Akumal Farewell

There's an old saying about those who forget history. I don't remember it, but it's good.
- Stephen Colbert

The chair on the sea wall to the left of this photo is where I spent several mornings as the sun was rising. It was quiet except for the Caribbean sea breaking over the reef in the distance. This caused an almost incessant roar muted by the space between us. The silence was further augmented by the shush of the lapping waves at the beach. The fugue was enchanting and mesmerizing. I sipped the strong Mexican coffee provided in our lodgings. I tried not to think of anything depressing and most mornings I was successful. It was all I wanted in a vacation. I had forgotten the trials of travel and the greed of all men and focused only on the beauty of God's wonderful creation.

Every morning at about eight, the little short brown descendants of Mayans made the half mile trek from their humble dwellings into the quiet, but more affluent side, of Akumal across the highway. I thought of recording on camera the humble life style of these hard working people, but I somehow felt it would have been an invasion of their privacy. They were the most friendly of all the people we met there. I know someone living in a large casa made a lot of money at the expense of these humble workers. I tipped them well for their efforts. Only a few tried to cheat the unsuspecting gringo out of his money, but most were surprised by the change counting skills of the bulky Spanish speaking Texican. Some rued their criminal efforts and offered more than they had taken to calm the storm.

My thoughts were in high gear when I walked where another civilization had walked over eighteen hundred years ago. The doorways at Tulum stood in silent testimony of a small people who thrived and learned in the jungles of Mexico at a time we can only speculate about. Their powers of astrological observation and calculation were unexcelled anywhere in the known world. This seaport worship and trading center spoke of their successes.
As the sun sets on my beautiful sea side paradise, I close this travelogue to Akumal. The beauty is only marred by the presence of those who can't appreciate what a wonderful world God has made for us. I have returned to my home and I am happy to be there. However, the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of a foreign port still linger in my memory. I hope you enjoyed our travels together.

Expectations vs. Reality

I am thinking vaction. I'm retired, so I don't get the same intense urge I used to when the thought comes to mind, but I still like to get away and really kick back. I recall one vacation in particular, back when I was working, I booked passage to a tropical paradise, (according to the travel brochures). I just never counted on the changes wrought by the increased pressures on these places by cruise ships. Our accomodations turned out to be at the top of a mini-mountain with steep winding steps and no bellmen. Our rooms were small and cooled by a 110 volt window unit. The cool air could be felt if you stood no further than two feet from the front vent. It was summer in the tropics. The small town was crowded with thousands of people from the daily cruise ships, and as a result the locals were surly. I spent a lot of time in the small swimming pool until the sun set, after which we ventured out for the evening meal. The trip did not meet my expectations, and I penned this poem to recount the memory. Try to imagine a band, using steel drums, playing in the background as you read the poem aloud.

Tropical Depression

Humid heat
no retreat
cranking down to
tropic beat.

Not to worry
we don’t hurry.
Sweat in eyes now
vision blurry.

Must find shelter
from this swelter.
Stuck in traffic,
Helter Skelter.

Where’s the hotel
in this black hell?
A.C. won’t work?
Oh! You don’t tell.

Spent my money,
wanted sunny.
Now I’m naked,
feel all runny.

Too late rain.
I’m insane.
Counting days till
outbound plane.

I know a lot about cars. I can look at a car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming. - Mitch Hedberg

Pre-Flight Checklist

It's Sunday, and while we get ready to go to the church house we are mentally making preparations for tomorrow's departure for Akumal, MX. For those of you who pray, we would ask you to remember us and ask for journey's mercies. I know many good pilots and have travelled the skies extensively through the years, but I never turn down help from on high. I am changing the procedure this time around. Many of you like to comment when you read the post, so I'm turning off the setting that links to my e-mail. Now you should be able to comment away without overloading my inbox. I am going to try and get some new material while I'm sitting on the beach. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century. - Dame Edna Everage

OBSERVATIONS FROM 30,000 FT.

I observed from a plane, clouds below
like miles and miles of drifted snow.
A polar icecap broken by lakes.

In the distance I could see
giant forms,
icebergs rising from the sea,
geysers billowing steam.

They are soft, I thought,
but feared descent.
These clouds looked hard,
permanent.