The End of Our First Summer in Paradise
Not in the “green” yet but loving life. We can’t think of any place we would rather be during these times than here in the Riviera Maya. We do wish we were able to travel and see family and friends but, like most of the world right now, that just isn’t prudent.
We have stayed busy with a number of things. Initially during the height of Covid we were pretty much limited to our condo complex, kayaking from our dock, walking and swimming. Foods were delivered, including groceries, and our socializing was pretty much limited to chopping for the soup kitchen. But still we had fresh air, good food, a lovely climate and gorgeous views around us.
On our walks even the dolphins were bored and they started stopping us to visit or play a game of seaweed toss. Manito has been a curiosity and entertainment to several of them.
As time passed we have started to socialize in small groups, in open air places where we feel comfortable. It was great to be able to be with friends, even though the Mexican greeting of hugs are still a thing of the past. Most of us are still struggling with the loss of that! If and when hugging comes back here it’s gonna be an insane lovefest.
Two things we have added to our entertainment list are a boat and wine pairings. They have nothing to do with one another but socializing and getting back to normal is like building blocks, we slowly add another level. We started small with activities that are safe and well distanced. Then we graduated to sharing a table at a restaurant for happy hour or a meal. Recently we added get-aways to Hotel Akumal Caribe for day trips to enjoy lunch and the beach. Then we started spending a night or two. And finally we have stepped up our game to include a Wine Pairing at Lolha with a short stay at the hotel. The Wine Pairings have been so much fun that we have decided we will keep doing them as long as they are enjoyable, and even expanding it to Tequila Pairing and Mezcal Pairing. Most people would call them wine tasting but to me that is limiting what it really is. With a wine tasting you enjoy trying several wines which is fun and informative, BUT with a Wine Pairing you get to experience the complexity of each wine and how intriguing it is to see it change with different foods. If you have never experienced this you really must give it a try. At Lolha they are doing small groups and it is all done outside. Extremely safe, the view is incredible and it makes for a totally entertaining evening.
Food has been a big part of surviving the many stages of Covid-19 here in Mexico. From preparing for local soup kitchens, to delivery and eventually dining out, to Wine Pairings and most recently we did an on-line Zoom cooking class. Michele and I attempted chiles en nogada, a traditional dish that is usually served around Mexican Independence day. The recipe can be daunting when you see the list of ingredients, but with two sharing the duty it was fun and extremely rewarding. Coty, at wwwcookinplaya.com, was our Chef instructor and we had folks from US, Canada and Mexico all joining in. Plus the 4 of us ended up having an incredible dinner.
Our most recent purchase is a 19 foot SeaFox boat, which we share ownership with our friends Deborah and Brandi. The boat, which we named Karmita is the perfect size for getting into secluded coves and bays. Ideally this is the best social distancing activity we have found. The boat is limited to 7 people and we have had great times heading to coves where we are sometimes the only people. We won’t be going far in Karmita but we will enjoy snorkeling, swimming, socializing and just being out on the Caribbean Sea. We love being surrounded by so many shades of blue, looking at the coastline with its buildings and also seeing pristine beaches where not a soul lives. The white sands and coconut trees lining the shores are just breathtaking, look down and don’t be surprised to see rays and turtles swimming. Don your mask and snorkel and take a short swim to an out growth of coral and enjoy the beauty of the colorful tropical fish.
It is hard to believe that a year ago we were making our final preparations to move to Puerto Aventuras. We were saying our good-byes and packing to go. Maybe in part it is because this is our first year retired in paradise that we have seemed to make the most of the limited experiences. We have been able to focus on the positive. We were given the opportunity to bond more with our new community. I joined the Seaside Rotary as one way to help others and meet like-minded people. We have gotten to know every inch of our new home from walking the entire community, to kayaking, boating and swimming all around. We have realized that it is the little things in life that bring you the most joy. Much more than planning and chasing the next big adventure. Not to say there won’t be more of that! But most of all we are blessed to have escaped the illness when there are so many less fortunate. We don’t take that lightly, and as more tourist and visitors start to arrive, I sincerely hope they will appreciate and respect all we have done to safe-guard ourselves and those around us and that they will chose to do the same. Enjoy our paradise but do so responsibly. PLEASE!