Cozumel Dive Trip, The Last Day: Flamingos, Crocodiles, And Iguanas.

All good things must end, and our dive trip was certainly drawing rapidly to a close. The diving part was over, and we had one day to let whatever compressed nitrogen bubbles might be left in our blood dissipate before flying. Wouldn't want those bubbles expanding in the lower pressure of the aircraft cabin. It's a good way to get the bends on your way home.

So we had a free day on our hands, and since our hotel had no pool bar to belly up to, and the town was filled with happy, chubby families from the Disney cruise ship Fantasy, we decided to once again rent a car and drive south.

Cozumel is 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. There are only two paved roads, one leading south around the island to a point directly east of San Miguel, and the other running from that point straight across the island back to town. The whole loop takes about an hour and a half to drive.

At the island's southern tip is a park called Punta Sur. It was $12 per person to get in, so we;d given it a pass on our first trio south, but Matthew had heard there was good snorkeling there, so we made that our destination.

It was important to cram as many visits to Sabores into our remaining time as possible. 

So we started our day with breakfast there. I didn't get any picture of that event, so here's

 a shot of one of our more memorable meals. In the foreground: Milanesa de res, a savory

 Italian-by-way-of-Mexico version of chicken-fried steak. So much better with guacamole
 and refried black beans than that gloppy, bland country gravy. We all agreed it was

one of the best things on a remarkably delicious menu.

Punta Sur is a large wildlife refuge/historical site/beach park. We started at the beach, where Matthew snorkeled on the clear, turquoise waters while John and I sat in the shade drinking overpriced pina coladas.

Then we visited the saltwater lagoon, one of the few places in the Caribbean where 

saltwater crocodiles still live. This one was cooling off by leaving his mouth open. On one 

of the far spits of sand, we saw a small flock of flamingos. I tried taking a picture, 

but all it showed was a distant smear of pink.

These are relatively small specimens. The average adult is about 15 feet and can swim

 up to 20 mph in short bursts. Some have been known to grow to over 20 feet long. 

Something like that could seriously ruin your dive.

Traces of the Mayan culture are sparse and unimpressive on Cozumel. This is thought to be 

the remains of a lookout tower dating from around 1200 CE.

The tower may be in ruins, but the watch continues under new management.

After spending most of the afternoon at Punta Sur, we returned to Sabores for a couple last rounds of pina coladas, then stumbled back to our rooms for a nap. Around 8:00 we roused ourselves for a last dinner, a last pina colada, and a last stroll in the soft, warm darkness past all the barkers trying to get us into their shops for cigars, drinks, diamonds, or souvenirs.

The next morning, John and I said goodbye to Matthew, who was flying out of Cozumel, 

and took a taxi to the ferry. It was the beginning of another gorgeous day in paradise,
but we wouldn't be there to enjoy the rest of it.

I'm so grateful that we were all able to get together and taker this trip. I had a great time, and feel even closer than ever to my two sons.

The trip also reminded me how much I love diving and island living and Cozumel specifically.

So long Cozumel, and thanks for all the lionfish.

P.