This trip was designated Open Water Certification Holiday 
for Lynn, Nancy and Bill, Rick is already a Certified Diver
Robert is a beginner Snorkler. 
We stayed at Villa Casa del Mar in North Akumal. 
Email Marcia at ZuniMaya@aol.com

Dianne and Michelle are designated pool people. 
They stayed at Villas Flamingo in North Akumal (Half Moon Bay)
Email Kay at Akumal@LocoGringo.com
 

We get a restless nights sleep the night of Oct.1 in
in anticipation of our morning flight. We awake from our
dreams of the Caribe in Akumal at 3am. Our flight is at 7:15 am
so we want to get to the Tulsa International Airport at about 5:15
We have to pick up our travel companion at the office as he lives in the 
country and wants to leave his car at the office. We get to the office 
and Robert is there with Bells on. This is his first trip out of the country
and naturally his first trip to Akumal. He is bouncing off the 
chain link fence.

We arrive at Fine Airport Parking and transfer 
baggage to the shuttle and head for the check in counter. We
give our tickets to the lady and she asks for our Docs. Hey
no problem here we all have Pass Ports. Thanks to Kay I told everyone 
to get a Pass Port. They were all agreeable to this. Then when I found out 
that Pass Ports were not necessary I failed to tell them that they really 
were not need. I really don't like the time it takes to fumble around with 
other forms of ID so I just left them get Pass Ports. Now travel 
is much easier for everyone, including other travelers as the 
immigration guys really prefer that you have Pass Ports as it makes 
their job much easier than the other forms  of ID or Docs as 
they are referred to by most everyone.

Everyone is kewl and the lady asks since your here would you like to take
the next flight out in 10 minutes? Boy and did we jump on that in a heart beat.
Off to the already boarding flight to DFW. We are on board and taking off
before we know it. The flight is uneventful and we land and find
our flight to Cancun is clear across to the other end of AA's launching ramps.
The ferry train is in order for we are on holiday and don't want to hike all over DFW. We arrive with a couple of hours to kill before out flight to Cancun, so we decide to have breakfast at TGI Fridays as it's all we can find and besides they have a bar.
!Tres Dos Equis Por Favor!  !Lo siento mucho, no Dos Equis Senor!
!Tres Coronas Por Favor! Si Coronas Amigo. Geez, yuppie beer but hey it is
Mexican and we are on holiday. We pull up to the bar and ask for a menu.
We order breakfast and another beer. It was the best breakfast  that 
I have ever had at an airport. Still time to kill so we walk around
and don't see anything of interest as we are ready for Akumal.

Over the PA we hear, Bill from Tulsa's flight to Cancun now boarding.
Since we booked our flight so late we are all spread out in the plane.
We get one of the those snacky kind of breakfasts and wait for the jungle
to appear out the window. Hey there is the Yucatan coast, i know that
we are getting close. Flight attendants prepare for landing.
The couple sitting next to me say where's the ocean? i tell them that
the airport is out in the jungle and that our approach is from
the inland jungle end of the runway and that the airport is some 
distance from the Hotel Zone where they are headed. Enjoy your Cancun
adventure and if you get down the coast look me up and i will buy you a Cerveza.
The landing was great. We are in Quintana Roo and we are ready.
Everyone one has all their paper work and docs ready and there is no line.
Immigration is a snap. Off to get a cart as we have excess baggage
do to wet suits and dive gear that used to be snorkel gear. We alway
use good quality snorkel gear as it works so much better. Then there
is a whole suit case full of Christmas gifts, school supplies
and gifts for our special friends in the Akumal and Tankah area.
So off to the Green lite, Red lite district. Senor press the button.
!Si, Si Senorita! Whew, Green lite, sure didn't want to explain all those 
calculators, toys and new clothes in that new suit case. Hola Amigo can you 
take these bags for me? Si Senor. Budget por favor. Show the Budget
guy my confirmation for a standard air condition compact.

All is in order and off we go to catch the shuttle across the
street to the main office. Do all the paper work and out to get the 
car. I tip the guy $5US that is writing down all the stuff
that is scratched and checking for everything. I tell him get every single
little thing. He does so with extreme care. Everything is in order except
they are using Chevys now instead of Nissans and the trunk is smaller.
One bag gets a Air Conditioned seat. Good thing that we are only three persons.
Gracias Amigo, do you want a map Senior? Now Gracias we know the way and 
off we go into the jungle of QRoo.

I comment to Robert well what do you think. Kewl, way Kewl
is his comment and we are just in the jungle. Haven't even seen the water. 

Puerto Morelos, Pemex station ahead. Always our first stop to fuel, Cerveza that is! hehehehehe thought that i had been taken at the Budget place didn't
you. Well we have a tradition of getting a Dos Equis here every trip so we
know that we are Home. We pass lots of places that Robert read about in my
Riviera Maya Map from Laura the Mapchick . We are passing Playa del Carmen
and i still can't get ready for these Stop and Go lites on the highway.

Now i am getting anxious to get to Akumal. Hey there's the
Cell Tower up ahead, we are almost home now. Over the hill and yep up 
ahead is the turn off to Akumal. Yikes, tons of traffic behind me,
so i make a right turn and then a u turn to get ready  to cross the highway.
They are working on the entrance and placing a Entrance at the 
road so we won't be able to miss the turn off any more.
We pull up to Arches and say welcome home to ourselves.

click for larger view

I stop by the office of Costa Turquesa to get our key to Casa del Mar but it is closed, not to worry as i was told that if it was closed that the house would be open after 3pm. Still  way early and we have another tradition when we arrive.
Can you guess? Yep, some of you have read  my reports in the past and 
know that the Lol-Ha beach bar is the very first stop in Akumal.
Dos Dos Equis y uno Superior, Robert wants to try something different.
Next is to pull off those long pants and run jump in the water. 
Oh yes i always wear a swim suit when traveling to Akumal, don't want to waist time changing. The water is warm as can be, Kewl Way Kewl.... I have arrived.
Back to the bar to finish my cerveza. Hey let's have lunch now.

La Carta Por Favor. Let's see, hey the menu has changed a 
bit since last time. We order a bunch of snack type stuff, tostados y salsa,
(Robert exclaims that his is the best salsa he has ever had) 
guacamole, super nachos and pot stickers. No not that kind of pot.. 
The food was good and we had another beer. Paid the La Cuenta
and hit the road for Casa del Mar as it is well past three. We give the Security Guard a 10peso tip knowing he makes very little in pay.

click  for larger view

We arrive at the house, Mario is waiting for us. He carries in our
bags exclaiming how heavy they are. Especially since they all go
upstairs as the first three of us are up there for 8 days.
Nancy and Rick will arrive in the afternoon of the morrow.
I tip Mario and thank him for his help. He says Hasta Luego.
We find a note from Sydney, she is Marcia's new manager.
By the way she is also one of the owners of Turtle Bay Bakery.
One way Kewl friend.

Thanks to LocoGringo

The note says Welcome to Casa del Mar (House by the Sea)

Marcia has placed beer and sodas in the fridge so you can enjoy 
a cold one as you un pack. If you need anything just call me.
Will hook up with you later. 
Mario is the  grounds keeper and Norma will be your chambermaid. 
Just ask and your request will be filled. If you need laundry done just place on a bag and leave 50 pesos per load and Norma will wash and fold them for you. Way kewl.
We grab a beer  and go out side to look at the Caribe, it is crashing onto the shore as at Casa del Mar there is no reef protecting from Surf.

click for larger view

The weather is very unstable today and the Caribe is rough.
This Casa del Mar is just wonderful. Up to the roof which by
the way is a full patio with deck chairs and all. There is a 
Telescope so you can view the the area in detail.

click for larger view

Your are correct we are not unpacking, we are on vacation and that will happen in time , well maybe and maybe not. Hey there is Dianne and Michelle in our drive way. They are arriving from Omaha , Nebraska and staying at Villas Flamingo condo. They are checked in and headed for their condo to unload their bags 
and get cleaned up. We make arrangements to meet up later
and go to Casa Cenote for dinner.

We decide to go to La Buena Vida for a drink. Never mind the 
unpacking of bags. Off for a Cerveza and a dip in Half Moon Bay in front of La Buena Vida. We meet up with the new manager Luis. This is the first time to meet him as Benito has been the manager ever seen we had started going there. Benito is now managing the Vista del Mar group. We had hoped to catch Jamie in town this 
trip but as in the past he was stateside again. Maybe next time.
It is getting dark and the girls are ready to go to Casa Cenote for
dinner. So off we go into the dark in search of my favorite 
Hangout and place to eat. It starts to rain and we can't see anything. 
Lynn is driving and i am riding shotgun. Next thing I know we are almost to Tulum Ruins, Opps and i know what i am doing, wrong i thought i knew what i was doing. So we turn around and head back knowing that we will see the sign for sure this time. Next thing i know we are back to Xel-Ha, hummmm by now everyone is freaking out with me. Oh come on one more try. Well Tulum once again. Ok now damn it let me drive! 
We're clipping along and right where it belongs is the Blue and Yellow
Casa Cenote Sign. We start to make the turn and it is a 8 inch drop off, 
no way Jose. So i drive a short distance and there is an easy 
off and we back track to the road to Casa Cenote. May goodness is this a
road or a river? I have lived here last June for 8 days and know that the road is a river when it rains hard but is very passable even in this condition. Geez the road is full of Cenotes this time. Driving off into some of the pot hole is like driving into a Cenote. By now Dianne, Michelle and Robert think i am crazy for sure. We drive up to the Restaurant and it is darker than the inside of Cows belly. 
Everyone says geez after all that and they are closed. 
Wait one minute now i will go check to see, just as i thought 
they are open and have not lighted the tiki torch in the back as the
wind and rain had been so strong. I return to tell everyone that they are open for sure. Casa Cenote uses Solar and Wind power and don't light the Restaurant with electricity but use Candles instead.
! Hola Amigos ! ? Como estas ? Bien, Bien Senor Bill....
Now the rest of my group knows i am not loosing it yet anyway.
We order drinks and dinner as it is about 8:15pm by now and they close 
about 9 or 9:30pm. The guys had already shut off the grill and had
to light it for us. I asked for Langosta but was promptly told 
not tonight Mr. Bill. Okay how about Camarones al mojo de ajo.
Si Senor Bill. Everyone else had various meals, i was just to tired and Margaritas filled to remember and no i didn't keep a journal. Donde es Gary y Peggy? They are asleep or something, yep or something. Gary shows up and says hi in a little while. They just got a VCR and have been watching Videos in bed all after noon. See you two tomorrow some time. good night gAry. We all enjoy our meal very much,
Robert once again exclaims that this is the best salsa he has ever had. We have another drink and we are off for Akumal.

They let me drive until we get to the highway and then Lynn takes over.
That is the rule when we go to Casa Cenote, Bill doesn't get to 
drive home. That's why i like to stay there instead of other places.
We return to Akumal without incident and drop the girls off at 
Villas Flamingo and say good night. Robert and I have touch of Margaritas Devil on our shoulders. GoodNight all.