Here are some of my personal notes from traveling to Cancun & the 
Yucatan.  I travel inexpensively.  The less I spend on lodging & food, 
the more I can travel and the more I can dive!  Prices are in U.S. dollars.  
I generally prefer to "go native".  It's cheaper & more fun.  I typically 
budget about $20/night for a double room, $25/day for food & drink.  
And I rarely spend all of that :)
Have fun, and I hope this is useful.
Chuck Smith

On Cozumel I usually stay at the hotel Flores.  It is on Av Salas 1/2 
block from the water, south side of the road.  --Across from ProDive, 
the big red & glass shop.  It's walking distance from the pier.  Have a 
pedicab take the luggage.  Last I was there (2/99), it was $16/nite with a 
ceiling fan, $19 with A/C.  Spartan, but clean.  Try to get a room not 
facing the street (true anywhere)  Phone 2-14-29

Another alternative for you might be the Aguilar, 1 block south of the 
Flores. It's about $40-45/nite.  They have somewhat larger rooms, a 
small courtyard, and a pool.  Nicer hotels in the area are the Bahia ($60-
80ish) and the Colonial (ph 2-0506).   American style resort hotels start 
at about $100/nite & go up sharply.

ALWAYS LOOK AT A HOTEL ROOM BEFORE YOU PAY FOR IT. 

 This is standard practice in Mexico and the people at the desk 
expect it.  If they will not let you look at a room, walk away.  Typically 
they will give you the keys to several rooms, pick the one you want.  Be 
sure to check:  the bed (comfy), the A/C or ceiling fan (works, quiet), 
toilet (works, --By the way, a toilet seat is considered an American 
luxury in most of Mex.  They use a wide rimmed toilet that doesn't need 
a seat.  Not an issue at American style hotels.)  Check the shower (hot 
& cold water, does it drain).   Most bathrooms are designed so a shower 
curtain isn't necessary, so there probably won't be one.  You do not 
want a room facing the street.  Even if it seems quiet during the day, it 
may be a drag strip for mopeds at nite.  I think moped mufflers are 
illegal there.  Pay for rooms and get a receipt each day, not in advance.

The dive operator I use, Dzul Ha Water Sports, is about 2 miles south 
of town, on the beach closer to the dive sites  (~$4 taxi ride).  It's a 
small operation that runs small boats that will hold up to 8 people.  They 
are casual but very safety conscious and are willing to dive some of the 
stuff further south  (Deeper, to about 120', better vis, different 
creatures, HUGE coral heads). If you call before your trip, Luis will 
reserve a boat and divemaster for your group.  They were completely 
flexible with us.  Whenever & wherever we wanted to dive was fine.  
Mario was our DM & did a fantastic job.  They take cash, traveler's 
checks & AMEX, not VISA or MasterCard.
The owner is Luis Vera. Contact #:
Shop     (011-52-987)  2-13-85      voice & fax
 
If you use them, tell Luis that I gave you his number.

A typical Cozumel boat dive trip is a dive to about 80' for 30 minutes, 
surface interval, then a dive to 40-50' on a shallower reef.  Vis maybe 
100'.  Some of my best, most memorable dives have been on the 
shallower reefs.  About $50/day (+/-).

Aldora Divers is a first class operation catering to all but specializing 
in diving deeper & longer.  Many of their dives are an hour long.  They 
are a few dollars more (not much) & definitely offer more dive time for the 
dollar.   

My method of finding places to eat is simple:  Eat where the locals eat.  
Tourist restaurants advertise heavily and know you will only be there for 
1 meal.  Not all, but MANY, charge $10-20 for a rotten to mediocre 
meal.  Mexican places tend to have better food.  On Cozumel, maybe 
$4-8 for a dinner, cheaper on the mainland.  Yes, beer and Coke are 
usually about the same price, which is sometimes cheaper than water.

A good place for inexpensive food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) is 
usually Mi Chabelita, on Av 10 Sur, 1 block inland from the square.  
They also have an English menu.  A place that has excellent fish for 
almost nothing is a small local restaurant about 10 blocks inland on 
Salas.  There is a small food court area on the north side of the street.  
Looking in from the street, it's the last place on the left. About $4 US 
for a complete dinner.  No English, written or spoken, but they have a 
good sense of humor.  Ernesto's has the best sangria on the island & good food

I usually fly into Cancun.  I have friends there and the ticket is almost 
always cheaper to Cancun than Cozumel.  It takes about 2 ½ hours and 
$12 to get from the airport at Cancun to Cozumel by bus & ferry.  Just 
take the bus from the Cancun airport to the bus station & from there to 
Playa del Carmen.  From there to the island of Cozumel.

Travel mostly by bus, it's cheap, safe, and usually convenient.  It takes 
about an hour to get to Playa del Carmen from Cancun.  Cost about $2.

The ferry trip from Playa to Cozumel takes about 60 minutes, depending 
on which ferry.  Fare is about $5 each way.


 Chuck's Pack List for Cancun/ Cozumel
not including dive gear
 
2 tee shirts
1 long sleeve shirt	
2 pr nylon shorts	
2 pr socks
2 pr underwear
1 pr long pants	
1 sweatshirt/fleece
1 windbreaker
1 pr sandals
1pr shoes/boots for ruins
1 or 2 pr sunglasses
swimsuit
sun/rain hat

chapstick w/sunblock	
Bug juice w/DEET
toilet kit
rubber sink stopper- laundry
phrase book
guide book
book bag type thing-
     or buy there-cheap
pocket knife
zip lock bags
alcohol	hand sanitizing gel
Imodium AD tablets
10 or 15 dollar bills for tips
good book
small flashlight (Mag AA)
Sunblock SPF30+,waterproof
 
PASSPORT
$$$  Traveler's checks preferred, cash OK   (100's)
1 or 2 credit cards
driver's license


The town on Cozumel is San Miguel.  There is a dive shop on almost 
every corner, lots of little shops, restaurants, …..  In my experience, no 
crime.  Just don't be silly.  I do not travel with jewelry.  Don't show 
large amounts of cash.  Carry the bulk of your $$ in a money belt or 
neck wallet and keep it in the hotel safe.  I have never felt threatened 
anywhere.

Other things to due in the General area:

Cancun is split into 2 areas:  Downtown-- the Mexican city  (touristy) 
and the hotel Zone- modern and glitzy, very much like Miami or 
Waikiki.  Downtown has lots of shopping, restaurants and Mexicans.  
The Hotel zone had huge resort hotels, glitzy shops (Gucci), pricey 
eateries, and Americans.   Both are fun to shop or wander.

Cozumel is a big island; only the Western shore is developed.  The 
Eastern side has deserted beaches and a few restaurants.   Not much in 
the middle except for San Gervaiso, a nice set of Mayan ruins.  It's 
where Cortez finally conquered the Maya.  It's a nice day trip to rent a 
car and drive around the island.

Tulum is a Beautiful Mayan ruin South of Playa del Carmen on the 
mainland.  Turquoise water, white sand beaches,  Mayan ruins in pretty 
good shape (restored) with a wall surrounding the village.

Coba was another major capitol city of the Maya and is inland from 
Tulum.  Only about 2% has been excavated, none has been restored, the 
rest is covered in jungle.  It has the tallest pyramid in Mexico.  It's my 
favorite of the ruins.  Club Med has a wonderful hotel there --$70/nite, 
but worth it.

Chitzen Itza is a former regional capital of the Maya.  It has been mostly 
restored and has a ball court, temples,  cenote, and a really big pyramid.  
The view from the top of the pyramid is impressive, but the climb down 
can be an adventure!!

Notes:
Always use hand sanitizing gel before eating or brushing teeth.

Do Not  brush teeth w/tap water.  The only way to remember this is to 
put a bottle of water in the sink!

Do not spray water in mouth in shower.

Always travel with Imodium AD with you.  If you need it, you need it 
NOW.

It's much easier to travel with a duffel bag or backpack than a suitcase.  
Life is much easier if you can walk a few blocks with your stuff.

When changing money: BE VERY OBSERVANT!!   The exchange rate 
will be posted.  They will take your money and count it, punch that 
amount into a calculator & show you the amount.  MAKE SURE THIS 
IS THE AMOUNT YOU GAVE THEM.  They will then punch in the 
exchange rate.  Again, MAKE SURE THIS IS CORRECT.  When they 
show you the total, MAKE SURE IT IS CORRECT.  It's simple, just 
pay attention.  It is unusual for there to be a problem, but not 
uncommon for them to try to nick $5 or 10.  Just nicely tell them that 
the number is wrong and everybody will be happy.  Just remember, it's a 
game, and even if you lose it's only a few dollars.


Again, these are my own personal observations.  I can't
promise accuracy, but let me know if you find anything
that needs correcting or if you have any additions.
Chuck