4-8-2011 Akumal Mexico – Two Turtle Day

It was a “two-turtle” day at the bay in Akumal, Mexico. Friday was our last day at the resort. I really wanted to see the turtles toward the north end of the beach that I had heard so many people talking about.

After breakfast we hauled our bag full of snorkeling gear and towels down to where the resort sun-beds (chaise lounge chairs) end and the boats are moored in the cove. This was way before the snorkelers, in groups of ten or more start their march out to sea to view the wonders below. Snorkelers must be dropped off in van-loads from other resorts to learn snorkeling. There are always new groups out there learning. We stood beside one group to overhear how to do it the right way. We had always bobbed in the moving surf about knee high to put on our fins. They let the water slash on their fins and feet at the water’s edge facing away from the ocean. You can get into your fins a lot easier that way.

You can always tell were the snorkeling tubes congregate in the ocean, that there must be something below. We enjoyed the cool breeze and sounds of the ocean as we had the whole day to get busy looking for turtles.

I’m not a good swimmer and sometimes panic-up when I can’t touch the bottom. Swimming in the surf with the tides against you is another whole dimension from the glass-still surface of the lagoon a few days ago. At least today I didn’t need to hold Stan’s hand. I plan out the process in my head of what will be comfortable. I look to the buoy by the boats and the pod of snorkelers about 20 feet further in the distance. They are out too far but the buoy might be within a safe swimming distance, safe in my mind that is. Stan spits in my mask for me as spitting seems to be a guy thing. The spit keeps the mask from fogging up. I rinse the mask a little in the clear surf water and put it on. I start walking with my back to the surf while lifting my fins up and down as they suction to the moving sands. I lay back into the water and take a few stokes against the splash of the surf. I stand back up in waist high water and head toward Stan out into the bay.

Breathing in and out through the snorkel, everything seems ok so far. I can do twenty or so strokes and kicks. I try to breathe more shallowly so as not to panic and wear myself out. I look down at the ocean floor at the swaying thick grasses. A few small fish leisurely swim through the water. We are looking for the fine grasses that the turtles eat.

I bob up to the surface to check my location and also adjust my mask which is filling with water. So far so good. We head to the buoy another twenty or so stokes. More water fills in my mask. I come up to the surface and swallow some of the salty water leading a little panic. I hang on to the buoy for a while trying to regain my confidence and finish with the coughing fit.

Stan patiently waits for me to decide if we should go in or keep on. I know I can always float back in to the shoreline on my back if I need to and I was pretty comfortable bobbing in the ten foot deep water hanging onto the buoy’s rope out here. I just know there are turtles close by and want to see them.

The pod of snorkelers are still about twenty or more feet in the distance.

We decide to swim parallel to the beach. Slicing through the water with the surf pushing against you requires added energy. I see him. I bob up to call to Stan and point to the spot. We both float around the surface watching the turtle. He is beautiful about three feet long. His shell is covered with a thin layer of moss with his flippers dark green from age. He gently nibbles at the fine grasses on the ocean floor. When it is time for a breath he flaps his flippers a few times and floats to the surface with such grace and ease. That was worth the trip.
We swim back to shore and rest in the shade enjoying the warm ocean breeze. We meander over to the swing-bar and talk to some people while we wait for it to open. The bar has a name, which I forgot. We call it the swing-bar because there are swings hanging from the rafters. You can sit on them and swing back and forth making patterns in the sand with your feet.

I watch a couple of workers shoveling and racking the sand around so all surfaces are pretty much evenly covered. Can you imagine what it would be like to be in charge of sand dispersion? Every day the sand flows and blows around. Every day you and your buddy organize and smooth it. I guess we all do that to a certain extent, just with different material. Work on stuff and move it around. Next day more stuff. Work some more. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Time to go back out and look for turtles. Stan fixes my mask so it is tighter and maybe less prone to fill with water. I’m still pretty tired from our jaunt before so we decide for one more turtle try about 20 or so strokes out from the shoulder deep water. We swim past the thick grasses toward a patch of the thin grasses. There she is, smaller at about eighteen inches long. She must have been much younger than her friend by the buoy as her shell and flippers were a rich rust color with white under coat. She was nibbling at the grasses and then surfacing for a breath. Not sure if they were he’s and she’s, it just seemed they were.

What a delight. Made my two turtle day complete.

4-6-2011 Akamal Beach Resort '- Mexico

4-6-2011 Wednesday Akumal Beach Resort – Mexico

Dancing in the sand on the beach to a live band is harder than you’d think. Your feet sink in and your knees ache as you accidentally step in the uneven surface of the sand.

The music is great. A three piece band: keyboard that mimics many instruments, drummer and vocalist might seem a little corny, but not when they all know how to play and sing all types of music really well with lots of energy it lifts your spirits.

We heard this band our first night last Saturday when they played at the bar in subdued lighting. Tonight we heard them in front of the beach bar at the far end of the resort play in the dark with dancing on a dance floor at the edge of the ocean. During the day this place is known as the regular ole’ beach filled with sand castles and the ebbs and flows of beach sand.
I was surprised the band would bring out their instruments and equipment to these sandy conditions, but they did. I tried to video a Latin song, but it was just too dark. We could barely see silhouettes of the dancers in the darkness.

This is the same beach we went snorkeling today. My equipment came from a dive shop in Australia. Stan’s came from a small shop on Wadsworth in Lakewood where he could order a prescription insert for the facemask so he could see something in the depths below. We have hauled them all over the world. It still works. It was so interesting seeing the fish swimming and patches of coral shaped like fans. Some folks we met said they saw a few large turtles in the grasses. We’ll need to look closer tomorrow.

Stan was so excited this morning to join the water aerobics again today. It is fun and sure doesn’t impact your body like regular aerobics does. We’ll need to try that back home. Vacation willingness is so much easier than breaking everyday routines.

We met Günter from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada early in the morning at the pool. He does laps. Lots of them. He was on number 64. We had a little chat about getting older and keeping the body working. He had a heart attack three years ago at age 57 when he was working 12 hour days driving a truck for the coal industry - too much work and stress. He mentioned that overeating and drinking brought him to well over 300 pounds when this happened. He had really trimmed down since this eye opening experience when he took charge of his own destiny with daily exercise and weight lifting for strength training. We commiserated on the aging process and how youthful activities sneak up on you. Then one day you’re practically, if not literally, taken out as if by surprise.

Lots of people we met here are from Canada. They seem to have a stronger economy than the USA. Out of work people just don’t take vacations when they are trying to put food on the table.
One Canadian woman, originally from Uruguay, has been to this same resort about 22 times. She loves it here as so do many others. The beaches are nice and long, snorkeling close by, and food is really pretty good. They serve four or five meats every night, not that I’m a meat eater, but most are. Stan had the first slice of a big turkey breast one night and beef kabob another, along with a chunk of pork in sesame sauce. There are lots families with well behaved children enjoying each day.

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.

4-3-2011 Akumal Beach Resort Mexico

Had a leisurely day at the beach. We started off swimming a few laps in the pool before breakfast. It is a big pool. Wider than the normal hotel pools where you can swim across in about 13 stokes. I counted for a while twice and still was not at the end of the pool. I’m not much of a swimmer, but I know it moves the creaky joints around. I usually do the front crawl one lap and then backstroke on the next. I enjoyed looking up at the blue sky with wisps of white clouds slashed across the sky. Palm trees heavy laden with green coconuts larger than a softball draped palm fronds on either side of the pool. It was a sight to stop and enjoy. Stan and I were the only ones in the pool which made it even more pleasant. The water was warm and the gentle breeze cooled the humid air.


We are on the third floor of the hotel. The view is great. The walk up the stairs (no elevator) is tedious on my creaky knees and Stan’s lower back ache. This is the first time we actually plan and contain how many trips up and down the stairs. Instead of popping back up to change out of swim wear into street clothes, we used the near-by restroom. Oldth. It’s not for sissies.
Our room is cheerful. Opposite walls are painted the same bright colors: school bus yellow and red orange. A foot wide strip of wood is painted bright turquoise above the wall of drapes. Occasionally we see a little lizard an inch or so long scurrying by outside our doorway. I also saw some butterflies sleeping on the hallway walls this morning. They were more like moths, but big ones with pretty brown designs in their wings.


On the balcony we have a grass roof as we are on the top floor. I’m typing this note and watching the sun rise on a breezy morning. I better go get my camera.


Yesterday Stan was on the balcony listening to a bird sing his repertoire from the top of the opening to the grass roof. What an assortment of songs he had. The most delightful thing we noticed about this resort is the peace and quiet. No rowdy young adults playing loud music, drinking too much or splashing noisily in the pool. Just people quietly enjoying their day.

This resort is closed to Spring breakers and caters to mostly families of all shapes and sizes.
There are times when salsa lessons are offered by the pool with the accompanying large speakers. One evening at the bar we waited for a group of three musicians to start up. There was a drummer, keyboard and singer. No expectations on how this was going to sound. Pleasantly surprised to hear genres from the 80’s and 90’s some old time rock and roll and a bit of Latin cumbia and salsa. The dance floor was full the entire evening. Stan and I tried a few. We had just started dancing polkas, waltzes and two-steps five years ago in 2006 as an exercise after his heart attack in May of 2005. After weekly dancing for five years we can finally find the beat and have some fun.

4-3-2011 Akumal Beach Resort Mexico

The trip to Mexico takes about a day. For an early flight we reluctantly drag out of bed a little before 3 am to catch our flight at 6:15. Traffic is light, but then there is the tension of riding the bus from the outlining parking. We enjoy being picked up promptly, however the bus dutifully picks up all of the other early birds too.

You think there just couldn’t be a crowd of people at the airport at the Frontier counter to check in. There was. All the other fellow 150 travelers on this charter flight to Cancun were already waiting in line to greet the 3 or 4 folks up front to check us in. For this kind of flight, we can check a bag with no additional charge. So guess what? Everyone does. We really don’t like to slep our bags on board to stow in the over head bid. We just do it due to the $25/bag cost.


So off we go. Five years ago we came to this same resort area for my sixtieth birthday along with John, our son and his girlfriend Rachel and our daughter Jamie. The good news is that the place is vaguely familiar. The bad news déjàvous sets in as you try to remember what you really encountered before.

Visiting a place twice is always interesting. It was so fun the first time, all the missing amenities really didn’t matter. We have been in and out of a lot of beautiful hotels at charming places all over the world since them so you notice little things and then quickly get over it. After all we are in the Riviera Maya peninsula south of Cancun in one of the most charming places on the planet. The beds are hard for me, but Stan loves them. The pillows don’t squish like the cloud of puff we slept in Prague Czech Republic at an old hotel that just been refurbished with high ceilings and wonderful European fixtures in the bathrooms. Here in Mexico the place is clean enough for me where the floor glimmers against rays of sun shining in through the balcony window. There is separate room for the toilet and one for the shower. Oops – no light in the shower, but oh well. Missing that hot water boiler, so I can have a quick cup of tea before starting the day. We did have a bottle of chilled Champaign waiting on the counter in the bedroom when we arrived. A nice touch at no cost for repeat visitors to the resort.

To me internet use is like providing toilet paper. I need it and want. Most of all it should be convenient and included with the cost of the room. Last time I paid $5 - $10 for a card 30 minutes of internet time in the lobby at their computers. Seemed high, but this was five years ago and internet not quite as necessary in people’s lives. Today I can use their internet for free for about 10 – 15 minutes then must relinquish it for the next person. BTW (by the way) there are usually no “next” persons. They have blocked Facebook, which wasn’t even invented five years ago, but has become an important part of how I personally communicate with family and friends. I could also buy internet access for a week for $35. I would need to slep my computer down three floors (no elevators) and camp out in the lobby to use it. I really don’t’ want to admit my internet hobby costs me money. So that doesn’t fit. As I said, it’s like toilet paper. You don’t expect to pay by the square.