“Bienvenidos” to our new Home

Twenty-Twenty (2020) was an unprecedented year. But then aren’t they all? This entry is not about eye sight, or hindsight. It’s about what lies ahead. Chiptracks is back!

We all know the ugly news. We have been bombarded with it. But news is not “news” when it’s old. Here we plan to look ahead, but from an entirely new vantage point, in Akumal, Mexico.

Why Akumal? Because it’s our new home. We moved into a beautiful (and secure) gated community here in Quintana Roo with a clear view of the Caribbean Sea.

What’s so special about Akumal? Plenty.

First of all is placement. Akumal straddles the major 4-lane corridor CF 307 taking travelers straight to and from Cancun with its International Airport to the north and less than a day’s drive to Belize to the south.

On one side of the busy road is the laid back traditional pueblo where one can shop for necessities, dine on local fare, have laundry done, stay in a local hotel, see lots of wall art, even meet with a doctor and have a prescription filled. Of course there are several cantinas where one sips cerveza or tequila pretty much any time after 9 AM.

On the other side of the road is the beach. Here things are noisier. Public parking costs a dollar an hour. Access to the beach is free. A local dive shop can set you up with all kinds of adventures. There are lots of hucksters and souvenir stands. Look hard and you can find unique indigenous handcrafts. You will also see plenty of tourists. Go figure. Snorkling with sea turtles is a truly unique thing to do here but you will need a guide.

Perhaps the best thing about location of Akumal is that it is roughly equidistant between international visitor hotspots Tulum and Playa del Carmen but without their non-stop noise. Learn more about our decision to nest in Akumal in “Forging my Future in Mexico,” in this blog.

Another great thing about Akumal is that the area is not overrun with people. Riviera Maya is developing like mad. But this little bump in the road benefits from its reputation as a wildlife sanctuary. Sea turtles are protected here. So are monkeys, as well as almost all flora and fauna. Local developers are sensitive to the indigenous wildlife populations so large tracts of native jungle are preserved between modern single and multi family dwellings.

Which brings us to another great feature of Akumal, local inhabitants.

I’m not talking about the human kind. I mean the ones who were here way before the Mayan temples were built. When you encounter a 4 foot long spiny tailed iguana basking in the midday sun on a brilliant stack of bleached coral you will recognize who is in charge here.

There are lots of beautiful, busy, blustery birds. Some are familiar. Many are not. You will recognize Eurasian Doves billing and cooing, and wooing one another in the palm trees. There are Falcons and Hawks. Pelicans fly in disciplined formations above the waves plunging periodically for bite size meals. There are Seagulls and Sandpipers running on the shore. And Egrets stand at attention in mangrove swamps. Noisy Grackles watch you all day with bright, unblinking yellow eyes. Fruit Bats take over the flight paths around dusk. The Fly Catcher has a yellow belly. And there’s an intriguing bird with a bright red belly whose name I’ve yet to learn. Chacalacas with long beaks and tails scream when they speak. The Kiskadee sings out his name “kis-ka-dee” all day long and is my current favorite avian emissary.

Native four foot traffic is steady on the ground day and night. Tapirs and Agouti shuffle through foliage foraging for food. Clumsy looking Peccary lumber about as well. Slender, agile Spider Monkeys put on crowdpleasing, acrobotic shows dangling from treelimbs but often resort to casual strolls through yards or over garden walls looking for tasty treats. These critters are quite at home with an expanding human population here, so much so residents and visitors are strongly admonished from feeding them. There are rare sightings of Jaguars at night and Mexican Crocodiles in the swamps. But both species are far more leery of two legged creatures than the reverse. The Jaguar population is quite limited and Crocs are officially designated a “Least Concern” species.

And what about all those upright knuckledraggers (like us) who live here? Surely they are as intriguing as the other creatures. I resist applying labels but am an amateur student of human behavior. Here in Akumal I have met Recent Arrivals, Passersby, Locals and Transplants. I enjoy sharing time with them all and in each case find I am always more knowledgeable through new associations no matter how brief.

We will talk about these creatures another time. For now let’s just enjoy some of the scenery. So… welcome to our new neighborhood. There will be lots more for us to learn and share. Come back soon to chiptracks.com. Hasta luego.