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 CINCO NOVEMBER 6

Slept in this morning and the sun is high and the coffee almost gone. Must have had a good nights sleep. I don’t remember even waking one time during the night. Great way to be. We start to get around, as we need to eat breakfast before Rick goes Scuba diving this morning, has a 10:30am dive. We have breakfast at the Lol-Ha Restaurant this morning as it is next to the Akumal Dive Center on the beach at Akumal Bay. Rick has a favorite breakfast meal of Mueletos (sp), French Bread with frijoles y queso under broiler, quite yummy. Nancy didn’t have a imagination this morning, she is a blonde you know (hehe), so she had the same as Rick. Lynn and I are fruta nuts so we had Plato de Fruta y Pan Dulce, no Lynn is not blonde, she’s a red head. The fresh orange juice here is just absolutely wonderful and would love to have the same every morning of my life. We have coffee and Caribe view while we are waiting. The view of Akumal Bay is just fantastic from our ocean view table on the porch. Oh my goodness I almost lost my head as I forgot to ask where Rolando was. I ask the waiter where is Rolando, Rolando is one of our friends we met two year ago. Rolando went with us on the tour of Tulum and Sian Ka’an Biosphere. He was the passenger and Jose was the driving student. See I can be more that a Guia de Viaje , I’m also a Drivers Ed teacher in QRoo. Hehe. All of a sudden here is Rolando with that Great Big Mayan Grin that I love so much, standing over my shoulder. I jump up and give him a big Gringo hug and hand shake. He is pleased that we asked for him. We talk for a couple of minutes before he has to get back to earning his $3.75 US per DAY, yes per day, that includes two meals and a small room to live in. Now you can understand why all the generous Propinas for all my friends. Anyway back to Rolando, have you heard from Jose? I really enjoy Jose. Yes William he is still in  Playa del Carmen working in an Italiano Restaurante. Oh, wish I could see him! See you later Rolando.

In the mean time our Desayuno shows up and we stop talking and enjoy the wonderful meal that has blessed our lives. The fruit is wonderful. The fresh squeezed orange juice is out of sight. Can’t get enough. The ice water (they use bottled water and hielo de agua purificado) so don’t buy a bottle of water as some persons do, a waste of money. Buy more Cerveza. All fruits and vegetables are washed in a bacterial wash and are safe. A little information is due at this point. All waiters, bartenders, cooks and others that work at these restaurants attend health classes weekly! Can we say that at home? I think not. Realize that these places need you presence to make money. If your sick you don’t eat and drink and you won’t come back. Hangover excepted and change of diet excepted. Don’t over do as I do. Off the soapbox and back to the overwhelming view of the Caribe. There is never, well if the weather is bad there is an exception to the rule, any waves in Akumal Bay. The bay is sandy bottomed, not like Half Moon Bay that is coral rock bottomed. It is a wonderful place for everyone to swim, sunbathe and drink Cervezas y Cocas. There is a small amount of sea grass in some areas. The sand is white and beautiful. Each morning they rake all the seaweed that has washed up on beach so we don’t have to deal with it in the day.  A stroll down the beach is wonderful. There a Panga boat anchored in the bay. They are used for Dive trips, snorkeling trips, Robinson Cruso trips, fishing trip and other fun things. The guys that operate these boats are professionals and are very safe.

Time for Rick to check in at Akumal Dive Center on the beach right next door to the Lol-Ha. The other shop is good also, but we have used Akumal Dive Center before and know and like our friends Aveleno works the equiptment rental and sign up and Jose is a Dive Master. He was the dive master in '95 when I took my Resort Course and made three dives of a life time. Would not trade that experience for anything. Met Arturo this trip. Seems like a nice guy. He runs the place. Rick’s getting his BC attached to the tank and preparing for a morning dive, they say it will be about 100 feet this morning. Bye, Bye Rick, see you later.

Lynn, Nancy and I go over close to the Lol-Ha beach bar and stake claim to a Coco Tree and lay out our beach towels in the sun and start getting that welcome Tan. We stake out the tree for shade when it gets to Hot in the sun, which can happen like right now. I go to the bar in search of a Cerveza and the guys say we are not open. Oh no what ever will I do?

Since the bar is closed and I have some previously contracted business to do, I opt to take care of it. As I mentioned in the prelude to these reports, I planned ahead to meet Kay of
Akumal-On-Line at http://locogringo.com . So I tell Lynn that I’m off to find Kay. She and Nancy are about to go snorkeling this morning, as the water is wonderful.  I stop at a small shop to ask directions. Kay has given me an landmark, (not telling the land mark or location of Kay’s house so as to protect her privacy) if you want to met her, give her an email request and she can direct you there. Any way I remember now that I had seen that land mark in May and jump in the car and head towards her place. When I arrive at her house, I park the car, walk up and knock on the door, shortly a young lady comes to the door and says Your Bill from Tulsa aren’t you? I knew you were here and was expecting you. Please come in. Would you like a cup of Café. Being a coffee drinker I accepted without hesitation. She says pardon me as I’m on-line and the line is long distance to Cancun. She terminates the call. Remember some people have to work to be here in Akumal. She was answering email reservations that she can arrange for you. Any way she returns and we get acquainted. She tells of her and Gary’s experience in trying to decide what to take to Merida with them when they evacuate for the Mitch thing. She and Gary are Cave Divers and that’s what keeps them in Akumal. She says they don’t even like the beach. We make a date for her, Gary, Lynn and I to meet at La Buena Vida for a Cerveza during happy hour (Hora de Feliz). The phone rings and guess who it is? Marcia of http://www.casadelmarmex.com . The friend that watched things on the http://locogringo.com site while Kay was in Merida for Mitch. Business has interrupted my time with Kay, bye, bye Kay, sure glad I got to meet you. See tonight! I’m off to see the girls and find them still swimming around with the fish and beautiful coral. I now can have that Cerveza and it is a very cold Dos Equis XX.
Lynn and Nancy return from their snorkeling tour to rest and take on some EL SOL, no not the beer but the Sun. By now I’m getting hungry, asking the girls if they could eat. Yes I know, all I do is eat, drink and sleep. Well there are several other things I do but they are private. No, comes the reply and I say what? Rick will be back any minute now and we, being ladies will wait for him. Oh, I guess that’s the way to treat the Tour Guide when you’re the Guided. Fair enough and I go to the bar to sulk, hehe, I strike up a conversation with guys behind the bar and ask if Wilberth of Chemuyil (he’s married to a gringo girl) still works here and they say yes but he’s on vacation to the USA. Oh wow, had not thought of that. Funny how everyone has their own vacation thoughts. The Cerveza is good even when I drink it by myself.

Hey, there comes the Panga boat through the break in the reef. There is a flag marking the entrance to the bay. Down that Dos Equis and rush over to see how the dive was. Rick says, that’s what I came for and it was fantastic and I can’t wait for the afternoon dive. We sit around the shade of the Coco tree and discuss how marvelous this Place of the Turtles really is. We thank Don Pablo Bush for getting it started and also his daughter Laura Bush Wolfe and her husband David for keeping it ECO-SOUND. They have worked hard to keep it simple and laid back. Thanks again Laura and David!

Rick is starving, I knew I could count on him. We wander over for lunch at the Beach Bar. The lunch menu is always good. By now I just want a snack and a Cerveza. The rest have a good sandwich and other wonderful stuff. I have Nachos y Guacamole y Tostados y Salsa. Ya I know a small snack. The food is great, thanks guys. We hang out for quite awhile watching the other people and the kids playing Volley Ball without a net, they are laughing and having a wonderful time. I reflect on the days that I spent doing the same kinds of things. It is good to be alive. It is good to be in Akumal being alive. It is good to relax from a job that keeps you jumping. Well we have managed to enjoy all the time before Rick’s next dive. He says that this dive will be around 50 to 60 feet. That’s as deep as I have been. I chose not to do a Resort Course this year because the water was not up to par. Rick said it really was but I guess I just didn’t feel right so I go with my feeling as usual. He’s on the way through the reef once again and disappears around the bend at the point near Cannon House. Yes and there are cannons there, taken from a sunken ship (name has slipped my mind), there are a couple in the water to snorkel over, it’s really neat. Nancy is settling in on the beach towel for some EL SOL. Enjoy your Sun Nancy.

I have some more business to take care of now. Ya more of that stuff that I came here to get away from. I ask Lynn if she would like to come along and with an enthusiastic yes, we head out to find……dim der  Sunglasses! Yep Sunglasses, seem a new friend had been down the road at De Rosa Villas a few days ago and had forgotten them while on a mapping trip (need those babies back, My Mom gave those to me and you know the Wrath of Moms don’t you and besides they are expensive designer glasses, humm?). Can you guess who that could have been? Well for those of you that don’t have a clue I’ll let you in on the secret. The Map Guy, alias Perry of Can-Do Map at: http://www.cancunmap.com/ . Lynn and I head out the Arch at Akumal entrance headed to De Rosa Villa, suppose to be using my Cancun-Tulum map but guess what? I lost it
somewhere! Goodness, where did they say De Rosa Villas was? God I forgot the notes that I made on where to find them. Was it the second Akumal exit or the third exit. Well, my, my let’s try the second one. Nope that’s not it. Back to the highway and go on to the next exit. Looks new well I don’t have a clue and down it we go. Not here Senor, must be down the road. Humm, ok the next one has to be it. Down it we go! Por Favor  I am a Lost Gringo could you tell me where to find De Rosa Villa? Senor es dldl;airrokioubviq[pokodjjvijotoqodkldfrt;luokooper his directions are in Espanol and all I get out of it is Aventuras Akumal. Gracias Senor por de informacion! Hasta luego Amigo. That’s all I needed and we now have the directions we needed from the beginning. Back to the highway and on down the road (there are more new roads and I guess it’s more than the third exit as I found my note in my wallet where it was all the time). Make left turn on to the road to Aventuras Akumal. OH  goodness the road for the next 100 or so meters is mostly water, what to do? I study the route for about 10 minutos and decide that I have a duty and the Sunglasses must return with me. Onward though the water, whew got to a high spot out of the water, sweat is starting to pour off my brow and the air-conditioner is running full blast. A Chevy Blazer rolls past like the place is dry. They look at me like dumb Gringo what do you think your doing here in that Nissan Lowrider? Well I wait for the waves to subside and continue on to the next high spot.  So far so good, almost though the water. Yeaa wwee made it Lynn, trying to be Kewl and not doing such a good job of it. So now we have to find De Rosa Villas. We pass several kewl Villas and look and look and there it is, an exceptionally nice place I think as we  park, by this time the car is sputtering from all the water that has splashed or thrown on the engine. Glad we’re here.

Next we head for the office to find Nancy de Rosa as instructed by the Map Guy. Knock, knock, who’s there? Bill from Tulsa. Come on in Bill from Tulsa. I’ve been expecting you since Monday, sorry as we just had to hang at the beach, you know how it is. Yes I do!
The view from her place is out of this world. We ask how the Beach survived the Storm Surge and she responds with, we have way more sand and are still moving it.

Nancy looks up the sunglasses and gives them to me and I think I’ve gone through all this and she is giving me these plastic throwaway sunglasses. Well I place them in a wrap and put them in my Ceremonial Bag I carry while in the QRoo. She gathers a bunch of advertisement sorta stuff about their business and says that with all this Mitch stuff she is swamped and would we excuse her as she had so much work to do with her Clients. We bid her Thank You and Mucho Gusto. Gracias Nancy see you around sometime. Not sure the Map Guy is going to be please! Looks like someone else has Expensive Designer SunGlasses.

Lynn and I sit around in the car debating about these SunGlasses. I tell Lynn gee now I have to tell the Map Guy that I have cheap plastic sunglasses and I think I made a smart@$$ remark about getting free SunGlasses, now what to do. Well off we go. We’re on vacation and the chore is done and will deal with that problem when vacation is over. The car is still sputtering as we head for the river that take you to the highway. Getting to the River I hesitate for quite awhile prior to starting the float-trip to the river, wishing for a Canoe or SurfBoard instead of a Nissan. Lynn says what you gonna do hon? I said well seems like we are going Canoeing again or was it Surfing? I start out into the river and the car is going blubb blubb as it is trying to dye and the exhaust pipe is under water. I keep nursing the throttle as it keeps sputtering and gurgling and whew we make it to a high spot. I pop the hood, ask Lynn to get her foot on the gas. Please keep this baby running, she get all contorted over the gear shift and gets a foot on the gas so she can keep her running while I get out to open the hood so as to let the steam escape. We sit there for quite a while, just waiting. By now I need, and I really mean need a Shot of Tequila but wouldn’t you know it, there is not a Pool Bar at this pool. D@mn the luck. The engine has smoothed out a bit and I close the hood and get in and get my foot on the gas, Lynn can hardly get herself free to move her foot. We start out again and gurgle, miss, sputter and god know what else as I freak out. If this baby dies in the water, I’ll never get it started.  We do make it to another high spot. Boy this is giving me reason to start smoking again (just kidding). Along comes a GMC suburban and flies past leaving a tidal wave that about washes us off our isla in this river, needed that SurfBoard for sure. The Nissan rocks and rolls for about five minutes and start to sputter and all of a sudden runs just great, I take this as a Hint of Better Things To Come and head out into the Surf. We make it to the highway! Hot Perro we are OK now. Now I can LOL and if I could fit I would ROFLOL but I guess we will get back to Akumal Bay and the Lol-Ha beach bar for a SHOT of TEQUILA. This was really an Adenture of all Advetures in the Quintana Roo, and all the thanks go to the MAP GUY AND THE MAP CHICK!!!! Gracias para La Aventura sus Amiga y Amigo desde Iowa y la Mapa Personas. You never know how things will go when you AGREE TO DO A FAVOR FOR YOUR FRIENDS. Hehe! LOL ROFLOL Saying what a trip it was, You might try it some time! I’d do it again but I’d bring that Canoe and SurfBoard along next time or at least a Suburban.

Back at the beach we find Nancy soaking up the sun and wondering where we were. Told her about our adventure and she just laughs. Some friend you are. Hehe. About time for Rick to return from his dive. Here he comes. He is in Hog Heaven, he has seen many critter and has loved his dive beyond expectations, that’s the way the Magic of Akumal is, it just keeps blowing your mind time and time again.

Off for a little time and Cerveza y Margaritas at Casa Cenote http://www.casacenote.com . Stopping at the Super Chomak for Honey for Bonifacia, the mother of the boys at Casa Cenote. I always bring her some food stuff because Moms like to feed there Children more than life its’ self. We arrive and everyone goes to the Palapa for a Cerveza and I gather the honey and head to her Hut (their home), as I approach I call out Hola, Hola and I hear an Hola in return. I approach the door to the Hut and find Bonifacia doing laundry and Eleazar in the Hammock. Sound familiar? Well I can just hear you all saying boy are they ever the same all over the World or what. LOL, to  myself as I ponder the thought. Bonifacia gives me that great big Mayan smile and a very happy Gracias Mi Amigo, Gracias. I say Hasta Pronto. I’m on the way back when Gilberto runs up to say Hola, I say Hola Gilberto, Como Esta Chico? Once again it’s Bien, I say no Bien, Bien o Muy Bien, just a laugh from him like always. Some things never change.

I show up and there is a Cerveza on the table and everyone is smiling with happiness. Wilberth call out William I have two orders of Langosta on hand, without hesitation I say we’ll take it! Wait awhile and we will tell you when to prepare it. Mas Dos Equis Don Rubin, Por Favor. In a Magical moment they arrive with a Mayan smile, gee I love that Smile. That’s something I really miss is that Mayan smile! Maybe I can get one of my own. I keep trying but Gringos have a hard time keeping them. We walk to the water and decide to take a swim. Still hot from the River Rafting trip or was it a Surfing trip? Seems like a dream as we hit the water!
The water is refreshing, wonderful and clear as Rocky Mountain Spring Water. See lots of fish swimming in and out of the salt and fresh water mix. The underground river dumps out right here, so kewl to see. Boy, after the Rapids or Surf today I’m starving for some Langosta al mojo de ajo. Wilberth we’re ready for the Langosta now Por Favor. Buy yourselves and the boys a Coca. Gracias Amigo, William! After a little while the Langosta is at the table and Lynn and I share while Nancy and Rick share. We all ohhh and awwe over this very fresh Lobster. Nothing like a fresh Langosta de Caribe! We devoir the Lobster at a cost of $180 pesos each. Exchange rate at 9.50. After the Lobster we head for the house. Paying the bill and the usual. Back at Playa Blanca #4 we get ready for Happy Hour at La Buena Vida, suppose to meet Kay and Gary for a Cerveza. All cleaned up and heading to  La Buena Vida. We are walking, as it is just a Hop, Skip and Jump from our place. I really like that as if you drink to much all that can happen is that you get run over or lost in the Jungle but you don’t wreck the rental car.

We take the gift that we brought for Benito, remember he is the bar and restaurant manager, with us. He is an avid Basketball player. We brought him a New Basketball and air pump as I had to deflate it to get it in the luggage. We arrive and order Sol as we want to be kewl. Benito sees us and comes over to talk. We spring the bag on him. He is over whelmed with joy. We talk for awhile and he carries that BasketBall straight over to some of the other guys to show off his new BasketBall. They look and point at us. They are impressed and he has given them a lesson in diplomacy, see what happens when you get to know a Gringo and become his friend. Benito has been training these guys, they are learning quite well.

We continue to Happy Hour by ourselves and to our sadness Kay and Gary never show up. Benito says that they probably got a last minute Cave Dive and couldn’t make it. He knows them well and said that it was important or they would have been here. You have to work and make money when it is there and we know that well. Next time Amiga we will have that Beer.

We decide to go upstairs to have dinner, just Lynn and I tonight as Nancy and Rick want Pizza and I don’t do Pizza in Akumal! That’s something I care not about, Pizza. The Lol-Ha does make a pretty good Pizza however. That’s if you like that sort of thing anyway. Lynn and I decide to go all Veggie tonight. Starting with Margaritas. Then for an appetizer we order Grilled Vegetables served with a wonderful dip of soy and other wonderful spices. Boy yum yum. You bet eating again. Don’t you just love it. Remember that warm French bread and Chips and Salsa are there for the eating. The water is safe and so is the ice. Don’t spend $$ on bottled water.
For the main course we order Caesar Salad, we have to have this over and over again as we can’t get it this way at home. Remember it is a show. They first carry all the ingredients to a side table. They then ask if you like Anchovy and if not they substitute with Bacon, I like it both ways. Then comes the oil and garlic to be blended together in the Bowl with the Anchovy. Spices are added and mixed. Next they pickup the Eggs one at a time with two spoons and tap, tap on the side of the bowl to make a small hole in the side of the Egg so that the white can be poured off the yolk. Better interject that the eggs are soaked in Anti-Bacterial solution so as to make this process safe. The Yolks are then stirred vigorously into the Oil, Anchovy and Spices. Next He take the Romaine Leaves one at a time and dips them in the mixture placing them on chilled plates until they are equal as this is a Salad for two. Next he asks about Croutons? Then Parmesan Cheese. YOU know the rest. It is one Wonderful experience to say the least. We savor the moment. The Moon over Half Moon Bay is still wonderful and Muy Bonito.
We decide to have another Margaritas. Mas Margaritas Por Favor, Gracias. La Cuenta Por Favor. We say Buenos Noches Amigos! Hasta Luego.

Lynn and I stroll down the road heading for Playa Blanca #4, we see Rob and Tina along the way. Hola Tina y Rob. Hasta Manana. Their wedding is tomorrow and we will be there.

We arrive home and find Nancy and Rick hang ten on the Balcony. We have a cup of the coffee they have saved for us and decide to hit the hay so to speak. Good night everyone. Out like a light, switched off by Magic.

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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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