Cozumel - Highlights

Cozumel Parts 3-5 (Just the Highlights)

Basically we've been silent due to extreme exhaustion - sun + diving + touristing. So here are the highlights of the middle of our trip.

Cozumel Downtown
Everywhere you walk downtown is like running a gauntlet of falsely-charming peso-hungry dudes. On every block there are at least 3-5 silver jewelry stores, some tourist t-shirt places, and a tequila store. "Hey, Honeymooners! Special for you! 99% off!" - "Hey Amiga, Amigo, come try my store please!" - "What are you looking for honeymooners? Cuban cigars amigo?" For Jon and myself, this is like a new personal hell. I am already known for feeling bad about NOT buying stuff (I know it doesn't make sense) so we had a lot of personal growth this trip. I now feel like a Gold Medalist in the Aggressive-Shop-Owner-100meter.


Food
Well we went to the beautiful Wynston restaurant at the top of one of the taller condo buildings on the shore. The view was capital "A" - Amazing. We got to watch a spectacular sunset so it was wonderful. However. The food was lower case "o" - as in okay. Definitely the exception to the "Get what you pay for" rule. Maybe we should have known when they had Chilean Sea Bass (BIG NO NO) and Maryland Crab on the menu.

Today we went to La Mission for "real" mexican food as Jon likes to say. Holy crapola was that good. A couple margaritas, mariachi band, and some almost-orgasmic quacamole later - and I barely have the energy to finish this post. We plan to return to La Mission tomorrow for lunch!


Diving
Jon's been a little worried that when we get to the states, people will say, "What else did you do besides diving?" and we will say, "Ate and slept." However, please take into account that this has been the BEST diving experience we've had - or at least tied with Hawaii. First of all we have seen just about every species of fish that exist in this area of the world and amazing 80foot+ coral formations that make you really understand the precarious balance of life. We've done some beginner cave diving/swim throughs that actually made me hold my breath in wonder - ok not a great reaction underwater, but what can I say I was moved! We've seen 5-10 sea turtles, a couple of nurse sharks, some rare fish, a huge crab....and I'm not lying here, yesterday we saw a SEVEN FOOT MORAY EEL. Do you know what that is like? This guy could fit my head in his mouth if it so desired. It looked like a DINOSAUR!!! Definitely the scariest/most awesome thing I have seen below water.

Let's add to all of this the thing that will impress all of you non-divers out there. Between our morning and afternoon dives, the boat takes us to a local resort beach, feeds us, and then we spend an hour playing in the crystal clear blue water - and there really wasn't anyone else around.

Plus, when we get back from diving - smelling of old sea water, dripping wet and walk back to the hotel - no one wants us in their shop!