry. We chose the
> latter. We still got there in time for happy hour.
>
> Stayed at Vista Del Mar as Plaza Las Glorias is now all-inclusive. Quaint
> little hotel about 2 blocks north of Carlos and Charlies. We were ocean
> front. An amazing amount of traffic from 6AM
> to 11AM. Not really noisy, just traffic. Rooms were nice, but getting hot
> water was sketchy. We had to remind them to turn on the water heaters
> several times.
>
> The main road along the town square is now complete. They did a really nice
> job of renovating it.
>
> As an architect, what they have done to Plaza Las Glorias should be a crime.
> The building is whitewashed with bright yellow tile roofs. The open
> breezeway "windows" that provided a wonderful view of Corpus Christi and the
> jungle are now enclosed with frosted glass. They have completely turned
> their back on the town. The exterior renovation is completely devoid of
> character. Give it two years. I don't see how they will survive as an
> all-inclusive.
>
> Two new restaurants worth checking out. La Morena and Especias. I had fish
> both nights and the portions were huge and tasty. They are about 100' from
> each other two blocks from the main road on 10 Ave and about 2 blocks south
> of the square.
>
> Dove a couple of days with Aldora. No flames please. I've been diving with
> these guys for years and have always had a good dive. Enough said.
>
> Water temp is 82 degrees. I was fine with a thin shorty.
>
> Dove the East side of the island with Memo as our DM. We rode over to Chen
> Rio to get to the small, open boat. It was a little choppy getting out, but
> our captain was a master at navigating the waves. I think we gave the dive
> sites names, so the name doesn't matter.
>
> One was near Islote or about .75 mile offshore SSW from Paradise Cafe. The
> other was off the coast near Playa Bonita. 75' and 95' dives respectively.
> The 75' dive was more like Ambergris Caye than Cozumel. Coral gardens
> arranged like fingers on a hand would be a good description.
>
> We used nitrox. Both dives were in the 80-85 minute range. I still came up
> with 850 psi. Saw a few lobsters, great coral and sponges and a few
> loggerhead turtles playing around. It's a dive to check off your list and
> definitely an all day event. Surface interval was at the newly renovated
> hotel on the east side next to Coconuts. These dives were not your typical
> west side dives where you worked your way to shallower areas. You dove it
> and then slowly made it to the surface. Not much to see "deco-ing" at 15'.
>
> Of humorous note was the go kart track. I race F-5's in the SCCA and a
> large group of us rented the track for a few hours 18 months ago. We gave
> the operator some of our team's cozies for being a good sport and letting us
> make up the race rules. Our logo and car are now immortalized on the CMU
> wall of the building. Look for the open wheeler---that's us.
>
> On a side note. If any of you have bought a house or own a condo in
> Cozumel. Look for my next post as to ownership down there. We're ready to
> take the plunge and we have a bunch of questions.
>
> -Mark

They added it the first of May this year.

I think we were the first group to do it. It was nice to see coral that
wasn't all beat up.

Sort of reminded me of Belize and Ambergris Cay diving. It is a few dollars
more due to the all day trip. We had a long surface interval, even with
nitrox.

-mark lindsey

"TheRealMrHolland" <tholland@skidmore.edu> wrote in message
news:1117414617.682742.306300@g43g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> Hello,
> I read your dive report about Cozumel. I was surprised that Aldora took
> you to dive the east side of the island...I thought that has been off
> limits for some years now?? I'd like to try it!
> A. Holland
>
> Mark Lindsey (remove) wrote:
>> Just got back.....in spite of USAir's best attempts to delay our trip to
>> and
>> from there. We missed our connection from Charlotte. Our option was to
>> wait one day for the lone flight each day or catch the next flight to
>> Cancun, then a bus to Playa del Carmen and then a ferry. We chose the
>> latter. We still got there in time for happy hour.
>>
>> Stayed at Vista Del Mar as Plaza Las Glorias is now all-inclusive.
>> Quaint
>> little hotel about 2 blocks north of Carlos and Charlies. We were ocean
>> front. An amazing amount of traffic from 6AM
>> to 11AM. Not really noisy, just traffic. Rooms were nice, but getting
>> hot
>> water was sketchy. We had to remind them to turn on the water heaters
>> several times.
>>
>> The main road along the town square is now complete. They did a really
>> nice
>> job of renovating it.
>>
>> As an architect, what they have done to Plaza Las Glorias should be a
>> crime.
>> The building is whitewashed with bright yellow tile roofs. The open
>> breezeway "windows" that provided a wonderful view of Corpus Christi and
>> the
>> jungle are now enclosed with frosted glass. They have completely turned
>> their back on the town. The exterior renovation is completely devoid of
>> character. Give it two years. I don't see how they will survive as an
>> all-inclusive.
>>
>> Two new restaurants worth checking out. La Morena and Especias. I had
>> fish
>> both nights and the portions were huge and tasty. They are about 100'
>> from
>> each other two blocks from the main road on 10 Ave and about 2 blocks
>> south
>> of the square.
>>
>> Dove a couple of days with Aldora. No flames please. I've been diving
>> with
>> these guys for years and have always had a good dive. Enough said.
>>
>> Water temp is 82 degrees. I was fine with a thin shorty.
>>
>> Dove the East side of the island with Memo as our DM. We rode over to
>> Chen
>> Rio to get to the small, open boat. It was a little choppy getting out,
>> but
>> our captain was a master at navigating the waves. I think we gave the
>> dive
>> sites names, so the name doesn't matter.
>>
>> One was near Islote or about .75 mile offshore SSW from Paradise Cafe.
>> The
>> other was off the coast near Playa Bonita. 75' and 95' dives
>> respectively.
>> The 75' dive was more like Ambergris Caye than Cozumel. Coral gardens
>> arranged like fingers on a hand would be a good description.
>>
>> We used nitrox. Both dives were in the 80-85 minute range. I still came
>> up
>> with 850 psi. Saw a few lobsters, great coral and sponges and a few
>> loggerhead turtles playing around. It's a dive to check off your list
>> and
>> definitely an all day event. Surface interval was at the newly renovated
>> hotel on the east side next to Coconuts. These dives were not your
>> typical
>> west side dives where you worked your way to shallower areas. You dove
>> it
>> and then slowly made it to the surface. Not much to see "deco-ing" at
>> 15'.
>>
>> Of humorous note was the go kart track. I race F-5's in the SCCA and a
>> large group of us rented the track for a few hours 18 months ago. We
>> gave
>> the operator some of our team's cozies for being a good sport and letting
>> us
>> make up the race rules. Our logo and car are now immortalized on the CMU
>> wall of the building. Look for the open wheeler---that's us.
>>
>> On a side note. If any of you have bought a house or own a condo in
>> Cozumel. Look for my next post as to ownership down there. We're ready
>> to
>> take the plunge and we have a bunch of questions.
>>
>> -Mark
>

Mark Lindsey wrote:
> They added it the first of May this year.
>
> I think we were the first group to do it. It was nice to see coral that
> wasn't all beat up.
>
> Sort of reminded me of Belize and Ambergris Cay diving. It is a few dollars
> more due to the all day trip. We had a long surface interval, even with
> nitrox.
>
> -mark lindsey
>


A long SI on the east side isn't considered a bad thing for me.


--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'