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Show Slow and easy in Yucatan the magic of Akumal is the bone-soothing pace by Shirley Smith We sat at a small comer table one warm Yucatan night, sipping a cerveza and watching two children dance to the lilting strains that flowed so easily from the flute and guitar of two local musicians hired for the evening. It was an important occasion the "reinaguracion" of the restaurant bar of Dona Juanita in the small coastal town of Playa del Carmen, 50 miles and a world away from its city-slicker neighbor to the north, Cancun. This was just one of many memorable nights we enjoyed in this very special part of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula where, if you are inclined to look, even a short getaway vacation can be so much more than just another night at Carlos and Charlie's or another day in a high-rise hotel. We were staving at Akumal, a small and intimate resort on the Mexican Carribbean's most beautiful beauti-ful stretch of palm-fringed white-sand white-sand beach. The drive to Dona Juanita' s was an easy half hour up the slash of highway cut not many years ago through the lush lowland hi - 7 ' y- .Vj yy 1 , : ; r - A ' . . Breezy dining room at Kailum, a secluded getaway created by an expatriated Coloradoan, features the betchTor a floor and the sea for featured music. jungle bordering the sea. Other nights we went a few kilometers down the road to Doce, where Mamacita cooks lobster or wild boar, or maybe barracuda, to a golden succulence on a gas burner in the makeshift kitchen. Still other nights we splurged and went to Kailum, the secluded getaway created by Arnold, an American from Colorado, that houses guests in palapa-shaded tents and feeds them four-course dinners in a dining room with the beach for a floor and the sea for background music. On lazy nights we stayed at Akumal, walking by the beach bar and past the palm trees to the thatched-roof restaurant at the water's edge for ceviche and fresh fish. One thing is certain, wherever or whatever we ate it, like Akumal itself, was never boring. Small enough to walk the entire settlement in 15 minutes and yet large enough to provide even the most active with a full schedule of activities, Akumal is a perfect blend of friendly people, beautiful setting and splendid snorkeling and diving, .,-with .,-with a location just a short distance from the major Mayan ruins of the, " Yucatan. 1 . i' life is never a hassle here. There are no telephones to summon you to business, no TV newscasts to keep you up on the day's events. It is easy to slide into a simpler way of life. The days begin early, sunrise bringing choruses of birds to the tree outside your window. An early-, morning dip in the calm blue water of the Caribbean just a few steps from your door can set the morning straight. You might stretch out on the patio with fresh papaya and that first cup of coffee. You may never get any farther and the pages of that book you've been meaning to read may turn steadily as your winter pallor turns a golden brown. Other days, diving gear ready, you may head for the dive shop on the beach where owners Dick Blanchard and Gonzalo Arcila run one of the finest operations in the Mexican Carribean. Ak 111, the new 28-foot fxtra-wide dive boat, heads out at :30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. every day, taking divCrs to explore the underwater world of the coral reefs "just offshore. At depths of 40 to 90 feet, inquisitive barracudas swim up , to say hello, a sea turtle glides by and you may feel for a time like an honored guest in another world peopled by vibrant fish and waving corals. You're not a diver, you say? No problem. A morning's resort course will let you sample the underwater world and four days of classroom and underwater instruction will bring you a full PADI open-water certification. If you stay around awhile, you can make a cenote dive, descending with lantern and buddy into the craggy depths of one of the Yucatan's many limestone sinkholes to explore, at depths of 40 feet and more, the stalagtites and stalagmites, caverns . and niches carved into the soft stone. For a change of scenery and more diving you can take the 12-minute early morning flight from Playa del Carmen to the island of Cozumel to dive the famous Palancar Reed, stunning in its variety. A great day, but after the large-scale operation of the tourist-frequented dive shops, you're more than ready to head back to the friends and serenity at Akumal. Not interested in diving, you say? Snorkelers can paddle to their heart's content in nearby lagoons. Fishermen can head out from the dive shop with Ricardo and his crew for a day of angling for the big ones. (Ricardo will even help you cook your catch on the beach that evening. ) Amateur archaeology buffs will find Akumal the perfect destination, too. Half an hour down the road sits Tulum, the remains of a once-magnificent Mayan center on the sea. You can explore the pyramid, El Castillo, and the Temple of the Descending God, then walk carefully to the side facing the sea for a stunning view of white sandy beaches at the bottom of 80-foot limestone cliffs. Next you can turn inland for the 30-mile drive to the recently pediscovered city of Coba. When fully excavated this will be the largest site in the Yucatan. Now it is & fascinating mystery highlighted by a 150-foot pyramid overlooking the jungle. On another day you can rise with the sun and make the three-hour drive to Chichen Itza, the jewel of the Yucatan. This most famous of Mayan sites is crowned by a great pyramid, the engineering marvel of the Mayans. You'll want to stop along the way at Valladolid, a bustling town with a tree-shaded plaza and tortellerias where you can buy a kilo or two of fresh tortillas hot off the griddle. On the way home, you can stop for a swim at the cavernous cenote just out of town. Any time is a good time to visit Akumal, for temperatures are fairly constant year round. Daily service is provided by , American and Continental Conti-nental airlines through Dallas and Houston. You may leave home on a cold winter morning to find yourself a few short hours later basking on the beach of one of Mexico's most enticing tropical paradises. X- , I , - !Y I - ... - ' -4 ' " . ' 1-Y" 1 f ':. r; -par Aiiu 1 f 'ft WAHMIMMIIMHMIIIMIIi Black and white newspaper reproduction changes the deep blue of the water in the cenote (limestone sinkhole) to black. Diving in cenotes is another Yucatan treat. |