Cozumel Sun: A Vacation Among Friends

Visiting the shops owned by the parents of my former students, having the companionship of my friends, and learning to dive were some of the many experiences that I had on this marvelous trip to a wonderfully exotic port of call.

Quick Tips:

There is not much beach property on this island, but the diving is wonderful. The downtown area provides a lot of opportunities to shop for whatever you wish in many of the duty-free shops.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking seems to be the best way to get around the main city, however, a fine taxi system is in place for those who wish to journey afar. You can rent mopeds to get around if you want an inexpensive methos of travel.

One of the better hotels that I found in Cozumel for someone on a budget was Hotel Flamingo. I only wanted a place to lie down in the afternoons and to sleep at night. This was a most effective location.

This trip was not my luxury vacation, but only a sidetrip to visit. I stayed two evenings at Hotel Flamingo and had a marvelous time.

There was a small courtyard, a bar on the roof, cable TV, and an excellent access to everything in the downtown area. If you wanted a view of the ocean, it was easily accesible from the rooftop bar. However, I only wanted a place to sleep.

For about $35 I enjoyed my stay at Hotel Flamingo. When I returned to the city for a more extensive stay, I stayed at a better place, but for the price, this is the best!

I originally planned tpo visit the island and see some friends. Upon stepping from the ferry, I was met by a representative of the dive shop, asking if I was interested in diving. Because I enjoy an adventure, I accepted the invitation and took the resort dive package. I willl never forget that first experience.

I underwent training by having instructions in the techniques needed for diving and a short time breathing with a tank in a hotel pool. This was follwed by a 1-tank beach dive. Even on this form of dive, Cozumel offeres coral banks and plentiful fish.

The next morning, I reported for my 2-tank dive. This was the most enjoyable experience that I had during my 4 weeks in Mexico that summer. We went to the reef, which almost encircles the island and had two separate dives. The water ws warm. The reef was alive with fish.

It did not matter the experience, or lack thereof, that I had. I was placed in a group of men with slightly higher training and had a wonderful divemaster, who assisted me as needed.

David and Nancy's has all of the equipment that is needed and is one of the better places that I have since used for diving trips.

The first sight of Cozumel from the ferry that runs between Playa del Carmen and the island is Hard Rock Cafe. It is located at the end of (and facing) the ferry dock. I was extremely impressed with this sight as I disembarked the ferry.

I first went to see some friends and dive, but I returned to the Hard Rock Cafe with my former student, Gerardo. We entered at about 9:00, and were seated upstairs. The night that we went was pretty slow, but I was told that some of the evenings the place would really rock.

I took advantage of the slow evening to catch up on old times and to check out the surroundings. The cafe had memorabilia from Prince, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, The Doors, and several other notables. There was not a live band, like in Cancun, so I was a little disappointed in that.

We had a wonderful meal. The menu included burgers, chicken, steaks, salads, and all of the traditional bar foods. The drinks were still a bit watered down, but not as much as in Cancun. One of the local drinks that can be purchased in the Yucatan Peninsula area is Xtabentun, an anise flavored drink with hints of honey. This is supposedly a traditional Mayan drink, made from an ancient recipe.

Gerardo and I renewed our friendship. I wished him well in school. Then we left: he to help his father at their store, and I to spend more time diving at travelling around the state. Hard Rock Cafe seemed to be the most "happening" location on the island after 9:00 or 10:00 in the evening.

The father of another former student own El Maqueche, a souvenir shop located on the main strett of Cozumel, just about 1 1/2 blocks from the ferry dock. Here can be found a large number of different types of souvenirs for the visitor to Cozumel; t-shirts, shot glasses, blankets, papier mache, and other things.

I went to the shop to see if Raul (Mendoza) was home, but was told that he was still at the university in Monterrey. However, Raul's mother and grandmother remembered me from the school and invited me for a meal at their home. Plus, they helped me to get in contact with several other boys from my time at Riverside Military Academy. (There were about 25 former students from Cozumel at the academy when I taught there.)

However, the shop was very packed with inventory. I was told the the volume of traffic became quite heavy because of the tourist coming to the island and because of the cruise ships which came to the island. If you are not careful, it is easy to get lost in the shop among the souvenirs.

When you stop by, look in on my friends for your trip souvenirs. You will enjoy the quality and the prices.

The owner of this shop is the father of one of my former students, Gereardo. On my last trip to Cozumel, Gerardo was home from the University of Monterrey, so I decided to pay a visit to him. He and I talked of old times, walked along the city, and spent an evening at Hard Rock Cafe. However, I enjoyed meeting his father and visiting the store which he owns.

Selva Sports is located near the ferry dock and is one of the better-kept buildings in that area. Senor Selva has large amounts and varieties of t-shirts, polo shirts, tank tops, and other sportswear. The quality of the items seems to be higher than that which can be found in the street markets (which often shrink after the first wash).

Perhaps it was the fact that I was Gerardo's teacher, but everyone that I noticed working in the shop seemed extremely friendly with all of the customers who entered the store. If you visit, tell them that I recommended you to them.