Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico January 2007Part III: Thursday Jan 4 - Saturday Jan 6Thursday, January 4: Today was Xel Ha day! I must admit that it is an amazing place. This is the busiest week of the year for them but it still didn't feel too crowded and there were lots of little secluded areas where people could sit or snorkel in relative privacy. We arrived before 9 AM (Kethra had an early date with dolphins so that was motivating) and didn't have lines to buy tickets (all inclusive - the only option during the holiday weeks - was $59 each). We grabbed maps, got lockers and then hung out by the dolphin pool waiting for Kethra's "swim with the dolphins" which was her birthday present from parents. On the left is an iguana saving us a place on a bench at the dolphin viewing area  and on the right is Keth
getting to know the dolphins.  Then they did some tricks,
including a
dolphin kiss (left) and learned some of their hand signals (right).
Eventually they signaled them to leap over the group (bottom
left). And
finally, each person got a "dolphin ride" - pushed across the pool by a
dolphin nose.
   After that we all split up and just did our own things. The kids went off on their own (kudos to parents who let them!) and they did it all. They snorkeled, tubed, played on the rope walk, swung on the rope swings. I met up with them part way through the day and got some pictures of their leaps off of the "Cliff of Courage"- Bran, Tyler and Kethra left to right.      And, of course, after you jump off, you have to climb back up! Tyler and Branwell on the left; Kethra on the right. After they did that, oh, a hundred or so times, they swam across the river (below left) to pick up some tubes. To the right is a wide view of the river - both snorkelers and tubers - and below that are closeups of Bran and Kethra on their tubes.      So
what else did we do at Xel Ha? Well, there are trails all
around
the place with flora and fauna abounding. I walked through
the
jungle and saw parrots and butterflies mostly. (See Bekah and
friends on the right. That was obviously not out in the
jungle!) I floated down the river in a tube. That
started
off great but then you get to the great middle (picture above) and the
current slows
down and you have to paddle yourself - or just lie there all afternoon.
That left me with aching ribs the next day!There are many food places and with the all-inclusive wristband, you can eat where you want whenever you want (that was really good for not worrying about the kids trying to find parents or carrying money around). They did make it a little hard to get water. I'm guessing that the lack of purified water is why there were no water fountains or "oases." But on a hot day we needed lots of water and the only place to get it was either buy it in the gift shop or stand in line at the bars. I had a water bottle with me but still didn't drink enough. But other than that, I thought it was well-run and a really nice place. Bekah got a full massage, four of them got henna tattoos (below Bran is getting his tattoo, then showing it off; on the right are Kethra's and Bekah's ankle tattoos).   
I swam a little bit by the floating bridge (below left - no those people aren't really walking on water. That is the floating bridge) and observed that, as Katie put it so well, the fish are not only protected here but also very well fed. On the right below is a group of (mostly) blue tangs. 
 There really was something
for everybody. Here
are Dave and Mr. Penguin having a drink break; Bran and Tyler on the
rope walk
and John, Katie and Kethra taking a break in "hammock island."
    We had supper at the International Buffet. This is not great food but then how could it be to serve so many people in so short a time? It wasn't awful, there was plenty of it and lots of drinks and desserts to choose from. We came back to the condos tired out, played cards for a little while then slept well.  Friday January 5: It poured overnight, starting around 11 PM, but it was beautiful again by morning. A disappointment to the divers since today is the last day and it's too choppy to go out. Today was a lay around and veg on the beach day. Some shopping, some snorkeling, kayaking, reading, sorting rocks, beachcombing, making sand creations.   See all 3 teens in the kayak while Sarah and John compare their beachcombing treasures. Meanwhile, Tyler, Katie and Dave are chilling out on the balcony, mourning the fact that this is the last day.      Branwell and Bekah are shown hard at work on sand art; the final product turned out nicely! (Akumal is "the place of the turtles.")   Kethra and Katie got in one more snorkel while Tyler took a break and enjoyed just reading on the beach. Below left, Katie caught Barb updating her trip log book while waiting for everybody else to finish showering and get ready to go to supper. On the right is our last (cloudy) sunset. 
   Dinner tonight is a combination birthday for Kethra (Jan 5) and Barb (Jan 6). To the left, we have Tyler and Kethra trying out the swing bar at La Buena Vida before we went upstairs to eat. Dessert was Bananas Foster which is a flaming treat and fun to watch it being made. On the right we can see the master showman getting the preparation ready and below is after it was lit.  Fortunately, we were packed and left on time in the morning. We stopped on the way north to get the right amount of gas in the cars and managed to remember "Terminal 2" at the airport. We were to deliver the cars to the Loading/ Unloading Zone but, after we unloaded, the check-in guys weren't there yet! So John and Dave had to circle around a few times waiting for them to show up to check in the car. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long. After going through security, we had time to grab some lunch and spend a few of our leftover pesos. And finally, here is our last glimpse of Cancun as we headed back to the frozen north! It was a fun week and a special treat that so many of us got to enjoy it together! 
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