I arrived at Playa Del Carmen at around 5:45am just in time to watch the sun come up and take few pictures. Found a street vendor across from the bus terminal selling tortas for 25 pesos; pretty decent too (pretty sure they were pork but I can't be 100% sure). Of course I didn't realize that I was at the wrong bus terminal. The ADO bus station across from the ferry terminal does not go to Chetumal. You need to go to the main one on Avenida 20 to catch the bus. This was easily remedied by a 20 peso (~1.5USD) taxi ride or a short walk. I didn't want to miss the bus so I opted to take the taxi ride. If you're not an idiot like me you might as well just walk.

I arrived at the main ADO bus station at around 6:15am which was just in time to catch my 6:20am bus to Chetumal. Bus was completely full so I am glad I had bought my ticket yesterday otherwise there would have been very limited seating. You can easily purchase your bus ticket ahead of time at the ADO terminal in Cozumel or Playa del Carmen. I highly recommend this. ADO also allows you to pick your seat when you purchase a ticket so I was able to get a window seat at the front of the bus however usually if the buses are empty you can sit in any seat. They'll also usually make one stop or two stops to grab a quick bite to eat.

The bus of course left on timely Mexican fashion at around 6:30am and was pretty uneventful; I slept the entire way. We arrived at Chetumal bus terminal a little after 10:45am. So four hours and 15 minutes total travel time including stops.

The most interesting thing was when I arrived at Chetumal bus station I discovered that they had recently started running a new ferry called San Pedro - Belize (Express Water Taxi) for 30USD. I believe the Belizean attendant stated that this ferry started Oct 30th of this year. The great thing about this ferry is that it bypasses the trip to Corozal entirely and leaves from the Chetumal Maritime Terminal (Terminal Maritima de Chetumal) which is only a 20 peso taxi ride away from the ADO bus station. It's amazing that 20 pesos in Cozumel would barely get you two blocks while in Chetumal it seemed like we could go for miles. I split the taxi with a guy I met on the ferry named Bart so the tax ride really only cost about 80 cents USD. Bart is retired and lives permanently outside of Playa del Carmen and is just visiting some friends in Ambergris Caye in Belize and is then off to Honduras.

Unfortunately bypassing Corozal at the Belize border means that it was almost impossible for me to convert my Mexican pesos into Belizean dollars. This could be a huge problem as pesos are practically worthless in Belize unless you need toilet paper. Actually, it would be useless at toilet paper too since Mexican pesos are plastic. I tried at least 4 banks in downtown Chetumal and none of them had or would exchange US dollars The Belizean attendant at the ferry told me about one place in Ambergris Caye called Milo's that would exchange currency but probably at a huge cost or terrible exchange rate. Make sure to have US dollars if you're going into Belize and skipping the Corozal border crossing otherwise it will be almost impossible to change your pesos into dollars. I stupidly had most of my currency in pesos because I wasn't sure how long I would be in Mexico and hate getting charged ATM fees. Luckily Bart was able to exchange about 200USD of my pesos into dollars so I should be good for a while until my direct deposit goes through on Wednesday.

Mexican customs and immigrations at the Marine terminal is basically 1 guy in a booth. There were maybe 7-8 people in total taking the ferry. The "border patrol" consisted of looking at your passport and stamping it. Not much in the way of questions. The Mexican army also briefly stopped by. They had a drug dog however I use that term very loosely since the dog appeared to be a very young golden lab. He looked like he would rather play fetch than look for drugs; very menacing indeed.

The ferry departed on time at 3pm from Chetumal; It took approximately 2 hours. The water looked like glass and was as calm as could be. The blue-turquoise waters are absolutely stunning in the sun. By the time we approached Ambergris Caye around 5pm the sun began to set. Belizean customs on Ambergris Caye was slightly larger than Mexican customs at the Chetumal Maritime terminal. It consisted of one small room on a dock with about 2 immigration officials. All they basically asked was if you had been to Belize before and how long you were here, stamped your passport and sent you on your merry way.

I missed the last ferry to Caye Caulker so I had no choice but to stay on Ambergris Caye. Me and Bart decided to get situated and sat down at a bar for our first Belikin beer (The national beer of Belize). The exchange rate is 1USD to 2BZD. The going rate for a Belikin beer seems to be about 4 Belizean dollars (2USD). Not quite as cheap as Mexico but still decent. The average beer in Cozumel cost 20 pesos (approximately 1.50USD depending on exchange rate)

There were hawkers all along the main street trying to solicit business for hotels. It seems most of the places were full or so they claimed. We walked around to a bunch of places that wanted to charge anywhere between 60 to 100 Belizean dollars. Finally we stumbled onto Ruby's which is a budget accommodation right on the water. Bart had previously tried to email this place earlier and they informed him they were full however once we arrived we discovered rooms were available for 60BZD a night (30USD). Me and Bart shared a double so it only cost 15USD/night. Not exactly the Hilton and a little rundown but well worth the price, especially for the location which is right on the main room and also on the water.

Bart had been to Belize many times previously but had not done so in a few years so he had the general layout of the island. We bar hopped to a few places along the beach and found the price of Belikin beer to be pretty consistent at 4BZD (2USD). Restaurants however were a different story. A lot of them seemed to have meals priced around 20-50BZD. Not exactly cheap by budget standards. We decided to eat food from the street vendors and found a little hamburger stand which sells burgers, burritos, hotdogs and pork chops. Burgers were 5 Belizean dollars (2.5USD). Really good burger with onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato, hot sauce, etc. Burritos were about 4 Belizean dollars (2USD).

Spent the night walking around to some of the beach bars and meeting all the local expats of the island. Ambergris Caye too seems to have quite a large foreign community though since it's quite smaller than Cozumel it's really easy to know everyone. With only about 11,000 people you're bound to bump into the same people. I am thinking of staying in Ambergris Caye one more day to explore then taking the ferry off to Caye Caulker. I hope to do at least one day of diving tomorrow. Haven't decided if I will stay in Belize for the New Years or head to Guatemala. There is something very nice about not having to speak in broken Spanish and being understood. All the locals here speak English (or some sort of derivative of Creole/Spanglish).

Spend my surface interval getting some quality sun and working on my ailing sun burn. I also decided that it was smarter to pack a lunch rather than try to survive on free fruit included with the dive. I could have practically sold my sandwich to anyone on the dive boat for any asking price. The second dive was at Paso de Cedral. A great dive with a variety of different marine life. Depth was about 62ft. My dive time end up being around an hour and 14 minutes because I went into deco. (Shh...dont tell anyone). Towards the end of the dive I saw Jose (the divemaster) catching another lion fish and I descended again to watch and see if I could assist. I grabbed Jose's dive flag so he would have an extra hand while he corralled the lionfish using a poker and half of a cut off plastic water jug.

After diving I hit up my usual spots Kelley's and Woody's for some cervezas and later spent Christmas Eve sitting on a beach reading a book. That's my idea of a white Christmas; A white sandy beach and none of this snow business.

In the evening I went to Rock n' Java Cafe for Christmas Eve dinner with some local friends. Dinner was about 180 pesos and included turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables and desert. It wasn't bad at all but a little cold. Overall, Rock n' Java does great food. I was a bit taco, torta and fajita'd out so any different food was a welcomed change. My friend Mark had invited me to go to his friend's party at her condo at Rescidencias Reef so I took a taxi to the other side of the island for 130 pesos. Not a bad little party though I had arrived a bit late and lots of people had already left for the night. Beautiful condo with a great ocean view. Good beer and wonderful free food. Klara and Chad from Wet Wendy's brought along their famous homemade tequila and generously provided the margaritas. Both great people; I really love their little bar.

It's funny I think almost all the expats on the island know everyone or at least know of each other. For an island of 90,000 people Cozumel certainly feels a lot smaller. If you spend any significant amount of time here you will find yourself running into the same people and getting to know a lot of locals.

I did the smart thing this morning and packed two sandwiches for lunch or my surface interval snack. I definitely cant survive on pieces of fruit anymore. Especially diving Punta Sur which takes about an hour and 15 minutes to get there on the slow boat.

Anyway, dove Punta Sur (or rather Devil's Throat) today with a good competant group of divers.  My dive computer hit 130ft.  Spend about 40 minutes in the water, almost hit deco.  I find the Suunto computers are really conservative. My old Aeris would have probably given me another 15 minutes.   It was a pretty average dive for Punta Sur we did about 3 caverns.

The next dive we dove was Paso de Cedral.   Hit 56ft for about 58 minutes.  Same water tempature.  We were lucky enough to see two Eagle Rays, a green moray eel, and a nurse shark towards the end of the dive along with countless other fish.  Overall, it was a pretty quality dive.

Got back around 2pm and met up with an Australian girl for lunch. Went to La Choza.  Great place as usual.  Think I am going to splurg tonight and head to Pepe's for dinner.  A bit more expensive than I want to spend but the food is great there.

Went back to Aqua Safari to check in with them for tomorrow which I think will be my last day diving before I take off Christmas and head to Belize the next day.  In the shop I saw that one of the divemasters had caught an adult lionfish at Yucab today.  I think that brings my total to 5 lionfish in my 4 days of diving.

Currently sitting at my usual watering hole, Kelley's drinking some Dos Equis draught and enjoying free wireless.

Stayed in the hostel until about 7pm drinking some cervezas and socializing with some of the other backpackers/travelers.  I ended up going out to the French Quarter because they have Monday night football that includes a 6USD buffet and 1USD beers.  Not really into football but it was better than doing nothing.  Food was so-so.  Standard cajun food with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a few other things.  Not bad for 6 bucks.  Definitely seemed like a place where lots of local expats hang out.  I havent been here in about a year and had never been upstairs; didnt realize they had two other huge sections here.    The weather finally took a turn for the best and I think around 10PM the skies were clear.

Woke up next morning at 8am and headed for dive boat.  We dove Santa Rosa Wall  (83ft for about 52 minutes) and Villa Blanca wall (49ft for 55 minutes).  Miguel caught another lionfish at Santa Rosa bringing the total to 4 that I have seen caught in my last 3 days of diving.  We saw an Eagle Ray at Villa Blanca and what can best be described as the most massive green moral eel i've ever encountered.    Water temperature was around 81-82 degrees though my computer did briefly register 79 degrees.  Sun was finally out and the weather was beautiful. I am hoping the rest of the week stays like this.  I want to be sitting on a beach come Christmas.  We're supposed to do Punta Sur tomorrow and then I think I will maybe do 1 or 2 more days of diving in Mexico.

Didnt do too much today other than dive and buy groceries at the Mega.  I figured I would try to save more money instead of eating out every day for lunch so I bought some turkey, ham, cheese and bread to make sandwiches.  I also picked up a six pack for Modelo for about 52 pesos (about 4USD).

Brought my laundry to a place called Margarita Laundromat back on Ave 11 and Sur 5 (I believe). I think it's about 45 pesos (3.5USD) for them to wash/dry a load of laundry.  Hopefully should be ready at 6pm otherwise i'll be stuck wearing swimming shorts and a dirty t-shirt I bought in Cambodia for 3 bucks. Classy.

Oh yeah, I also got a haircut at Antonio's for 70 peos (5.5USD).  Looking a little less like a bum; next priority is shaving but that can wait.

No plans for tonight yet though this six pack of Modelo is going down like piss water, cold piss water.   7ocents a beer is better than 1USD-2USD beer in town.

I was walking around the first night and got invited to the Aqua Safari Christmas party. It  was great because I got to hang out with the dive masters and shop employees. Free alcohol and free tacos and food wasnt a bad reason either.  It was a great time.  Aqua Safari as I've stated previously is a great company.  I was a bit tired so I ended up going home around midnight.

Next day I met up with my buddy Mark for breakfast whom I previously met when I was here in August who is also staying at the Hostelio.  The port ended up being closed at 8:30am however they re-opened at 10:30am so I was still able to get some diving in.  Water was pretty rough however and after 2nd dive I was freezing. I believe the water temperature was about 82 degrees however the air temperature was about 75s with lots of wind. I'm extremely glad I brought some long sleeve shirts.  Not too fun but still way better than 14 inches of snow in Boston.  We went to Punta Tunich for first dive and and ChanKanaab for the 2nd dive.  Both dives were both about an hour.  Saw 6 turtles on the first dive.

We ended up drinking at the hostel on Saturday night. Met a Norwegian guy and a Swedish girl and we started drinking vodka so I knew I was in for a rough night.  We ended up playing Mini Golf where they give you a walkie talkie and you can order beers via walkie talkie while playing mini golf. It's located on Calle 1 and 15th Avenida. I think the place is just called Cozumel Mini Golf.  After this I think I stumbled onto Kelly's.   Went down hill from there (from what I can remember). Was an expensive 40-50USD night.

I ended up going diving the next morning and went to ChanKanaab Baloons and Las Palmas Wall.  We caught two lion fish on the first dive and a third one on the 2nd dive.  Hoping I wouldn't see any down here but it looks like they've arrived en masse.

I assisted Jose (DM) on catching the 2nd one.  The 2nd dive ended up being about an hour and 15 minutes on AL80 tank. Almost went into deco. Not too shabby.

Didnt do too much Sunday night since I spent a lot of money on Saturday.  I went to Kelly's for a few beers and ended up going to the cinema to see Avatar. It was in English but with Spanish subtitles. I think the ticket cost 65 pesos so it ended up being a cheap night.  The cinema was extremely nice, all stadium seating.  Definitely something cheap to do for the night  Sound and picture quality was great.

Anyway, I'm currently sitting at Wet Wendy's enjoying some cervezas and catching up on some email with free wireless. Wet Wendy's is definitely the best place in Cozumel to get a margarita.  Peanut butter and chocolate margarita is amazing. Food here is also great.  Chad and Klara both make some mean margaritas.  Not quite as cheap as some other bars on the island
but it's well worth the price.

Planning on doing a bit more diving and then leaving here on the 26th to head to Belize for a few days and then off to Guatemala to explore some Mayan Ruins in Tikal.

Havent really updated my blog the last three times I've been to Cozumel but I figured I would try to update it this time since i'm trying to do this trip on a semi-budget.

Arrived here around 4:00PM, breezed through customs and took t 15-20 minute walk into town.  Beats paying for a taxi or shuttle bus especially if you're cheap like me.  Decided to go Hostelito a try instead of staying at Suites Bahia or Safari Inn this time.  Hostelito is a clean little backpacker hostel about two blocks away from main square and has rooms in the dorm for about 12USD/night.  Not quite as cheap as Thailand but it will do.   May eventually spurge for a double room with A/C depending on how I feel.  Overall, seems like a nice place. Clean beds, nice little kitchen, free wireless, etc.

There is a nice breeze coming off the coast which feels great. Temperature is about 70 degrees right now. Much better than the 10 degree weather in Boston.  Should be 80s tomorrow.  Booked a dive with my old friends at Aqua Safari. Hopefully the port is open tomorrow for diving. The harbor master closed it today due to high winds.

Will try to keep updating this and see where I go..

I got to Cancun airport around 1:05pm and rushed to make it to the Delta terminal to catch my 1:45pm.  Sadly I knew my efforts were futile. I ended up missing the gate closing by about 10 minutes.

I know had two choices. Reschedule with Delta for the first flight tomorrow morning for a change fee of 175usd or find another airline home. I offered to take the latter and booked a one way flight from Cancun to Boston on American Airlines for 140USD. Cheaper than my change fee would have been on Delta but an extra 140 dollar added expense.  Oh well, it still makes my entire flight only around 215USD which is still a good deal. I am not really complaining.

That's pretty much it. Hope to return again to Cozumel either in June or July for another weekend trip. This trip to Cozumel was well overdue and only reminded me again how much I love Cozumel.

Bottom line, please don't buy into the whole media frenzy about the swine flu. Go to Cozumel; You won't regret it. Local businesses are hurting right now and I would hate to see any place have to close. On the plus side, there is no better time to head to Cozumel. Airfare and hotels are cheaper than ever and most dive operators would love to see you.  With no cruise ships until June they say it is like stepping back in time to 1970s Cozumel before it became a major port of call for all the cruise ships.

Got to the Aqua Safari pier and boarded the boat. Mostly the same people except for a guy named Greg from Missouri I believe.  Greg was in the restaurant business but retired early and says he comes to Cozumel almost every month. Must be a hard life.. Dove with him as a dive buddy. All and all a nice guy and good diver.

We dove Colombia Reef for the first dive at 85ft for 45 minutes and Punta Tunish for the 2nd dive at 44ft for 57 minutes Colombia Reef is always a favorite of mine since it has tons of swim-thrus.  Both dives were fantastic. I am in opinion that you can never have a bad dive in Cozumel.   On this dive a nice Italian girl (dont remember her name) that had gone local and worked as a video and photographer was filming us on both dives.  Unfortunately I didn't buy the video since I am trying to budget but she showed it to us later on in the afternoon and it came out fantastic.

I agreed to meet the two retired guys in Florida and John from Holland at Costa Brava for dinner.  The nice thing about divers is that they're all usually a friendly bunch and like to get to together to talk about diving.  Costa Brava did not disappoint an will be added my favorite restaurants list in Cozumel.

After dinner the two retired guys from Florida decided to head to bed while me and John decided to check out the local scene on the island.  I took him on a local tour from what I knew of the island. A new addition to the island is a superstore called Mega which can be best described as a Walmart super center on steroids.  Originally there were no large stores or supermarkets on the island. Prior to Mega most specialty item needed to be purchased in Playa Del Carmen or Cancun and then brought over on the ferry.  While I can't say if having Mega store changes the island feel. It is definitely a well received addition to the island with a selection better than most stores and supermarkets back home. While I am guessing Mega has brought many jobs to the island one has to wonder what will happen to all the little stores and markets on the island.
We ended up at Kelley's Sports Bar again where I was immediately recognized by the owner and bartender.  Had a few beers here and paid the bill. John had commented on the bill being cheap and also be ripped off at Fat Tuesdays yesterday.  Ended up venturing into the main square and stumbling upon a bar called Woody's owned by an American named Greg. The place was hopping with what seemed like a mixture of locals and tourists.  The bar also had a good music selection being supplied by satellite radio. There were also a bunch if girls here which is also a plus. Didn't stay out too late and ended up leaving around midnight. Surprisingly even with Woody's Bar being in the main square the beer was cheaper than Kelley's.  A great little hang out spot.