Accompanied by:

Lynn Johnson, my Wife and Friend.
Nancy Felts, my Friend.
Rick Kruse, my Friend.
Bill in Tulsa, is Bill Johnson

These stories are true to the best of my Memories. You know how that goes!
But I will be as accurate as possible.

I truly hope you enjoy my tales of the
Magical Akumal.
(Magical Place of the Turtles). Yours truly Bill in Tulsa
 

 THIS REPORT STARTS AROUND OCTOBER 2, ‘98

Vacation to Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Time frame November 2, ‘98 to November 10, ‘98
 

DIA DOS November 3:

I hear noises coming from the Kitchen and it’s still dark. What ever could that be? I lie there a moment and wonder what that is. I get up and pull on a pair of shorts and walk out to investigate and find nothing. As I turn to return to bed I realize that the Sun will be peaking through the clouds in just a couple of minutes. So I opt to stay up for to see this Miraculous event. Then I realize that the coffee is on. Some really nice person has gotten up to start the coffee. Hurray for that wonderful person, now I can have Café with my Sunrise. Not long after this discovery I hear pitter patter of foot steps on the ceramic tiles coming down the hallway. Now there are two of us watching the Sun turn the sky different shades of yellow, orange and red, quite a sight for sore eyes. Now everyone shows up for the splendor of the moment. Looking out over the waves to the distant reef with waves crashing down on it. We are truly in the Magical Moment of Akumal and Half Moon Bay. Thank you for this privilege. The coffee goes down like a smooth shot of Tequila. Everyone is anxious to get moving. We all rush to shower, the water is cold as ice. There is a group next door the size of a huge football team and have already used up the hot water. Burr, the shower is cold, have to say that I really am awake now. We are really ready for the day now.

Time to head off to Turtle Bay Bakery for breakfast. Lynn and I have Plato de Fruta y Pan Dulce (fruit plate and sweet rolls) and Café. The Café is the best in all of Akumal. Nancy tries the breakfast Burrito. Rick has Mexican Eggs. We eat until we could bust. We see Sydney walking our direction, she is the owner with her husband Thomas, and we say Hola Sydney. She smiles and returns the greeting. This is the only eating establishment that has waitresses instead of waiters. The local union doesn’t think women can stand up to the task of waiting tables. Kind of a Macho thing I guess. They have been able to overcome the obstacle some how as they were here in May and still here in November. We ask for La Cuenta Por Favor and it appears as if by Magic. We pay our bill and leave a generous tip. We say Hasta Pronto and head out for the condo to get our Snorkeling gear and some beach towels. We decide that since the weather is heavy with wind and a hint of rain that we will just run down to Casa Cenote and see the gang there and introduce Nancy and Rick to our friends there. We drive down the road to the front entrance of Akumal and though the arch. We stop at the Super Chomak to get some bottles of water. We will refill these bottles the rest of the time from the condo water bottle. Nancy and Lynn check out the store and soon we are off to Casa Cenote, it is one of my favorite places to hang and relax, have a Cerveza and eat all day long. The road from Akumal south looks very good and we just cruise along at the legal speed limit. Then all of a sudden there is the detour. The road is soaking wet and muddy. So much for the car color. The road is good and bad for the next few klicks and we survive the roadwork. Up a head I can see the Red sign with Casa Cenote in Yellow. Looking in the rear view mirror I see that the road behind me is clear and I signal a left-hand turn. Looking down the road there is water across our path. Not to fear the road is solid and the water is not deep. I have been here before. As we approach Casa Cenote http://www.casacenote.com we see that Cenote Manatee is over flowing its banks. It is muddy and the snorkeling will be bad. Oh well so much for that thought. More time for Cerveza is what I always say. We get out of the car and walk up to the beach and like always the site is so beautiful that it is overwhelming. The Caribe is still churning and the wind is howling. This is still one of the most beautiful spot to behold.
We step inside the wind break covers that are rolled down to make sitting a comfortable situation and there is Rubin and Wilberth, we know them from May.

Buenos Dias Rubin y Wilberth. Como Esta Uds. Muy bien y Uds. Muy Bien Gracias. Long time no see Sus Amigos.
They tell me we are early and they won’t be open for 30 minutos. Then proceed to ask if I would like a Cerveza while I wait. You got it Tres Dos Eqius y un Coca Por Favor Gracias. Like a flash Rubin returns with 3 ice cold Cervezas and one Coca plus one glass with limejuice in the bottom with ice and then salt on the rim for the Lynn. Chelada Por La Senorita he proclaims, as he remembers that Lynn is hooked on them. I think it is a waste of Cerveza, ice, Limon (lime) and salt myself. Why desecrate a good Cerveza or limonada (limeade) either one? We sit at the table taking in the beauty of the moment. I turn to ask Wilberth if he has any Langosta (lobster), the reply is the water is to malo for the divers to get any. Oh well, so much for Langosta al mojo de ajo for today. I ask, what kind of Pescado do you have and he says snapper. Sounds good to me, save a fillete por Mi Senor Por Favor, I’ll have it later. Dos mas Dos Equis Por Favor, Senor. Rubin rushes up with Dos Dos Equis Frias. Next comes the Tosadas y Salsa to munch on since we are having lunch here later. I never get enough Tostadas y Salsa any where I go.

It’s way past time for a walk down the beach to reflect on the morning ,the past trips to this most pleasant beach and the blessings bestowed upon this land of Magic. The waves are more than I have seen in the past. The water is not so clear as the churning of the water is causing the sand and some debris to cloud the view of the bottom. I reassure my charges that this will pass as soon as the wind subsides. You know that a good Tour Guide will always have something good to say about a little upset. Nancy has by this time picked up the whole beach and has her arms full of Conch shells and every other kind of beach comber delight in her arm and says she has to go stash them. I can only laugh out loud as I remember Lynn and I doing the very same thing the first time we see this place. Hehe. When we get back to the table, there are shells, coral and sand everywhere around us. We give her a hard time and laugh our hearts out. Really wind swept out today, this is a good day to eat, drink and be happy!
Mas Dos Equis Por Favor Mi Amigo. Again as if by Magic the table is adorned with those wonderful green bottles covered with golden labels and those red XXs.

Gary, the owner of Casa Cenote is off to San Antonio for some business. He is expected back on Saturday. He has June watching the store while he is gone. She sells swim suites and cover ups to make a buck. She sells under the name, The Wild Kingdom. They are really kewl and if you get a chance you should buy a couple so she can be happy. She and her husband (Arturo) also have a few Cabanas that they rent just up the coast from Casa Cenote. June is a lovely person and fun to talk to. Hope you all get to meet her while you’re there. We think it is possible that we may stay at her place this next time (June y Arturo Pezane, website http://sliceofparadise.com tell Terey that you talked to June direct for a lower rate). Or maybe at Gary’s new Cabanas that are under construction at this time. Suppose to be a couple ready for Christmas time. Hope this doesn’t distract from the beauty of the place.

Mas Cerveza Por Favor Mi Amigo! Wilberth I think it is time for Pescado al mojo de ajo. Guess by now you can tell that my method of seafood preparation is AL MOJO DE AJO (garlic butter), I just love it that way and I don’t care what kind it is.
I order some Palapa Papas (sliced deep fried potatoes, sort of like a thick potato chip). Of course the meal comes with frijoles negra y arroz (black beans and rice) along with tortillas. Boy does this make a guy hungry or what. Everyone else finds a good meal to partake of, like Quesadillas con Camarones and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. We finish off the afternoon with way too many Margaritas. Rick is pretty toasty and so is Nancy. I have been eating since the food was ready so I’m pretty ok (if I’m not Lynn takes away the keys).

Hey look who’s here my friend Gilberto, he’s the little Mayan friend that was about 3 or 4 years old when I met him. I was told that he would not make friends with Gringos. Well it took about 40 minutes of my playing with him to make good buddies. I get along better with people my own age. Some of you understand don’t you? I say Hola, Como Esta Ud., he always say Bien and I tease him why not Bien Bien or Muy Bien and he just laughs at me. I brought him a set of Magic Markers and a big tablet this year as a gift of friendship. He scribbled in it for a couple of minute and off he ran to show his Madre whose name is Bonifacia (what a beautiful name). She is also a good friend that I will bring some foodstuff to later on in the week. Gilberto’s next brother up is coming over now. His name is Arunin. I have a hot air balloon tee shirt from Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for him and his older brother. The Padre (Eleazar) gets a Budweiser Ball Cap which he give me a great big Mayan hug for. He wears that baby every time I see him the rest of the week.

There is a guy that has set up shop on a commission basis that does finger paintings of landscapes. He actually uses his finger and fingernail in place of a brush and it is superb art. We have to buy one for our daughter-in-law Becky as she has admired the one we purchase last May. I’m so sad as I can’t remember his name. I thought I wrote it down but it is lost. You know what they say the second thing that goes is the memory!

The day has past before we were ready and the guys are finishing up the clean up and June is getting ready to drive them to the highway to catch the bus home. One lives in Chemuyil and the other in Akumal. We tell her that we will take them to their house and save her the drive and them the pesos and the wait for the bus. Another guy is there and says he is headed to Chemuyil and will give Rubin a ride. So we gather up our things and Wilberth and head for Akumal. Along the way I suggest that we have dinner at La Buena Vida again. No one objects so I invite Wilberth to go along, he accepts with a big Mayan smile and we tell him that we will pick him up at 7pm. That’s cool with him. We drop him off and head for the Beach Bar at Lol-Ha for a cold one. We are on to the Playa Blanca #4 for a clean up and a rest. The girls clean up and are ready to party so they head on down to La Buena Vida without us. Rick and I say we’ll see you in awhile, well I fall asleep and wake to a fright when I look at the clock and it say 7:20pm, Oh no we’re late to get Wilberth. I call Rick and at first he say go to Go Away I’m not going. I say well what Do You Mean! Then I call him once more and get his attention. We jump into the car and haul ourselves to Akumal Pueblo to see if Wilberth is still there. We pull up to his sisters hut and beep the horn and out of nowhere appear none other than Wilberth all dress up and rearing to go. Any place but Mexico and our Stuff would have been grass. We return to La Buena Vida after we find the girls. They had returned to the condo looking for us and were on their way back to La Buena Vida when we arrived. Two of us have Caesar Salad made the traditional way right at the table. It is a really nice show. The rest eat rather light, including Wilberth. I think he went just so his peers could see him eating with the Gringos. After dinner we return Wilberth to the Pueblo and say Hasta Manana Amigo y Buenos Noches. We head back for the condo for another night of restful sleep and recuperation from so much joy and happiness.
When we arrive at the condo there is a message stuck to the door from Rob and Tina asking if we would like to share a bus ride to Chichen Itza or as an hombre in Cozumel once told me Chicken Eats Ya. We all talk it over and decide that do to the crazy weather why not. Lynn and I had not been there since ‘91 and the others ever. We decided to post a note at Nan’s to let them know that we would enjoy going with them. We did so because we didn’t have their room number. Out on the balcony for one last look at the Moon over the Caribe. It was just magnificent tonight, it was reflecting off the waves and jumping and slithering around like a snake or something. We bid each other good night and crash like a jumbo jet hitting Mount Rushmore. Once again I awaken in the night for a reality check and return to slumberville.

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Copyright November 29, 1998 Tulsa, Oklahoma by Bill Johnson (Bill in Tulsa) bill.in.tulsa@webzone.net

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