On Saturday, October 15, Al and I flew from Baltimore to the Mexican island of Cozumel. Our trip was sponsored by  Columbia Scuba  and we were traveling with a group of 26 people, most of whom we knew, and many of whom we had traveled with before. We were looking forward to a relaxing week of sunshine, camaraderie, good Mexican food, and diving or snorkeling in crystal clear waters of the Western Caribbean.

We didn’t know then that our week would be anything but relaxing.  We didn’t know that out in the ocean, a tropical depression was forming that would turn, seemingly overnight, into a monster hurricane that would make a direct hit on Cozumel.  We didn’t know that in five days we would come “up close and personal” with Hurricane Wilma, the most intense storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

 Saturday, October 15...A Diver's Paradise

We were staying at the Scuba Club Cozumel (SCC), a 55-room "divers" resort, located on the water, on the west side of the island, about a mile south of the town of San Miguel. Constructed of concrete and tile, the resort consists of several multi-leveled buildings surrounding a courtyard embellished with palm trees, tropical flowers, a fountain and several stone sculptures.  This was Al's third trip to SCC and my second.  The Columbia Scuba group has been going to  the resort the same time each year for about six years.

 

We were served a hearty lunch, attended a group meeting, and then the divers took off for their check-out dive.  The seas were a little choppy and the divers reported that the currents were stronger than last year, but, still, very manageable for most.  A few of the newer divers had trouble getting back up out of the water.  One diver ended up drifting north and coming up in the fenced back yard of a neighboring property. She  had to yell for the owner to let her out of the gate.

In the evening, Al and I went into town with Larry and Darlene, and their friends Pat and Phil, for the 8PM Saturday evening mass at the church just off the square.  The service was long (it included a wedding!) and it was after 9:15 PM when we returned to the hotel. We had been a little worried about missing dinner because the last order was supposed to be 9:00PM, but the SCC staff  is incredibly accommodating and Mario, the maitre d’, ushered us right in and we were served steak or fish with all the accoutrements and the resort's signature coconut ice cream for dessert. 

Sunday, October 16... Calm Before the Storm
The divers were up early for breakfast and ready for their first boat dive of the trip.  It was still cloudy, a little breezy and the seas were very choppy (we weren’t sure from what) but this did not deter the divers who are generally fanatical about their sport and figure that once they are under the water, what is happening on top of the water doesn’t matter anyway, and  so off they went!   Water activities on the surface (snorkeling, swimming) are a different matter however, and the non-divers decided that the seas were too rough.  I took a morning jog south toward the new cruise pier for several miles and then decided to join a group walking into town to do some shopping. 

San Miguel is a vibrant, colorful little town with tons of restaurants, night clubs and shops along the waterfront. It has a town pier from which the ferries transport passengers to Playa del Carmen and a square with a bandstand and a clock tower. Cozumel is the #1 cruise port in the Western Caribbean, but today was Sunday, and there were no ships in port today.  Therefore it was quieter and less crowded than usual and the local shopkeepers were very eager to draw us into their establishments to give us special “Sunday discounts” on jewelry, marble chess sets, Mexican crafts, etc.  We browsed through the shops, haggled over prices and I bought a necklace for my niece for her 16^th birthday.  Then, we headed back to the resort. 

The divers were returning from their boat dives to Palancar Delilah and Paradise Reef, and although they raved about the dives, they talked about strong currents in the waters and queasy stomachs on the waters.  They weren't overly concerned, however, and were just hoping for calmer waters as the week progressed.  Everyone had lunch and then relaxed. Some people took naps in the hammocks facing the water. Others walked over to the local  supermarket (similar to a K-Mart) to buy snacks and drinks for their rooms (each room is equipped with a refrigerator).  Some of the divers took off on shore dives and others worked on their skills with Mike and Bill, the two instructors from  Columbia Scuba  who were also co-leaders of the trip. There was no mention or concern about the weather.

We enjoyed a fabulous seafood dinner and then Al and I walked south toward the new light house which is surrounded by a charming little park and a small beach.  Many of the locals were out that night in the park…families, lovers, enjoying the breezes.  Apparently, Sunday is family night and everyone gathers together.  It was fun to see the children playing in the park on the water.  Everyone seemed carefree and happy.

Tormentos Reef

Meg, Shirley and I took a cab ride south to Chankanaab,  a popular beach park which offers snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins, a sea lion show, a natural lagoon, restaurants, botanical gardens, etc.   Al and I had been there last year and really enjoyed the experience.  It had been very crowded when we visited a year ago but today, to my surprise, it was relatively empty.  We almost had the place to ourselves! Meg, Shirley and I walked along the beach and stopped to talk to the guys renting out snorkeling gear. I mentioned that the water seemed rough (wondering if it was safe) and one of the guys mentioned that it was because of a little tropical storm called “Wilma.”  It would pose no problem to us, he assured me, because it was just a "small disturbance" and it was going away from us. He regaled us with stories about how Cozumel had endured Hurricane Emily, a strong Category 4 storm, this summer and had come away relatively unscathed. Anxious to try the water and determined not to worry about the weather, I took him at his word, although it did concern me that this little “disturbance” actually had a name!  That didn't seem to be a good thing!

Meg and I quickly donned our dive "skins"  and got in the water.  The snorkeling was fabulous. We were engulfed by schools of colorful fish.   Although the waves were a little choppy, we managed fine and had no trouble getting back to shore. We spent the day relaxing under the palapas, sunbathing, exploring the grounds, watching the dolphins frolic, and having a delicious lunch at the Laguna restaurant on the water.  Gail joined us, having come from a timeshare presentation.

That evening at SCC,  we all enjoyed a delicious shrimp dinner.  The divers were excited about the two night dives coming up on Tuesday. They, too, had heard about the “little” storm heading toward Cuba, but it was of little concern to anyone at this point.