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At home in Akumal for 22 days Finished! - 11/3/2012 12:19:14 PM
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rucruizin
Posts: 1958
Joined: 1/7/2010
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Link to photos on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3779876855839.2141422.1244441640&type=3&l=0324a5fb83
I promised a review, and though it has taken a couple weeks, I have finally committed to sitting down to write one.
After my trip to Akumal this past March, I returned home, only to be hit with some kind of superbug. I actually thought I was going die, and for quite some time I wished I would. It literally lasted months, and the Dr's were at a loss. I doubt that I picked it up in Akumal, or even Mexico... I suspect the airport, but do not know for sure. Take the most severe flu symptoms and magnify them x 10. I was sicker than I have ever been in my life.
Can't, don't, and stop are not in my vocabulary, so for months I pushed my body to the limits, and it finally let me know that slowing down HAD to happen. My Dr insisted that I take an extended medical leave, and after I trained 3 nurses who still couldn't handle my job, I finally said, enough is enough.
I knew I needed to get away. I needed to unlpug, recharge, and sleep. I didn't want to cook, or clean, and I needed to completely shut out the world for a time. I couldn't think of a better place to do that, than Akumal.
Akumal is like a second home for me now, and I didin't have any hesitation about going by myself. My friends and family were all freaked out, adn some were sure i was going to be kidnapped, or killed. Um, yeah, no.
I arrived in Akumal on October 1st, via Cancun Shuttle. I arrived just about 8:30 pm, and as we drove by Pescador, I could see the regulars were gathered for their weekly, Monday night gathering. I hadn't eaten since I left home early that morning, and I needed food! I literally threw my bags in the condo, and had the driver drop me back off at Pescador's. It was love at first sight... There on the ground was Nikko, a giant black lab. I said nothing to anyone, but went straight to the dog... I recognized many faces, and was greeted warmly by my friends, and the staff at the restaurant. It was only a couple minutes before I had a drink in hand, and food on the way. Let the healing begin... ahhhhhh!
For the first leg of my trip, I stayed at La Joya Condos on Half Moon Bay. When I arrived, there was only one other person staying in the condo's, but by the end it was nearly, if not completely full. I was in a one bedroom, 3rd floor, unit #6. It is beautiful. It has been remodeled, and has been nicely appointed. There was a flat screen TV, and dvd player which was perfect. I had no intention of watching TV, and especially the news, but had brought a collection of movies to indulge in. The bed was really comfortable, as was everythign in the condo. I had a private balcony, and when I returned to the condo, that first night, I stood on the balcony, overlooking that beautiful bay all lit up by the moonlight.
The waves crashed softly on the beach and the moon glistened across the water. While I didn't actually hear it call my name, the sea and sand beckined me. I went down in my bare feet, just to feel the soft sand. Although it was late, it was bright and I walked to the waters edge, just to feel the warm Caribbean sea caress my feet. I wasn't there long when a secutiry graud flashed his flashlight at me 3 times. I didn't respond, just stood still. I realize that it was turtle season, and I was careful not to step on any of the nests out front. I didn't plan to stay long, but soon the guard repeated the three flashes, and I retreated up to the deck. I was in Akumal, and though it is not, at least not yet, it felt a lot like home.
The road leading to North Akumal was in complete disrepair. A new water line was being laid, and the beautiful road, was temporarily destoryed. A necessary evil, but quite the contrast to the pleasant road I experienced walking, just a few short months before. In fact, it seemed that everything was under construction. Many condos were being refurbished, and construction noise began soon after 8:00 am and lasted until well after 5:00 pm. The house to the north of LJ, was at a complete standstill, no work, no people, just dead quiet. The storm that had paid a visit to the area, in August maybe? Had completely replenished the sand on that stretch of beach. It was deep, and soft, and felt like powder under my feet. After only two days in my 3rd flood condo, I was forced to move to the second floor. We had received two overnight rainstorms, and both mornings, I woke up to water in the living area of the condo. The first night wasn't too bad, but after the second night of pounding rain, I knew I had to leave my beautiful condo. I'm a "go with the flow" kinda girl, and while I much preferred the condo I was in, they could not fix the leak while I was in there.
You just can't stop prgress, and on the third morning of my stay, I awoke around 8:00 am to the pounding of a sledgehammer on the concrete above my original condo. Ugh!
On my first real day there, I walked into Akumal where I met the ladies from Austin, whom I met here on LG. What a great, fun bunch of ladies. Anyone who knows me will tell you, I've never met a stranger. After time spent getting to know them, I walked down to ABR where I met another woman from Austin. We managed to meet at the prearranged place and time. Just want to say thanks to all those wonderful new friends for all the laughs, and fun. Melissa, Heidi, Kim, Carla, and Lori. Also Kathy, Micha, and Clark. There were lots of LG's hanging around that week, and no shortage of good times to be had. All of the Austin ladies, and the odd girl out, made plans to meet for happy hour, and dinner that night.
I went back to the condo to take a nap, I was there to rest afterall. The construction continued, and everytime there were a few seconds inbetween hits I thought, "maybe it will stop, maybe it's almost done." I was wrong. With each pounding vibration, shaking me to my very core, I decided sleep wasn't happening. I went out to the beach and hoped the waves would drown out the noise. I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep. After a few short minutes, the other occupant of the condo, came to pay me a visit and spent the next hour telling me all about Akumal and the surrounding area. I politely listened  Geez, what do these people have against sleep anyway? haha
The constrction continued throughout my stay, and even when the concrete work above my head had been completed, they began to dig a hole for a pool in front of La Joya. Great news for me though, a pool is an excellent thing to have, especially if you happen to be there during March, like I usually am. The waves and wind somedays are prohibitive to getting in the water. A pool is a welcome addition as far as I am concerned. I love La Joya. I love the beach, the location and the staff. If the water entry there was a little better, it might be the only place I ever stayed. The water was exquisite during my stay, and calmer than I have EVER seen it. I spent hours just floating in the water, and drifting in the gentle waves. I had to be careful not to let it rock me to sleep, but heck, what a way to go...
The condo owner had read about my lack of sleep, and the construction noise I mentioned here on the forums. With concern she wrote and asked me why I didn't say something. She assured me that they would have done whatever was necessary to make my stay more comfortable. She said that management would have moved me to a more suitable location, if necessary. Here's the thing... A few years back I wrote an article entitled, "vacation is no fairytale, so pack your chill." I may try to find it and repost it here, for the benefit of everyone. I was there during the off season, and it can be expected that construction, like road construction during the summer in Colorado, is innevitable. I have experienced many difficulties in all my years of travel including, but not limited to: No water, no A/C, no electriciy, food borne illness, incliment weather, overcrowded conditions, injuries, emergency situations, and many others. This was an inconvenience, not a vacation spoiler. In fact, had I chose to sleep rather than watching chick flicks until 2:30 every morning, I might not have even noticed the noise. Besides that, I was one of the lucky ones. Just down the road was a jackhammer, which hammered away all day. So just be aware. Going to Akumal during the fall is a trade off. There are no crowds, baby turtle make regular appearances, the weather was mostly beautiful, and the sea was warm and calm. You may have to put up with some noise, but you can overlook a lot when you are in a place that is so beautiful and tranquil after quitting time.
On one of my first few days, the Austin ladies had prearranged for a driver to take a few of us to Coba, and then Valladolid for lunch. Due to the taxi regulations, we had to walk out to the main road, to meet the driver. It's about 1 1/3 miles from La Joya, to the main road, and we had to meet him at 7:30... ugh, an alarm on vacation!? Oh well, suck it up cupcake, you can sleep late tomorrow. I checked my messages, and had a frantic email from one of the ladies I was supposed to meet. It was pouring rain outside, and the radar showed the storm was there to stay. It had and had engulfed the entire section of the Yucatan. We communicated back and forth about whether to go ahead with the plans for the day. We didn't know if the driver would even show up. We ultimately decided that we had to try. Worst case scenario, we got soggy, stood up, and would be forced to eat breakfast at Turlte Bay. Oh bummer, I could think of way worse things than that. I walked out the door with my heavy duty rain jacket, that "someone" tried to talk me out of taking on my trip. Wind driven rain beat on me from the second I stepped out the door. I quickly reassessed the situation, and stepped back inside for a moment. Hmmmmm.... Ok, this is not going to work, I thought. I took off my already soaked running shoes, threw them in a grocery bag. I dumped the trash from one basket, into another basket, and used the heavy black,, pastic bag to protect my shoulder bag with my camera, and supplies. Flip flops were not an option, and I was happy to have my water shoes. I put my head down, walked out the door, and went for it. The water shoes proved their worth, as I walked through unavoidable puddles that were up to a foot deep in places. I would hesitantly, and cautiously put my foot into a puddle, and wait for the bottum to meet my foot before putting my full wieght down. I am a notorious clutz, and falling in this mess, simply was not an option. I would need a snorkle and fins to get out, if I did. The rain continued to pour, and it's a good thing I knew the road so well, I couldn't see a thing. I reached Las Casitas Akumal and a friendly voice called out my name. What a welcome thing to hear, I had finally arrived.
The three of us walked to the main road, and waited only a couple minutes before our driver, who was supposed to be an english professor, showed up. After a few seconds, it was clear that there had been a huge miscommnication, and the driver not only wasn't an english professor, he spoke no english at all. Between the limited, but sufficient spanish I speak, and Kim, who understands a lot, but doesn't speak it, we did just fine. It is kind of fun to be an interpretor, until the end of the day, when a tired brain shuts down, and I couldn't remember my own name, let alone how to speak a foriegn language.
It rained hard, and the main roads were flooded in areas. We arrived at Coba right after it opened. The parking lot was empty, and it was obvious that the rain had discouraged many people from leaving their resorts that day. We hired one pedi cab for the 3 of us, which took some convincing, but worked out fine. Well that is because I didn't mind sitting on the floor, with my knees up against my chest. It's not about the difficulties of the situation you face, it's all about the ability and willingness to adapt to it. "Tres chiquita's, no gorditas, no problema" I said. They all shook their head in agreement, and laughed. We had the ruins to ourselves for most of our visit, and it wasn't until we were on our return that we began running into crowds of people. I got a kick out of the little dog who acted as tour guide, and ran ahead of us every step of the way. She would stop at all the appropiriate spots as if to say, "look, look here, look at this one." Then she would run eagerly ahead to the next stop. We decided to hit the main temple first. It was still raining lightly, and we contemplated the safety of the ascent, and inevitable descent. Heck, we had come all this way, we weren't going to let a lttle rain discourage us. We climbed to the top, and viewed the jungle canopy, shrouded in clouds and mist. It was eerily beautiful, and unique. It was at the top, as I viewd the incredible sights, I realized how fortunate we were to have picked a day that was cool and overcast, and truly had no regrets about our rainy day outing.
Neither of the other ladies had been to Ek Balam, and after all my talk of how beautiful it was, we decided to add it to our day trip. We were in for a long haul, but we had already come this far, so why not. Th road leading to Ek Balam was full of holes, and flooded with water. As the driver maneuvered around the giant puddles I exclaimed, "cenotes!" He got a kick out of my comment, and mumbled to himself with obvious agreement, "cenote si." The sun peeked out just enough to make it really hot, and added to the humidity. What we have here, we were three soggy southwesterner's. We were all troopers as we climbed ruin, after ruin. I found it amusing that we all crashed at the same time. Suddenly, our once happy and laughing group became oddly silent. We were all out of energy, in need of food, and rest. Not much conversation was had on the drive to Valladolid. No one was mad, we were just over it. These girls needed food!
We drove in silence to the beautiful, colonial town of Valladolid, and as we drove through the streets I thoguht to myself, "I could live here." We had walked around for a bit, but food was a priority. We went to a restaurant that was in a hotel, just off the main square. We each ordered a traditional Mayan dish, and we all shared the food family style, so that we could eachsample all the dishes. We only had a short time, after lunch to walk around, but we were all exhausted anyway. This is a place I would like to spend at least a full day, and maybe two, just to explore and experience all the city has to offer.
I will continue this later... You know, I never intend to write anything big, it's just how it turns out. As my new friend Lori would say... "stand by." 
< Message edited by rucruizin -- 11/6/2012 11:55:36 AM >
_____________________________
It is, what it is.
It becomes, what you make it.
Make it spectacular!
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/3/2012 2:19:55 PM
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Jamie
Posts: 2548
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Southern California
Status: offline
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Thanks I am really enjoying your report so far and look forward to the rest of it. Hope you are feeling much better now. Nice to hear La Joya is putting in a pool that is a must for me Enjoyed reading about your trip to Coba (although I think I would have taken a taxi in that rain) - by any chance did you eat at the Hotel Meson de Marques in V-town? Great Yucatecan food, stayed there one time a couple of nights a few years back.
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/3/2012 2:59:57 PM
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rucruizin
Posts: 1958
Joined: 1/7/2010
Status: offline
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Yes Jamie, thank you, I could not remember the name
Well, a taxi should have been prearranged, but I didn't expect it to be a downpour. Most of the days were so beautiful. Nothing I could do about it that early in the morning. I would have hitchhiked, but no one was on the road, except me, and the cenotes.
quote:
ORIGINAL: Jamie
Thanks I am really enjoying your report so far and look forward to the rest of it. Hope you are feeling much better now. Nice to hear La Joya is putting in a pool that is a must for me Enjoyed reading about your trip to Coba (although I think I would have taken a taxi in that rain) - by any chance did you eat at the Hotel Meson de Marques in V-town? Great Yucatecan food, stayed there one time a couple of nights a few years back.
_____________________________
It is, what it is.
It becomes, what you make it.
Make it spectacular!
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/3/2012 6:19:41 PM
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cb1
Posts: 59
Joined: 5/19/2011
Status: offline
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Your wonderful report is just what we all need right now. I"m enjoying this a lot.
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/4/2012 9:43:59 AM
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rucruizin
Posts: 1958
Joined: 1/7/2010
Status: offline
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Yup John, I can't help it. I tried to make it short. So much to say, and I've already left out a bunch. Maybe someday I'll be a travel writer.
Since it took me so much longer yesterday to write this, than I intended, I will write more today when I have time. Of course I will post pics, but that may take some time as well.
1runjuan:
"and how are the cute little poochies doing?"
Very sad end to the trip. We arrived home on a Monday. I was off all day Tuesday, but had to go into town for a Dr's appointment. Bob worked, and we both arrived home at the same time that afternoon. He went outside to play fetch with the cute little pooches, and I stayed inside to get dinner started. I heard him yell for me, and found him knelt donw by Tuff. I asked what he was doing and he said, "Tuff is dying." Tuff was an 11 year old Border Collie who appeared to be in perfect health. I spent almost 24 hours with him, and there was no sign of illness, or lethargy, he was normal Tuff. One minute he was playing, 20 seconds later he was dead.  
As you can imagine, we were gutted. I was sobbing in disbelief. Bob sat speechless, stunned. I rocked our sweet boy in my arms, I just kept telling him he was such a good boy. We also had a 13-14 year old female that we had rescued many years ago. We were selfish to have made her suffer as long as we did, and planned to let her go as soon as we got back. After Tuff died, we held onto her for a few extra days, but ultimately decided it wasn't fair to her, to keep her, just because we lost Tuff. Exactly one week after our sweet Tuff went up, we sent Magic to be with him, and put an end to all her pain and suffering.
It was a bad week for our Border Collies, and a tremendous, tragic loss. Tuff died of a coronary infection, secondary to strep. Interesting to note that Bob brought a bad strep infection to me in Mexico. We were pretty sick the last couple of days. Also, the nieghbors who took care of our dogs, both got very sick with strep. The little girl had to go to the hospital. Several people have told me since, dogs can give strep to humans.
So, now you need kleenex, and beer. Sorry to be such a downer, but I promise the rest of it will be happy, and hopefully give you a laugh, or two. Chin up everyone! We have rescued BC's for many years, and this is not our first loss. When you love your pets, the way we love ours, you are bound to get your heart broken. I would suffer the loss over and over again, rather than live without the love and joy they bring into my home. Such selfless little things, so overjoyed to have their people home. We may have called ourselves a rescue, but they rescued us over, and over, and over.
quote:
ORIGINAL: 1runjuan
whoa, i'm gonna need more than 1 beer to read this.
will you post pics, and how are the cute little poochies doing?
are you all rested up?
_____________________________
It is, what it is.
It becomes, what you make it.
Make it spectacular!
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/4/2012 1:36:45 PM
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rucruizin
Posts: 1958
Joined: 1/7/2010
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Continued...
Yes, I was supposed to be resting. No, I was not getting much rest. As it turns out, being alone in Akumal didn't mean alone, it just meant without the pepople I would normally hang out with.
With the connections I have made in Akumal during my past visits, I was invited to many of the "regular" gatherings. I went to a football party where we ate amazing food, and I met more new friends, including the owners of Turtle Bay. I had a long talk with Bartley about gluten free/egg free options, and he told me to stop by, and he would figure sometihng out. I don't know how much actual football was watched by anyone in attendance, but we all seemed to have a good time. There was the tropical shirt contest at Lol Ha on Friday night, and the Monday gathering of "Regulars" and Ex pats at Pescador. It seemed that everytime I turned around, I was being invited to another party, or gathering. I only turned down one invitation, and that happened to be the same day we went to Coba, Ek Balam, and Valladolid. I just didn't have anything left that night, so I passed on what turned out to be a great evening with all my friends, old an new.
On top of that, the Austin ladies had happy hour get togethers, and I spent a fair amount of time at ABR with Texasfish, Bluebeachlady, Newbie4now, TallMicha, and the group they all hung around with. If I wasn't coming from somewhere, I was going to somewhere. We had plenty of laughs, lots of good food, and drinks, and adventures together.
I ususally do not mind walking the road from HMB, to Akumal. With the road being such a mess, it was not a pleasant walk. Fortunately for me, my timing was almost always impecable. No sooner did I head out of my condo and start down the road, when one of my new friends, or accquaintances would drive by and offer me a ride. THANK YOU! It was hot, and the midday walk especially, was bleh!
One Sunday afternoon with no construction noise, beautiful sunny skies, and calm water in the bay, I sat lounging on my chaise under a palapa, listing to my iPod. There wasn't another soul around, and I felt like a millionaire, all alone on my private bay. I watched as the turtles bobbed up and down in the water, and I slipped into a Caribbean Coma. I didn't notice the 3 men just down the beach from me, for several minutes. When I realized that one of them was digging a hole, I jumped up and yelled, "tortugas?" One of the men affirmed, and I grabbed the camera out of my bag, sending everything else in it flying out onto the sand. I turned for a split second to pick it up, then decided I just didn't care. I literally sprinted to their location, I didn't want to miss a single second, and this was my first. That day I met Guillermo, who works with CEA. He had 4 babies that were left in the nest, and he educated me about them, what he was doing, and why. That night around 7:00 pm, we walked down in front of Playa Blanca, and released the babies. Guillermo handed me two of them, told me to name them, and wish them well. I named mine after my two friends, Matt and Paula. Paula loves turtles, and has a giant collection of everything turtle, yet she has never seen a sea turtle, or had the opportunity to witness the events I did that day. Her husband Matt was killed in a plane crash a couple years ago, and it just seemed fitting to me, to honor them in that way.
That night, somewhere after 2:00 am, there was a knock at the door. Another turtle nest was hatching and Guillermo came to get me, so I could witness it. Wow, two nests in one day!? Quite the humbling experience, and the early morning wake up call did not bother me a bit, I can sleep later, I kept telling myself.
As Guillermo and I spoke that day, we talked about snorkeling. I know people love it, but I'm not a big fan. I'm not afraid, I do like it, but I just don't love it. I like my head above water, what can I say... He said he had the perfect thing for me. We set a time for the following day, and he took me out on my own personal snorkeling watercraft. 4Wheeled, I am so excited to tell you about this. I thought of you the whole time, and how this would make it so easy for you to snorkel. I can't reveal too much about it, it's a prototype and he is working on getting it patented. It is motorized, and has a viewer. You can use a mask, or the viewer, you can sit on a seat, or lay down on a mat, or net. It has two toggle switches that activate the two motors, which propel you through the water, or allow you to turn left, or right. We literally covered the entire bay in just over one hour, and I loved this easy snorkeling. We saw the cannons, and I marked the location in my mind, orienting myself with the cannons and objects on the shore. I have heard people say that the cannons are paralell to the first cannon, not true. The 3 cannons are directly in line with the palm tree, just to the left of the first cannon.
Paul, you be sure to let me know when your next trip is. I will contact G, and we will set you up.
Funny to note: The HOA president of La Joya was the other resident who was there during my stay. When he found out I was alone, he took on the role of watch dog, and protector. I'll be honest, I felt a little like a 16 year old who was coming home past curfue. "Where are you going? Do you need a ride? Do you have bug spray? You might want to take a jacket. Are you ok, you came home late last night? Is anyone bothering you?" Haha, "Ok, geez dad," I would tell him. It was much appreciated and I knew if I had a problem, all I had to do was yell, or make a loud noise, or open my door, or sneeze, or blink, or...
I ate my trunk food for breakfast a few mornings, and caught the lunch truck a couple days. Overall, I found I just wasn't that hungry. I had to make myself think about eating. That is SO not like me, I'm usually all about food??? I bought my queso chips, and some snacks from the midway store, but they mostly went uneaten. Hey, I can polish off a bag of those queso chips in one sitting, ususally.
I ate breakfast a couple mornings at Turtle Bay, and I got a kick out of Bartly one afternoon when I was at Pescador hanging out with friends. I walked over to say hello, and he called to the waiter, "hey (name I did not catch), bring me a side of bacon, quick!" Then he laughed at me when I told him that bacon and a margarita might not make the best combination, but thanks anyway. But hey, maybe it would, I'll try that next time I also had a couple dinners there, and found them very willing to help me with my food allergies, and the choices I made. Great people, great food, I'm no longer afraid, just because it has "bakery" in the name.
I also have to admit that Lol Ha grew on me this trip Hanging out with the regulars, I learned some things about menu items I might not have otherwise known. Like, their philly cheesesteak sandiwch is amazing, the hummis is a nice alternative to pico de gallo, and guacamole. Queso fundido is fun, and yummy. And sitting inside at the bar rather than out side at the plastic tables, is like a whole other world. Happy hour usually starts when the bell rings for most everyone else, but sitting inside... it starts when you arrive. the morning that G and I went out snorkeling, I ate breakfast tacos at the restaurant, they were outstanding.
Pescador is always my favorite. The food is good, the service is good, the fun is real, and the margaritas are "especial just for me." A couple nights when I did find myself without company, I would just go hang out with the staff until they closed the place up, and turned out the lights. On one of my last nights in Akumal, we arrived, and all the tables were taken. One of the guys walked us over to the table where they usually sit, and said, "sit here." I asked if it was really ok, and questioned because, "it's the locals table." As he pulled out my chair, and motioned for me to sit he said, "no, it's the family table." Awwww, I know what keeps me coming back.
I also had a couple meals at La Loncheria, one time the soup was fantastic, the last time... it tasted like the chicken was burnt and I didn't finish it. Oh heck, I burn things at home from time to time, it's not the end of the world. But, that was the day Bob was really sick, and he needed chicken soup.
To thank Guillermo for my snorkeling adventure, and Paul my watchdog, for his protection, I took them to Antojito's La Chiapaneca in Tulum pueblo. Ya know, I haven't really tasted tacos al pastor anywhere else, but I just can't imagine them being any better, anywhere else. We ordered, and ate, and then ordered more and ate more. We had some pretty funny conversations, and I did not eat 7 tacos Guillermo! Way to throw me under the bus though. Paul ordered his food, and went up to the salsa bar. I gasped as I watched him pour a whole ladel of the X-tra hot salsa over his tacos. After the first scoop, I tried to warn him, but he said he was fine. I knew better. We had just had the conversation at the store, 15 minutes prior about how he didn't eat the jalapeno chips, because they were too hot. Nothing left to do but sit back and watch the show. It was hot in there anyway, but I swear it got hotter after his first couple bites. He turned a shade of red I had never seen on a human being before, and I bet his temperature rose at least 10 degrees. "Happy now?" He chugged water, and coke, and anything he could get his hands on while we just sat there and laughed about the follow up the next day.
We also had the pleasure of returning to Tulum pueblo, and Antojito's with Sand in my pants and her family, later in the trip. Guillermo, and Emiliano (a local) both said, "best tacos in the Riviera Maya." I don't need convincing though, I'm sold.
That pretty much sums up the adventure portion of my trip. Anyone who knows me, knows that I usually can't sit still. I've got to be up walking, moving, taking pictures, seeking the next adventure, or finding the next beach... Not this trip. I was perfectly happy to plop my rear end in a chair, or float for hours in the sea. My Nikon camera stayed locked in the safe, and my iPhone was the only accessory I carried.
The wifi at La Joya was outstanding. I had coverage quite a ways down the beach. In fact I had a little panic attack one day as I was walking past La Lunita. Bob called me on Facetime, and I answered it. He said, "are you sure you're not roaming?" I wasn't and the thought of the cell phone bill that would be waiting at home, sent a little rush of adrenaline through me, YIKES! Nope, it was just that good. It was out for one period of time, one day. That happened to be the day that Bob was sure I had been kidnapped, and he was at home frantic. I planned to walk down to La Buena Vida later so I could use their wifi. I planned to let him know I was a live and not to worry if he didn't hear from me. He had dinner plans that night with our nieghbors, and with the time difference factored in, by the time I knew he would be home and I got ready to leave, and another downpour hit. I never made it, and I got a little bit of a lecture the next morning. Hey, if you're stuck, you're stuck. Facetime is an incredible way to keep in touch, with those who are back home. I got to talk to my doggies every night, and see them too Well, mostly they just tipped their heads sideways, and looked confused about why mama's voice was coming out of the little box. I didn't want my puppy to forget me.
Oh, we also ate at La Buena Vida with Snowbound and his lovely wife on their last night. Some people from our resort were also eating there that night, and we had already placed our order when one of them came over to recomended the shrimp dish. Oh what the heck... let's order one of those too. We had too much food, but it was all good. The shrimp was outstanding, and I wished I had just ordered that as an entree.
Check in at ABR and my impressions: to be continued.
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It is, what it is.
It becomes, what you make it.
Make it spectacular!
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/4/2012 1:41:00 PM
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rucruizin
Posts: 1958
Joined: 1/7/2010
Status: offline
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Darlin, hoenstly... I do not think that Ek Balam will be user friendly for you. Most of the really good stuff requires you to climb the main temple. With all the rain we had that day, the ground was squishy, and hard to even traverse on foot. The first time we visited, we had to climb over a wall to get through the entrance. They have built up dirt around that, andit's more of a path now. I'd hate for you to miss out on so much of the beauty, that will simply be out of your reach. Your call though. And yes, you would have plenty of time to see the site, it's on the smallish side. Maybe others can give their input on this subject as well. If I had known in advance, I could have taken better mental notes, but it was the last stop of the day, and we were tired.
quote:
ORIGINAL: 4wheeled
geez.  so sorry about your 'rescuers'. {we need a hug emoticom}
looking forward to the rest of your report and pictures eventually. i'm planning to go to ek balam next spring. if you hadn't stopped at coba first, would you have been able to see all there is there easily?
< Message edited by rucruizin -- 11/4/2012 2:51:00 PM >
_____________________________
It is, what it is.
It becomes, what you make it.
Make it spectacular!
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/4/2012 2:06:18 PM
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barata
Posts: 4134
Joined: 4/11/2006
From: a few degrees north of Akumal
Status: offline
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quote:
When you love your pets, the way we love ours, you are bound to get your heart broken. I would suffer the loss over and over again, rather than live without the love and joy they bring into my home. Such selfless little things, so overjoyed to have their people home. We may have called ourselves a rescue, but they rescued us over, and over, and over.
I'm so sorry for your loss, ru, those words above are very touching.
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barata, PI and catering service inc
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RE: At home in Akumal for 22 days Condo vs ABR - 11/4/2012 3:10:52 PM
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Jamie
Posts: 2548
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Southern California
Status: offline
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So very sorry to hear about the loss of your dogs - words cannot express my sadness. Glad you got to enjoy them as long as you did.
Enjoyed the next part of your report and look forward to hearing about ABR.
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Printable Version
Janet, that snorkeling machine sounds amazing!! i'll definitely take you up on getting in touch with Guillermo before i go, thanks. 
