From: kkwwkk@mixcom.com (TA Shaw)
Subject: Re: Any infomation from Cancun and Cozumel
Organization: Milwaukee Internet Xchange BBS, Milwaukee, WI U.S.A.
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:14:30 GMT


A quickie.  I just returned from Cozumel, 12-16, stayed
at Plaza Las Glorias, dove with Aqua Safari, flew Continental
with the arrangements made through the PADI Travel Network.

The hotel:  The staff was friendly and very helpful, although the
accommidations(sp) were not top of the line, mainly little minor
annoyances like some paint peeling and the bed a little soft in
the middle, but overall pretty nice.  Again, the staff was very
friendly and helpful.

The dive shop:  I was very pleased with Aqua Safari.  Our dive master,
"Chino", was helpful and stressed safety as well as NOT to touch
the coral while we were down.  The boat was slow, not the speed
burners that others have described, but allowed entry from the sides
as well as the stern of the boat.  They provided sodas and empenadas
between dives.  Chino was very sucessful finding interesting sealife
on our night dive, hopefully my photo of a toadfish will turn out
ok. (Question: I was told toadfish were kind of rare and sort of
poisinous.  Are either of these true?)

The airline:  I was VERY disappointed in Continental this time.  The
flight from Houston to Cozumel, the loudspeaker system(PA), had
TERRIBLE feedback for the whole flight.  It really hurt your ears.
Also the crew seemed condescending(sp) and indifferent.  The seats
were also very cramped.  Also the seating arrangements were a bit strange
coming back, my partner was in 7F and I was in 30C on a 727.  30C is the
LAST seat on the plane, and there were other opens seats closer to
7F, which would have made the disembarking at Houston smoother.
(Note: I flew Continental down to Belize last year and was happy with
the service on that trip.)

Travel Agent:  I called PADI Travel Network, PTN, because they had
a package deal that was fairly cheap.  I got the trip for about $50-$70
less than originally advertised.  But make sure you request that PTN
makes/gets/arranges for your seat assignments for the trip.  It may
eliminate some of the sating problems I had.  I was used to having
my seats automatically assigned by the travel agent that I did not 
request PTN to do this.  Ooooops.  The staff at PTN was also very
friendly and helpful.

Last notes: 
  a) I rented a Nikonos V & strobe from Auwa Safari for one day, three
     dives, for $65US.  The slides should be ready next week if I get
     them in soon....What film speed do most people shoot?  I shot
     Kodachrome 64 and Ektachrome 100.
  b) I was told that from time to time, the currents that run off the
     wall can be dangerous.  That if the conditions are right, it actually
     can be like flushing a toilet, ie the current is so strong running
     over the and down the wall that it will drag divers down even if
     their BC is inflated?  Anyone else heard of this?  I also was told
     by a local diver, not associated with Aqua Safari, that the best
     way to get out of this down current is to swim towards the wall.
     If this is true, this is the type of local dive info that is
     important to have.  It seems that it can cause divers to panic
     when you cannot stop your descent when your BC is full....
  c) The fery ride to the mainland can be an adventure, it the seas are
     rough, take your dramamine, the rollng and pitching of the ferry
     along with the deisel fumes can cause you to get seasick.  But getting
     to "know" dolphins up close and personal makes it worth the 
     seasickness, at least that is what my partner claimed.  I was not sick
     but the dolphins at Xcaret were worth the trip.

Enjoy,

TS
-- 
   "Life is a highway, I want to drive it all night long" 
    Tom Cochrane 
    1983 750 Maximum
    kkwwkk@mixcom.com                 shaw@mixcom.com