Lynn and I have been collecting and packing items for this trip for months.
We ended up with three suitcases of stuff for various friends. Books for Brenda at Hekab Be from Alice and Chuck and ourselves.
Toothbrushes that my Dentist had donated for me to bring to the children of the pueblo. Stuff for Kay and Gary. Stuff for Suzakumal for her friend Diego that is Deaf and Mute. We are looking for some professional help for Diego. If you know of anyone in the Quintana Roo with that kind of help please contact me.
Okay now it is time to head for the Airport to make that Fantastic journey to the Paradise we love so much. We arrive at the airport in plenty of time to have coffee and anticipate the flight to Dallas/Ft. Worth airport. All goes well. We get there on time. I walking along and look back to see Lynn is way behind. Yikes I have forgotten (don't know how) that she is still slow walking with the bum heel thing. Geez Bill slow down and smell the airport..... I tell Lynn maybe you should put a leash on me. LOL. She says no that will not be necessary. I ask her to walk in front of me as we seek the train station to get to our departure gate as it is across the AA terminal. Finally we arrive and we check in and then go to have a little breakfast as we didn't have time at home. Eggs, Bacon, Toast and a Cerveza. Yummmmm. We are on holiday now for sure. We look up while eating and they are already boarding the flight. So we try to eat just a bit faster. Finally we just make a sandwich and i down the beer and off we go to board.

We are all on board and it starts to rain like the sky is falling in. The pilot comes on an says we are delayed while the deal with all the in and out flights. Well at least we are on the plane and waiting. We end up being about 30 minutes late taking off which all thing considered is quite acceptable. The pilot come on once again and say he will try to make up the time. We are served on of those famous breakfasts of Yogurt, Muffin and Banana breakfasts. Next thing I know I see the Yucatan, wow Lynn look out there!

She says all I see are clouds. Look again girl, that's the Yucatan.....

All of a sudden I see something I have never seen before, wow that is Isla Mujeres, yikes where is the camera....

Wow there is the toll road to Merida and Chichen Itza. Boy it won't be long now, we have arrived.

Now Flight Attendants Prepare for arrival. We touch down with a gentle bump. Then there is the Tower and terminal. I can almost smell and feel the wondrous paradise that is to be our home for the next eight days. Please stay seated and buckled until the captain has turn out the seat belt light. Okay but please hurry.....

It seems to take an eternity for the plane to unload. I guess I am in a hurry. Then all of a sudden a calm comes across me like I have enter another dimension. Bill you are now on Mexican time and from that point on all was good. We deplaned and for the first time step into the terminal right at the steps down to Migracion or what some call Immigration.

Lynn and I take our time and low and behold we are the only plane arriving. No Line..... Wow. !Hola Senor! ?Como Esta Usted? Muy Bien, Gracias. Welcome to Cancun. Stamp Stamp of the passports and Hasta La Bye Bye ...Gracias Senor.
Now Lynn is off to smoke while I get a cart for short journey to Customs. I meant to get a picture of customs but I was so concerned about all the stuff we had brought that I forgot. Waited a few minutes and saw a red light so jumped right in and said Buenos Dias Senorita and pushed the button and Yes a green light. On our way. Transfer our bags from cart to two wheeler and off to the Budget Rental Counter. What is your name Senor? Bill from Tulsa, yes we have your reservation right here. How many days will you need the car? Eight day Por Favor. Okay that will be $234 US for your 8 days. Whoops Senor this reservation says $209 for my eight days. So sorry Senor I have looked at the wrong line. Yes it will be $209 for your 8 days. Of course we don't take the insurance. Also there is a tax added.  We are feeling pretty good that all is going so well. We are off to get the van to the office. Budget has always been nice to us. We ride what is about 1/2 a block as the parrot flies and there it is Budget Car Rental.

Inside the office I run into our good friend Sara and a soon to be friend Joe from Atlanta. They are engaged to be married in the future. We are surprised to see them already but in the Quintana Roo, the magic is all around. We talk for a moment and they can't wait to get on the road to Akumal. Bye Bye see you at the LOL-Ha very soon.
I get the paper work all going and the Senorita tells me all the things that she tell me every time. Same girl and it is almost like a movie. Then she say that our Chevy will be ready in a moment. Chevy? Oh we have reserved a Nissan Tsura. Un momento Senor. Si you can the Nissan Tsura. Oh good, the Chevy uses to much gas so I am happy. Turns out that the Tsura has only 800 kilometer on it, brand new and no bumps or scratches or anything. Great deal. The Gas is full... I always make sure of this so we don't have to deal with Pemex in the first of the trip. We are off for Akumal Place of the Turtles and all our friends.

Hey we are already at Puerto Morelos. There is the Pemex, we stop there for Cerveza not gas. Off on down the road. Gee is has changed much since October. We are always amazed at the growth as we drive along on the way to Akumal. When we get close to Playa del Carmen we just can't believe our eyes. Growth growth what un-Godly growth. Passing all the other places along the way we are still over taken by the changes. Xpu-Ha, hey we are close. Cell tower wow over the next rise. Yes the clover leaf right turn to make a left turn is almost complete this time. Crazy the way it is put together and I suggest that you pay very close attention to all directions as you make you way through this maze of traffic and people.....

We have arrived. The LOL-Ha doesn't seem to have changed. The Beach is as beautiful as ever. Wow is it ever nice.
Sitting at the beach bar at LOL-Ha we order Dos Dos Equis... I always love the way that sounds.

That Dos Equis evaporated before I got a chance to taste it. Una Mas Por Favor. We ordered a snack of Guacamole which was just like I remembered. So fresh that it was jumping onto my chips without even dipping... Really good... We finish. It is still early for the little get together we all have planned for 3 or 3:30 pm so we pay our little tab and walk over to the Ecocina by the Original Akumal Dive Shop to see Imelda... boy it is a good thing as she and Ruby are waiting for me to show up.... Imelda and Ruby are very nice people that are working hard to be something in this life. Imelda is from Belize and Ruby is from Quintana Roo. We say hello to Imelda and meet Ruby for the first time as she was on vacation while we were there in October. It was a real fun visit. Then off to see Suzanne at the dive shop and reconfirm Lynn's dive certification dives. We are really happy to see Suzanne she has become one of our favorites in the area if one can have favorites. Suzanne and EriC are moving to Xcalak to be the proud new owners of Aventuras Xcalak to Chinchorro Dive Center or XTC. They running around like crazy to get all the important things done as well as finishing some important dive stuff. Learning about generators and compressors and you name it. We hope to visit them this fall. We everyone is going to get cleaned up and meet at the LOL-Ha in a while.
Lynn and I return to LOL-Ha and take a table instead of the bar. Dos Dos Equis Por Favor, awe there it is again. We are just loving the view and the soft caribbean breeze that is keep us cool. We are savoring the moment and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of LOL-Ha beach bar. There are two Ladies sitting next to us just yakking away ninety miles an hour. They seemed to be having a great visit when all of a sudden I heard, "I wonder if that Bill in Tulsa guy is one of the good guys or one of the bad guys! I am about to fall out of my chair. I drink some more of my beer and then can't stand it any longer and lean their way and say to them that I think that I am one of the good guys! They look so startled that at first I wished I had not said anything to them. Then Susan of YARF (Yucatan Animal Rescue Foundation starts to laugh and say hey Bill it is good to meet you and then introduces me to Christina who lives in Akumal. We all get a good laugh out of this chance meeting.
Now a few more people start to arrive. We meet Rod and Cindy and others. If I have left you out please email me and remind me. It certainly was a fun time.

 
Mary in LA

 
Sharoon, Kay "The LocoGringo", 'berto, Pamela de la Playa

'berto

Pamela de la Playa

Brian

Sharoon of Seven Seas #3

Joe, Sara, and my Lynn

Steve, yikes please forgive the brain dead me....

Pam, Brian and Sandy

Lynn, back of Kay's head and Sharoon

Yikes again.....

yikes, yikes and EriC, hey where is Suzanne?

Steve and I'm taking a chance.. Pat if not please forgive....

Yakkity yakkity yak and we all have a great moment in meeting but as usual there is just not enough time to talk in depth with everyone and Lynn and I have to check in at Casa Cenote soon so we beg out and meet up with Suzanne, EriC, Cammy, Richard and some other friends for dinner at Casa Cenote. By the way Richard is quite an artist. He designs posters, Tee Shirts for Akumal, mural at the Akumal Dive Shop and Logo for Suzanne and EriC's' Dive Center in Xcalak... to visit their site.. Click Here. The are having the Official Opening the 1st of September I believe. Big family hellos when we arrive at Casa Cenote.... Wow is it ever good to be back.

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