Cozumel General Hospital Has New Administrator, Cozumel by Helicopter, Expect Cozumel Ferry Ticket Price Increase, Cozumel Beach Litter Increased in 2016, 2017 Mexico Gasoline Price Increase, Traveling Mexico Via ADO Bus, Cozumel Calendar of Events, and Aurita’s Cozumel Corner.
Cozumel General Hospital Has New Administrator
Carlos Manuel Angulo López was named head Administrator of Cozumel General Hospital on December 16th. He was private secretary of Municipal President Carlos Hernández Blanco (2002-2005), administrative coordinator of the Marina Banco Marina of the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo), during the government of Felix González (2005-2011).
While during the administration of Juan Carlos González Hernández (2008-2011), he served as Private Secretary to the mayor, General Director of the Integral Sustainable Coastal Administration and Deputy Director of Tourism.
On May 2, 2011, in the three years that led Omar Aurelio Joaquín González (2011-2013), he was named CEO of Integrated Municipal Coastal Management. Later, in early November 2013, when Roberto Borge Angulo ruled the state, he assumed the sub-management of operations at the Cozumel Ferry Terminal at Apiqroo.
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Cozumel by Helicopter!
Playa del Carmen’s Maritime Terminal is carrying out the preliminary work on the recently inaugurated heliport. The company, Aerocopter, will begin to operate helicopter flights from the local pier to Chichen Itza, Tulum, Cancun, Cozumel and Chetumal, Starting in May 2017.
“The future projection is to cover the entire Yucatan Peninsula, but at the beginning, it is to have local flights for national and international tourism. Flights of 10 to 15 minutes that allow the tourist to travel by air along the coast, enjoying the view of the hotels and, of course, the color of the sea. At least eight flights of 15 minutes each per day, “said Miguel Angel Vidal, President of Aerocopter.
Meanwhile, the board of the maritime terminal of Playa del Carmen, said that this initiative will represent an increase in the influx of visitors who will find this transportation alternative, a chance to view important tourist destinations of the Peninsula in a short time, while vacationing in the Mexican Caribbean.
“Being the most important Maritime Terminal in Latin America due to its high inflow and continuous improvement in infrastructure, we are constantly developing to offer more and better services to our visitors, which will be reflected in more tourists to the destination,” said Xóchitl Bernal Quintana, Commercial Manager of Playa del Carmen Marítima Terminal.
Sergio’s Silver from Taxco
Sergio’s Silver from Taxco is a fourth generation, family-owned and operated silver jewelry business that began in Taxco, a town in the state of Guerrero known worldwide as the “Silver Capital of Mexico”. They are ranked #1 in Trip Advisors.
My family has personally purchased from Sergio’s as well as trusted them to design create new jewelry from family heirlooms. Others living in Cozumel have also praised their work. You are guaranteed personal attention from the Hernandez family members, who have over forty years of experience in the business. “Our goal is to earn the trust and loyalty of our customer. We strive to provide outstanding customer service so your shopping experience will be enjoyable and you will look forward to visiting us again soon.
” They are located at the Town Square Park on Juárez Ave. #117 x 5th Ave. They are open Mon- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 8 p.m. Phone: 01 987 872 7632 Email: sergiosilver@live.com.mx Website: http://www.sergiosilver.com
Expect Cozumel Ferry Ticket Price Increase
The price of tickets for vessels carrying passengers in the Cozumel and Playa del Carmen route will increase in 2017. This was announced by sources inside the companies, before the increase in the price of diesel fuel was announced for the first of the year.
Informants said that what was to be determined was whether rates would increase by the same percentage as fuel increased because “it is materially impossible for prices to remain stationary.
The island is separated from the continental zone of the State by a channel of water of 18 kilometers in length. Three shipping companies offer maritime transport services that run between 30 to 40 minutes one way.
The three sales modules at the San Miguel Pier show their list of visible rates in pesos and dollars in which they reflect the amount for simple and round trips for locals and visitors.
Based on the 16.5 percent increase in the price of diesel, it is estimated that Mexico Waters Jets will sell its most expensive ticket for a simple trip for $90 pesos if they only apply an 8.25 percent increase, but if the company decides on a matching increase of 16.50 percent, the fee will be $97 pesos.
Barcos Caribe estimated rates are between $146 and $157 pesos, and Ultramar will have an estimated cost between $176 and $190 pesos, with a VIP area increase between $238 and $256 pesos.
Data provided by personnel of the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo), in the island, indicate that from January to November 2016, 1,687,971 people arrived by sea and 1,630, 853 departed by sea, for a total of 3,318,824 passengers. The number surpasses the arrival of tourists in cruises, in the same period of 3,171,984 visitors.
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Cozumel Beach Litter Increased in 2016
The Foundation of Parks and Museums of Cozumel (FPMC), has sponsored the environmental organization “Jóvenes por la Conservación” since 2003. The group is made up of children aged 9 to 13 years that clean up Cozumel’s beaches. The foundation’s data indicate that during 2016 1,660.3 kilos of waste was collected that the sea tossed unto Cozumel beaches, a 29% increase from in 2015. The waste reaches the beaches of the island from many parts of the world, thrown by the currents.
Héctor González Cortes, Director of Conservation and Environmental Education (DCEA) of the FPMC, detailed that the waste collected in the almost 12 months, but did not specify which of the materials, such as plastic, PET or glass, was the predominant.
He explained that the cleanups were limited to the area of beaches of Punta Sur ecological park that features five beaches, and that these works were emphasized in the area of nesting turtles and seabirds, which are the “5 de junio” y “Celarain”.
Origin of the waste
For a few years’ biologists, FPMC and other external bodies, have disclosed that the garbage that reaches the shores of the island come from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Brazil, the Middle East and Europe, documented thanks to garbage tags.
The latest information on the type of garbage that reaches the coast of Cozumel, dates back to mid-2015 when the staff of the Ecology Department of the City Council estimated that between 70% and 80% of this waste arrives Dragged by the currents, and the rest is due to the presence of users to the beaches and the lack of an effective recycling program.
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Aurita’s Cozumel Corner
We are back from our Family excursion to Coatzacoalcos, Vera Cruz, México. We left via ADO bus on the 16th of December and returned December 27th. We attended a wedding the 17th, the bride is from Vera Cruz and the groom from Oaxaca. In the next few weeks I will write about the experience. As promised, a report on our travel via ADO buses is in this issue.
I hope our readers have kept up on the latest Cozumel News via our Facebook Group and Pages. The big news has been the Gasoline price increase. If you live on the island, fill up your tanks today. The price goes up on the first, even though the Government promised that there would be no increase in 2017.
Over the past few years, gasoline prices have increased on a monthly basis. Expect boycotts and protests over this issue. Here is a comparison to U.S. that appeared in Facebook this week:
Reminder: If you have not yet paid your property taxes and Trash Pick up, the Cozumel Homeowner Discounts for Predial or Property Taxes and Garbage Collections are still in effect. If you qualify and hold an INAPAM or Senior Card, your discount will be 50%! Otherwise:
Pay between January 1st – February 28th and get a 10% discount. To apply for a senior card (INAPAM) follow the instructions in the Cozumel Sun Website under “Important Documents” in the GUIDE section!
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Traveling Mexico Via ADO Bus
I have traveled from Playa del Carmen to Cancun and to Merida by bus, but never long distance. After three long distance trips into the Mexican mainland in our 21-year-old Dodge Van, we decided to try out ADO.
ADO bus company encourages everyone to purchase their tickets online. We spent three days attempting to do so. First, our foreign debit card did not work. We then withdrew cash at an ATM 2 days in a row to deposit the cash into Bancomer. The Bancomer did not work. We then contacted them by telephone and were told a Banamex account would work. We then withdrew the money from Bancomer and deposited to Banamex. That did not work. After a lengthy process of finding a number for assistance, we made the purchased over the telephone but had to travel to Playa del Carmen to pick up the tickets and complete the transaction. This was the ADO terminal farthest from the pier, not the easy to get to one on the other side of the park.
ADO offers 3 types of travel, Regular, ADO Gel, and ADO Platinum. Platinum is the top of the line bus and luxury travel; it was not available to our destination out of Playa del Carmen. I opted for ADO Gel, the next best for our departure on the 16th. Unfortunately, none were available for our return, so we booked regular ADO for our return on the 26th. We purchased our tickets a good six weeks in advance and our prices I am certain reflect holiday discounts.
On the Platinum there were only two seats available for senior discounts. We paid $730 pesos each for Charles and myself, $730 pesos for our 5-year-old granddaughter and $1022 pesos each for the other 4 family members. Total purchase for the 7 of us: $6,278 pesos.
On the regular ADO return trip we were able to purchase all three tickets at a senior discount $559 pesos each, $559 for the five-year old, two full price tickets at $1118 pesos each, and we qualified for a discounted ticket at $818 pesos. Total return for the 7 of us: $5,290 pesos.
The Difference
The Gel bus was newer, and had two bathrooms available (his and hers). Upon boarding they offer you a refreshment (water, soda, etc.) and give you a new set of ear phones. There were televisions placed strategically with current movies and two outlets under the seat to plug in your devices. There was a coffee machine in the back of the bus but it was out of order. There was not much legroom if you carry a backpack like we did. The overhead storage is tiny, not large enough for a backpack. During our trip, they made a few quick stops to change drivers and drop off people. Half way through, we made a 20-minute stop to fuel the bus and everyone had to get out. The terminal was clean; we were able to purchase snacks and stretch our legs. In our absence, the bus was cleaned, all trash picked up and bathrooms cleaned and refreshed.
The regular ADO bus was old, rattled and shook. There was only one bathroom in the back. Neither the bus nor the one bathroom got cleaned in our return trip. There were the same televisions playing current movies, but with volume controls above your seats, no headphone connection. There was only one outlet under the seat to charge a device. I found the actual legroom and seat comfort exactly the same, no difference. The only reason to pay more is for the bathroom availability and cleanliness if you are traveling with people with limited mobility like us.
The Terminals
All the modern terminals had bathrooms set up with automated entries that opened after depositing $5 pesos. The bathroom tissue in these are found outside of the stall by the sinks, some have the dispenser right before or after you enter the men’s or Ladies’ room. The entry is a metal bar walk through (like on the subway), not wheelchair accessible. You must ask security for entry into a wheelchair accessible bathroom, usually on the outside of the building by the bus loading area.
There was one small stop that was labeled ADO terminal, but there ended all similarities. We had stopped there briefly on our way to Vera Cruz, but it was late night and only my son got out to purchase a cup of coffee. On the return trip, it was daylight and I had refused to use the one bathroom in the bus that my granddaughter had described as “stinky.” The bathroom was a disaster! The bathroom floor was wet. The toilets had no seats, or running water. There was a huge barrel of water with a bucket to flush the toilet and wash your hands. There was no toilet tissue. I travel with a roll of toilet tissue and hand sanitizer, just when I thought I would not need it, it came in handy!
The Disastrous Return
We scheduled a departure of 7:50 p.m. allowing us an extra day in Coatzacoalcos and thinking we could sleep the majority of the trip. Well what we did not know was that there are two types of buses, “Local” and “De Paso.” The Local came from Mexico City, and on time. The one we booked on was “De Paso” and came from Oaxaca, were the teachers are still protesting the Government and blocking the roads sporadically. Our bus was caught in a blockade and we did not leave the terminal until after two in the morning. The six hour wait with my husband, diabetic, heart condition, and in a wheelchair and a five and fourteen-year-old a foot was terrible. The worse part was the attendant kept telling us it was arriving in forty minutes every time we inquired.
It is a shame that our vacation ended on such a bad note. Would I travel by bus again? I think so, but first, we will try the same trip by airplane next time. It will be our first in a Mexican Airline, I will let you know then!
Thank you for being part of The Cozumel Sun Family!
We Wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year’s filled with good health, Love, success, and Happiness!
Cozumel Calendar of Events
New Year’s Eve
La víspera de Año Nuevo
December 31st
New Year’s Day
Día de Año Nuevo
January 1st
Cozumel Ladies Breakfast Wednesday January 4th at 9 a.m.
Happy New Years everyone!!!! We will going back to a local favorite El Abuelo Gerardo on Av 10 between Juarez and Calle 2 Norte on the right hand side of the restaurant. We will be in the back garden so you won’t see us when you first walk in so if this is your first time visiting us; just come in all the way to the back. There are a few parking lots on Av 10 but they fill up fast. In addition to meeting wonderful Ladies from all over the world, the breakfast club is an excellent source of information gathering and networking. Breakfasts are informative and FUN! All Women are welcome to join us, even if you are just visiting our beautiful Island.
3 Kings Day
Dia de los Santos Reyes
January 6th
Cozumel Carnival 2017
February 22nd – 28th
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