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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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(Updated 7/99) The Abaco Cays have been called Out Islands, the Family Islands and the Friendly Islands all of which definitely apply. Here you will find friendly native folks, a relatively booming economy with none of hustles and hustlers of fast paced Nassau, Paradise Island and Freeport. Many of the populated settlements were founded by the Loyalists back in 1780’s whos descendants still remain. You will regularly hear the names Bethel, Sawyer, Lowe, Albury, Malone, Sands, Thompson, Roberts, Pinder and Macintosh through out these islands with each island having its own predominant names. The Abaco Cays of which Green Turtle is part, (we have been going since ‘73) start in the north at Walkers Cay working their way 100 miles or so down to Little harbor. The ocean side and many of the passages between these cays are covered with coral reefs making passage between a bit tricky if not impossible. Walker's is strictly a sport fishing resort with it’s own operating air strip. It's reputation is world wide. Many sport fisherman keep their yachts berthed there and fly in for a weekend of fishing fun. There are numerous tournaments here through out the year, however their once famous for their "Shootout" between Hatteras and Bertram owners has moved to Boat Harbour Marina in Marsh Harbour. Walker's native workers live on the adjacent island of Grand Cay who's main (and only) attraction is “Rosie's Restaurant”. Here you can get their famous combo of Cracked Conch, Turtle Steak, Lobster Tail and Grilled Grouper. Working southward you will pass a half a dozen or so large uninhabited cays. Most have their own protected and secluded spots where you will always find a few boats anchored. Lying between them and on the Atlantic side are some of the most beautiful coral reefs you’ll find in the Atlantic. Fact is it’s the fourth largest barrier in the world. Shooting up from the depths you can find reefs in waters from 6 to 200+ feet. There are reefs for snorkelers to the experienced diver. It’s truly a divers paradise and a well kept secret. Because of these reefs, passage between these cays and the fishing grounds outside can only be made at a few select locations and with local knowledge. Spanish Cay is the first of the outlying cays heading south from Grand Cay that has any population and those folks are those attached with the resort there. There is an airstrip and a fine marina attached to the “Resort at Spanish Cay” which changes hands every few years. The most recent being spring of ‘99. Outside of what the resort offers, dive shop, restaurant, bar with occasional Calypso singer, there isn’t much else to do here. And we cant be sure even of the latter because of the recent change. Beaches on this Island are few and nowhere near what will find on others along the route. An earlier owner of the island (Clint Murchison who owned the Dallas Cowboys) removed the Casuarina’s (Australian Pines) which have all but undermined the natural foliage of this (and other) islands. Instead he replanted the island with thousands of coconut palms and other tropical trees. In this regard parts of the island are reminiscent of the south pacific. Although I cant say for sure, I suspect these new plantings, many of them berry producing, attract the many types of birds that we’ve noticed on this island as compared to other cays. The next cay you come to with any population (20 Miles south of Spanish Cay) is Green Turtle Cay and the one we are most familiar with. We have been going to Green Turtle since 1973 during the days of Mackey airlines. Things have changed a lot in 25+ years. There were no cars on G.T. back then. Electricity was only provided for the village of New Plymouth with the clubs at the other providing their own generators. A flash light was a necessary item for travel since the electricity would go off regularly. - "The good ole days in the Bahamas". The island eventually became wired to the town generator but not without problems. Then in 1997 G.T. started getting it’s electricity directly from the mainland of Great Abaco. Radio was the primary means of communications and still is, only now VHF instead of CB. And of course you didn't see the many satellite dishes that have sprung up. Recently the small satellite dishes have replaced the large eight footers that still dot some of the yards. Cellular service too has found it’s way and begun impact on the island folks. As of 1996 the first Internet site was set up in Marsh Harbour! (http://oii.net/) and it wasn’t long before quite a few of the merchants and resorts have their own web sites which can easily be found browsing the web. During our early trips we would take our kids. It was a great place when they were growing up. We didn’t have to worry about a thing. They could run around all they wanted , as kids still can, I might add. Green Turtle and it’s village of New Plymouth was originally settled by the loyalists in the 1770's. Lobstering and tourism are main industries of the island today. The quaint and picturesque village serves most of the needs of the Islanders. Access to the Island is of course only by ferry (the "BOLO") Neigel, Larry or Curtis will probably be your captain. The BOLO runs from anywhere on the island to a dock on the mainland serving the airport (by land Taxi) at Treasure Cay. Connecting commuter flights here are to Miami, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale Orlando and Nassau. Incidentally Treasure Cay is not a Cay anymore but the name of the mainland resort and the airport serving that area of Great Abaco. It boasts one of the most beautiful crescent white sand beaches in the Abaco’s. It’s beach is on Great Abaco Sound and therefore has no reefs for snorkeling. In New Plymouth, there are a half a dozen restaurants including the some first class dining at the “New Plymouth Inn” (their dining room is not air conditioned as of 6/99). For native dinning there is always the “Wrecking Tree” and “Macintosh’s Bakery & Restaurant”. It’s on the street going up the hill to rousters. Then there is everybody's all time favorite “Laura's (carbohydrate) Kitchen”, you’ll find it just up the street from the town dock. Here you will get your plate piled high with food for a reasonable price. A reservation is strongly suggested. Our favorite native restaurant was the “Sea View” run by Maxine Macintosh, however she married a Customs Officer closed the restaurant and moved to Nassau. Above the hardware on New Plymouth Main street is a new restaurant called “The Islands Restaurant”. Its small but air conditioned and recommended for lunch. Finally there is Mikes Bar & Restaurant - right on the water and probably has the best view of all in town. Like so many others their schedule is sporadic. Mikes Mom lives across the street and will open for any reservations. You can hail them all your VHF. For decades a favorite night spot for the visiting yachtsman has been “Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar”. She was the originator of the Bahamian national drink - of the Goombay Smash. Sadly, Miss Emily passed away in early 1997 but the traditions of her “establishment” are now being run by her daughter Violet. Just next door is “Bert's Sea Garden”, and both open an their mood dictates but usually in the evenings and especially on weekends. Then there’s the Island's hot spot, “Roosters Rest” where on the weekend you can find the Kevin and the Gully Roosters playing Reggae and Soca (Calypso). By the way the number one hit* of 1999 is “Mash De Roach”. It’s even got it’s own dance. Ask Kevin to play it for you. At this point we should say something about the Bahamian food in general. Despite the variety of fresh local fish their preference is to fry, and fry everything. You can get broiled but it is sometime difficult and or has to be ordered in advance. In the upscale restaurants this is not the case except maybe at lunch. Fresh greens are hard to find and a red tomato - forget it. Their staples are peas & rice, macaroni & cheese, French fries and coleslaw. Now the water, that is another thing. In the Abaco's (which ain't Mexico) we drink it right out of the tap and have been doing so for 25 years with no problems. It is either sea water purified by reverse osmosis (the Green Turtle Club and other places) or filtered rain water. Bottled water that is sold in the stores comes from the same source. Marina guests hooking into their R/O system will pay upwards of 30 cents a gallon! Washing down your boat can be costly. Cottage rentals are available not far from New Plymouth. A few names that come to mind are Linton's Cottages, Star Cottages and Long Bay House which are near beaches close to town. Others Like Coco Bay Cottages can be found at the more pristine north end of the island. Still others can be found listed in the classified of yachting magazines like Southern Boating, Yachting Power & Motor Yacht etc. “Islands” magazine and “Caribbean Travel & Life” routinely have listings. And, as of 1999 the internet is full with rental listings. A marine VHF walkie talkie is a must in the islands. You will use it for dinner reservations, booking a boat rental, golf cart, ferry or hailing a taxi or just general inquiries. Evening listening to the island chit chat is fun. They can be purchased at marine supply stores in the states like Boat US and West Marine. Be sure to get one that uses AA batteries. Protocol requires you call the intended party on Channel 16 (which everybody monitors) them switch to responding party’s suggested working channel to keep 16 free for other callers. At the north end of the island in White Sound, you will find “The Green Turtle Club” and the “Bluff House”. There is standing rivalry between them both as the managing owners of each are sisters (and their husbands). Seems even in paradise there are family feuds. There is quite a story on how this animosity came about but that's for another time. Routinely Management and employees switch back and forth between them. As of spring ‘99 G.T.C. has hired as the new managing couple, Tim and Meredith a very personal and energetic young pair who will attend to your every need. They replaced our old friends Chris & Julie who are now at the Bluff House. Although there has been some serious construction and development at the Bluff House lately (‘99) they still have a lot to do on the harbour side and their Marina. If it means anything, 90% of arriving boats will radio first the G.T.C. before the B.H. when seeking a slip assignment. Both have do first class restaurants with comparable food. There are usually four dishes to choose from and you order your entree at reservation time. The Bluff House wins the fantastic view award and definitely worth a visit all be it a few bucks more. Besides there is always the ever jovial Vern, the Bluff House’s bartender. Both have marinas with rooms and cottages for rent. The G.T.C. has cottages right on the water where you can tie up your boat as we often do. The B.H. has elevated seaside cottages with a great view of the sea of Abaco. This writer finds the G.T.C. a little more upbeat and an easier spot to get around and explore the north end and its beaches. Add to this the fact that the recently paved town road ends at the G.T.C. Since the arrival of this road, you might want to use land transportation to get around. The local Hertz is actually D&P (Donny & Poli) Golf Cart Rentals. Or if you choose you can take Omri’s Taxi. He is the only one at the moment. Both can be reached using your Marine Radio and calling on 16. The Green Turtle Club Bar is a lively spot hosted by ever smiling Debi or Wendy. (In the spring of 1998 Wendy’s predecessor Geri moved to Grand Cay (I suspect temporarily) to be with her husband Sidney who’s yellow fishing boat sits sunk in front of the Bluff House dock - again that’s another story. The girls will gladly whip you up a great Tipsy Turtle (which will do the job for which it is intended). The Green Turtle Club Bar is a favorite stop over for the cruising yachtsman and often the nights are spent in conversation with them and of their travels. On Wednesday the Gully Roosters comes over from town (with half the population) to play at the club. On Fridays and Mondays, other entertainment is provided. At this point we have to mention Brendal (Stevens). I’d call him the unofficial Ambassador of the Goombay Spirit. He used entertain you at the G.T. bar with his one man band and ran the clubs dive shop for many years. But as of the fall ‘97 he has had a falling out with the club and is no longer associated with it. As of spring 98 he has opened his own dive shop right across the street from the clubs dive shop. Brendal has been the big draw so the clubs dive shop is not in operation (as of June of ‘99). This writer just wishes the two could bury the hatchet. As far as diving goes, Brendal can take you on any type dive you want, however our favorite is the day trip where he will catch your lunch and cook it for you on a uninhabited beach. Some of the fishing guides do the same thing: Lincoln Jones is one that comes to mind. There are also a couple of boat rental companies Donny Sawyer's who’s boats are usually beet to hell but seem somehow to always work. I understand he started getting some new ones as of fall ‘98. This was probably spurred on by a new boat rental agency here called Reef Rentals that has all new boats. They all can be reached by VHF radio. As of 1999 the Green Turtle Club now offers excursions and picknic cruises to the neighboring Cays. Ever congenial Louis Louis (Dames) will be your host. I might interject at this point, the G.T.C. is within a 5 minute walk to a lovely bay beach at Coco Bay and 15 minute walk to a beautiful stretch of ocean beaches with all the diving and snorkeling you may want. Add another 15 minutes if from the Bluff house. There are hardware, gift and food markets in New Plymouth albeit a bit pricey. Finally, a visit to Albert Lowe's museum is worth a visit. Remember these are the out islands. Merchandise has to be shipped to Marsh Harbour via Nassau or the states then to the outlying cays, This plus a hefty duty on many items makes things a bit costly. The fishing, diving and beach combing are great; as good as anywhere, even in the Caribbean. Evenings are spent with the boating folks who often return. The native population is as friendly as can be. Blacks & Whites mix without any problems. A truly homogeneous little spot in the world. The original white settlers descendants are still here and consist of primarily two families Sawyers & Lowe's. They have a lot of similar looking features (understandably). If sport fishing is your thing, contact the Sawyers, a family of fishing guides. The old man Joe is the best and most experienced although he is "sort of semi retired" and be sure to shout. His hearing is starting to fail. If he is busy try his son Ronny who specializes in Bone Fishing. Another very popular guide is native fellow named Lincoln Jones. Any and all of them can take you any type of fishing you like deep sea to flat fishing for bone fish. Just hail them on your VHF channel 16. The main Islands south of here have a similar constituent. They are Great Guana Cay. Man-O-War Cay , and Elbow Cay with it's village of Hope Town. Marsh Harbor is Abaco’s commercial hub and the Bahamas 3rd city after Nassau and Freeport. It is on the mainland of Great Abaco. It has an airport with connecting flights to the States and Nassau. The town sort of forms a triangle between, and is the jump off point (water taxi) to the off shore cays of Man-O-War, Hope Town and Great Guana. As of 1999 there are two competing water taxi serving this area and a price was has broken out between them. Heading south from Green Turtle Cay we should mention an area in the Abacos of some renown, called the Whale Cay Passage. It is what separates G.T from the other major cays and Marsh Harbour to its south. Whale Cay it is, is just another cay (uninhabited) in the chain the borders the eastern edge of Great Abaco and separated by the Sea of Abaco or Abaco Sound. The only problem is there is considerable shoaling on the inside of Whale Cay preventing larger boats from passing on the protected inside. At this point one has to head out in the ocean around the cay and back in. This route is obvious and generally without problems except in strong off shore winds or storms. The abrupt shoaling makes the seas treacherous under these stormy conditions, which has taken its toll over the years. At the north end of Guana Cay (Bakers Bay) where one heads back inside the Sea of Abaco is the remains of the old “Red Ship” mooring basin and the island created by the spoil during its dredging. The Island has been there for 7-8 years now with foliage and trees and makes a lovely day stop in quiet weather. However, the Big Red Ships come no more, because of the uncertainty of the Whale Cay Passage especially during winter months. (We do not miss them, but unfortunately they have built a new place on the protected eastern side of Great Abaco). Guana Cay has a picturesque small settlement (pop 105) with a couple shops and restaurants. Here you really feel you are really at an “Out Island”. The reef strewn beaches and reefs that line the 5.5 mile of ocean side are reputedly the most beautiful in all the Abaco's with every shade of blue and turquoise and have the quality one sees in the travel guides. The settlement adjoins the “Great Guana Resort” which provides accommodations and a fine restaurant which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their pool side barbeque on Friday Night, when their dockage is free, always attracts a big crowd. (Like always reservations for dinner can be made by VHF radio). The resort’s equivalent of the Tipsy Turtle is the Guana Grabber - not too unlike the others but with a hint of grapefruit juice. Recently opened (spring ‘96) is “Nippers”. It is a trendy new place that lives up to its reputation for its view, on a bluff overlooking the ocean - Spectacular. It really packs them in. The food is just typical island fare. Every Sunday they serve a Hawaiian style pig roast which attracts folks from all over the cays. Tickets are sold on a first come first served basis. It’s generally very crowded, and the flies.... Early in 1999 a new marina opened up on the harbour across from the settlement bringing gasoline to the island for the first time. It is part of the soon to be built, “Orchid Bay Resort”, and dinning facilities are soon to be completed. Half way between Bakers Bay and the settlement an new small resort opened in 1998 called Seaside Village. It’s property runs from ocean to bay and is only accessible by boat. It is a cozy spot with about eight rooms and dining room. Definitely a quiet getaway spot All in all, Guana is more laid back than G.T. but has a reputation as the getaway party spot for the folks from the neighboring cays despite the fact there are only a couple of places to party. The Northern most dock which belongs to Great Guana Resort, offers free dockage if you stay for dinner. They too now carry fuel spurred on by the competition of Orchid Bay. Man-O-War is a busy boat building island of God fearing (no alcohol sold on this Island), hard working folks 70% of which can trace their ancestry to the first Albury who at age 16 fathered the first of 13 children with his 13 year old wife. It is a great spot for all kinds of quality boat work and parts. Marina facilities are available however restaurants and lodging is sparse. Still a spot not to be missed if staying at one of the neighboring islands. No yachtsmen would miss it especially if in need of repairs. As mentioned earlier the Internet has hit the islands in a big way. The “Man-O-War Marina” was the first to offer E-Mail services to it’s guests. The "Albury's" Canvas Shop” is the place to see . Here you'll find the town ladies making all sorts of bags and hats out of canvas. Every year I hope to see some new more trendy styles. Maybe next year? Despite the enterprising nature of it’s residents, restaurants are in short supply however we enjoyed an evening meal at “Ena’s” restaurant one of the two very casual eateries on the island. You will find another restaurant dockside is at the “Man-O-War Marina”. As with just about all the restaurants in the cays dinner selection is made when you make your reservation. Marsh Harbour is the commercial hub of the Abaco's and the Bahama’s third largest city. It is on the mainland of Abaco and forms a triangle with Man-O-War and Elbow Cay. Here you can feel the pulse of activity and commerce. You will also find a culture of the sailing community enroute to places far and wide. Hundreds of yachts mostly sailboats will be anchored anchored in Marsh Harbour at any given time and it’s winter hangout for the northern folks. Marsh has some really great restaurants and bars to gather and hang out with the yachties during their happy hours. It is not unusual bump into a couple just returning from a circumnavigation or beginning one. A good many of these are within a short walking distance of the old established “Conch Inn and Marina” which a few years back became the base of the “Moorings Charter” operation. From here the town is just a 10 minute walk and other hot spots like “Wally’s”, “Mangoes”, “Sapodillys” and the “Tiki Hut” are found all along harbors edge near by. In town there is a luncheonette style restaurant called the “Golden Grouper”. On the other side of the harbour is the “Marsh Harbour Marina and Jib Room” which was taken over in 1997 by a a young couple Tom and Linda Leffler who hail from the Tampa. If you can make the trip outside Marsh Harbour to Dundas Town check out “Mother Merles” a delightfully renowned native restaurant and also the “Bayview Seafood Restaurant”. The Largest Marina in Marsh is actually not on the harbour but rather on the less protect Abaco Sound side. It’s called “Boat Harbour”, and along with it’s “Abaco Beach Hotel” is a full scale resort. It seems there is always something going on here especially for the sport fisherman. Need a Taxi when in Marsh? You can call them on VHF channel 06. Despite all the positive things I can say about Marsh Harbour, it cant be called it a vacation spot yet can be a good base to explore the outlying cays. Just the same it’s worth 2-3 days on a two week trip in the Abaco's. More than likely Marsh Harbour will probably be your point of arrival (if not Treasure Cay) when flying in from the States. Rather than go into great detail about Marsh Harbour here, pick up a copy of “The Cruising Guide to the Abaco's” by Steve and Jeff Dodge. Available at all yachting supply stores (it’s updated annually). Further more you’ll get a better feeling for things from the yachtsman’s perspective when traveling in the Abaco's. For years there had been a voluntary radio service called the Cursers Net. Just tune in VHF Marine radio Ch 68 at 8:15 AM daily for weather and to catch up on all the comings and going and parties too. Frankly it was the primary news source until the startup of the Abaco’s first (FM 93.5) and only radio station in ‘98. Note: The Cruisers Net is difficult to receive north of Whale Cay. Elbow Cay with it’s village of Hope Town is probably the most picturesque of the four major cays. It is a photographers delight. >From it’s candy striped light house to its brightly painted houses all punctuated with flowering shrubs and plants. There are over a half a dozen restaurants here and loads of charming houses to rent. Right in front of the “Hope Town Harbour Lodge” where we often stay, is a most spectacular reef for snorkeling. It’s right off the beach in about 5-10 feet of water and works it way offshore to fifty foot depths and greater for the more experienced divers. There is a small quaint museum of artifacts from earlier times. Life surrounds the harbor on this Island which has only one narrow (and shallow) opening for the many visiting yachtsmen. The restaurants in the area include those at the hotels at “Club Soleil” and “Hope Town Harbour Lodge” and our favorite and least expensive “Captain Jacks” which is right on the water. (It’s for sale as of 7/99 - if I was 20 years younger). Next to Captain Jacks, down the harbour a bit and a little more expensive is the “Harbour's Edge”. Both have bands a couple a nights a week and the latter a lively pool table. “Rudy’s Place” is famous for excellent fish, lobster and duck dishes some of which have to be ordered the day before. They are located in the middle of the island however he will send transportation. Again call by VHF radio for reservation. Three miles south of Hope Town on Elbow Cay on White Sound is The “Sea Spray Resort” run by Monty Albury who owns and runs the resort with his wife Ruth. They have full marina facilities and rooms and cottages for rent along with luncheonette style restaurant. Stick to their pool side barbecue on certain nights a week. Near by is “The Abaco Inn” and their restaurant which over looks the Ocean - absolutely beautiful butone of the most expensive. Be sure to try a Banana Flavored Yellow Bird and something called the Conch Pearl, Both the above will pick you up at your location in Hope Town. Or for a golf cart, you can hail Hope Town Cart Rentals or Abaco Cart Rentals rentals on your VHF. They are often booked so plan ahead. Continuing down the chain, the last stopping spot for the yachtsmen, and now connected to Marsh Harbour by paved road is Little Harbor. It is actually on the mainland of Abaco and the jump off spot for boaters headed to Eleuthera and the Islands to the south. It is accessible by road from Marsh Harbour. Just follow the road to the settlement of Cherokee. Little Harbor is a protected anchorage with lots of turtles poking there heads our of the water. Here you will find “Pete’s Beach Bar” which serves Burgers and fish sandwiches at lunch. Their bartender Albree, must have been chosen by a Hollywood casting agent. More importantly Little Harbor was the home of the late Randolph Johnson who made home here 30 years ago after being marooned during a hurricane. You can even explore the caves where he and his family took shelter. Mr. Johnson was an artist so he set up a small foundry where he made his bronze castings which he sold to visiting yachts folks. Soon his fame spread till the point where the Government commissioned him to make his now famous statue in downtown Nassau. Unfortunately Mr. Johnson dyed in 1992 and is survived by his wife who still runs the gift shop. Pete is more involved with the pub and we’ve heard the development of this region is imminent, as siblings want to sell of their share of this beautiful property. When in Marsh Harbour you might want to rent a car and explore the settlements to the south like Sandy Point and Hole in the Wall. The following is a tale from one of our cruising experiences that we upload from time to time. “........While in Marsh Harbour, we rented a car to explore the settlements on Abaco not easily accessible by boat. We drove 60 miles through the pine barons to Abaco’s southwestern most settlement, Sandy Point. As we arrived the Churches were letting out and all the women and children were dressed in their Sunday finery. We couldn’t help but wonder where in the Abaco's could they buy such pretty clothes. This picturesque community of about 200 make their living from the sea. We stopped by to talk to a couple of fishermen (not attending church) who went out of their way to tell us of their work. They also spoke of new work opportunities for their village due to it’s proximity to Gorda Cay eight miles off shore. Gorda Cay now named Castaway Island was recently purchased by Walt Disney to be the new out island home of Disney's “Big Red Boats”. Most of the labor will come from the folks of Sandy Point. Later, we found a spot on its tip in the shade of some casuarina’s looking out at Gorda Cay to have a picnic while thunderstorms loomed on all horizons”. The Abaco's are truly a Yachtsman paradise, however all of the spots mentioned can be visited relatively easy by the landlubber. You can enjoy the privacy of out lying unspoiled smaller islands and beaches that can be reached by renting a small outboard motor boat at the many rental services at the cays. That’s how this writer and his wife started and fell in love with the Abaco's 26 years ago. This writer has in recent times chronicled his travels in the Abaco's by boat after moving to Florida in 1990 and uploaded them to the rec.boats.cruising newsgroups of the internet. Sometimes we fly over to Marsh and rent a 22 footer from Rainbow Rentals (one of the many) and make the 20 mile trip to G.T spend a week or two then headed south for a week at the Hope Town Lodge with stops at the other cays as day trips from those locations. This type of approach to seeing the islands is not recommended for folks not familiar with boating, and navigation. This is not to say that renting a smaller boat once at your destination and staying “close to home” would cause you and difficulty, but a boat is a must when visiting the cays. There are literally dozens and dozens of beaches and or islands that you and your whomever, will find yourselves being the only people there. If you are into history, you might enjoy poking around the cemeteries on the cays and reading the epitaphs. It is not uncommon to find them over looking the sea at a spectacular location like the one on Hope Town’s upper road. The new, investor friendly government of Mr. Hubert Ingraham, an Abaconian himself, a booming economy in the US and it’s proximity to Florida have made for some serious development in recent times. Construction is booming and I mean booming. Ferry loads of Haitians and Bahamians are seen arriving in the morning from the mainland (Great Abaco) and being transported to job sites all over the cays especially Hope Town and Guana. If ever we thought about our own place in the Abacos, I think we missed the boat. For more on the Abaco's you might want to check out: http://oii.net/ http://www.abacos.com/whitesound http://www.abacolife.com/ Or pick up a copy of “The Cruising Guide to the Abaco's” by Steve and Jeff Dodge. Available at all yachting supply stores (it’s updated annually). Author invites Inquiries; E-Mail sandycay@AOL.Com PS: In previous trips to the Abacos by boat, we were aboard twin engine fly bridge cabin boats. Aside from the fact, that even in 34 foot accommodations, things get a bit cramped on extended cruises of a month or longer, there was always something else missing. That was a smaller boat to run about when in the Abaco's. So early in 1999 I decided to buy a new boat. It had to be something larger than inflatable size yet able to explore the nooks and crannies of the many cays. It had to be fast and rugged enough to easily run 30-40 miles in a chop yet small enough to pull up on a beach. And again large enough to get me to the Bahamas in relative safety in the first place. For the difference in price of the boat of its size as compared to 30-40 footers we could stay in one of the many Inns, guest houses or rental cottages and plan on similar trips a multitude of times. The boat I chose was a 26’ Glacier Bay Catamaran powered by 2-130 HP 4/stroke Hondas. It was chosen namely for the long distance ocean crossings I’ve read about. I must say it lived up to expectations and then some. I is not my intention to get into the cruising aspect of my 5 week trip (from Longboat Key, Fl).
Trip 6/99 Just returned from a week at Club Med Columbus Island. This is a very nice resort, great food ( Deserts especially), with pretty sand and blue water. The diving was fair (so so). The Club We flew via Miami using the clubs charter, other than the usual Miami noon time thunderstorm, the flight was uneventful. The Club Med was a minute ride from the air port, and we were the only plain in the airport. The bus took us to met our GO, tat took us the room. Very easy and well managed. The resort has two centers , one with registration, bar, pool, and main restaurant, and the other is the Sea center: includes, Scuba, Gym and another restaurant, and disco. It is about ten minute walk between the two. the walk is along a pristine beach with white sand and blue water. The rooms were very clean, and very tastefully decorated. Each room had a refrigerator, safe and balcony. Our room was between the main building and sea center. There were 300 guests out of capacity of 500, we were told July- August will be full. Most of the guest were couples at over 35. This is a club Med on "valium", people seem to go to bed early (diving ?) and were not very routy. My day was, diving AM, water SKI PM, gym, nap, eat and watch the show. The shows are on at 10:00. Some shows were better than others. The disco was alive twice during the week: Wednesday, Latino night and Friday the night (before we returned). We alternated eating between the main reentrant and the Sea Center restaurant. There was no problem making a reservation. I liked the sea center restaurants as they were smaller and quite. The best part of the food were the desserts and breads. Club Med had an attempt for a nightly color that no one followed. Friday was dress night (was followed). People were very friendly and took there time when eating ( especially dinner). The GO were friendly and we maid friends with a few of them. The way home was (again) uneventful. Club Med took the luggage from our room to the airport. The traditional Club Med Good bye with the GO. Diving The summary ( for those who want to skip the rest), the reef in Columbus Island has a major Algae (green lettuce) problem, the coral is dead, visibility was so so and Club Med operates cattle boats. 15 dives in each dive I saw 6-8 friendly groupers, 2 Angle fish, 2 trigger fish, 2 file fish and some grunts. Saw several turtles, one shark. 2 people ( not me) had close encounters with hammerheads . Had a great night dive. Details: Club Med diving: I bought the Club Med dive package that gives you six dives. Three boats a day 8:30, 8:45 ( both two tanks) and one at 2:30 (one tank). Each time you go on a boat use one of your dives. Most people want the early dives as you get two tanks. The 8:30 boat was full (43 divers) every day. Club Med has list of 40 sites which they rotate weekly. You know which site you will go to depending on the day of the week. I only brought my mask and used club Med equipment (included in package). Tanks are colored coordinated pink ( one dive) blue ( second dive), instructors use yellow tanks. Diving profile : first dive 130 feet (Computer)/ 100 (non-computer), second dive 70/50. Dive time 40- 45 minutes. Surface interval between dives is only 40 minutes. The Island has a wall that begins at 50 feet. The top of the wall is very dull with little coral, most of the action is on the wall. The Hammerheads and sharks are deep below 80 feet. Bring you computer as there is not much to see in the 50 feet range. Buddy divers can dive alone and get of the boat first, this is great for the way out, however on your way back to the boat you can go over the wall ( and 40 divers), or go back over a dull reef and sand (Which is what I did). Algae: The coral is not in good shape. Several reefs are covered with green Alga. Some one published a problem with Algae on this newsgroup a few weeks before we left. I contacted Riding Rock Scuba and they denied. Well there is a lot of it. There was not a Marine life: lot of marine life that repeated it self from dive to dive. Groupers ( Nassau and Tiger) were friendly and you can pet them I saw a cleaning station on every dive. I saw my first (and only shark) on my first dive. I think they go away when they see 40 divers. The trigger fish were big and so were the angle fish. On each dive I saw a pair of file fish. Saw several turtles, one swam with me for a while. A few small rays, and tiny spotted eel, One big lobster ( walking during the day), two king crabs did not see moray eels, big rays, puffer fish , box fish etc. The big attraction in Columbus Island were the hammer heads. One couple saw them at 60 feet. A second group decided to go on a private diving excursion (only 6 divers) and paid and extra 95$. They saw three hammer heads. The night dive was great, the reef was alive the king crabs were walking around , a free swimming eel, a bug/butterfly , rays. Most of the group spent the entire dive with an octopus that performed on a coral head. My best dives - Caves and canyons. The sites LA Caravasse and Grouper Gully have several caves. My buddy in Grouper Gully was a person who knows the site well, and we went through caves the size of one diver. Bottom Line In summary this is a great resort, great beach, nice rooms , great food with mediocre diving. This is (IMHO) an also diving vacation, where diving is secondary.
Trip 5/99 It will help you to better interpret my comments if you understanding a little about who we are before you read my review. We are in our early forties and have been married for over 20 years. We have been traveling for the last 11 years. We are not even social drinkers and do not gravitate to the bar/party scene. We are not gourmet diners and so good simple food really pleases us just fine. We enjoy luxury but are also value conscious. Our previous visits to Cozumel have all been off of cruise ships. When we visited we knew we wanted to spend more time here and this week long visit has confirmed that Cozumel is a great place that will likely return to. We were looking for a relaxing and very laid back time together. We were not disappointed. Vacation Package: We bought this vacation as a package from Apple Vacations. I found a special for the dates we wanted advertised on their web site at www.applevacations.com. We flew an American Trans Air (ATA) charter out of Milwaukee Wisconsin. Apple Vacations rates the hotels/resorts they offer from 1 to 6 Apples. We booked the 4 Apple Coral Princess Hotel and Resort. The cost was $650 per person for air fare, hotel and all taxes. We were happy with the value. We have booked two previous vacations with Apple but the last time was probably 9 years ago. Travelogue: Saturday 5/22/99 Flying out of Milwaukee is always a less stressful option compared to Departing from Chicago's O'Hare airport. I dropped Deb at the door and then parked in a remote parking lot for $4 a day. We were flying a Funjet charter even though we booked through Apple. The line was long but moved quickly. All the staff we encountered were pleasant. Our flight plan was to fly non-stop to Cancun then catch a small plane the 40 or so miles to Cozumel. The flight to Cancun was on an L1011 that held over 350 people. The flight was full. We left on time and arrived 20 minutes early. Clearing customs in Cancun went relatively fast. We got a green light so our bags didn't get searched. Because we had Apple Vacation tags on our luggage we were not approached too often with offers of transportation. We wandered over to the AeroCozumel booth where a line had formed with others making a similar connection. An Apple representative stopped by to check us off his list and told us we could wait in this line or he would take us to another place to check in after he had found the 16 other people he was waiting for. Well they were having some sort of a problem at this counter and it didn't budge. Finally another Apple Rep grabbed my wife's suitcase and led us to another AeroCozumel counter in another terminal. This terminal was air-conditioned and much more comfortable. Here we learned that we had a 2 and 1/2 hour wait for our 5:15 p.m. flight to Cozumel. We were told there was a chance that we might be able to get on the 3:40 flight but would have to wait and see. A few minutes later we were given boarding passes for the 3:40. I had already assumed my vacation mode so we were last onto the bus that takes you out to the plane and I waited while Deb took a picture of the twin prop 50 seater we were going to be flying. We were the last ones on the plane and watched as the people ahead of us took the last two open seats. There was a lot of talking between the pilot and the flight attendants and then a truck pulled up to the plane and we were asked to go back to the terminal. When we arrived back at the terminal a very apologetic ticket agent offered us free food and drink while we waited. The ticket agent assured us that we would have seats on the next flight and that our luggage would be waiting for us. Deb was a bit miffed but I felt they were at least doing the best they could to recover from a mistake. In a few minutes a young man from AeroCozumel stopped by to inform us that he had secured a Cesna that would take us over in just a few minutes. Shortly we were taken to yet another terminal. Here we watched and waited as the time for the regular 5:15 flight approached. We finally boarded our private flight at about 5:10. We flew a single engine 12 seat Cesna. The pilot turned around in his seat to inform us that our flying time to Cozumel would 15 minutes and that there was beer and soda in the cooler in the back of the plane if we wanted any refreshments. I was a fun flight which arrived in Cozumel about 3 minutes ahead of the flight we were originally supposed to be on. I give AeroCozumel an "A" for effort and a "D" for execution. An Apple Rep met us with our luggage. After the folks from the 5:15 had deplaned our Apple rep explained about the transfers to our hotels (which were included in the package) we were soon at our hotel. I tipped the transfer driver $2. We were staying at the Coral Princess in the Northern hotel zone. This hotel was about a mile and a half from the town square. A taxi was anywhere from 23 to 30 pesos or $2.50. We were checked into our room in a matter of minutes. We were issued and had to sign for the TV remote and two beach towels. Our room (412) was on the fourth floor facing the ocean. The room had tiled floors, a king bed, small refrigerator, small balcony, desk, and large bath with a cavernous shower. We also received a complimentary bottle (1500 ML) of purified water each day. Additional bottles were just 10 pesos. The only thing I didn't care for was that your room key was used to activate the a/c and the lights. This meant that the room was not very comfortable when you first entered it. I realize that this was done to keep the consumption of electricity down. The a/c did work well and was controlled by a digital thermostat. We quickly unpacked and then went down to the "welcome orientation" with the Apple rep. I had been warned by people on the internet that this orientation was nothing more than a push to book tours. There was very little helpful information offered and there was a gentle push to book any tours with Apple. The worst part about this time waster was that we missed our first sunset talking with the Apple rep. After our "orientation" we took a taxi to El Morro for dinner. El Morro is an authentic Mexican restaurant tucked way back in a residential neighborhood. This place is recommended by Frommers. I had beef fajitas and Deb had chicken enchiladas. Both our meals were very good. Total tab including 4 sodas and tip was $20. The taxi was 45 pesos to get to El Morro and 35 pesos to get back to the Coal Princess. The free market at work here. I paid each driver $5. Sunday 5/23/99 We woke early and walked into town. We stopped for breakfast at the museum on the water front. The view was great. We both ordered an American breakfast. The breakfast was good as was the service. The tab was about $16. After breakfast we went into the square to find an ATM. I withdrew 1000 n.p. (new pesos) or just over $100. Then we set out in search of Chac Rental. This was a car rental agency that I found on the internet that advertised new mountain bikes for rent. I had reserved a bike for the week. Unfortunately I had left the e-mail confirmation along with the address of the place in our hotel room so we were winging it on my feeble memory. We finally found the place with some help from some nice local folks. Now for the bad news. This place didn't know anything about mountain bikes for rent. Finally I was sent down the street to another place that had bikes that had electric motors on them. I explained that this was not what I was looking for. I little disgusted we hailed a taxi back to the hotel so Deb could get her allotment of radiation poisoning. We pretty much just camped out on the beach for the rest of the day. We did snorkel a bit off shore. I had heard that the snorkeling was good here. There was some fish activity though most of it was sergeant majors and grouper. There is no reef here so there was no coral at all. The current was pretty strong too. We heard many people talk of the squid and barracuda they had seen. Perhaps we just weren't patient enough. We ate lunch at the hotel. Deb had a club sandwich and I had shrimp ceviches. Both were good and reasonably priced. On that note we found the food, service and prices at the Coral Princess to be a pleasant surprise. We had 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and happy hour drinks here and our total tab for the week came to about $120 including tips. Sunday night in San Miguel is a bit of a festival. The local people dress up and come to the square to listen and dance to local bands. The gringos are welcome to participate too. We went into town stopping at Ernesto's Fajitas for dinner. The view which would normally be nice was marred by some commercial ships docked in the harbor. I had a chimichanga and I can't remember what Deb had. The food was forgettable but the service was friendly. We would not bother to eat here again. After dinner we wandered around side streets until the music started in the square. On our walk I spotted a couple of places that advertised that they rented bikes. We watched the festivities in the square for a while then took a taxi back to the Coral Princess. Monday 5/24/99 I got up early again. I was determined to find a decent bicycle to rent. Ever since we had booked this trip I wanted to rent a bike to ride around the island. So I was on a mission. I walked into and past town really just trying to kill some time until businesses started to open up. I must have walked about four miles total and then set out walking the side streets looking for a bicycle to rent. I finally came upon a small rental agency (Pelicanos Rentals on 5th Ave just north of the square) that had decent looking Nishiki bikes. I had at least heard of this brand and they looked in good condition. The cost was $13 a day. I rented one and rode it back to the hotel. Deb was awake and so we went down to eat breakfast by the pool. I had the Cozumeleno Breakfast. Fried eggs under beans and tomato sauce on a bed of tortilla chips. I topped this with fresh salsa, oh yea! After breakfast I downed a couple of liters of water before setting out on my circumnavigation of the island on my trusty bike. I had estimated that it was 26 to 28 miles around the island. I am an experienced cyclist who rides and races both mountain and road bikes. When I'm in good shape 100 miles is not a problem. The caveat was that five months ago I had my right hip replaced. I had ridden only a couple of times since the surgery and most of my rehabilitation had been done in the form of walking or weight lifting. All of this considered I figured that the ride would take me 2 and a half hours. I had checked the wind direction and new that I did not want the wind in my face on the east (windward) side of the island. That meant that I would head across the island from the town square, ride south down the east side and then ride north along the west side of the island. I departed at about 11:00 a.m. The sun was hot but there was a nice breeze and I was not going to push. After riding east out of town for about 20 minutes I encountered a very disturbing road sign. It stated that the Mayan Ruins at San Gervacio were yet another 13 kilometers away. Now I knew that the ruins were approximately half way across the island. This meant that the short leg of this trip was in excess of 12 miles long. I was calculating fast now figuring that my journey was more like 35 miles rather then 26 or 28. Not to worry, I was feeling good and I knew there were plenty of beach bars along the east side from which to obtain refreshments. After over an hour of riding and a brief rain shower I arrived at Mezcalitos, the first beach bar on the east side. I stopped and quaffed an ice cold coke and set off again. After riding a while longer I realized that I was now committed (or perhaps should be committed) to this journey. The island is flat which only means that when you see something off in the distance it is a long way off. The skies began to threaten so I quickened my pace. Another hour or so of riding brought me to the Bob Marley Bar which marked the Southern tip of the island. Once again I threw back a cold soda and mounted my trusty steed. This next section is where things got kind of ugly. There was jungle on both sides of the road stifling any breeze and quite frankly I was toast. But this was the home stretch or so I thought. It took me for ever to finally come upon the Allegro resort. My fried brain could not recall the order of resorts or how far out each was from town. Then suddenly I could see the tops of cruise ships in the distance. Here again the flat island syndrome mocked me as I pedaled and pedaled and the ships appeared no closer for my efforts. My reflexes were shot and traffic was getting heavier so I retreated to another beach bar to quench my thirst and replenish some calories. The last hour of my journey was a blur of dodging crazed tourists in rental jeeps or on scooters. I wobbled into town, past the square and on to the Coral Princess. A mere 4 hours and 20 minutes after leaving I arrived, tired, hot, thirsty, starving, with leg cramps and a blistered bottom. I had conquered the island. Or was it the other way around. As it turns out the island is actually 40 miles around. I limped out to the beach to find my bride who was already planning how she was going to spend the life insurance money. I slammed a plate of shepherds tacos and floated my weary bones in the pool. It was late when I pealed my body from the bed. We planned to dine at the Lobster House about a half mile north of our hotel. For some inexplicable reason we walked there. The way this place works is you pick out your lobster tail and they weigh it. You pay for the lobster by weight. Deb and I split a 2 pounder which cost $51. It was fabulous. It came with potatoes and squash and drawn butter. After dinner I begged to hire a taxi to get back to the hotel but we walked anyway. Needless to say I slept soundly. Tuesday 5/25/99 I again rose early. I needed to return that awful bicycle. All thoughts of renting it for the week had vanished from my mind. I took an easy spin north to the end of the road then back into town. I returned the bike and rented a scooter from the same outfit. The scooter was $25 a day. I rode the scooter around a little to get the hang of it before returning to the hotel. Today we planned to ride the scooter around the island. A much more sane idea then riding a bicycle. We packed the snorkel gear, mounted our scooter and zipped through town. We stopped for breakfast at the Caracol Snack Bar. I had noticed this place the day before on my walk. It is midway between the Plaza Las Glorias and the cruiser ship dock. The view here was very pretty but the food was lousy and the price was high. Don't bother to try this place. After breakfast we scooted past the cruise ship dock. It was very busy as there were three ships in port, two Carnival and one Royal Caribbean. We stopped at the Palancar Beach Club. This was a very nice sandy beach. We parked ourselves under a palapa and I took up residence in one of the hammocks. This place is a Fat Tuesdays outlet I guess. The beach waiter nicely informed us that if we used the palapas or hammocks a drink minimum or lunch purchase was required. We said fine. We ended up staying here much longer then we planned to. There was a very mischievous spider monkey who tormented many of the patrons. I had hoped that we could get out to the famous palancar reef by swimming from the beach. The reef is too far out for that and the snorkeling from the beach was not good. After swimming, lounging and soaking up several sodas we decided to order lunch. We both ordered the chicken fajitas. They were served on a sizzling skillet (al la Chi Chi's in the USA). The portions were huge and were quite good. The salsa was great too. The fajitas were listed on the menu for $7 so we were very pleased to have found such an abundance of great food at such a good price. I had figured our tab to be $20. Six sodas @ $1 and two orders of fajitas @ $7. I was somewhat disappointed when our check came and it was $27. According to their math we had ordered 7 sodas and the fajitas were charged at $10 each. I'm on vacation so I just paid the tab but it did sour what would have been a highly recommended place. If you go to this beach ask about the prices and it may be best to pay as you go. We loaded up the scooter again and continued our trek. We observed several au natural sun bathers and one couple who were frolicking naked in the water on the east side. We made a stop at Coconuts midway up the east side. This is another beach bar with great views on a cliff overlooking the pounding surf. My butt was still tender from my biking safari so we simply sped the rest of the way around the island back to the hotel pool. After a rest I mounted the scooter for a trip to the new supermarket across from the Plaza Las Glorias. This is quite a place. I purchased pop, oreos and M&M's - the three basic food groups! We were both still stuffed from the fajitas at lunch so we passed on dinner and just took the scooter into town and walked around a bit. Wednesday 5/26/99 Our original plan was to take the ferry over to Playa Del Carmen on Thursday. Because we really had not done a lot of snorkeling and I really wanted to get out to Palancar we decided to book a snorkeling trip for Thursday rather then going over to the mainland. We just went ahead and booked a trip with the Apple rep for convenience sake. After booking the trip we hopped on our scooter and went into town to get breakfast at Costa Brava. This is a little restaurant that offers the $2 breakfast until 9:00 a.m. We got there a little late to take advantage of this bargain. Still our breakfast which was huge and good only came top $9. Deb had a scrambled eggs/bacon/toast/juice/coffee combo and I had some sort of Mexican egg dish much like I had at our hotel. After breakfast we went to the new supermarket again. We were running low on pesos and Deb wanted to get some suntan oil. We basically laid around the beach and pool the rest of the day. Lunch was at the hotel. American tacos for me and a huge chimichanga for Deb. For dinner we went to La Prima. This is an Italian restaurant on a second story terrace just off the square. The food, service and price was great. I had a seafood combo pasta and Deb had Shrimp. My dinner had huge chunks of lobster as well as large shrimp and scallops. Our tab was around $35. Don't miss this place. Thursday 5/27/99 We had to be at the downtown pier by 8:45 to catch our snorkeling boat. We caught a quick cup of coffee at the hotel and then took the scooter back to the rental company. We then walked the couple of blocks to the town pier. We booked the Giligan's two reef snorkel trip. It left the down town pier at 9:00 a.m. and returned around 6:00 p.m. The boat was a motorized catamaran with plenty of sun and shade. The trip included snorkeling on two reefs (Colombia and palancar) open bar, buffet lunch and beach party. The cost was $55 per person. It probably took over an hour to get up to the reefs as we had to pick up people along the way. The crew tried hard to please and really did a pretty good job. We first snorkeled Colombia Reef. This was a relatively shallow reef but it was swarming with thimble jelly fish. These tiny (about the size of a thimble) creatures were really a nuisance and they did sting but the stings didn't really hurt. They really spooked a few of the novice snorkelers on the boat and some got out quickly and didn't snorkel again. Colombia reef was really hard to evaluate because of the distraction of the jelly fish. After a short break we then snorkeled Palancar. This reef is in deeper water and was spectacular. If ever I wished I was a certified diver it was on this reef. I would love to dive this reef some time. Because it was so deep it was hard to enjoy all that there was here. I would say we stayed in the water for nearly an hour and everyone was impressed with this spot. We then motored over to San Fransesca beach (no not San Francisco) for our lunch and beach party. The lunch was fajitas, rice, beans, salad, fruit and punch. The lunch was very good with a friendly staff serving it. After lunch there was a treasure hunt that was kind of lame and some beach volleyball which was fun. The it was back to the boat for more open bar and to begin the process of dropping off guest back at their hotels. The ride back was a little rough and because of my propensity for motion sickness I had to keep my eyes on the horizon. The music was cranked and the dancing began as we said good-bye to folks as they departed. Somehow on the return trip we won a bottle of Mexican brandy. After we disembarked downtown we caught a taxi back to the Coral Princess. We showered and laid down for just a little while before dinner. When I woke up at about 10 p.m. we decided that we would pass on dinner. We must be getting old because we were both "in the bag". Friday 5/28/99 Our last full day on Coz was punctuated by getting up from our chaise lounge to dip in the ocean or pool or to order drinks or lunch. We stayed on the beach to watch the best sunset of our visit. For dinner we toyed with returning to La Prima but instead succumbed to the sales pitch at La Mission. We were offered a welcome drink on the house and a money back guarantee. Deb ordered a Mexican sampler plate I think I ordered fajitas. The food was good but nothing out of the ordinary. In retrospect I wished we had gone back to La Prima. After dinner we took a taxi back to the hotel and began the solemn task of packing. Saturday 5/29/99 We got up early to get some last minute beach time before our 10:30 a.m. departure for the airport. I had a last serving of the Cozumeleno breakfast. Deb passed on breakfast. I then went and got a printout of our hotel expenses and was amazed at how little it came to. There was a charge (2.30 pesos that's about a quarter) for a local phone call I had made trying to rent a bike. Our total was 1078 pesos @ 9.3 pesos to the dollar it came to $115.91. At about 10 o'clock we headed to our room to shower and change for the trip home. We settled our bill and used the voucher supplied by Apple Vacations to pay for our taxi to the airport. I was in no hurry to get there because I was sure is was going to be hot. I was pleasantly surprised that the waiting area was air conditioned and very pleasant. We checked in quickly and waited for our plane to arrive. After what had happened on our flight in I was determined to not be the last ones on the plane this time. We were kind of in the middle of the pack and took two open seats. We then watched as the same scenario played out. There were more passengers with boarding passes then there were seats. There were two pilots in two front seats who refused to give their seats to a paying customer. The lady without a seat was put in a jump seat in the cockpit. She was not happy and did not have very nice things to say about those pilots. It seems that a customer service mind set has not permeated the ranks of the pilot crew at least. I can't imagine this happening in the States. Anyway our flight was short and sweet. In Cancun there was no Apple rep around so we just played follow the leader and found the Funjet counter. We checked in and got our seat assignments. I still had a bout 110 pesos so Deb went off in search of a place to spend them. She managed to find some vanilla and a ring for our daughter that we couldn't live without. Our pesos all spent I was forced to pay for our chocolate purchase in the duty free shop with green backs. The flight from Cancun back to Milwaukee was again on an L1011. It left on time and arrived about 15 minutes early. Arriving into Milwaukee on an international flight is not a happy time. You are funneled down a switchback ramp that was hot and did not allow you to see what was going on. I would not want to be going through customs here if more then one plane had arrived at the same time. Clearing customs took a good hour. It was handled better in Mexico and I have seen it handled better even in Jamaica. We managed to get aboard a shuttle to remote parking quickly even though it was very unorganized outside. Our parking tab was $32. We would definitely return to Cozumel. I would be torn between wanting to be closer to the reefs in the southern hotel zone and still staying close to town for the restaurants. We spent less the $700 making this trip a great value costing less then $2000 for everything!! What we learned: 1.) A boarding pass does not mean you have a seat on AeroCozumel 2.) When flying into Milwaukee on an international flight as for a seat as far forward as possible. this will shorten you wait to clear customs. 3.) If you rent a scooter the people you need to watch out for are the other tourists. They drive like idiots. 4.) Be sure to eat at least once at La Prima. 5.) Don't ride a bike around the island unless you love pain and suffering. 6.) If you want to snorkel or scuba dive a lot stay in a hotel in the Southern hotel zone it is closer to the reefs. 7.) When I visit Cozumel again I would like to stay at the Allegro (it's the closest resort to the reefs) and get certified to scuba dive before going.
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