“No one really knows what’s in the deep ocean in Antarctica. Now we have the technology to reach into the ocean depths, we accompanied scientist and deep-sea explorer Jon Copley and became the first to descend to 1000 meters underwater in Antarctica for Blue Planet II. The exotic creatures we found there will astonish you.”
Ah, Costa Rica… This place has everything, diving, beaches, lush forests, coffee and lots of activities for the bubble deprived (i.e. non-divers). When Oceanic Ventures was young we ran eight adventures in five years to Costa Rica. At that time it was a little off the beaten path and things were a little challenging, especially for me since my Spanish is functional “border Spanish” and I have a vocabulary of a two year-old. But we had a great time!
It was during those early trips that we met Bill and Nadine Beard. Bill brought diving to Costa Rica and Nadine kept an eye on Bill and ran the marketing arm of their operation and acted as a Dive Master too. They helped us put together some truly unique adventures for our travelers including white water rafting, tours into the rain forest and hikes up to an active Volcano (you can’t get that close to it anymore – it is a safety thing you know).
All of these years later, we are still leading trips off the sidewalk and Costa Rica has so much to offer. Picture yourself on a quiet beach with a gentle surf breaking or on a beach where big waves break with surfers riding them to the beach. Or maybe peeking over a ridge and watching large bull sharks swim by is more to your liking. The fun thing about Costa Rica is you can do both in the same day! You can be diving in the morning and flying through trees in the afternoon.
And if you want to experience the true beauty of sharks, the Cocos Islands should be on your “must do” list. In this remote island chain, there are schools of hammerheads swimming through cleaning stations and small sharks feeding on the rocky reefs. And let’s not forget the tiger sharks always present in the distance and sometimes up close.
No trip to Costa Rica is complete without coffee. Touring a coffee plantation is a fun way to understand this important part of the country. And, you get to sample coffee made with different beans and different toasts while looking at the lush forest surrounding these plantations.
As with all of my adventures you have to sample the local cuisine and nothing says Costa Rica like Gallo Pinto which is served with breakfast or lunch. A combination of black beans, rich and spices makes this truly a Costa Rican dish. But you will find beautiful fish dishes and fresh vegetables abound throughout the country.
So as we all think about getting back to diving, imagine lush forests, soft sand beaches and pinnacles alive with fish and you can almost be there…
Ok, we have all been at home too long! Spring and summer are finally arriving and it is time to start thinking about getting back in the water. I know that the Twilight Zone episode is continuing and its effects can still be seen and most of the islands are not open to tourists right now. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t start dreaming of being underwater!
One of my favorite spots to dream about is Cozumel. Because of its relative location to Houston, it seems more like a local dive spot than a foreign destination. In two hours, I can be there and in four hours I can be checked it, changed into dive equipment, and jump in the crystal blue water just off the beach at the El Presidenté Intercontinental. Or better yet, I can be racing off in a boat with our friends at Scuba Du to do a dive further down the reefs.
Diving in Cozumel is a real treat. No matter what you are looking for, they have it. The reefs offer a wide variety of marine life and formations. There are vertical walls at Palacar and coral bommies in twenty feet of water nearby at Columbia. There are gently sloping walls at Chankanauub and fast-moving fun at Passo Cedral. For snorkelers, there are sites up and down the coast with beautiful fish and healthy corals just out of reach but easy enough to swim over. For the hard-core diver, you can do four dives a day plus a night dive right off the beach or off a boat with your own guide.
I have been going to Cozumel for over thirty years and I never tire of the diving or the island. My home away from home is now the El Presidenté. The staff at the hotel make me feel so welcome when I arrive and they are truly happy I am there. But it is not just me; they go out of their way to make everyone who visits feel welcome. Last December, Ann and I spent our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary with a group of divers at the hotel and it was a very memorable experience.
Another of the things I love about the island is the food. I know, I am supposed to be there for the diving but you have to eat. Cozumel is fast becoming a foodie destination with a number of well-known restaurants serving creative dishes that draw on all of the senses. But there are also some hidden gems serving very traditional Mexican and Yucatecan dishes.
Because things are still a little in flux, I can’t hop on a plane right now but we can sit back and dream. I can also try and recreate a little magic myself by making a special dish or two from my favorite hotel. Chef Sergio Turriza, the Executive Chef for El Presidenté sent me a couple of suggestions that I could make to bring Cozumel to Houston.
So my suggestion is to make one or both of these recipes and sit back and imagine yourself having just completed a beautiful dive and relaxing at the Palapa bar and watching the sun slip slowly under the horizon with its vivid reds and yellows dancing across the blue sky. Think of the day dives and the joy of anticipating more diving soon…
