COZUMEL

P & O GRAND PRINCESS	US COAST GUARD	NORWEGIAN SUN

While aboard the ferry you should pick up two things, both free, a small blue booklet entitled, FREE BLUE GUIDE TO COZUMEL, and a small brochure entitled, FREE GRATIS MAPS.

The first has all kinds of information, such as a list of the hotels, with their rates and services, and a map, showing the location of the hotels and an explanation of the street system.

Streets are divided into North and South. The dividing line is Av. Benito Juarez.

All streets to the South are numbered unevenly, except for Adolfo R. Salas, which lies between Calle 1 and Calle 2.

All streets to the North are numbered evenly.

All avenues are numbered in multiples of 5, Ave. 15, 20, 25, etc. So, if you walk from Av. 5 to Av. 25 you have not walked 20 blocks.

The second pamphlet contains a street map of Cozumel as well as one of Playa Del Carmen. It also contains some discount coupons for shopping and eating.

All my fears of getting soaked were for naught as after a short nap I awoke to sunshine.

Next door to the Hotel Lopez is a nice restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff, good prices and excellent service. I had Burritos for the princely sum of $55.

On Wednesday I rented a scooter from a little hole in the wall, about two blocks East of El Centro on Calle 1 Sur. Their office may not be big but they have a large selection of scooters.

When you rent the scooter the fuel tank is full and they check the machine for scratches and dents.

I don’t remember wearing a helmet. I found out later you are required to do so, by law.

I rented the scooter for a half day, rather than 24 hours.

The price was $250. Extra hours are $10 I used a cash deposit of $500 plus I bought the insurance which was another $70.

If you are not using a credit card then you will need a drivers license or passport for ID.

You are expected to fill the fuel tank before you return the bike.

There are only two services stations on the island, both in the central core. Try to avoid going there during the afternoon rush hour.

From the scooter shop I wound my way through sides streets to the Northern edge of the city and then worked my way over to Av. Rafael E. Melgar, which is the most Westerly street in town.

Av. Rafael Melgar is the main street, or road, which runs the length of the island following the Western shore. It doesn’t go very far North from the downtown core. After going past the Yacht Club, Resorts, and the military air base it ends in an undeveloped subdivision.

Near the far end, across from one of the resorts, I bought a most excellent torta from a vendor who had his bicycle parked under the shade of a palm tree.

CASA	YACHT CLUB	AIR FORCE	DOWNTOWN

After turning South I went through the main part of town, past the wharf and stores and the little plaza with the large flag pole and two large birds.

I continued on the road, turning North. Here the road follows the rugged Eastern shore, open to the winds and waves from the Mar Caribe.

I visited a tourist stop where people walk out onto rocks that waves have carved holes in. The waves shoot through the holes, high into the air.

Later I stopped for a swim along a lovely stretch of beach, diving and jumping into the huge waves.

It is a fairly long stretch of unpopulated road from Punta Sur to Punta Morena and sometime you think you are getting lost but at Punta Morena the road turns back inland.

After enjoying a short siesta in my hotel, and feeling more confident at the controls of the scooter, I tackled the streets of the town. If I didn’t tour all of them, I covered most of them.

I also managed to locate the four table dance clubs, which are mostly in the South East corner of town except for the one that is on the road to Punta Morena.

After I found the service station, corner of Av. Benito Juarez and Calle 25, I filled up the tank and took the scooter back to the rental.

Then I walked a few streets until I came across Chinatown in the form of the `Asian Garden’ restaurant where I had an excellent `House Lo Mein’.

While dinning I met a gentleman from Poland who was taking a break from his duties as a drummer in the band aboard the cruise ship that was based out of Galveston Texas and comes to Cozumel once a week.

Thursday was a quiet day as on Wednesday I had increased the sunburn on my bald spot by not wearing a helmet. I couldn’t wear my straw hat while riding as it would have blown off.

The day started with a light shower but the clouds blew away shortly after.

I wandered over to the Dairy Queen, with the craving for a banana split, but, in this land of bananas, they didn’t have any.

I walked many streets looking for a laundromat that I had seen while riding my scooter. I never found the one I was looking for but I found two others; $2 for 10 min. in the dryer. $3 for the washer. $12 for drop off of 6 items. Laundry is much cheaper in Cancun.

In the afternoon I went for a swim at the public beach close to downtown. The beach is nice, above the water line, but you have to search for a path through the rock to get out in the water.