In the early morning, the whistles, coos tappings and chirps of various species of tropical birds create a symphony of cheerful sound outside our windows. Peter and I arose early, before the kids, and did a bit of snorkeling in the crystal clear water just steps away from our patio.
Because Peter was lured in by a salesman at the airport and also thought that somehow it would be a good idea for the kids to experience a sophisticated sales pitch, we showed up at an all-inclusive resort in Tulum at 10 a.m. this morning. (We mainly did it for the breakfast, but we also saved on the rental car.) It was all very formal--the gardens, the buildings, the presentation--and we could have been at any tropical resort in the world. Surprisingly, the 11 mile stretch of beautiful white sand beaches was not really featured in the tour, and most of the guests who were staying there seemed to be in the pool areas! Tonya was a very nice young Mexican woman, and we enjoyed the delicious buffet breakfast we shared with her, but, alas, she was unable to persuade us to plunk down a large sum of money today for what seemed to amount to concierge travel services and discounts at resorts around the world, even when they kept offering more and more free vacations!
After a quick stop at a local supermarket for some groceries, we returned to our humble little condo by the water--which we love! Akumal suits us. There is one street leading from the highway, past a few shops and to the beach (There are no side streets.) The main and only street is a combination of crumbling pavement, sand and potholes. Lush jungle vegetation grows all around, dark and bright green with highlights of red, fuchsia, vibrant orange, yellow and white flowers. Although it is humid here, the trade winds make the climate bearable.
In many ways, the climate, the scenery and the lifestyle here reminds us of Kenya. So, we were not surprised too much when we were greeted outside the door of our condo by a hotel employee who regretted to inform us that the local electricity provider was having some kind of problem, resulting in there being no air conditioning or Internet, although there were lights and fans. Thankfully, that problem was resolved within a few hours. This is not a climate where I am comfortable trying to sleep without AC.
Everyone else felt like a nap, so I went out to find the turtles in the bay by myself. We had been warned in writing by the management of the property that local men on the beach might tell us that we could only snorkel with the turtles with a guide and life jackets, by law. This is blatantly false. I walked along the beach without being accosted and then, as I was snorkeling not far from shore, was stopped by a man who told me that I was not allowed to be there without a guide. When I told him that I knew that this was not true, he hailed a buddy, who came to assist him. They insisted they were federal authorities, but they had no ID. ("We don't need no stinking badges!") They wouldn't let me move away from them, so, because I was literally being bullied and impeded by them, I kicked the big, fat one in the groin. Self-defense! I then went back to the shore, with this man accompanying me. When I got near the edge of the water, I stopped to ask a divemaster who just happened to be there if I was correct that no guide is required for snorkeling. He confirmed my understanding and advised me to just walk a bit further down the beach and go back in. That's what I did.
Indeed, there are quite a few turtles swimming not so much on the reefs but above the sandy and the grassy bottoms. On the reefs, I also saw a sting-ray and lots of colorful fish, including parrot fish, blue tang, jacks, wrasse and ballyhoo, which are distinguished by the needle-like protrusion in front of their heads; forked tails, the upper one streaked with gold on top; and shimmering silver scales.
I walked along the beautiful and uncrowded beach to our place, where I notified security about the bully. With the guard, I walked back to the area where I had first entered the water and he introduced me to people with uniforms and ID. I pointed out the man who had tried to keep me from snorkeling; he was, by then, on the shore trying to convince other unsuspecting tourists that they had to pay for a guide. The property management had told us that the authorities are trying to stop these people, so I hope I did my part! I can deal with the people trying to sell you something who don't seem to be able to take "no" for an answer, but this man stepped way over the line.
With the drama over, I got the book I am reading and my water bottle and relaxed on a lounger in the sand. Later, Peter found me, and we walked to the half a dozen shops in town. We are purchasing even the smallest things with credit cards because the two ATM's we have tried, one here and one in Tulum, were not functioning! Just think, we could be avoiding all this hassle at an all-inclusive resort--but would we really be in Mexico?
Katya took a long walk on the beach in the late afternoon while Peter and Matthew did a bit of snorkeling and I planned tomorrow's activities, which include a Mayan ruin, an old colonial city and a cenote. We want to get an early start to avoid the heat as much as possible, so I am going to bed early. The birds are all quiet, but occasionally a gecko squeaks loudly nearby.
Because Peter was lured in by a salesman at the airport and also thought that somehow it would be a good idea for the kids to experience a sophisticated sales pitch, we showed up at an all-inclusive resort in Tulum at 10 a.m. this morning. (We mainly did it for the breakfast, but we also saved on the rental car.) It was all very formal--the gardens, the buildings, the presentation--and we could have been at any tropical resort in the world. Surprisingly, the 11 mile stretch of beautiful white sand beaches was not really featured in the tour, and most of the guests who were staying there seemed to be in the pool areas! Tonya was a very nice young Mexican woman, and we enjoyed the delicious buffet breakfast we shared with her, but, alas, she was unable to persuade us to plunk down a large sum of money today for what seemed to amount to concierge travel services and discounts at resorts around the world, even when they kept offering more and more free vacations!
After a quick stop at a local supermarket for some groceries, we returned to our humble little condo by the water--which we love! Akumal suits us. There is one street leading from the highway, past a few shops and to the beach (There are no side streets.) The main and only street is a combination of crumbling pavement, sand and potholes. Lush jungle vegetation grows all around, dark and bright green with highlights of red, fuchsia, vibrant orange, yellow and white flowers. Although it is humid here, the trade winds make the climate bearable.
 |
| Flame tree in bloom |
Everyone else felt like a nap, so I went out to find the turtles in the bay by myself. We had been warned in writing by the management of the property that local men on the beach might tell us that we could only snorkel with the turtles with a guide and life jackets, by law. This is blatantly false. I walked along the beach without being accosted and then, as I was snorkeling not far from shore, was stopped by a man who told me that I was not allowed to be there without a guide. When I told him that I knew that this was not true, he hailed a buddy, who came to assist him. They insisted they were federal authorities, but they had no ID. ("We don't need no stinking badges!") They wouldn't let me move away from them, so, because I was literally being bullied and impeded by them, I kicked the big, fat one in the groin. Self-defense! I then went back to the shore, with this man accompanying me. When I got near the edge of the water, I stopped to ask a divemaster who just happened to be there if I was correct that no guide is required for snorkeling. He confirmed my understanding and advised me to just walk a bit further down the beach and go back in. That's what I did.
Indeed, there are quite a few turtles swimming not so much on the reefs but above the sandy and the grassy bottoms. On the reefs, I also saw a sting-ray and lots of colorful fish, including parrot fish, blue tang, jacks, wrasse and ballyhoo, which are distinguished by the needle-like protrusion in front of their heads; forked tails, the upper one streaked with gold on top; and shimmering silver scales.
I walked along the beautiful and uncrowded beach to our place, where I notified security about the bully. With the guard, I walked back to the area where I had first entered the water and he introduced me to people with uniforms and ID. I pointed out the man who had tried to keep me from snorkeling; he was, by then, on the shore trying to convince other unsuspecting tourists that they had to pay for a guide. The property management had told us that the authorities are trying to stop these people, so I hope I did my part! I can deal with the people trying to sell you something who don't seem to be able to take "no" for an answer, but this man stepped way over the line.
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| Peter by the beach chairs |
Katya took a long walk on the beach in the late afternoon while Peter and Matthew did a bit of snorkeling and I planned tomorrow's activities, which include a Mayan ruin, an old colonial city and a cenote. We want to get an early start to avoid the heat as much as possible, so I am going to bed early. The birds are all quiet, but occasionally a gecko squeaks loudly nearby.
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