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Tomas & Crunch Adventures in Akumal Nov. 2010 - 12/22/2010 8:40:04 AM
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crunch
Posts: 25710
Joined: 2/23/2005
From: Dreaming of my next vacation to paradise......
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Akumal trip report Thanksgiving 2010
We booked the accommodations for this trip through Loco Gringo and once again they were just perfect. Very easy to use and never any problems with the bookings we have done through LG.
The prequel:
Lunch at a favorite Mexican restaurant:
Walk the dogs:
Pack the dogs & take them to the vet for summer camp:
Day 1 – November 18, 2010
No disasters befell us pre-trip, despite my mounting paranoia, so we were almost giddy from relief when we woke up 30 minutes before our alarm was set to go off at 4:00 am and discovered the fence was still up, no messages about family disasters on the answering machine, no thunder, lightning, snow, rain, fog, or nuclear bombs headed our way and necessitating the closure of all airports……. Also, I took valium to prevent a stress related stroke!
We got to the airport in record time. Tomas drove because I am so wired with stress anticipation that it has been decided that I am a danger behind the wheel:
We checked in easily and went to security where Tomas got to go through the new full body scanner. He seemed a little disappointed that his junk went un-touched! They wouldn’t let me use the new scanner even though I begged. Anything for my trip report! Also, I thought the officials that monitor it could use a good laugh…………
Next stop was breakfast at Einstein Bros:
They have new low fat and calorie entrees along with the usual stuff. We both had the bagel thin (yep, super thin bagel) with egg whites, turkey sausage, and salsa. It was delicious:
With my non-fat latte and Tomas’s diet Pepsi the total was $19.00. Even Tomas said it was good and filling.
Our 8:15 am flight actually left 5 minutes early which was amazing and wonderful. Tomas had managed to pick the only row of seats with no window on the whole plane and was not very happy about that, but he survived:
We arrived early to Cancun at 10:40 am and breezed through customs and immigration. We were off the plane and greeting the USA Transfer guy outside the airport in 20 minutes. A new record for us in Cancun!
Within 10 minutes our transfer van was leaving the airport with Esiquiel as our driver. A quick stop at 7-11 for a cervesa and off we went:
The USA driver was very nice. He used the Arco Vial route, but it didn’t really seem like it saved much time as we arrived in Akumal in the usual 1 hour and 20 minutes which was what it took when we went through PDC on previous trips. No matter – we are just happy to be here!
We check in at Vista Del Mar condos with Julio who is very nice and helpful. Daisy also works the desk and is excellent. We had reserved the 1 bedroom condo #301, but after seeing the small balcony we took Julio’s advice and switched to studio #8 instead:
It has a HUGE balcony. There was no price difference:
We tossed our suitcases in the room and headed to LBV for lunch. Oh, did I mention it was pouring rain? It poured all day.:
We started with margaritas of course! Notice the straight hair is now out of control?
We didn’t care though because we were totally blessed out to be here. We shared an appetizer of shrimp ceviche:
and each had an order of Cheyenne tacos:
With 3 margs each (it was rainy so they got watered down….so we had to have 3!) cost 715 pesos plus tip. It was very good and we still love LBV even when it is pouring rain:
We hit Midway store to buy some stuff for breakfast quesadillas and then went back to VDM to unpack and unwind. The showers continued on and off all day and this time of year the sun goes down very early so the day seemed to go very fast.
After several adult beverages we ambled down to La Lunita for dinner. Somehow we lost track of our margaritas (usually we limit ourselves to 2 max at dinner & then switch to water for the night). I prefer to blame it on these 2 characters that happened to be at La Lunita also that night:
they were a bad influence! It is always fun to meet people you have been cyber talking to for years…….
At some point Turdle and Hallnass and the worlds cutest dogs stopped by also. As usual Jackson was hitting on all the chicks:
He had been a very bad boy that day!
I remember we ate some kind of grilled fish:
and I think it was good…….. Tomas has no idea what the meal cost so I am pretty sure he way over paid! When we got home we drank tons of water to replace all the margaritas in our blood stream. Then we hit the bed and slept great.
Random notes:
All the staff at VDM was great. Working the office were Julio, Daisy, and basilio. Our maid was Rosario and always did a perfect job for us. We left the maid between about an average of 3 to 6 dollars per day in pesos and sometimes US if we didn’t have enough small pesos.
Day 2, November 19, 2010:
Woke up with the sunrise feeling great! It was cloudy and windy today, but that didn’t stop us. I made Tomas the same breakfast I made him every morning. Breakfast quesadillas using Buttig Jamon, Queso, and onions. Chop all ingredients and store in zip lock bags and daily prep time is approximately 2 minutes:
We enjoyed this every morning on our balcony with this lovely view:
After that we walked into town and did some grocery shopping and reserved our golf cart for the next day. We noticed a new addition to the Guerrero statue….
And we had to have a tribute to Tomas's death defying moment last year (we laugh at the scene of the crime!):
We grabbed a taxi back to HMB since we had bags full of coke zero and other items. We were his 1st fare all day. He said It have been very slow. Ride from the arches to VDM cost 60 pesos.
We stowed our stuff and we took a nice walk on the beach of HMB with our toes in the sand even though it was very cloudy and windy.
After that went to visit Turdle & Hallnass & the Beagle kids.
We all piled into there interesting (LOL) Easyway rental and headed to Tulum for some sightseeing:
Then we went to la Zebra for lunch. Loved these guys:
Oh, these guys too ( I mean the funny wood things!):
We wanted mojitos so Tudle was gracious enough to work the sugar press:
We sat outside on there wonderful beach. The hairdos are courtesy of the gale force winds:
Lunch was delicious. We had chips:
Soup and empanadas:
Shrimp tacos:
And any time you roll with Turdle you get to have dessert!:
Cost was $109 US which included a 10% already added gratuity. We added a little more to that.
After that we took a 4 human 2 dog stroll down the beach:
The sand is truly like sugar and the waves very impressive, and the dogs are a riot:
We really enjoyed that beach stroll.
Next up was a visit to the famous shop with the almond and mango tequila:
I haven’t been allowed to have shots of tequila since the incident of 2006, but I did try one of the thimble sized shots and it was delicious.
No, I did not buy any. I am not allowed. Just ask Tomas.
After that T & H dropped us back at VDM & we just enjoyed some chill time. Aaaaaaaaah. oh, and we took a selfie:
After an adequate and very enjoyable cocktail hour (plus or minus….ok plus) we ambled up the road to meet T&H. Do you remember the movie Cocktail?:
Turdle graciously invited us to have a seat, but even 1 buttock wouldn't fit in the chairs. They may be big enough for Turdle & Hallnass, but not for us!
Gratuitious rare Jackson at rest shot:
And we just love this girl:
Hmmm, I wonder what website Turdle is on? Any guesses?
and proceeded to Que Onda for dinner:
We met some really nice people who shall remain anonymous to ensure their successful transition into the witness protection program (ok, really, I just didn’t have time to contact them & get their permission to post their pictures….).
I, as always, had the Viva Mexico because it is my favorite:
The cost for 2 orders of Viva Mexico, 5 margs & 1 coffee with kahlua was 755 pesos.
A very fun night!
Random notes: the balcony of our unit measures 26 feet x 16 feet. Wow! The mini-fridge is unable to make ice although it does fine keeping stuff cold. A bag of ice downstairs at the corner market costs 16 pesos and the sink makes a great ice bag holder.
Woke with the sunrise again and feeling wonderful. Today’s balcony weather report is windy and sunny. We are very glad to see the sun!
Today we walked into town and picked up our golf cart. The 2 person cart is $35.00 US per day & the 4 person is $40.00 per day. The brakes did not work, but that is no problem. We just carried this around to use when needed ( I mean the coconut!):
We stocked up on coke zero at The Corner Store & find there price is cheaper than Chomak at 9 pesos per can instead of 10:
We threw our snorkel gear in the cart and headed out to Akumal bay for some snorkeling (it was a little too rough for HMB). I would tell you where we always park, but then I’d have to kill ya, so never mind! This neoprene vest is a lifesaver!
We eventually ambled down the beach to check out ABR. It looked fairly busy, but not like the old days. Buildings 5, 6, and 7 all showed signs of life, and my poor eyes can attest to the fact that the Speedo/banana hammock still reigns supreme at ABR!
Oddly enough not a single Tope in sight. What is the world coming to when you do not see a single bare breast, but the men’s packages are shrink wrapped & on display?
We stopped in at Moonrise & bought a bucket of 3 beers & chips with salsa for $10.00 US. Those new chairs are as hard as rocks & after about 5 minutes I thought my butt had turned into plywood. Tomas found a way to deal with that problem:
We did some more snorkeling for several hours and some stuff like this:
Always have to do a selfie (uh oh - water on the lens ):
After a little people watching we were off to Lol-Ha for lunch. As always there food and service were great for a very long lunch.
Shrimp tacos for Tomas: (please note these were NOT the ones that killed him on the last day of our trip….):
Grilled fish with garlic for me:
With 2 margs each the total bill was 47.00 US.
We chilled on the beach for a while then snorkeled some more & saw many fish, turtles, and other fun stuff…….
After all that we hopped back in Tres (our golf cart) and headed home to rest up from all this activity.
After cleaning up and some chill time we headed down to Queva Del Pescador to enjoy “fake last day” with Turdle & Hallnass and all their friends. We learned how to play a dice game called “left, right, center” tonight. This involves throwing dice, but your really not supposed to throw them at people…..less said the better. Somehow though, I won! I was now independently wealthy& thinking about buying a villa…
Hi from the girls room:
1 order of grilled fish, 1 order of chicken fajitas, 5 margs & a priceless amount of fun was had for $50.00 US.
Random notes:
Marcelo is the gentleman who mans the activity desk at the arch if you wish to rent a golf cart. He is present from 8:00AM to 1:00PM & 2:00PM to 6:00PM.
Our new Fuji fine pix XP-10 is working great & does video really well. Working out great both as a land and water camera.
Day 4, November 21, 2010:
Today’s weather is sunny & windy.
We head out in Tres to exchange a t-shirt for a different size at El-Pueblito. No receipt, but they were just fine with the exchange.
Next we drove up to Yal-Ku lagoon for some snorkeling. Entrance fee was $8.00 US per person, plus $2.00 for locker rental.
We brought & wore biodegradable sunscreen that we purchased at an eco-park on Cozumel, but this was deemed unacceptable & we were sent to the tree to shower.
I think the guys just wanted to watch Tomas shower. They also were concerned about the Vaseline he uses on his mustache, but allowed him to keep it as long as he only used it on his mustache. Which has to make a person wonder……what else did they think he might use it for?
After Yal Ku we took the cart and parked in the public lot outside the arches. We walked from here over to the Pueblo to try a new restaurant named Tequilaville. I had done research & knew we could also catch the Cowboy game there.
We really wanted to love this place, but didn’t. I realize that many people love this place and I would consider trying again some day.
The good: The owner and the man that cooks the Texas BBQ are very nice. The BBQ samples we tried were delicious. The prices are very reasonable.
The bad: The amount of attention we received as the only customers was overwhelming, but we are both too polite to say anything. The staff seemed very intimidated by the management and this just made for an uncomfortable environment. The game was not shown as requested, and although we expressed viewing the game as part of our reason for coming they did not admit that they could not get the game for a very long time. The margaritas were the weakest we have ever had anywhere in the Riviera Maya. They need some color in there instead of just all white. Didn’t seem like Mexico!
So, 8 margaritas that is 4 each over about 2 hours or so & not even a hint of a buzz!), shared Ceviche appetizer, 1 order grilled fish & one order shrimp fajitas cost $60.00 US. The food was decent, but nothing special. I think the more typical “bar food” would probably be better here.
It was really hard not to give this place a great report, but what good is a trip report if the impressions are not honest? Otherwise you may as well use the report for TP – just don’t flush it! I think the things that really set how we felt were the way the staff seemed afraid to even smile or look you in the eye & the lack of honesty about the TV situation when we had said that was important to us.
Take this with a huge grain of salt though because the majority seems to really love the place!
After that we walked back to our cart & hit Lol Ha to see if the game was on there. We ran into Beachmutt & her table of Steeler fans, but that was the only game showing so we moved on to LBV.
The game was on at LBV and as we sat there in total contentment I must honestly state that we really wished we had just gone to LBV for lunch. We did get to see end of the game & the Cowboys won over the Lions 35 to 19 so it was all good!
We chilled at home for a while and got cleaned up for dinner at Lol-Ha. As always it was terrific food & service. I just love dining under the stars, with the sound of the surf, my toes in the sand, and the glow of moonlight.
An order of Poppers to share (oops, sorry!):
My grilled grouper:
Tomas’s Chipotle fish:
With 2 beers each it was $50.00 US.
Random notes: The Jacuzzi shower in #8 is curved with a high wall. Just saying – only shower sober! And no, we did not find this out the hard way!
This year we took our generic I-pod with a new speaker. Much smaller than the old ones. It is the Altig Lansing im237 IS & it was awesome! It is the size of a large can of tuna & will fill the room with music.
Day 5, November 22, 2010:
Today’s weather is rainy alternating with sunny and windy.
We ran into town to get the paper this AM. USA today is avail at the Chomak fairly early & costs 15 pesos.
Next we headed over to Akumal Bay for a snorkel. Saw lots of Turtles, A big barracuda, and all the other usual good stuff.
The weather was fine at 8:00 AM when we started our snorkel, but by 11:00 it was pouring! So we thought we had better save these turtles from drowning:
This morning the 2 trouble makers from La Lunita picked us up & gave us a tour of their new casa under construction. It is gorgeous:
Then we all headed Gran Bahia Principe to attend a wedding that Soleil Soul & Vancouver Sun Dog had so generously invited us to.
The wedding was beautiful:
Sand in your eye Dad?
Tomas thought it was so funny when the very young officiating clergy talked about the struggles of a successful marriage. He didn’t even look old enough to have tried it yet! His words were beautiful & wise though.
After the wedding there was a reception with a lovely meal. It had a ceviche starter and then......
Shrimp Bisque:
Salmon with button potatoes:
More rain showers! Thank goodness none during the cerenomy.
It was a delightful event, but I had to bow out at about 8:00 PM because it was way past my bedtime! GBP is HUGE. It was like experiencing a whole different world for us. Thanks Sharon & Steve for the ride back to our condo. VDS & SoSo, it was wonderful to meet you guys.
Day 6, November 23, 2010:
Weather today is sunny & breezy.
Today we once again head out to Akumal Bay by 7:45 AM. We promptly plopped under our favorite palm tree and contemplated the meaning of palm fronds:
By 8:00 AM we were done with all the deep thinking & snorkeling. 4 turtles, 1 eel, and a bunch of other cool stuff were seen. After about an hour we were pretty chilled so got out to again contemplate life’s meaning from under our palm tree.
We decided to just appreciate every day after the big guy wearing the Speedo with “Brazil” on his butt bent over to don his fins, and we feared for our lives. Lost in the Grand Canyon, Crack ahoy, it can all end so quickly!
We know our time is running short so we did lunch a little differently. First we went to Cueva for the awesome shrimp ceviche appetizer:
This with 2 margs each cost was $28 US. The bugs were biting Tomas, but I went to the kitchen & they loaned us some OFF to use.
After that we went to El Pueblito & grabbed a couple beers & hit Lucy’s for shrimp tacos. We retreated to our golf cart for our version of dinner at the drive in:
The featured show was Akumal Bay:
After lunch we ambled back to Lucy’s for some of that fabulous ice cream. I had the fabulous Coconut & Tomas had the equally good Butter Pecan.
After lunch we headed back to VDM & for the 1st time all week chilled on HMB. For once in my life I decided to let it all hang out:
Of course the sky almost immediately turned dark & the rain poured down. Nevertheless, Tomas jumped in to leave the rest of Crunch’s ashes. (Our beloved dog – we took the other 1/2of his ashes to Cozumel last May) He is now swimming with Nacho (another beloved dog whose ashes are in HMB) forever in HMB:
Because we were running out of time & dying to try them we stopped at Glynns AK for an order of lion fish tacos to have during cocktail hour. Here is the laborious process to get a tiny amount of meat from each one:
Marcos is the one hard at work cleaning them. Very nice guy.
Much later we headed once again to Lol Ha because we wanted to dine with our toes in the sand. An order of poppers, grilled fish for each of us, & 2 beers each for $50.00 US.
Day 7, (our last full day), November 24th, 2010:
Today’s weather sunny and NOT windy!
We were snorkeling in Akumal bay by 8:00 AM. Saw many turtles, squid, and a Spotted Eagle Ray.
Needed internet to check in for our flight, but it was not working at café Latte or El Pueblito. We walked down to ABR & begged the clerks to allow us to buy internet time. After a long discussion they very kindly allowed us to purchase a 50 minute card for $10.00 US. Considering they are an AI we were very pleased that they were willing….we really wanted to check in as the flight home was completely full.
After our internet time we snuck into the bar area and got to say hi to Wilbert. Back where he belongs!
Lunch at Lol Ha as we had turned in the cart. I had grilled fish:
AND TOMAS HAD THE SHRIMP TACOS (you will see the reason for the caps later…..) :
Knowing we were leaving in the morning we had a very long lunch which included a record 3 margs each $55.00 US. We were definitely feeling it! We got some bottles of water to go and headed for the beach to chill.
We lay on the beach & contemplated life & giggled while we drank down our bottles of water. Too relaxed even to snorkel we just chilled for a couple hours.
Do you ever take your tortillas to the beach:
Timeline:
3:00 PM Tomas is fine. 2 bottles of water imbibed.
4:00 PM we start packing. Tomas is nauseated.
4:30 PM Tomas is laying in bed not moving. Wife administers 7 up & Maalox.
5:00 PM Tomas is yacking for the 1st time in over 20 years. Told by wife that it is “great” that he is yakking as this will get the toxin out. Surprisingly he does not seem that happy about it.
6:00 PM Tomas is done. Comatose. Not to be heard from again until sunrise.
No LBV as planned tonight. Oh well, at least he is out of his misery.
I had a lovely gourmet dinner of saltines and cup a soup on the balcony under the start & moon. I felt great, but I didn’t want to have something cool if Tomas couldn’t enjoy.
Absolutely the only thing Tomas ate that I did not eat for the last 48 hours was the shrimp tacos at Lol Ha. I think the fried stuff on them problem hid the bad shrimp. He has eaten this dish literally more than a dozen times over the years & never gotten ill. Just one of those things….
Final day, November 25th, 2010:
Tomas and I are up at the crack of dawn. He feels great after 12 hours of unconsciousness. I fed him saltines with peanut butter for breakfast just in case though…..
Our USA Transfer driver showed up1 hour early at 6:45AM. He said he would just wait & take a siesta – no problema. We were already almost ready to go so it wasn’t long at all. We just left our keys on the counter since the office wasn’t open yet.
Our drivers name was Milton & he was terrific.
Since we were early to the airport we were able to check in and snag seats in the emergency exit row – yahoo!
We grabbed club sandwiches at the grab & Go for the flight home. Not bad at all & about the cheapest thing you can find. The airport was super cold- I had to wear this jacket:
Our flight left early & we had a great time chatting with our row mate who was a 10 foot tall guy from the Univ. of Missouri basketball team. They had just played in Cancun. He was a wonderful young dude & gave you hope for our youth.
We actually landed early at DFW, and broke our personal best record by making it through customs & immigration in 15 minutes. Wow!
Headed home & arrived I time to watch Cowboys get slaughtered by the Saints.
Oh, and added a sand jar to the collection:
And I will close with these happy critters who say "there is no place like home":
< Message edited by crunch -- 12/22/2010 10:49:26 AM >
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Nothing wrong with me that a margarita on the beach wouldn't fix.......................
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RE: l - 12/22/2010 9:10:22 AM
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LaTeDa
Posts: 399
Joined: 3/20/2007
From: Michigan
Status: offline
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As always a great trip report . . . BUT . . . I am only seeing pics from the first day??
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RE: l - 12/22/2010 9:27:40 AM
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pinkscallop
Posts: 715
Joined: 2/2/2010
From: Surrey BC
Status: offline
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I agree - a great and detailed trip report. Looking forward to the rest of the pictures too!!!!
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RE: Tomas & Crunch Adventures in Akumal Nov. 2010 - 12/22/2010 10:54:03 AM
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Kwing
Posts: 7764
Joined: 12/23/2005
From: Ohio
Status: offline
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Your trip report rocks! Thanks Crunch and Tomas. Bummer about the last evening.
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RE: Tomas & Crunch Adventures in Akumal Nov. 2010 - 12/22/2010 12:48:47 PM
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garciagirl
Posts: 973
Joined: 7/9/2006
Status: offline
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What a great Christmas present (your trip report)! Looks like it was a great trip, and you two look wonderfully happy as always.
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While we may only be young once, it's never too late to be immature.
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RE: Tomas & Crunch Adventures in Akumal Nov. 2010 - 12/22/2010 6:58:35 PM
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KAFOKA
Posts: 4659
Joined: 4/1/2005
From: MASS
Status: offline
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Nice job Crunchie - loved reading it !
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RE: Tomas & Crunch Adventures in Akumal Nov. 2010 - 12/22/2010 7:03:22 PM
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mevose
Posts: 335
Joined: 12/12/2010
From: Kennebunkport, Maine
Status: offline
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Wonderful trip report - loved reading it! Looks like you had a fabulous time (well, except for the very last night . . .)
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RE: Tomas & Crunch Adventures in Akumal Nov. 2010 - 12/23/2010 12:26:23 AM
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GorditoHombre
Posts: 421
Joined: 3/9/2009
From: Twin Cities, MN
Status: offline
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Great trip report!!!
Thanks for the info on the Tequilaria- I was wondering what would happen to Lucy's 2.
The new Casa- what stretch of beach is that on, just out of curiousity? Turdle & Halnness', that is...
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Gran Bahia Principe- Feb '06
Sandos Playacar- March '07
Aventuras Akumal condo- March '09
Akumal condo- Feb '10
Akumal condo- March '11
Akumal Beach Resort- March '12
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Printable Version
Lion fish tacos are now in my bucket list of eats
but pictures speak a thousand words, right??!! Love it! And I will go back and read too. 
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