the Yucatan vacation
the flight from Fort Lauderdale to Cancun is less than 2 hours
but it is 2 days travel to get from home to Akumal
only an hour south of Cancun
first is the 3 hours drive from my house to Fort Lauderdale
when you leave the west coast of Florida
and head across the state on Alligator Alley
you leave the people behind
the drive through the Everglades is so peaceful
lots of open space and very little traffic
once you get close to the other side (Fort Lauderdale) the road
became 6, 8, 10 lanes all full of cars, just boom out of the Everglades
into the fast lane
I found the hotel that had free parking and an airport shuttle on the internet
though the next morning they said oh no - you can't park here
little drama there and I went next door to the hotel where I paid to park
their airport shuttle was just leaving as I was late
later the plane would be an hour late and we sat in the airport
such is modern travel
arriving in Cancun is a test in patience
they have set the airport up so that there is no way to walk out and get public transportation
just a bunch of slick guys selling you rides
I was determined this year that I would avoid the expensive ride.
I was going straight to Akumal - about 1 hour south
I tried to take the bus, there was one that left the airport and went south
almost to Akumal
it was over $30. US and I still had to get a ride from there
it was 2 hours out and getting dark
a taxi straight to where I was going was about $100.
I walked further down the sidewalk
one of the guys said he could get me a taxi all the way to where I was going
for $50. right there, right then
that was a good deal, I got in
he put a couple in the back seat
who were going to the town the bus went to and did not want to wait
then he took off
the car was not a taxi and sort of funky, with a nice young man driving
after we got out of the airport, he stops at a gas station
and says to wait for a car with air conditioning
(I translated)
the couple are starting to get nervous, super nervous
they tried to get me nervous too but I just knew I had
gotten a great deal
pretty soon the guy who took our money came with another
nice guy with a real taxi and he took us right to where we wanted
to go. It was their way to break into the airport transportation
market - I was all for it
Akumal
Place of the Turtles in Mayan
I had rented a most wonderful place
called Nai na
they always do this with the towels in the Yucatan everywhere
even the dish towels
the apartment was great
it was the downstairs unit of a 3 story small building
across the street from the beach
everyone wants to be on the beach
not me
it is windy, too bright and not private
the best spot is across from the beach
where the back of the space
looks out onto the jungle
sitting there at night made me realize I had forgotten
how many stars there are
the fireflies came by often just after dark
it was a simple place and yet had everything I needed
I have stayed in lots of places in Mexico
this one was one of the most comfortable
with beautiful old salteo tiles
no air conditioning or internet connection
it was a haven
first day I snorkeled in Yalku lagoon
I saw the most amazing phenomenon -
it was full, I mean the whole lagoon
6 inches from every side, top to bottom of the lagoon
was filled with sardines!
they were about 6 to 8 inches long and quite fat
I had never seen so many fish in one place in my life
this silver wall of fish
the next day I snorkeled in Half Moon Bay,
the beach across the sand street from the apartment
I did not swim out to the big reef off shore
you can see where the deeper blue water starts
but there was lots to see without even going over my head
the next morning I headed to the bay south
Akumal Bay or Bay of the Turtles
when we were here last year, I had heard you could swim with
sea turtles that live in the bay year round
or you could call it tourist beach
cell phones and all
but if I could find a turtle it would be worth it
these are not my photos
but I did find a turtle in fact three of them
the first one I found was taken over by a tour snorkeling group
they so crowed around the turtle you could see it look around
anxious as to where to come up for air
I swam away
I went out farther
found a very large turtle, stayed a ways away and swam with her
it was a very magical experience
the reef itself was something I had never seen before
live coral
it had been very damaged by 2 hurricanes in 2005
and was struggling to recover
but for me it was amazing - live corals
of which no photo I have found can show the
diversity, color and magic of these corals
complete with their many species of tropical fish
the last turtle I saw was on my way in
it was over the reef and trying to hide
as several swimmers with fins and snorkels pursued it
one guy put his camera right in the turtle's face
does that look like a happy turtle to you?
