4-5-2011 Akumal Beach Resort Mexico

After our visit to the Tulum ruins we stopped at the small tourist village. I found a Subway nestled between stalls selling jewelry, tote bags, ceramics and other such souvenirs. I bought an ice cold Pepsi light for $1.70. I really hit the spot on just a humid day. I would have paid five bucks.

We watched about 6 guys dressed in full feathery costumes hustle the tourists for photos. They looked great with arms full of rows of feathers that looked like eagle wings when he spread them wide. Faces and bodies were painted as is ready to go to war. When they saw me pull out my camera from my perch in front of Subway, they made it clear photos cost money. The rebellion part of me just wouldn’t bit and it all seemed so contrived and Christmas card like. I did a little shopping instead.

We walked back to the highway passing by men selling cab rides and collectiveo (bus) ride and instead opted for the fun of just waiting by the side of the road. Soon lights flashed as the collectiveo van pulled over. Is was packed. I asked. He said three. We got on. Move stops and more people crowded on. The driver dutifully stopped at Akumal (no announcement of course- you just pay attention). We paid our 6 bucks and were relieved to be back at the hotel.
Food here is amazing. Totally inclusive with the price. All you can eat does require restraints on your part I you won’t be able to fit into the airline seats for the ride home. This is buffet type service. You learn quickly what is good and what is not so good.

Tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole if you mixed it with the chopped onion/tomato/chile salsa and squeeze some lime juice, tortilla chips, oatmeal, most things made on the grill (like omlets, grilled fish cut fresh from a 3 foot long specimen caught just today, fresh tortillas lightly browned and so forth. The cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew are the best flavored if you pick carefully.

Desserts – some great some not so great. The beautiful cakes are actually soaked with some kind of liquid – maybe sugar water, so not to my liking. Stan gobbles them up. Cheesecake, flan and rice pudding are my favoriates. Although the coconut macaroons were great too.
Stan likes a hamburger from the snack bar by the beach, which is open all afternoon. I usually mix up the guacamole salsa combination with chips with some cantaloupe.

Onions are so mild and good you can eat them like apples. Any pasta looks disgusting. Sauce is on the side so pasta sits in large pans drying out. There is pizza, but really don’t we eat enough of that at home where it is actual fresh and delicious.

We have finally changed our at home rigorous awake schedule to a more relaxing vacation schedule. We ate breakfast first instead of swimming laps first to the best surprise. Our laps overlapped into the water exercise class so we joined them. It was the most fun and seemed like we were at camp again like when we were kids. We laughed and jiggled in the water. IAerobics I can do that make my knees work better.

It was Mexican food night at the restaurant. They went all out to provide interesting local foods. Tamales wrapped in husks along with chicken wrapped and baked in banana leaves. Burritos prepared on the grill spread with pureed black beans, rice, cheese and pulled pork browned to a slightly crunchy texture. They were delicious. Every Tuesday Stan and I go out to for Mexican food. We are right on schedule.