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Slide show below of thirty-two
images from around Cozumel.

   I'm just back from eight days on Isla Cozumel (7/25 to 8/2/2011), a small island about twelve miles from Playa del Carmen on the Mexican Rivera. This trip was different from my previous visits, which were all about vacations and scuba diving. On this excursion, my focus was mainly directed on checking out apartments for rent and immigration options. I did accomplish these two goals, but my stay on the island this time revealed problems I'd not seen in my previous visits.

   Much has been reported in the USA about the dangers posed by the drug cartels in Mexico. I never would have imagined that this would affect this tiny island off the coastline of the Yucatan peninsula. The economy of Cozumel is based on traffic from cruise lines and scuba divers. Sadly, it seems that the reporting of cartel violence has had an impact on tourism in Cozumel. At first glance, the island seems unaffected, but I began to notice far fewer cruise ship passengers shopping downtown San Miguel, even though there were several large ships at the docks. On previous trips, the exclusive shopping meccas lining the waterfront would have their doors open, and you'd feel the chilly air from their air conditioning as you passed by on the sidewalk. Not so on this trip! The doors were either closed to save on electricity, or wide open with no cooling at all.

   Even Roberta's small hotel/dive op I stay at has been affected by this misconception. They had far fewer guests in the hotel, and far fewer divers on the boats each day than is usual for this time of year. My biggest gripe this trip was the fact that taxi fares to the plaza downtown have doubled to 80 pesos since I was last there! Cozumel is still a very safe place to visit. You are far more likely to encounter drug related violence on the streets of any city in the U.S.A.

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