From: warren@boi.hp.com ()
Subject: Cozumel Report Dec.92
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 21:40:51 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.2 PL7]



                  Cozumel Trip Report  December 1992
                  ----------------------------------

                                by

                          Warren Greaves
                          Boise, Idaho


      During this last holiday season, December 1992, we spent two weeks
in Cozumel.  The following is a brief description of our experiences
on the Island.

      This trip was a joint dive trip for my father-in-law and I,
and a Christmas vacation for our families.  We made plans almost
a year in advance and all of our planning turned out quite well.  
Since our families were coming we decided to rent a house.  After
a lot of research we choose a 3 bedroom/3 bath in San Miguel with 
a swimming pool. The price was about a thousand a week which was
definitely worth it.  We had a maid and a gardner every day but
Sunday and Christmas and the house was good sized so there was
plenty of room for 4 adults and 3 kids.  The main advantage of this
house was that shops and restaurants were only three blocks away,
the disadvantages were that it was a fairly noisy street and no
ocean views.

      For diving, we took the recommendations of the people
who owned the house and booked with Herman Mendez's operation the
Carribean Argonauts. This turned out great, although they have a
small organization we were happy with the service and our boat.

      I can summarize our experience as most all of us were very
sad to leave and would now like to become Mexican citizens.  We loved
the Island environment, primarily the ocean.  Fantastic colors of blues
in the sea with lots of greens on land.  We found the locals to be very
friendly, if you say "Hola" to them they smile and return the greeting.
The people in most shops were nice and not obnoxious, and all the
restaurants gave us great service.  The only thing that bothered us,
at first, was the standard of living is much less than ours.  But toward the
end we were asking ourselves why we seem to require so many nonessentials.

     Our nine days of diving were terrific!  We never did the same reef
twice on any of our 18 dives.  The normal agenda was to leave about
9:30am, do a deep dive around 70-80 feet for 35 minutes,  go to another
spot with about one hour of surface interval time, do a second dive 50-60  
feet for about 45 minutes and return around 1:00pm.  We would then
go home have a sandwitch, take siesta 'til around five and walk downtown
to dinner.  Then, come back and swim or play cards.  This was a life style I
got immediately accustomed to.

     Highlights of our underwater tours were beautiful coral and sponges
on all of our dives.  Lots of large Barrel and Tube sponges on the second
shallower dives.  There was a good variety of tropical fish, although
not overly abundant, we saw plenty.  The most memorable were the large
Queen and French angelfish and the bright orange triggerfish.  On the
Punta Tunish reef we saw a large green moray eel and there was a three
foot grouper that followed us for about twenty minutes. Some of us
touched him and scratched under his chin which he seemed to enjoy. At
Cordona reef we observed a large nurse shark resting in a coral cave and
a four foot octopus.  By far, the best diving for me was at Palancar Caves
and Palancar Horseshoe where we dove amid 30-50 foot coral heads.

     The most exhilarating dive was at Santa Rosa Wall where the current was
strong (maybe +3 knots) and we seem to be just be flying over the reef.  The
most exciting dive was at Punta Sur.  We descended to ~110 feet started moving
around a massive coral head and a five foot spotted eagle ray swam
past.  Next we entered what I've read on notes as Devil's Throat at 120 feet.
This turned out to be a bit scary.  I was following five divers and by the
time I was deep in the cave there was lots of sand turned up and the walls
appeareared to be moving closer.  I was breathing farily heavy and for
a moment I saw visions of newspaper headlines "Gringo lost in Coral cave!".
I did think about the training classes, when in trouble - 'STOP, Think, Act'.
So for a moment I had to stop, collect myselve and calm down.  After that
I started to see light and ended up in the area where there was an illusion
of windows. This settled my anxiety attack and soon we were outside at about
85 feet deep.  I was glad to be out but ten minutes later I was thinking
that more cave dives would be fun! (This shows how sick scuba divers are!)

     Our favorite restaurants were Ernesto's Fajitas Place and Las Palmeras,
both downtown.  And we had a good time rockin' out at Carlos and Charlies.
Neither my dive buddy or I ate any Pepto Bismo tablets or needed any
medicine for the "Turista Problem" although others in our family did have
mild trouble, I think it was the alcohol not the germs.  We did consume only
purified bottled water (which was hard to remember to do all the time).

     We hated to leave Cozumel but our money was running low. So, it's
time to get back into work and save for our next trip.  Someday maybe
we can get back to beautiful Carribean Mexico!


Warren Greaves
Hewlett-Packard
Boise Printer R&D Lab
warren@hpbs947.boi.hp.com
(208)323-3149