Trip Report-Cozumel, October 2010

[blue steal]

Here is my mini trip report.
Things started off not so good with Continental losing our luggage.
filled out the paper work and proceeded to get the red light, both my wife and I.
Insult to injury if you will.
Getting shuttle was easy and the trip to our resort, Blue Angel, was quick.
Got checked in and used all our american travelers checks to cover the costs of the resort, but the bank refused to accept them as "my signature did not look the same".
So it is off to the ATM at Mega to buy some clothes and toiletries to get by the next few days as we had nothing to wear. ATM HSBC takes my information and says sorry no receipt available, and ohh no money came out either, great.
Called my bank and they said they would take care of it and no charges. they said go ahead and try another ATM, did that and boom, denied.
Well, next day the luggage shows up in the lobby so things went uphill from that point on.
Good stuff:
Rented a car from Isis, great lady with lots of tips, will send someone out to pick you up and also drop you back off at your resort. VW bug stick, great little car.
Restaurants: Rockin Java, nice salads, grilled fish, and smoothies, La Choza, good, and La Parilla Mission on 30th, great chile rellanos and fish.
Did some sight seeing, museum is worth a couple of hours and the drive along the back side is always fun.
The resort, Blue Angel, has friendly staff, clean rooms, spacious, great ocean front views, road noise not really a problem, restaurant serves good food, happy hour 3-6 is 2 for 1 nice. Kayaks are available and I used these each morning for a nice paddle before diving. Tanks are available for unlimited shore diving, which although is not as good as the reefs is fun, especially all the critters around the string ray pen. sometimes just did 70 minutes, 80 minutes, 127 minutes on AL80 WOW. No wetsuit or weight belt used on the shore dives, this felt great. Had access to a mountain bike and rode down to the marina to watch guys get their boats ready for the day.
DM's Jose, Mat, and Jorge are great. dive shop staff Pony & Martin were very good to me.
Took a Nitrox course while there. This was great for the extra BT, loved it.
Blue Angel hosted a halloween party for the humane society and this was a lot of fun, perhaps a bit much on the drinking for me.........
Diving was good, did 20 dives during our 10 day stay. Did all the usual sites, and even Baracuda with almost no current, wonderful dive.
All in all a great trip. Can't wait to return soon.
Next time I think I'll bring lots of dollars and convert pesos as needed at the money changers, this was quick and easy, but at a bit lower exchange rate. Mega & chedrui will take dollars and at a pretty good rate, but they need to get out a calculator and it was taking so long to get it together, I just used pesos.
Oh on using taxis, I noticed when asked the price, it was quoted in pesos and when I asked the price in dollars the exchange rate, (in my head), was at 12:l. So we used dollars for the taxis. we used taxis from Blue angel to town or back if we did not feel like walking and also over to the Corpus christi area and back.

 

[Diver Kat]

Thanks for the report! Sounds like you took the problems in stride and ended up having a good time!!

 

[Tunaman68]

Awesome! 48 hours to go!

If you don't mind me asking, what did the NX class cost and how did it work at the resort....(class time, dives etc).

T

 

[greylion]

I hate it when the bags aren't there, but it's better than being sick or injured. Glad you had a good time.

 

[pjhansman]

If you don't mind me asking, what did the NX class cost and how did it work at the resort....(class time, dives etc).

Good question.....

Sounds like a nice diversion from sitting by the pool drinking.

 

[blue steal]

I was not planning on taking Nitrox, but seeing how it could extend BT, I decided to take the course. It was self study with the instructor available if you had questions, plus he went over the practical stuff like analyzing o2 and tanks labeling.
Read the 2 manuals, did the quizes and problems, watched the DVD, studied the dive tables and then took the final exam. It took me a bit of time to get it, but then it all clicked.
Total cost was $200 US. I know this is expensive, but they included a 2- tank boat dive with this. Back here in CA the best price I could find was $195, no diving. I received a temporary card when finished and when I returned home the EAD card was in the mail.
Yeah, I was bummed about the bags, but I really felt so bad for my wife who had all her nice clothes and things. One other person also had their luggage lost and he was cussing and almost out of control. It was then I decided, nothing you can do, but be nice to the girl taking our information.
what made it nice was at the resort the front desk girl took my information/paperworks and called and followed up on everything, so sweet. she said, go have lunch and got us a couple of margaritas.
That night we had purchased some clothes, soaps, shampoos, socks, shirts, and a few other things, because the airlines had said a couple of days. when the luggage came the next day, we decided to just give all our newly bought items to the maid and the staff.
Oh I forgot to add about the Blue Angel, Wi-fi is available in the lobby and also in the restaurant, but only the side of the restaurant closest to the lobby. I could get it on our balcony all the time, but in the room it was hit and miss.

 

[DandyDon]

Wifi will vary with how good one's laptop receives signal. I want to shop for an axillary antenna - preferably a cheap one.

Bummer on the luggage. Did you file a claim with the airline on extra expenses? I've been really lucky on that.

Travelers checks are virtually useless anymore. I quit them about the same time my bank did. That ATM problem has been going on there for some time. Odd.

Back here in CA the best price I could find was $195, no diving.

That's just too high, but then CA doesn't do much Nx. I've seen $100 including all materials and card but rare. $200 including a dive trip was a nice deal.

 

[Ms. Ann Thrope]

When you say you "had access" to a bicycle, did you rent? And if so, from where? I've always kind of thought it would be nice to have a bike down there.

 

[blue steal]

No more travelers checks for me. I did not think of filing a claim till several days later.
The place I stayed at (Blue Angel), some of the staff had and rode their bikes to work.
they were happy to loan me their bikes for a ride. I had to make a few modifications, like raising the seat and pumping up those tires. I think there are places to rent at some of the resorts.
riding early morning is nice because traffic is light and it is still cool out. Heck one of the DM's Jorge had a road bike and he offered to loan it to me to ride all the way around the island.

 

[DandyDon]

No more travelers checks for me.

I quit them when I couldn't use left over checks at a home town grocery I have shopped for decades. My bank stopped them too.

I did not think of filing a claim till several days later.

So you did, will, or not bother?