 La Ceiba Hotel |
 La Ceiba's Beach |
 Pool-side Club |
 Our Group |
The regulars include a Life-Flight helicopter pilot, several paramedics, accountant, chemical plant staff, and others whose backgrounds escape me. As a newbie to the group (brought in by guys from the plant) it seemed to me that participants were selected based on both their diving and partying expertise. I kinda fall short on the partying skills, but I'll tag along after the diving is done.
This trip started as a trip from hell, but once in Cozumel, we recovered quickly. We were told at 6:45 AM at Houston Intercontinental Airport that our Champion Air flight was delayed until 5:00 PM. This messed up our plans for afternoon checkout dives to get our weights right, and to sharpen our skills.
Our diving arrangements were with Flash's Adventures, and details were to be made during the afternoon, except we sat at the airport. After a phone call, arrangements were shifted to the evening. Sure enough, after our arrival at 10:30 PM, Oswaldo (Flash) and Lisa arrived to make plans for the next day. I was most impressed by the way they managed to accommodate our travel problems cheerfully. I highly recommend them.
Once the vacation really started on the morning of the 16th, we dove Tormentos and Paradise Reef on the first day. The currents were light, and we had a great time at both sites. On the 17th, we dove Santa Rosa Wall, which was a favorite, and San Francisco Wall, which I ranked just a little below Santa Rosa. That night we dove Paradise Reef which was a great place to see night critters. On the 18th, we dove Columbia Deep to near our deco limit, and Columbia Shallows after a comfortable surface interval.
Videos of the last dives were provided by Tania, of Blue Planet Underwater Videography. As with Flash's Adventures, she was locked in as a sole source for this service because of the group's previous experience. I've never seen such a tiny person with such a strong kick until she held her ground chasing a nurse shark while pushing the video camera.
We had a great time, though accommodations at La Ceiba weren't considered quite up to par with hotels that the group had used before. The air conditioner in our room was barely adequate, but others had no problem. My only complaint was that the cleaning staff turned the A/C off when they cleaned the room every day. I complained at the desk, but it didn't help. I am of the opinion that I rent the air conditioner along with the room, and I would like to have the effect of it operating when I return from diving. Otherwise the staff was very attentive, and the atmosphere was great. I wouldn't mind staying there again.
