Part 1 of 3
I booked a quick 5 night/6 day stay through Apple vacations for a quick getaway after my plans to Roatan fell through. Here is my experience.
Flying out of Sacramento, Ca on Sunday morning was uneventful, although I did have to pay $50 ($25x2)for 2 bags that were over 50lbs. I knew one was going to be over, as it had my tanks, and 2 jugs of sofnolime, as well as a few clothes. but for some reason I didnt know why my rebreather was over, as its ALWAYS 47 or 48lbs. Only later did I lrealize that I forgot to take out 2x 2lb soft weights that I use for trim weights that are on the back of my bc jacket. That lesson cost me $25. I was surprised at how easy my gear went through TSA. I dive a rebreather, so its not uncommon to have your name called out over the pa in the airport because they have a question about sofnolime or your tanks in your checked luggage. I didnt hear a peep out of them, although when I arrived at the hotel Presidente in Cozumel and opened it up, I did find that the TSA had no problem trashing my suitcase and then just zipping it up. In case they didnt notice, there was a reason why I had both tanks wrapped up in my wetsuit. Now I have a few more paint chips and new rust marks thanks the the TSA repack job.
I should also note that the evening before we left sacramento, I started coming down with a cold. Im not one that ever gets sick, but for some reason I kept sneezing and had a runny nose. My diving plans for this trip were fairly busy. I needed o2 fills for my rebreather, so I found a dive shop called Dive Cozumel that could do 100% o2 fills and where I could rent a 40cft bailout bottle. I planned on diving with the hotel operator Scuba Du, on Monday since they were right at the hotel, and then Dive paradise (they were recommended by a friend I tech dive with, so I figured they must be ok) on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then with Dive Cozumel on thrusday. I figured id dive with dive cozumel since not only was he providing fills for me, but I knew my gf wouldnt want to dive 4 days in a row and I could get a good dive in with the owner of dive cozumel. (he dives a rebreather as well) Also, by diving with 3 ops, it would give me a more varied diving experience with the local operators if I ever came back.
Arriving at the airport in cozumel was nice. From the time I stepped off the plane onto the tramac until I was seated in my cab was about 15 minutes tops. The airport was well organized and simple. I got a good laugh out of the stoplight you push the button on to see if you are going to have to put your bags through the xray machine (red light) or if you get to bypass the machine and go straight outside. (green light). I got the green light, but the guy there wanted me to stick the plastic box my rebreather was in through the xray machine anyway. It was no big deal, It went through the machine and I was on my way outside in less than a minute. When I got outside, there were a lot of people standing around but none approached me. I kept waiting for the time share salesman to start hawking to me and my gf but they never did. Almost as soon as I got outside I saw my vacation rep from apple vacation waiting for me and directed me to a cab. We loaded up and after a few stops dropping off others that were in the cab, we made it to the Hotel Presidente. Now, if you are not familiar with cozumel, you should know that the hotel is a bit out of town. Not too far, maybe 4 kilometers or so (2 miles) but be aware that if you are going to go into town, the cab fare will be $5 each way. Some locals told me it should be 40 pesos, (about $4) but $4, $5, whatever. Whats a few bucks? Arriving at the hotel , I tipped the cab driver $5 and as we stepped out of the cab we were greeted by a very friendly staff from the hotel. After checking in and receiving a welcome cocktail, we made our way to the room. As we left the lobby area, we were approached by someone that wanted 5 minutes of our time to talk about the hotel. I thought, here we go, timeshare salesman. But it wasnt. It was simply a employee of the hotel that wanted to go over the hotel grounds and services that were available to us. He was extremely nice and went out of his way to answer any questions we had. I was very impressed. After that, we went to our room. After ab out 10 minutes, our bags showed up. I went to tip the bellboy but the smallest bill I had was a $20, and he didnt have change. I told him id catch up to him later and gave him $2 my gf had in her purse. He didnt seem too upset but I could tell he was not happy either. The room itself was very nice. myself, Im not one for comfort. As long as its bug/insect free, im happy, but the main reason I booked the presidente was that my gf is not a hardcore diver and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable, as well as safe, while I was away diving. The room had a tv, free wireless internet, king size bed with very nice sheets. There was a minibar in the room, and the a/c almost worked too well. There were candles on the counter in glass jars filled with sand, and it gave the room a nice romantic touch. The floor and counters were made of tile and stone. The room had a small outdoor balcony that had a table, loveswing, and a few chairs. It also faced the adult pool. (there are 2 pools at the resort, and we were told the adult only pool allowed topless sunbathing.) They also put out new bottled water for you everymorning in your room when they make the bed.
We were tired from the trip , so we layed down for a few minutes. After our short nap, I called dive cozumel but the number I had from their website kept giving me a recording in spanish I couldnt understand, but it was not a recording from a answering machine, but from the local telephone company. I grabbed my 2 bottles and we went into town to track down Dive Cozumel. Now to be fair, the owner Roly called me a few days before my trip and gave me a number to call when I got to town to get my fills. Unfortunately, I somehow lost the number and didnt have it when I got to cozumel. I didnt think it would be a big deal, but it turns out it was. When we got to Dive Cozumel, the doors were locked and from looking in, it didnt even look like a dive op really. More like a storage are for a dive op. There were tanks on the floor, a few rental bcs on hangars on the wall and a blending station in the corner for fills. I started to get nervous. I went to pro-dive next door and asked them if dive cozumel is open on Sundays. They didnt know but did walk me down to the store and found out it was closed just as I had said to them. At this point , I was nervous. We asked pro dive if they could do 100% o2 fills but they said no. We went back to the hotel and I emailed dive cozumel and explained the situation and gave them the hotel and room number I was in. I was feeling worse by this point and had a heck of a headache, so we decided to eat dinner. At the hotel there are 2 restraunts. One is italian and the other american. We choose the american one and my gf had cocunut shrimp and I had the lobster. Her food was overcooked and it looked like they needed to change the oil in the fryer. She hated her dinner and was not impressed in the least. Mine was absolutely mouthwatering. I eat lobster a few times a month and I can honestly say that lobster was in the top 5-10 of any lobster Ive had in the world. Simply outstanding. The rest of the meal consisted of mixed rice and some vegatables. We decided the place had potential (even after our $85 before tip bill) and we would try it again. After dinner we went back to our rooms and went to bed. I knew that no mater how good I felt when I woke up, I still didnt get my tanks filled so there would be no diving Monday morning for me. Best case scenario was getting up Monday morning and if I felt good and if I could get my tanks filled id make the afternoon dive. Unfortunately, after waking up Monday morning, I had the worst sinus headache of my life and was congested so bad I knew there was no diving for me. I laid in bed for a bit and then decided we needed to find some cold medicine. We found some at the small store in the hotel (only $6, which I thought was a good price really) and then ate breakfast in the american restraunt. We both had fruit plates and 2 waters and the bill was $35. Ouch. After breakfast, we decided to lay at the pool since we werent diving. My girlfriend wanted to lay out topless, but there were kids in the adult pool. I guess they dont enforce the adults only pool rule. Also, the resort was very dead. I would guess that the time we were there it was about 25% capacity at best. From talking to others on the island, business has been very slow everywhere in cozumel. They say its been that way since the Hurricane. On the plus side there is never a wait in line for a restraunt and you get exceptional service at your hotel. You could see the ocean from the pool area, and the wind had kicked up pretty well and the ocean had some good chop to it. Later we found out the harbor was closed and there was no boats going out diving anyway so I guess I didnt miss anything, although I wished I still didnt have this damn cold. Coming from my regular diving in Monterey, Ca where there really is swells and waves, it was kind of funny hearing people talk about how rough the ocean was. I had to chuckle and wondered what they would think if they ever went out on the ocean on a bad day off the coast of california. Anyway, by afternoon I started feeling a bit better so we decided to go to town. (continued)
I booked a quick 5 night/6 day stay through Apple vacations for a quick getaway after my plans to Roatan fell through. Here is my experience.
Flying out of Sacramento, Ca on Sunday morning was uneventful, although I did have to pay $50 ($25x2)for 2 bags that were over 50lbs. I knew one was going to be over, as it had my tanks, and 2 jugs of sofnolime, as well as a few clothes. but for some reason I didnt know why my rebreather was over, as its ALWAYS 47 or 48lbs. Only later did I lrealize that I forgot to take out 2x 2lb soft weights that I use for trim weights that are on the back of my bc jacket. That lesson cost me $25. I was surprised at how easy my gear went through TSA. I dive a rebreather, so its not uncommon to have your name called out over the pa in the airport because they have a question about sofnolime or your tanks in your checked luggage. I didnt hear a peep out of them, although when I arrived at the hotel Presidente in Cozumel and opened it up, I did find that the TSA had no problem trashing my suitcase and then just zipping it up. In case they didnt notice, there was a reason why I had both tanks wrapped up in my wetsuit. Now I have a few more paint chips and new rust marks thanks the the TSA repack job.
I should also note that the evening before we left sacramento, I started coming down with a cold. Im not one that ever gets sick, but for some reason I kept sneezing and had a runny nose. My diving plans for this trip were fairly busy. I needed o2 fills for my rebreather, so I found a dive shop called Dive Cozumel that could do 100% o2 fills and where I could rent a 40cft bailout bottle. I planned on diving with the hotel operator Scuba Du, on Monday since they were right at the hotel, and then Dive paradise (they were recommended by a friend I tech dive with, so I figured they must be ok) on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then with Dive Cozumel on thrusday. I figured id dive with dive cozumel since not only was he providing fills for me, but I knew my gf wouldnt want to dive 4 days in a row and I could get a good dive in with the owner of dive cozumel. (he dives a rebreather as well) Also, by diving with 3 ops, it would give me a more varied diving experience with the local operators if I ever came back.
Arriving at the airport in cozumel was nice. From the time I stepped off the plane onto the tramac until I was seated in my cab was about 15 minutes tops. The airport was well organized and simple. I got a good laugh out of the stoplight you push the button on to see if you are going to have to put your bags through the xray machine (red light) or if you get to bypass the machine and go straight outside. (green light). I got the green light, but the guy there wanted me to stick the plastic box my rebreather was in through the xray machine anyway. It was no big deal, It went through the machine and I was on my way outside in less than a minute. When I got outside, there were a lot of people standing around but none approached me. I kept waiting for the time share salesman to start hawking to me and my gf but they never did. Almost as soon as I got outside I saw my vacation rep from apple vacation waiting for me and directed me to a cab. We loaded up and after a few stops dropping off others that were in the cab, we made it to the Hotel Presidente. Now, if you are not familiar with cozumel, you should know that the hotel is a bit out of town. Not too far, maybe 4 kilometers or so (2 miles) but be aware that if you are going to go into town, the cab fare will be $5 each way. Some locals told me it should be 40 pesos, (about $4) but $4, $5, whatever. Whats a few bucks? Arriving at the hotel , I tipped the cab driver $5 and as we stepped out of the cab we were greeted by a very friendly staff from the hotel. After checking in and receiving a welcome cocktail, we made our way to the room. As we left the lobby area, we were approached by someone that wanted 5 minutes of our time to talk about the hotel. I thought, here we go, timeshare salesman. But it wasnt. It was simply a employee of the hotel that wanted to go over the hotel grounds and services that were available to us. He was extremely nice and went out of his way to answer any questions we had. I was very impressed. After that, we went to our room. After ab out 10 minutes, our bags showed up. I went to tip the bellboy but the smallest bill I had was a $20, and he didnt have change. I told him id catch up to him later and gave him $2 my gf had in her purse. He didnt seem too upset but I could tell he was not happy either. The room itself was very nice. myself, Im not one for comfort. As long as its bug/insect free, im happy, but the main reason I booked the presidente was that my gf is not a hardcore diver and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable, as well as safe, while I was away diving. The room had a tv, free wireless internet, king size bed with very nice sheets. There was a minibar in the room, and the a/c almost worked too well. There were candles on the counter in glass jars filled with sand, and it gave the room a nice romantic touch. The floor and counters were made of tile and stone. The room had a small outdoor balcony that had a table, loveswing, and a few chairs. It also faced the adult pool. (there are 2 pools at the resort, and we were told the adult only pool allowed topless sunbathing.) They also put out new bottled water for you everymorning in your room when they make the bed.
We were tired from the trip , so we layed down for a few minutes. After our short nap, I called dive cozumel but the number I had from their website kept giving me a recording in spanish I couldnt understand, but it was not a recording from a answering machine, but from the local telephone company. I grabbed my 2 bottles and we went into town to track down Dive Cozumel. Now to be fair, the owner Roly called me a few days before my trip and gave me a number to call when I got to town to get my fills. Unfortunately, I somehow lost the number and didnt have it when I got to cozumel. I didnt think it would be a big deal, but it turns out it was. When we got to Dive Cozumel, the doors were locked and from looking in, it didnt even look like a dive op really. More like a storage are for a dive op. There were tanks on the floor, a few rental bcs on hangars on the wall and a blending station in the corner for fills. I started to get nervous. I went to pro-dive next door and asked them if dive cozumel is open on Sundays. They didnt know but did walk me down to the store and found out it was closed just as I had said to them. At this point , I was nervous. We asked pro dive if they could do 100% o2 fills but they said no. We went back to the hotel and I emailed dive cozumel and explained the situation and gave them the hotel and room number I was in. I was feeling worse by this point and had a heck of a headache, so we decided to eat dinner. At the hotel there are 2 restraunts. One is italian and the other american. We choose the american one and my gf had cocunut shrimp and I had the lobster. Her food was overcooked and it looked like they needed to change the oil in the fryer. She hated her dinner and was not impressed in the least. Mine was absolutely mouthwatering. I eat lobster a few times a month and I can honestly say that lobster was in the top 5-10 of any lobster Ive had in the world. Simply outstanding. The rest of the meal consisted of mixed rice and some vegatables. We decided the place had potential (even after our $85 before tip bill) and we would try it again. After dinner we went back to our rooms and went to bed. I knew that no mater how good I felt when I woke up, I still didnt get my tanks filled so there would be no diving Monday morning for me. Best case scenario was getting up Monday morning and if I felt good and if I could get my tanks filled id make the afternoon dive. Unfortunately, after waking up Monday morning, I had the worst sinus headache of my life and was congested so bad I knew there was no diving for me. I laid in bed for a bit and then decided we needed to find some cold medicine. We found some at the small store in the hotel (only $6, which I thought was a good price really) and then ate breakfast in the american restraunt. We both had fruit plates and 2 waters and the bill was $35. Ouch. After breakfast, we decided to lay at the pool since we werent diving. My girlfriend wanted to lay out topless, but there were kids in the adult pool. I guess they dont enforce the adults only pool rule. Also, the resort was very dead. I would guess that the time we were there it was about 25% capacity at best. From talking to others on the island, business has been very slow everywhere in cozumel. They say its been that way since the Hurricane. On the plus side there is never a wait in line for a restraunt and you get exceptional service at your hotel. You could see the ocean from the pool area, and the wind had kicked up pretty well and the ocean had some good chop to it. Later we found out the harbor was closed and there was no boats going out diving anyway so I guess I didnt miss anything, although I wished I still didnt have this damn cold. Coming from my regular diving in Monterey, Ca where there really is swells and waves, it was kind of funny hearing people talk about how rough the ocean was. I had to chuckle and wondered what they would think if they ever went out on the ocean on a bad day off the coast of california. Anyway, by afternoon I started feeling a bit better so we decided to go to town. (continued)