Just got back.....in spite of USAir's best attempts to delay our trip to and
from there.  We missed our connection from Charlotte.  Our option was to
wait one day for the lone flight each day or catch the next flight to
Cancun, then a bus to Playa del Carmen and then a ferry.  We chose the
latter.  We still got there in time for happy hour.

Stayed at Vista Del Mar as Plaza Las Glorias is now all-inclusive.  Quaint
little hotel about 2 blocks north of Carlos and Charlies.  We were ocean
front.  An amazing amount of traffic from 6AM
to 11AM.  Not really noisy, just traffic.  Rooms were nice, but getting hot
water was sketchy.  We had to remind them to turn on the water heaters
several times.

The main road along the town square is now complete.  They did a really nice
job of renovating it.

As an architect, what they have done to Plaza Las Glorias should be a crime.
The building is whitewashed with bright yellow tile roofs.  The open
breezeway "windows" that provided a wonderful view of Corpus Christi and the
jungle are now enclosed with frosted glass.  They have completely turned
their back on the town.  The exterior renovation is completely devoid of
character.  Give it two years.  I don't see how they will survive as an
all-inclusive.

Two new restaurants worth checking out.  La Morena and Especias.  I had fish
both nights and the portions were huge and tasty.  They are about 100' from
each other two blocks from the main road on 10 Ave and about 2 blocks south
of the square.

Dove a couple of days with Aldora.  No flames please.  I've been diving with
these guys for years and have always had a good dive.  Enough said.

Water temp is 82 degrees.  I was fine with a thin shorty.

Dove the East side of the island with Memo as our DM.  We rode over to Chen
Rio to get to the small, open boat.  It was a little choppy getting out, but
our captain was a master at navigating the waves.  I think we gave the dive
sites names, so the name doesn't matter.

One was near Islote or about .75 mile offshore SSW from Paradise Cafe.  The
other was off the coast near Playa Bonita.  75' and 95' dives respectively.
The 75' dive was more like Ambergris Caye than Cozumel.  Coral gardens
arranged like fingers on a hand would be a good description.

We used nitrox.  Both dives were in the 80-85 minute range.  I still came up
with 850 psi.  Saw a few lobsters, great coral and sponges and a few
loggerhead turtles playing around.  It's a dive to check off your list and
definitely an all day event.  Surface interval was at the newly renovated
hotel on the east side next to Coconuts.  These dives were not your typical
west side dives where you worked your way to shallower areas.  You dove it
and then slowly made it to the surface.  Not much to see "deco-ing" at 15'.

Of humorous note was the go kart track.  I race F-5's in the SCCA and a
large group of us rented the track for a few hours 18 months ago.  We gave
the operator some of our team's cozies for being a good sport and letting us
make up the race rules.  Our logo and car are now immortalized on the CMU
wall of the building.  Look for the open wheeler---that's us.

On a side note.  If any of you have bought a house or own a condo in
Cozumel.  Look for my next post as to ownership down there.  We're ready to
take the plunge and we have a bunch of questions.

-Mark