|
|
Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
| CTR Homepage | Island Index | Search |
New Visitor Training Program Here is what you need to know for your first visit to Anguilla: Comfort : 80F day and night. Casual dress. No ties. No swimsuits in town. Airco not needed. Perils : Use sunscreen at the beach. Do not touch coral. Guard against mosquitos. Money : Bring US cash and travelers checks, plus your credit cards. No ATM machines. Phonet/Net: : Reliable but expensive. Consider Internet-by-the- minute. Driving : Stay to the left. Don't worry about horn beeps. Bring your license. More Tips : You can bring pets. Tip is usually included. Take Ferry. Get Married. Manners : Say "good morning" before stating your business. Wave to strangers. That's Not Mike on Mike's Boat! The name on the side is Mike's Glassbottom Boat , but the Captain is Hilton Fleming, Mike's father. He is usually found at Shoal Bay, taking visitors for views of the reefs and the fish that live in the reef. Hilton is friendly and knowledgeable, and is also a fisherman. He takes out individuals or groups and children are welcome. Pickups are from Shoal Bay, Island Harbour or other desired spots. Rates per person in US$ are $15 for sightseeing and underwater viewing, $25 for a trip to Scrub Island or Little Bay, $30 for fishing, and $50 for a trip to Sandy Island or Prickly Pear. Expect to pay more for extended times. From 8AM to 4PM, telephone 264-497- 5641 or 5058, or 264-497-4360 or 4155 at other times. News Tidbits from Anguilla Busy Christmas Season. The Christmas Extravaganza in The Valley started off on December 19th, Separation Day, with fireworks, the lighting of a giant mahogony tree, and a street dance jump up. Many neighborhood trees have been decorated with lights: East End village, Blowing Point Village, Long Ground (on the road to Cinammon Reef), North Side village (east of The Valley), etc. The stores were open until midnight on Christmas eve so that people could pick up their final food and gift items. The day after Christmas is a holiday in Anguilla too, Boxing Day, and was filled with house visits, beach picnics, and other celebrations. Children's Art Competition. Drop in the Post Office any time from now to January 15th to see the 70 entries in Anguilla's children's art contest. The works are surprisingly good and the first prize winner in each of two age groups will receive EC$700. Artist Lynn Bernbaum organized the children's competition as part of the International Arts Festival. International Art Festival. The winner of the US$10,000 prize in Anguilla's first big art festival will be selected on January 9th and prizes will be awarded on January 10th at a cocktail party at Sonesta. Tickets to the party are on sale for US$20 (see any festival member or the Devonish Gallery). New Taxi Fares. The executive council has approved increased taxi fares in Anguilla. This web page has the new schedule. The highest fare is now US$22 for the longest trips (e.g., the airport to CoveCastles) and the minimum fare from the airport to The Valley is now US$6. New Show at the Museum highlights Anguilla's maritime heritage and environment, including boat building, beaches, sea turtles, art, photographs, and much more. Open Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat 10-2. US$2 fee. And they now have airconditioning and a nice gift shop too. Located in The Valley across from Ronald Webster Park, with the racing boat outside. Tours of Historic Buildings. Meet Thursdays at 10AM at Wallblake House in The Valley (next to the Catholic Church) for a 2 hour tour of historic buildings in Anguilla. US$10. Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society. Rotary Jeep Raffle. The Rotary Club is once again having their popular yearly raffle. US$100 buys you a chance at a new jeep (just what the average tourist needs - a jeep on Anguilla). All proceeds go toward their contining program of putting a playground in each village. Buy tickets from any Rotarian (in The Valley, try the Scotiabank, NBA, CCB, KPMG, Mr. Kool, KwikKopy Center). Winner will be drawn on Valentines Day. Postal Rates Increase. On January 2, 1998, the cost of a letter to the US and Canada increases to EC$1.50, to Europe is EC$1.90, to the Caribbean is EC$1.00, and local letters go up from EC$0.20 to EC$0.30. There is a new EC$5 fee for clearing a parcel through customs at the post office. Wednesday is Mexican Night at Johnnos on Sandy Ground. Leroy and Magarita Martinez have contributed their gourmet Mexican cooking skills to create a special menu for dinner on Wednesday nights: Tacos with shredded beef, Shrimp Ceviche, and much more. Call 264-497-2728 for a reservation. Fresh Baguette, Bargain Lunch, Gourmet Pizza Psst? Want to know where you get gourmet French cooking at local prices? The answer is Le Bon Pain French Bakery and Pastry Shop in Island Harbour, where you get real French bread warm from the oven, croissants, even pizza. Bernard from France and his lovely wife Yvonne of Island Harbour create delicious pastries and baked goods. If you are heading out to a beach picnic at the eastern end of Anguilla, just call to order a lunch of inexpensive sandwiches, cold juice and French desserts such as lime tarts. This is fast food with a difference. And for phone-in, take-out dinner, their pizzas have great style and flavour. Best bargain on the island They supply many of the gourmet restaurants, but you can just walk in and buy your own private supply of French bread and croissants (warning: the almond croissants, chocolate bread and danish pastries are usually gone by 10am). Telephone: 264-497-4090. Closed Wednesday. Le Bon Pain-French Bakery & Pastry Shop Sandwiches: Served on a Baguette with Lettuce & Tomato Cheese (American) US $3 EC $8.00 Cheese (Swiss) US $4 EC $10.75 Ham (Buffet) US $4 EC $10.75 Turkey (Buffet) US $4 EC $10.75 Cheese: w/Ham or Turkey US $5 EC $13.40 Tuna US $4 EC $10.75 Club: w/Ham,Turkey,Cheese US $6 EC $16.00 Pizzas: Ham ~ Cheese ~ Pepperoni ~ Groundbeef ~ Vegetable Vegetable: Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms, Olives, Tomato, Zucchini Medium Pizza: US $8 EC $21.45 Large Pizza: US $11 EC $29.50 Phone your pizza order by 4 PM and pick it up by 6 PM. The chef has to get to sleep early, so he can get up in the middle of the night to start baking again! Extra toppings: Extra US $1 Freshly Baked Pastries: Baguettes ~ Croissants ~ Danish ~ Almond Croissants Apple Turnovers ~ Chocolate Bread ~ Cold Appetizers Who To Call in a T-Shirt Emergency? What is that cute pink store across from the CCB bank in The Valley? That is the Gem-Exclusiv T-shirt and gift shop, run by Dennis Lloyd and his family. What makes it unique, besides having one of few new buildings in Anguilla that is cute and colorful, is that the family designs and prints the T-shirts themselves at home. Dennis and his wife Yasmini started the business about four years ago. Young son Denya does a lot of the designs and younger daughter Demi helps out with whatever is needed. They print the T-shirts in their basement, where they have their own color separation equipment, four-colour silk screen press, dryer to set the inks, light box, etc. Many of their designs incorporate the Anguilla flag, in a four-colour process. In stock they have the designs for many of the organizations on the island, so they can make up extra shirts in a hurry. Recently a visitor came into the store and wanted to take home T-shirts from Road Primary and Valley Primary Schools, but in a special colour. No problem. Dennis just nipped home and made them up. Gem-Exclusiv also does T-shirts for sports clubs and domino teams, as well banners and signs. The one-time charge to make up a basic one- colour screen for your team or family vacation is US$20, then $12 per T-shirt for as many as you need. For a small number of shirts, they use a quick screen machine which only costs $5 setup, then $12 a T- shirt again (but the screen wears out after 30 or 40 uses). Sometimes there are T-Shirt emergencies in Anguilla, in which case Dennis and Yasmini can go from a drawing to a dozen finished T-shirts in two hours or less! Last weekend there was a softball championship. One of the teams was so confident of victory that they had a "Champions of 1997" T-shirt designed ahead of time. At game time, Dennis stayed right by the press with the shirts ready to go. When the game was won, the team called by cellular, he produced the shirts and delivered them to the victory party and motorcade. Gem-Exclusiv is open from 8 am to 6 pm daily. Telephone: 264-497- 3345/3869. Fax 2639. Upcoming Events in Anguilla The Anguilla Local News has an Calendar for the year showing events, holidays, and activities. Marjori Morani and Loblolly Studio Hidden away in a private home near the village of Island Harbour is Loblolly Studio, workshop of artist Marjori Morani. Marjori moved to Anguilla in 1992 from Maryland where she ran a large art gallery featuring 50 artists. Marj is a traditional figurative painter who works primarily with a pallete knife. Most of her works feature people or animals. She prepares her own canvas with rabbit skin glue sizing and white titanium for primer. This technique reduces decay and mold (especially important in the tropics). Marj also makes hand-painted tiles, pottery, gift cards and post cards. Her card for the Wallblake House is well known (see it on their web site ). For the Christmas 1997 season she did a commissioned Christmas Card for the Grant a Wish foundation in Maryland. Her cards and tiles are available in Bermuda, Tortola and St Martin, but the originals are only available in Anguilla. She also displays her work at the Savannah Gallery on Crocus Hill, where she will have a show this year. Directions: on the main road in Island Harbour look for Le Bon Pain bakery. Across the street is a road leading to Loblolly Studio. Follow the little Loblolly tree signs to the studio. Open 2-6PM, Mon- Fri. Telephone: 264-497- 4229. Bike, Run, Swim: 3-Man Teams The Optimist Club Team Triathalon is just around the corner, Sunday the 29th of March, 1998. The triathalon will consist of a cycling leg, a running leg, and a swimming leg. Each leg will be done by a different member of the 3-man team. There will be two categories: - the Totally Serious category, open to male and female athletes. - the Seriously Fun category where each team must be mixed, having both male and female participants. The triathalon will start at Vista Market in South Hill. Totally Serious cyclists will bike down to Sandy Ground, back up to South Hill and the ferry terminal, then across the island to near Charlie's Water Supply in the Farrington. Seriously Fun cyclists will bike direct from Vista to the Farrington. The second member of the team will then run to Ronald Webster's house in Seafeathers, where the final team member will swim to Sandy Hill beach. Supporters, fans, and spectators will gather at Sandy Hill Bay for a beach BBQ, games, drinks and fun. Everyone is welcome. To enter, call 1-264-497-2369, Optimist Art, or 1-264-497-2091, Highway Tyre. An update on time, distances and prizes will be given after a team organizing meeting on January 13th, 6PM at Ruthwill Auditorium. The organizers encourage island visitors who like to relax but still like to work out to enter the triathalon. Contact one of the phone numbers above or your hotel to join a team. Our proud sponsor is The Highway Tyre Services and Sales Ltd. in George Hill. Funds raised will assist in the continuing development of the Optimist Club's Welches' Park Improvement Project. Francoise Offers Yoga Massage Francoise is back from her trip to India, bringing with her some wonderful new breathing technigues. And she does Reiki too. Francoise has moved to South Hill and has a studio in her house. Telephone: 254- 497-2922. When we mentioned her business very briefly last year, she got unexpected business from four ladies staying at Shoal Bay. So here goes again! Updates and Feedback Update on Bankie Banx . The December issue of Caribbean Travel and Life magazine has an article about Bankie's beach bar on page 98: >From a distance, the pile of flotsam and jetsam crowning a dune .. seems like the detritus of some vicious tropical storm. But on closer inspection, you discover there's an order to the makeshift structure .. welcome to the Dune Preserve, created by Anguilla's own reggae start, Bankie Banx. The Dune Preserve serves simple food and drinks daily from noon on, but it's Bankie's mellow, soulful songs that draw people on weekend nights. That's when he perches on the bartop and croons his own tunes, accompanying himself on quitar and harmonica. His sound is a cross between Bob Marley and Bob Dylan; Richie Havens and Ray Charles also come to mind... Hannah - One of Our Beach Entrepreneurs If you visit Shoal Bay in the high season, keep your eye out for Hannah and her handicrafts. This tall, willowy young lady with the distinctive eyes and cheek bones started selling her hand-made beads and jewelry from a beach wrap, but now she has upgraded to a table. Hannah Rogers is from Long Ground village and designs her own handicrafts out of beads and semi-precious stones. She has also done modeling assignments, in Anguilla, St. Martin and London. Her long- term goal is to open a shop selling her designs and others, but in the mean time she works on the beach in the high season and pursues modeling assignments in London in the low season. Update on Villas There are several new links on our Update on Anguilla Villa Guide this month. MorganHill.ai is a new web page for a two-bedroom villa on Long Bay in the West End. This villa sits on a cliff above the beach and has an incredible view of the coast. Although the location seems remote and undeveloped, you are in the heart of Anguilla's gourmet restaraunt cornucopia. Bean's House on Barnes Bay is described in this "Tradewinds" villa rental page. Many people consider this the nicest house on the island and it is enclosed in a high wall, so you can't see inside from any direction. Here is your chance to take a peek and read all about it (and check the weekly rental rate). Miles Away Villa at Seafeathers has a web page . The owners Judith and Marston Jones do their own bookings. They have had the house for six years and feel that each year they have enhanced it: swimming pool, king-size master bedroom with bath, second bedroom with twin beds and own bath, Cable TV, etc. Their high season rate is $225 per day. Seafeathers is at the eastern end of the island, not far from Sandy Hill Bay and Shoal Bay. Marston Jones, by the way, does volunteer dental/growth screenings for the dental clinic every year in Anguilla. He usually sees about 500-600 children each February at the mobile dental clinic. He also supplies all the toothbrushes that are given to the children each year in the school system, and donates all the charts, mirrors and disposable gloves for this program. Good job! USVI FROM FRANK BARNAKO The following information is provided by Frank Barnako who owns property which he'd like to rent. You can check it all out at: For the most relaxing vacation of your life, stay at Over the Rainbow Our management company has produced a new web site for Beyond the Sea, a spectacularly sited 2-1/2 bedroom property. Please take a look at: http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/develop/carib/beyond/beyond.html.Golf course proposed on St. John. ** Caneel and union set new contract Caneel Bay Resort's 190 unionized employees will receive a five percent pay increase in the first year of a two-and-a-half year contract ratified this week. The agreement between St. John's old- line resort and the United Steelworker's Union came after almost six months of negotiations and speculation about a strike. The thorniest issue was Caneel's policy of assessing a 10 percent charge on guests' bills. Employees believe visitors assume the money goes to the workers when in fact the funds are also used for operations of the facility.(18 Jan 98) ** St. John road work begins soon Road and water system work in Cruz Bay and on St. John's roads will begin within a week or so. Daily News reporter Lynda Lohr says the work is expected to be completed in June, before the island's traditional July 4th celebrations. She said crews will work days in areas where possible and nights in downtown areas where shoppers and tourists visit during the day.(18 Jan 98) ** Housing sales boom Continuing reports from St. John tell of a boom in home sales, 18 months after Hurricane Marilyn. Agent Rene Servant at the Islandia brokerage said "all the (real estate) offices are busy." Another long-time island real estate broker, Roger Harland, attributed the upswing to frequent vacationers who have made the decision that the time to buy is now. He said the average sale price for a St. John home in 1997 was $408,324; the average price for a half-acre lot was $114,299.(18 Jan 98) ** New Park superintendent's plans Russell Berry is now installed as the new superintendent of the Virgin islands National Park on St. John, and saying all the right things, the Tradewinds newspaper reported. At a meeting of the St. John Community Foundation, he explained plans to use $3.4 million in hurricane damage money to build new housing for park service workers, and to repair the park's contact station and administrative building He conceded construction of the controversial lifeguard stations on a north shore beach, which have already been undermined by the sea and which critics say are damaging the shoreline, were a mistake. "We know better than that," he said. Berry has also ordered a halt to plans to build two more facilities at Trunk Bay which, he says, is already over built.( 11 Jan 98) ** Off track betting Cap's Place, a bar across the street from the post office, is now a betting parlor, too. Manager Tom Windrow has contracted with the St. Thomas Racing Commission to become an off-track betting parlor complete with television broadcasts of horse races from Puerto Rico. Commission general manager Alvis Christian predicted there will be additional such satellite parlors on the island, the St. John Tradewinds newspaper reported.( 11 Jan 98) ** Road work to start Almost $2 million in federal highway funds are being spent this season on road construction projects around Cruz Bay, the Tradewinds reported. The road from Pine Peace to Chocolate Hole (including Jacob's Ladder) and a portion of Route 105 in Cruz Bay will be affected. The water and Power Authority plans to use the highway work as an opportunity to upgrade its water distribution system by adding new lines and remove old leaking lines in a project costing $660,000, the report said.( 11 Jan 98) ** Luxury yachts benefit businesses The Caribbean draws many luxury yachts to its waters this time of year - boosting the fortunes of a number of businesses on St. Thomas which cater to their owners' wants. Gourmet Gallery at Crown Bay Marina is one of them. Owner Zach Suid stocks his store with fresh produce, fish and meats. "I hope they stay forever, then I'll be in business forever," he told the Virgin Islands Daily News. There are 14 businesses at Crown Bay focused to the yachts' needs. They include a laundromat, restaurant, phone and secretarial services, the report said. One yacht captain, who declined to be identified, said life aboard ship is pretty good. "It's like going to the Ritz Carlton," he said.( 11 Jan 98) ** Miss Lucy's restaurant moves After seven years at a waterside location in John's Folly, Miss Lucy's is moving to Cruz Bay. Alfred and Val Augustine planned to be in business this month in space formerly occupied by the King Bee restaurant. "It's going to be just as nice," said Alfred. "I just won't have the sea next to me."( 11 Jan 98) ** St. Thomas Yacht Haven sold A Malaysian businessman reportedly has purchased the hurricane- wracked Yacht Haven Marina property along the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. Gov. Schneider told a news conference Tan Kay Hock hopes to have a ground breaking this year to demolish the old building and begin work on a luxury hotel, convention center, condominium development and marina. Scotia Bank reportedly has handled the financing. An unknown is whether Hock will include a casino in the project. Gov. Schneider offered no hint of Hock's plans but did say "I think if you look at all the hotel development in the Virgin Islands, all of them are thinking of casinos," the Daily News reported. (2 Jan 98) ** St. John real estate sales soaring For the past several years, $1 million seemed like the ceiling for St. John homes. That was then. Now, reports Holiday Homes realtor Christie O'Neil, four homes over $1.3 million have been sold, with another four near $1 million are also done deals. Currently 67 homes are listed for sale, while 42 properties are under contract or have sold so far this season - twice the number of last year. She also says there's a piece of land at Peter Bay, a beach front site, which sold a few years ago for $710,000, and which is now listed at $1.55 million. (2 jan 98)
A friend and I flew from Detroit via Travel Charter to Antigua from December 23 to Jan. 2nd. This was a last minute decision, we booked the trip on Dec. 18th and were very happy we did so! We stayed at Club Antigua which is classified as a Moderate all- inclusive resort and were satisfied with the accommodations. We have been to several other islands and we understand that hotels in the Caribbean are not on par with those in the US and with that in mind Club Antigua was not a disappointment to us. If you expect a budget to moderate resort this is exactly what you will get. If you're expecting something along the lines of a Marriott or Hyatt then this place obviously is not for you. Since we were there during the holiday season we were afraid it would be very crowded and that there would be long lines for everything. To our surprise there were rarely long lines for meals but my friend did mention that she had to wait an average of 30 minutes to waterski. The room was spartan but very clean. A warning to those with thick hair-the shower pressure was a bit weak and made it difficult for me to wash my hair! The maid service was excellent and everyone was very friendly and accommodating. We asked for an extra pillow and it was delivered to our room right away. The facilities included tennis courts, sailboats, paddle boats, waterskiing and a daily schedule of activities which included bike rides and walks. We thought it was easy to meet people to "play" with. My friend met someone on her first day at the tennis courts and they arranged to play together every morning. The beach was very nice. I thought there was plenty of room to stretch out even though more chairs and huts are needed. Shelling was excellent, every morning we would go out early and look for shells. We found some of the best and biggest shells we've ever seen. The weather was great-we did have a few showers but they never lasted more than 5 minutes. The food was ok. We agreed that choices are limited for vegetarians. There was a vegetarian dish available on request at dinner time but it was something we couldn't identify! There is a pizza/pasta restaurant right on the beach. This is where we ate for lunch everyday and sometimes for dinner. The pizza was wonderful and my friend loved the cole slaw. We rented a car for two days and drove around the island. It was a rather scary experience since Antiguans must be some of the most reckless drivers around! We drove to Half Moon Bay and that was gorgeous and to Long Bay which was ok and to Dickenson Bay which was a disappointment. The beach was wall to wall people and was very narrow in spots. I thought that the beach at Club Antigua was much better and especially roomier. We also stopped at St. Johns to do some shopping and there aren't too many nice shops. You can probably see all the shops in less than an hour. I want to mention that the Antiguans are extremely friendly people who genuinely love their island. We were constantly asked how we liked the island and told to come back. We had a terrific time and do plan to return someday. We would stay at Club Antigua again since we felt it was an excellent value and we basically got what we paid for.
Just returned home from my first trip to the Caribbean, we flew a charter to Aruba with TNT tours of Boston. This was my first trip to that region and I will be sorting it out for awhile. I had no preconceptions as to what it would be like since my wife booked the trip. We brought our daughters, ages 14 and 12, with us and stayed at the Holiday Inn on Palm Beach. There are many choices on this island, not the least of which is how Americanized you wish to be while you are there. The cultural issues associated with the influx of American and Venezuelan $$$$ are said to be less obvious than the impact of money on other islands, but nonetheless, still present. For example, there is at least one of every major American franchised fast food outlet there, on the Hotel end of the island. If you wish, and if you have the money, you can spend the whole time never actually dealing with anything which is not "American" - other than going through customs. There were persons who seemed to stay on the hotel grounds and not go off the property, ever. For me personally, i have done limited international travel, and it was nice to stay at the Holiday Inn cocoon while venturing out when we felt ready. Our daughters loved the beach and the activities. the weather was in the high 80s, the wind was every bit as strong as everyone said it would be. the temp did not drop in the evening - it was eery to listen to it howling at night when the temp was 86 - in Maine it mostly does that when its about 20 below zero!! Water sports: yes, it is the wind surfing capital of the Caribbean, there were surfers going 30+ miles per hour. awesome. I rented a sailfish twice and sailed with my kids. Ideal if you already know how, but there are strong gusts, and the wind will blow you to the gulf of Venezuela if you aren't careful. I brought drinking water with me as a safeguard. costs $20 per session with a refundable deposit which you would forfeit if they had to rescue you. Some of the guests who had been to Palm Beach three years ago said that on the previous visit, the water was clear right up to the shore. this time, it was murky as if there was sediment in it, til you got out a little bit. we wondered if this was due to El Nino or due to some form of pollution problem, or possible because of phosphate runoff from the new golf course....... I don't have the perspective on it but it was troubling to see. They are obviously counting on building up this area as a prime attraction - I hope they can keep the water the way it is or better............ It was a long weekend in Caracas and there were lots of Venezuelans there, I played beach volleyball with a group of them, all very friendly. The heat was exhausting. we did get to Baby Beach, and swam out to the coral reef 20 yards off the first gap in the breakwater. it was my first experience at snorkeling a reef, and this one seemed breathtaking. the current was strong, as there were swells and an outgoing flow from the gap in the breakwater. but well worth it, and my kids were totally jazzed by the experience. a pelican dived for a fish about 20 feet from us at one point. we ate at Boo Noo Noo Noos ( wow!!!!!!!!!!!) and at an Indonesian place ( down the street from BNNN, can't remember the exact name but it was Murkan Djawa or some such.....) it was also very nice, a pleasant alternative. There was a mariachi band with people singing in Spanish at Senor Frogs on the square in downtown Oranjestad.......... lots of people just hanging out. All very friendly. Hope to return there someday.
This vacation at Cable Beach, Nassau was not very successful. Read on if you want to learn from our mistakes. We left on Dec. 26, 97 from NY Laguardia for a week of vacation at Nassau Beach Hotel. Before making the reservation, I had researched the hotel and the beach as much as possible. I consulted the 97 Fodor guide and several trip descriptions here on CTR. However, all of them turned out to be out-of-date as a change of management (and name) had recently taken place: the "Forte Nassau Beach Hotel", which got positive writeups, is now the "Nassau Beach Hotel." Unfortunately, as we found out too late, the change in management brought also a major decline in quality. The hotel looked OK from a distance, but in fact it is dilapidated: paint is peeling, taps are dripping, the bathroom ceiling was so damp it looked as if it could come down any moment; the elevator worked erratically, etc. In addition, the staff is incompetent, in particular housekeeping. Everyday some things were missing: shampoo, towels, etc. In fact, it became quite a sport to chase housekeeping down, into the restricted areas of the hotel's basement, to retrieve the necessary items before one could take a shower! The biggest problems arose, however, when we tried to use the sailboats which they had advertised as being free for the hotel guests. Believe me, as sailing is the most important beach activity for my family, I had double checked this before making the reservations (at the end of November). The hotel claimed to have changed its policy on the first of December: they now charge $50 / hour for a catamaran. The outright dishonesty and nastiness of the management, and their complete unwillingness to negotiate about this situation should be enough of a reason (for all of you) to stay away of this place (and its neighboring hotel, the Marriott, which is under the same management). The same line of false advertising can be seen on their pamphlet for the Christmas time activities: it shows a beach with 3 catamarans and 9 sunfishes on it. In reality they have 1 working Prindle, 1 broken Hobiecat and 1 sunfish. As you can imagine, I lost valuable beach time meeting with their management. By the time this was over, the nice beach weather was over too: next we got a gray day, then a pouring rain day, then a stormy day. We were glad to have brought our raincoats and sweaters. Finally beach weather returned and we bought a ($50 / person) day pass at the neighboring Superclub "the Breezes." This gives you, between 9am and 6pm, unlimited use of their catamarans, their fleet of sunfishes, their windsurfers, etc. It also includes flying trapeze, water skiing, their restaurants and bars. Their staff was friendly and accommodating, and really saved our vacation. To our great dismay, the next day the wind was again too stormy for watersports. And the day after, we had to go home in the morning. In general, relaxing on Cable Beach is very difficult to do: there is noise and pollution from the ever passing jet skis, while on the shore sunbathers are constantly being harassed by people trying to rent you said jetskis, take you parasailing, braid your hair, sell you liquor or a "booze-cruise", etc. The water and sand are nice. During our 4 non-beach days, we explored the town of Nassau. We found many of its recommended sites dirty and badly kept up (e.g. the Queen's staircase and Fort Fincastle). Be aware that most shops are closed on Sunday, so that the town is completely dead that day. We did a lot of walking on the long wind-swept beaches -- good physical exercise -- and of swimming in the big waves, although the stirred up water was pretty cold. One day we visited Crystal Cay, a maritime center, where you can observe various fishes and their feeding. It is an interesting place. For those in the neighborhood who have a limited budget for food, I can report that there are a public deli shop and beverage shop in the hotel, which sell muffins, sandwiches, juices, beer, etc. at reasonable prices (in comparison to restaurant prices at least). In that same area is the Johnny Canoe restaurant which is reasonably priced and has a local atmosphere. The Sbarro restaurant is self- service and has a full meal for around $10. There was a fairly expensive ($70) New Year's dinner / dance in the hotel with live music, which around 70 people attended. In conclusion, we learned the hard way that 1) the weather in Nassau around New Year can be bad; 2) Cable Beach is full of vendors who harass you with their wares; 3) Nassau Beach Hotel is an undesirable hotel. I wish you all better luck with your choice of a vacation.
I found the travel tips from the Roundup so useful that I vowed to return the favor by recording my own experiences and submitting them in the hopes that they will be the same for future travelers to Cozumel. My new wife and I flew to Cozumel for 5 days in early January 1998, for our honeymoon. Our trip was arranged through Adventure Tours USA, which chartered the flight from/to Dallas. Check-in was pretty simple, and the Monday flight, on Champion Air, left on time and included friendly service. The flight was full of fellow honeymooners, which my bride Lois became adept at identifying by the fresh haircuts on the men and the French manicures on the women. Although they all stayed at different hotels in Cozumel (and Cancun, the second stop of the flight), we saw many of these same faces again and had we been less strung out from the wedding weekend we likely could have made some fun friends. At any rate, upon landing and lucking out by getting a green light from the random customs "stoplight," we were approached by a man in a "Royale Tours" uniform. What I first feared to be a huckster turned out to be Jose Pedro, our tour connection, who would prove to be very helpful. (Apparently Adventure Tours and Royale Tours are the same outfit.) When we told him our hotel, he welcomed us by name, and helped us to the complementary shuttle van. Our stay was at Plaza Las Glorias, recommended to us by a friend from her honeymoon and seconded in this forum. Without reservation I would recommend this hotel as well: If you go to Cozumel, try to get a room in Plaza Las Glorias. Our room was an air-conditioned suite (the humidity drove us to use it every day) with a balcony overlooking the water. Service was good. But the main asset of P.L.G. is its location, a simple and pleasant walk from San Miguel, the only town on the island. Unlike all of our touring colleagues who stayed at other hotels, the only cab we took during our entire stay was to the airport at the end. Walking into and around town was fun, and gave us the feeling of actually visiting a foreign place, which we imagined we would prefer to the isolation, luxurious though it may be, of the resorts further from town. It was rather overcast on our arrival, and every day of our stay unfortunately included clouds and passing showers. They never lasted too long, though, and the temperature was perfect. Shorts were comfortable day and night. Humidity was tropical, but ocean breezes, dips in the water, and air conditioning in the room prevented us from ever complaining. Most days we wore waterproof sunblock rated at 30 SPF, which worked almost better than I wanted, since I returned from the trip without even much of a tan. As promised, Jose met us at the hotel that afternoon to help orient us, to spell out some of the activities they offered, and to answer our questions. He was super friendly, and I commend him and the Adventure USA/Royale outfit for their way of business: he was there to help us, not to sell us tour packages. We decided to schedule a tour of Tulum for Wednesday (see below), and leave the other days free for our own activities. We spend the first 24 hours recovering from the wedding weekend. For convenience's sake, our first two meals were from La Palapa, the informal restaurant by the poolside at the hotel, one under the huge palapa (umbrella-like leafy canopy) downstairs, and one via room service. Food was unremarkable, portions were huge, and price seemed decent. P.L.G., like most decent hotels, filters their water. We avoided drinking it nevertheless to be safe, though our vigilance became lax during our stay and by the end we were brushing our teeth with the tap water without incident. We were neither especially careful nor especially careless in what we ate, and neither of us got sick at all. In fact, after a weekend of nervousness and alcohol associated with my own wedding, I was in the curious position of ENTERING Mexico with a bad stomach, which felt much BETTER in Cozumel! Decompressed from our wedding, on the next day (Tuesday) we began our adventure in earnest. We walked into town for a late breakfast. The main street, which runs in front of the hotel, leads along the water. It was nice to walk on the waterside sidewalk, where we could see the town without getting bogged down in the sidewalk traffic of tourists and salesmen on the town side. Each place of business has somebody working the sidewalk, trying to divert passersby into their store or restaurant. This is not as annoying as it sounds, though: all are friendly and all take "no gracias" without protest. Breakfast was at the cafe on the upstairs terrace of the Cozumel Museum. We didn't have to pay the 21 peso museum entrance to go through the museum to the restaurant. Breakfast was good, although I was a bit disappointed that my French toast with papaya and banana came as French toast with far-less-exotic cantaloupe and banana. This was probably our favorite breakfast spot. It's on the main street (on the water), a pink building north of Carlos and Charlie's by a few blocks. We walked around town looking in shops. The exchange rate was about 8 pesos to the dollar. You get a bit less of course, depending on who is changing your money. I heard that the most favorable rate is through ATMs rather than banks or hotels, so cash machines were our sole source of pesos (I brought some traveler's checks as backup.). It struck me that anyone from the US could probably spend a week in Cozumel and never change money if they wanted, as restaurant checks were always totaled in both pesos and dollars and shop owners bargained in US currency. Nonetheless, I would recommend the ATM route: they were available everywhere we went, and we avoided many lines and time rate-shopping by using them. We rented a car on Thursday (see below), for which a credit card was required. Shopping wasn't that fun for me, though my wife Lois had more patience for it. I have to admit it was fun to hear the standard bargaining lines. My favorite, overheard from a shopkeeper to a woman who was walking away from his store: "Okay, last chance: fifteen!... Okay, fourteen!" At one point, when we were cash-poor, Lois showed interest in two silver bracelets that they reduced from $85 to $60 "just for her." As I dragged her out of the store and walked away, the price kept going down: "$55! $50" Aha, we thought, walking away is the way to get the best price. So we returned a day and a cash machine visit later to see what price we could get for one of them. $45. We offered $20. He said no way. We started slowly walking away, waiting for them to beg us back with a lower price. They let us go without protest. Oh well. We did get some nice silver and turquoise earrings for my sister (who gave us the trip for our wedding), but by and large the shopping was kind of disappointing, mainly because the stores all carried the exact same merchandise (silver bracelets and necklaces with onyx, turquoise, etc., and onyx chess sets), leading me to suspect that all of it is part of a massive distribution scheme originating from god knows where, rather that the native crafts that we tourists would like to believe the items were. And the prices didn't strike me as low, but I suppose you have to know where to go and how to bargain. More fun for me was simply walking around the backstreets and squares of San Miguel. We felt safe even wandering around the back neighborhoods, and Jose assured us that there is "no crime" on the island. Everyone we ran into was kind. The most interesting thing we came across was a cemetery, with gaily-painted above-ground tombs adorned with all sorts of offerings. Back at the hotel, we decided to check out the snorkeling. What might be surprising to some is that there is no beach at this hotel. Rather, the hotel pool and imported sandy "beach" leads up to docks of sorts, which have ladders leading down to the water which is about 10 feet deep at the shore. P.L.G. like all the hotels on Cozumel is on the Western (mainland) side, which means a) you get to enjoy sunsets over the water, and b) the water is very calm. Bodysurfers will be frustrated, snorkelers in heaven. We rented fins from the dive shop on premises and were awed at a very first glimpse underwater. Even on a cloudy day the water is incredibly clear, and there are numerous and various fish. It's like swimming is the world's biggest aquarium. Snorkeling became our favorite activity. We did it every day in various places (and right outside the hotel was easily one of the best). This made the trip for us: IF YOU ARE A FAN OF SNORKELLING, GO TO COZUMEL! IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT, GO TO COZUMEL AND TRY IT! I recommend bringing your own gear as we did, though it's easy to find rentable stuff everywhere if you must. If you're shopping for gear, I recommend a tube with a little exit valve hanging off the crook. With this it's far easier to clear your tube of water after you dive down to get closer looks (a must!). Every day we saw new kinds of fish: absolutely fascinating rays, flounders, puffer fish, gars, and breathtakingly beautiful iridescent fish of all sorts. In one of the many conversations in which we talked about how great snorkeling was, I observed that it was the only sport I knew of in which, when you get tired, you can simply relax, AND YOU'RE STILL DOING THE SPORT! "Sounds like your kind of sport," quipped Lois. Seriously, it's almost meditative when you go under, with this beautiful other world to explore, feeling weightless and fluid, and hearing only your own breathing. After our afternoon shower we headed back into town to eat at Pizza Rolandi, a very pleasant restaurant on the water north of town. We were seated by the gracious staff in a beautiful courtyard in back. We had garlic bread that was a yummy puffy flour tortilla from their pizza ovens. Lois had a good snapper that was laid in a beautiful but disappointingly bland tricolor sauce. I had a superb lasagna. I would recommend this place for its food, service, and atmosphere. Though it was a nice place, we didn't feel underdressed in our shorts. Casual is the rule for attire on the island. Both Lois and I felt we overpacked, and decided next time we'd subtract half of the clothing we brought (two pairs of pants is AT LEAST one pair too many) and add only an extra swimsuit (putting on the damp suits got old). Wednesday was tour day. We had an early breakfast at Las Palmeras, the restaurant right on the main square. Passable food, good service, excellent location. I packed the bread basket contents in our backpack for later. As promised, Jose met us at the main pier and made sure we got on the correct 8am ferry for the mainland. Tickets were not included in our tour, and cost about 80 pesos each way (no round-trip available). The ferry ride was about 50 minutes to the wavy shore of Playa del Carmen on the mainland. The rocking of the ferry left us a bit weak-legged (having seen "Titanic" the week before didn't help), but we docked without incident. Along with about 8 other tour customers, we met our guide at the pier and piled into a van for the drive south to Tulum. Along the way, the guide Benjamin began to tell us about what we were going to see. It took a while to get adjusted to his accent over the van's loudspeaker, but he was informative. We stopped at a roadside tourist store on the way for a bathroom break, where a hyperactive spider monkey was employed to help sell woven blankets. We got out at Tulum and gave our snorkeling gear requests to our guides for our later stop at Xel-Ha. We walked a short distance to the site. Tulum is a medium-sized Mayan site dating c. 1100-1600. It consists of three city walls marking a rectangle which includes a few temples and structures, including the large Temple of the Descending Gods, on a cliff overlooking the water. I believe it is the only surviving Mayan site on the water. The setting is certainly spectacular, and the buildings are in good enough shape to spur the imagination to picture a frenzied Mayan religious dance. Benjamin proved to be an excellent guide. He pointed out many things we would have missed, including how the entire layout of the complex was oriented as a calendar, so the position of the rising sun north or south of the axis of two notches in the architecture, for example, would tell the Mayans what time of year it was. We detected pride in his voice as he explained the functions of the buildings: we got the sense that, though the indigenous cultures were ravaged and cities like Tulum lay in ruins, there is still a living culture here (the political turmoil surrounding the Chiapas massacres reminds us of the same). After his informative tour, which Lois and I perhaps had more interest in than our fellow tour participants (maybe because we are both art historians), Benjamin let us roam the grounds for an hour before meeting back at the van. We could go down to the beach or up to the watchtower for relaxation or photo ops. Most of the buildings are off limits to enter, but we did climb up onto the "dancing platform" which fronts the main temple. The site was crowded with tourists when we went. The guides welcomed us with cold drinks and the snorkeling equipment we requested (which turned out to be a small additional fee), and we set off for Xel-Ha, a large natural lagoon on the way back to Playa del Carmen. It has been developed into a park (actually still unfinished), touted as a "Snorkeler's Paradise." We claimed some chairs on the palm-tree lined sandy shore, checked our wallets into a rentable locker, and dipped into the water. This was a completely different experience that snorkelling at the hotel, because the water was nowhere near as clear. The size of the lagoon and its shape (rather uniform depth of around 12 feet but with rocks and coral that created tunnels and coves that were fun to negotiate) were great, and the variety of fish good (we saw the largest fish here, an orange and iridescent green 30 lb. monster that made Lois shriek through her snorkel tube), but with the murky water and crowds, this was no "Snorkeler's Paradise." Nevertheless, the cloudiness of the water and the size of the lagoon did make the snorkeling fun in that you couldn't really see where you were going, or what was just ahead, until you got there: it was more of an adventure that way. We didn't go to the ocean inlet or ride rentable innertubes down the river that feeds into the lagoon. We ate a decent hot dog and fell asleep in our shoreside chairs instead. Despite the crowds, it was a relaxing place, enhanced by tropical music played on a wooden marimba-like instrument wafting towards us on the pleasant breezes. All in all, I wouldn't go out of my way to go to Xel-Ha, and I certainly wouldn't put any stock in the brochure's claims about its snorkeling, but if it is a necessary stop on a Tulum tour, as it was for us, one can make a pleasant stay of it. One word of advice: if you want to wear sunscreen at Xel-Ha, put it on long before you enter the park, as they ask you to turn it in at the door. Once dropped off back in Playa del Carmen, we were short of funds for the ferry ride back to Cozumel, so we ventured into town in search of an ATM. We wound up (seemingly at random but of course not so) on the main pedestrian walkway of this town, which was charming despite its obvious tourist-targeted orientation. We strolled a few blocks before asking somebody about a cash machine, which turned out to be on a perpendicular street we had passed. We backtracked, got some pesos, and stepped into a bakery on that street (the main street for the real town). I had huge bills from the ATM and only a sprinkle of pesos, so I hoped that the beautiful pastries we picked out with tongs and presented to the cashier would be under 100 pesos or so. "Tres pesos," asked the woman. I put my wallet away, and reached into my pocket to hand over the change. These amazing pastries were less than 20 cents each! It was a windy day, and the dockmen could barely hang on to the ferries that were rocking and tossing in the surf. We got seats on the bottom near the middle to minimize the motion and to keep our pastries in their place. Whether due to the engine below or a climate- control system on the fritz, our choice of seats proved poor because it was unbearably hot during the whole trip back. We got back to our hotel room to freshen up and decided it was getting too late to try the adventurous authentic dinner at El Moro, the legendary spot way back in the depths of San Miguel. So we went to a decidedly "easier" place for U.S. tourists, Ernesto's Fajitas Factory. Atmosphere was much like I imagined the places I tried to avoid in Cozumel to be (e.g., Carlos and Charlie's, Hooters, Planet Hollywood, Hog's Breath); that is, more like a fraternity outing at Bennigan's than anything native to Mexico. Sure enough, the menus came in English, with jokey descriptions and cartoons. And then the fajitas came. I grew up in Texas and Lois in California, so it is saying something to state that these were the best fajitas either of us had ever tasted. We had the combo (shrimp, chicken, and beef), with scrumptious guacamole and yummy sweet grilled onions. Whether you're turned on or off by the "accessibility" of Ernesto's, go get fajitas there at least once while you're in Cozumel. The next day, Thursday, was sadly already our last full day on the island, for which we planned our own adventuring via rented car. We went to the Hertz office to inquire about possibilities of renting (despite plans I hadn't reserved a car before our arrival or even earlier in our stay). There are rental outfits for scooters and cars (especially Jeeps and Volkswagen "beetles") everywhere on Cozumel. Conventional wisdom says to go with a name you've heard of, and Hertz had gotten good marks in this forum. Sure enough, there were a number of cars available. We decided it wouldn't be an adventure in a Nissan, so we chose the Jeep. The promotional special rate was $65 out-the-door, which seemed quite reasonable to me. We said we'd be back to pick it up after breakfast. Breakfast was at the Waffle House on the water south of the square. Lois had unexciting waffles; I made the mistake of ordering a chicken mole dish, which was shredded chicken piled with Fritos and covered in a sludgy dark sauce. Don't bother with the Waffle House, and if you find yourself there, order conservatively. One more trip to the ATM meant one more swing past the jewelry vendors. Here we bought earrings from a cart. In this little alley there were about six carts selling almost the same merchandise. It's definitely a buyer's market, so insist on finding what you want, lowball your offer, give only a little ground, and be ready to walk away. If you like something, chances are excellent that you will find it elsewhere, so don't pay more than you want or get caught buying something that isn't quite it. Though it's stressful, this haggling is done in good fun. Don't be afraid to offend vendors: you can't. Smiles abound, likely because even the best haggler's price is still a nice profit for the seller. We picked up our Jeep, a nice looking car whose ricketiness added to the adventurous flavor we sought. We packed up our snorkel gear and towels and headed south along the same main road that the hotel is on. We passed the International Pier and quickly found ourselves cruising in lush, undeveloped countryside. First stop was Chankanaab Park, US$7 entry per person. This was like Xel-Ha but better: a natural lagoon-turned tourist park. The lagoon around which the park was built was far less exciting than expected: a small crystalline pond surrounded by paths through a lush tropical garden. Unshy iguanas of astounding size and number were the most interesting feature. A large beach between the lagoon and the sea was crowded. Arriving earlier (we got there around noon) would probably be wise. Also crowded was the snorkeling area in the sea off of the beach. This is what made Chankanaab worth the visit: snorkeling was AWESOME here. The clearest water, the neatest fish, and the best coral formations were found here: only the occasional snorkeler traffic jam detracted from the experience. The most fish were out at a central coral reef, surrounded by snorkelers and divers. More fun was to stake out a smaller reef along the shore, near the buoyed lines delimiting the snorkeling area, and to dive down repeatedly, exploring the beautiful fish tucked away in caves or hovering behind the waving sheets of seaweed. We brought three underwater disposable cameras, which we used both in the sea and on ground. Underwater, it was difficult to aim the cameras, being removed from the viewfinder not only by the camera's plastic case but by the snorkel mask as well: I got an embarrassingly large number of prints of fish tails exiting the frame. The beauty of the colors of the fish did not register on the film (sunnier days might have helped), so our pictures serve best not to show others what we saw but to trigger our own more vivid memories of our favorite fish. Above water the cameras were hit and miss: condensation and smudges on the case (and the fact that the film and settings are optimized for underwater shots) meant that many of our photos (particularly those taken after the camera had been submerged) were streaky. At any rate, take such a camera with you (they are far more expensive there), since tracking favorite fish to get the perfect shot made snorkeling into a fun aquatic safari--but don't expect the resulting photos to be anything like the experience itself. After drying in the sun on the beach, we climbed back in the Jeep and headed south again. Our next stop was San Francisco beach. I had seen it touted as one of the best natural sandy beaches on the Western side of the island. That may be, but keep in mind that there are almost no natural sandy beaches on the Western side of the island! Access is free, though we tipped the guy working the parking lot for watching the stuff we left in the Jeep. The beach took the tone of its visitors, which in this case was active and loud. Rentable Jet Skis cruised back and forth in the surf the entire time we were there, and there was an ongoing parasailing operation as well. We had lunch, a pretty good burger and chicken sandwich, at the palapa restaurant there. The proprietors encourage a tropical atmosphere by passing around a clipped-winged parrot and serving mixed drinks in hollowed whole pineapples and coconuts. A particularly large and raucous group of Italians arrived while we were there. This is the place to go if you're looking for a "party beach," not if you want placid natural wonder or an elegant resort-like atmosphere. Again we set off south, rounding the island and coming to the Caribbean side. This part of the island is almost completely undeveloped: our only company was the many rental cars and scooters on the same road making the same loop around the island. Here there are real beaches: wide swaths of sand and rolling waves. Apparently the undertow is dangerous, which I suppose thankfully keeps the coast undeveloped. There are official beaches here and there, which as far as I could tell only meant that there were parking lots and restaurants. We decided rather simply to pull off to the side of the road whenever inspired, grab our bag out of the Jeep and walk down to enjoy the beach. Only litter here and there and a bizarre fly attack at one spot marred the beauty. It was so different from the manicured paths of Xel-Ha and Chankanaab: this was unpackaged, glorious nature. It was easy to find the turnoff for the shortcut home that bisects the island (in fact, the road itself turns, and I never saw the rough path that continues to circle the island). We stopped at the only gas station on the island, where a mere 20 pesos was enough to refill the tank to its original setting as required by Hertz. Driving in San Miguel itself was pretty simple. It is laid out in a numbered grid and the alternating one-way streets are all sufficiently marked. We drove back to our hotel and decided on dinner at Pasta Prima. Despite or perhaps because of the late hour, the restaurant was quite full. It is located on a second-floor outdoor terrace, with pretty strings of white lights strewn overhead. We had sauteed mushrooms to start. Lois had fish and I had buttery crab-stuffed shrimp. Both came with pasta. In this forum I had seen the restaurant praised for its food and prices: I would say instead that these were relatively unremarkable, but its atmosphere was nice. Portions here, as at almost all of the places we ate, were huge. My margarita was very good. Since we had the car until the morning, we decided to venture down to the Presidente, the luxurious hotel we had passed earlier that day. The long, grand entrance, flanked by palm trees and lights leading up to a reflecting pool, made it clear that this aspired to be a world- class resort rather that the roadside hotel in which we were staying. We toured the grounds, which were classy but not breathtaking, and curiously quiet. We went to the entrance of the restaurant and asked to be seated for desert. The hostess politely led us in. Upon entering we quickly realized we were the only souls there (it was about 10pm by this point). It felt strangely incongruous when the gracious waiter laid our napkins on our laps--we were still wearing our shorts. We ordered coffee and dessert. Lois had a lemon pie, and I had a white chocolate mousse. When the food came we were taken aback by the gorgeous presentation. Lois's pie was arranged in starlike triangles with a huge cookielike crispy triangle jutting up from it. My mousse was laid in a striped ribbon of chocolate, surrounded by dollops of lemon sauce, with a hardened chocolate swirl sticking up. They didn't taste as remarkable as they looked, but the presentation alone was worth it. Again, large servings: we could have split one happily. The amazing thing--really amazing--is that there was not ONE HINT of disdain that we were underdressed P.L.G.ers crashing their fine restaurant or of annoyance that we were very likely the only thing keeping the restaurant open and the staff on duty. We even had to ask for the check! As I said before, we preferred our hotel for its connection to the town, but if this was any indication of the service that Presidente guests receive, it is indeed a classy place. If you're staying elsewhere, dessert at the Presidente is a nice way to end an evening. Unfortunately this was the end of our trip. The next morning we had to return our beach towels, fins, and rental car and pack up for the trip home. I woke up early to get the car back, and was absolutely horrified to see that the jeep was GONE! I had parked it on the street across from the hotel, which was now empty. I raced out of the hotel, despairing that whether stolen or towed, this was going to be a mess that wouldn't be easily sorted out before my flight home in a few hours. As I crossed the street, I saw a purple jeep like mine parked on the side of the building in front of which I had parked. Either this was mine and was somehow moved(?!), or I was in a lot of trouble. As I ran toward it I saw a scratch on the front that I hoped I recognized (before renting, you survey the condition of the car). I climbed in, put in the key, prayed, and turned it. YES! Apparently the police or the construction crew working on the building across from the hotel moved it during the night somehow. I was so happy to have it that I didn't speculate further. I simply drove it right back to the rental agency and turned in the keys with a sigh of relief. As he promised, Jose was kind enough to call us in the morning and update us on the flight, so that if (as apparently often happens with these charters) it is delayed, we could spend our extra hour poolside rather than at the airport. All things were on schedule though, so we checked out and got in a taxi for the airport (paid for with a voucher that was part of the tour package). Jose was once again there to make sure we were in the right place (and of course to welcome the next batch of arriving tourists), and he told us that a last-minute delay would make our flight out later. We napped in the airport and had lunch at the restaurant there, which had surprisingly good food. There, as everywhere in Cozumel, the salsa was fantastic. We finally boarded our flight, and, after picking up more passengers after the hop over to Cancun, we were on our way back home. Already planning our return.
| CTR Home | << Back | ToC | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Next >> | Search |