Scuba Dude Trip Report

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Comments:: Scuba Dude Trip Report - Cozumel/Akumal <P> Arrived in Cozumel via Cancun on AeroCaribe/Areo/Cozumel. I must say, the short flight beats the cab ride to Playa and Ferry ride over. Checked in at the Maya Cozumel Hotel, $45 per night, close to down town and close to the Pro Dive pier, where dive boats pick up in the morning. Ran over past <a href=http://xaac.com/chino/>Chino's shop</a>, to set up diving for the next day. Hit the Hard Rock for a burger, where else can you get one at 11:00? <P> Was cool diving with Chino at Columbia and Paradise. It's nice to know you can still dive Paradise. People said it wasn't going to be divable with the cruise ships. Wound up spooking a sea turtle out at Columbia. The dude was sleeping and then we were there. We wouldn't have seen him, except he jumped up off of the reef when we got uncomfortably close. <P> Dinner at Guacamayo's Fish fingers were good, but not as good as I remembered from last time. Place has mosquitos. Oh well. <P> Hooked up with Fernando, at <a href=http://xaac.com/mantaray/>Mantaraya Divers</a>, for more diving at Palancar and Tunich the next day. Fernando has an affinity for nurse sharks, or at least he knows all the little holes they like to hide in. Coming in from the ocean side and proceeding through one of the coral canyons suddenly Fernando makes the universal shark symbol, known to all scuba dudes. There, under a little crevice, was a little nurse shark only 10in long. The thing was all fins. <P> Dinner at Pepe's, Chateubriand, always great. <P> Had to take a day off of diving to visit with Lisa at <a href=http://cozumel.to/>Cozumel.To</a> and Kelly at <a href=http://xaac.com/paradise/>Paradise Properties</a>, who get scuba dudish advice on their web marketing efforts. They were encouraged to emmulate the loco gringos, who we will soon visit in Akumal. Managed to have dinner with Alfonso, at La Choza, still the most awesome Mexican food on Cozumel. Didn't get a chance to stay at his <a href=http://www.virtual-showcase.com/llc/casa_jardin/bienvenidos.html> Alfonso's Villas</a> this time because this was just me and only a short trip. Maya Coz is always a good fallback when I want to go cheapo and I am alone. <P> Flew back to Cancun, where my Thrifty Rental bug was waiting and the other Scuba Dude was about to arrive. I was able to rent the bug on the net at <a href=http://www.travelnow.com/index.html?cid=1982>travelnow.com</a> where my other friends, the Loco Gringos are affiliates. Got the bug for 149.00 per week for pickup and drop off at Cancun Airport. All together, pretty cool. Gas up in Playa and head on out for the wilds of Akumal, Mexico and adventure. <P> The dudes ensconced in their comfortable casita at Luna Azul, in Half Moon Bay. Brewskis and Dinner at <a href=http://locogringo.com/akumal/goodeats.htm>La Buena Vida</a>, and it sure is... The magic of Q. Roo is working full time on the dudes. Little do they know what lies ahead. Like dude... <P> Got with Gary Walten at <a href=http://virtual-showcase.com/llc/loco_gringo_underground/>Loco Gringo Underground</a>, the cave diving service for a dive at Car Wash, just to tune up the old cave skills. Next day Zacil Ha, one of the Kantenah cenotes. More tune up. The site was chosen for easy in easy out. Two old scuba dudes can hardly hump it any more. Dude, we were ready for sherpas. But we did get some vid...cool. <P> Buddy Quattelbaum, of The <a href=http://dosojos.com/>Dos Ojos Dive Center</a> wanted to show us something new for his Tak Be Ha water park concept. He had just completed a road to a huge new cenote called Miguel's. This cenote has an enormous air cave with huge trees growing up and breaking through to the surface. There is a big lake and, as luck would have it, and air bell which can be snorkeled, and runs for something like a quarter of a mile. <P> The whole thing is pretty deep into the jungle an stuff so it has similar features to <a href=http://virtual-showcase.com/SD/coolness/dudes/Nohoch.html>Nohoch</a>, making it a pretty cool snorkle trip. The cave is fetsooned with Nohoch like formations of stalactites , stalactites, collumns and flowstones. Huge roots break through the ceiling of the cave and drop to the aquifer below. About half way in we encounter a colony of vampire bats, cute little guys. <P> This was way cool and Buddy assured me that he would soon be leading groups of snorkelers to the site. But this did not prepare us at all because Buddy had left the best for last. <P> His friend Pierre was visiting and Pierre wanted to go back to Cenote M1 which was near the end of the <a href=http://www.virtual-showcase.com/llc/villas_de_rosa/dosmap.GIF>exploration line</a> from the push two years earlier. This was a chance for Pierre to go back to dive M1 for the first time in the two years, since he had discovered what came to be known as <a href=http://xaac.com/heinerth/uwughires.GIF>Pierre's Palace</a>. The dudes had just lucked out. A million thanks to Buddy, Pierre, Victor and The Dos Ojos Dive Center for making this dive possible. We got mega cool vid. Who knows, maybe we could even get our show back. <P> Dr. Ed : a scuba dude

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