So it Begins

Fred must be feeling better..today was spent doing a pile of odd jobs, starting with the car. The dust was so thick that it wouldn't come off with a rag. So out came the hose!

Next he moved on to repairing my bike tire. This seems to be a weekly event.

No, he didn't tackle the laundry...that was my contribution.

A Few Pictures

Here are a few of our favourite moments from our trip to Akumal.

The condo we have been looking at in Puerto Aventuras....top level.

Cenote at Xcacel...one of our first camping beaches years ago, near Akumal.

Paamul...our very first beach camping area.

The main beach in Akumal.

Full moon view from our room in Half Moon Bay.

Lunita, one of our favourite restaurants in Akumal...on our last night.

Lunita waiters!

Favourite Beach

Tulum beach has been a must stop for years so on Friday we decided to show it to Sonny and Cindy. On the way we made the obligatory visit to the ruins....I guess we have seen them too many times to appreciate the beauty.

The pole dancers performed as we were walking by.

The ruins were extremely busy and crowded. The caretakers of that area have done a great job of developing walkways and extending the ruin to include some of the vegetation nearby.

The beach was somewhat busy, but because it is a little out of the way from the ruins not too many people make the walk....or they don't know about the area. We walked for some time on the beach but still didn't make it to the end.

Love the crystal clear Caribbean water but so do the big resorts and I am afraid this place, along with Akumal, might be gone by the time we return.

Made it Out Again

Our next door neighbour let us know that the blockade has been removed and all traffic is flowing normally. We were still intent on taking the collectivo to Playa Del Carmen so that we could enjoy a few margaritas without the prospect of having to drive back to Akumal.

We did some shopping in Playa and then people watched while cooling down with a moist beverage. We had a late lunch/early supper in a small restaurant just off 5th Avenue. Excellent food and not that expensive.

Fred and I hunted down a store that sold Xtabentun, our favourite Yucatecan honey liqueur. We could find it in many stores, but not the size we needed for carry on.....mission accomplished.

Another Version

Yesterday we talked to a Mexican who has been here for twelve years and he gave us his version of what is happening in Akumal.

Because it is the only free access to the beach for miles, the tour companies are bringing in huge bus loads of people for snorkelling. These people are destroying the reef and the turtle area so CEA wants to limit the number coming in. They are proposing a 300 peso entrance fee (locals get in free) and a different entrance to control the movement of people. The huge fences are already up and in use.

Supposedly it is the tour operators who have started this blockade and riled up the locals to assist.

The police are now involved and I assume that is why we were able to walk out to catch the collectivo to Puerto Aventuras yesterday. Still no car movement!

We don't know which version is correct, but I hope it is the last one as I would not want to see Akumal privatized. You choose!

Blockade

We have heard rumblings of discontent in Akumal and today we got caught in the middle of it. We were coming home from Coba and Casa Cenote and were stopped at the highway entrance to Akumal.

The locals would not let anyone come into Akumal nor would they let anyone leave. They had the road blocked with branches, barrels or anything they could find to stop traffic.

They were not aggressive in the least and I strongly believe they are right. They want the government to stop the sale of the main beach in Akumal to an all-inclusive group. This is their only free and public beach and they want it to remain. I do feel it is a little late in protesting against all-inclusives seeing as there are many, many of them around.

After 30 minutes they moved the trees and let our car go through after we told them we lived in Akumal Norte....a little white lie, but it worked.

The protestors told us not to move tomorrow as they were not going to let any people in or out....not even walkers.

Should be fun if this continues until the day we are to fly out!

A Little Touring

Yesterday we went to the caves and cenote at Aktun Chen and were rewarded with a fun filled adventure. Fred and I have been here before, but still enjoyed the excursion.

First we were toured through the caves by our guide and we saw some pretty awesome sites....despite the bats.

We were then driven to the cenote to see impressively clear water in which we could snorkel all day, if we wished. 

The day ended at the palapa bar at Lo Ha and a few beers....the humidity did us all in! Excuses!

Condo

The place we are staying at is just three or four condos north of the one we used to own. This one is pretty comfortable....on the ground floor, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

It is older and in need of some TLC, but perfect for what we need. Great windows for a fantastic view of the Caribbean.

We Are Not That Important

We had an uneventful flight to Mexico City, but had some difficulty finding our shuttle to the hotel. We asked multiple times and were directed to a large bus that would take us over to Terminal Two and we could walk from there.

We found out later that our hotel shuttle was not allowed on the route due to some big celebrity coming into town. It turned out that big celebrity was the Pope. No wonder there was security every three metres and police cars every thirty. I don't believe I have ever seen that kind of security before. Truly amazing.

Anyway, our ten minute bus ride turned into a forty minute transfer. The hotel recommended that we take an earlier shuttle out in the morning because the same thing was to be repeated.

Rather Jittery

After last night's riot of the rat-sized cockroaches, I am a little on edge. I think I am sleep deprived from the worry of the next planned invasion!

Art and Sue took us to the depot in Guaymas so we could catch the bus to Hermosillo and on to the airport. We had a little incident in Guaymas when a guy turned too sharp when backing out and got wedged underneath Art's end gate. This was solved after a few hand gestures and the aid of a stranger.

The bus was about twenty minutes late leaving so the driver too it upon himself to make up time in every 60 km/h zone he could find. It was nothing to see him hit 100km/hour. School zones be damned!

Once I accepted that and the fact that he was going to go 120 on a narrow road, he started eating his lunch! It must have been a messy meal because he had to find napkins to wipe his face and hands....all while going 120.

Finally, I started to relax until I heard a text notification and sure enough he answered it....still going 120! It wasn't a comfortable trip, but we made it to the airport in one piece.

Hopefully the flight to Mexico City has more sensible people in control.

Darn cockroaches spoiled my day!

Slowly

We haven't had time to do much around here, but we are trying to walk for exercise. The first day we met some band members trying to raise some pesos. Typical for the streets of San Carlos...just a few more members than usual.

Today we strolled over to the old Fiesta for a break on the beach and a cold beer. The temperatures have been on the rise for the last few days, with today hitting 27C.  So nice!

A Different Winter

We thought our winters were always going to be spent in a warm climate, with the occasional trip home to see family and friends. This winter we were proven wrong when the doctors found a mass on Fred's kidney and we had to spend 2.5 months in Saskatchewan.

At first it was a shock to the body trying to deal with the cold, but it didn't take long for the memory to kick in and get us back in the routine of winter living in a snowy and cold climate. We were so very fortunate that December and January were warmer than usual...walking outside didn't take our breath away or hurt our lungs.

We spent a large amount of our time in Saskatoon with Fred's mom, who I'm sure needed some alone time after we left. We became regular mooches while in the Canada....cars and winter clothes were donated readily. Thanks to everyone...it will never be forgotten!

Most things seemed to fall into place once we realized we were home for awhile. Fred's tests were over and done with very quickly and his surgery took place one month after the date of discovery. A friend and I were able to get down to Mexico to close up the house and to pick up the car without too much trouble.

Fred's stage two cancerous mass was removed successfully and once he was given the all clear by the doctors, we booked a return flight to Las Vegas where I had put my car in storage and then it was on to San Carlos. We have a gem of a housekeeper and fantastic friends who had the house ready for us.

I think Fred slept for the first two days, but other than that things are almost back to normal. We are staying in San Carlos for four days and then we are flying to Cancun, via Mexico City, to spend ten days at Akumal. Our old stomping grounds and still one of my favourite places in Mexico.