Covid-19 Update from Paradise
First of all I will start this off by saying, it is not all safe and back to normal here! For those considering hopping on the next flight to Cancun, be careful, and if and when you come please realize the locals here have worked very hard to do all they can to keep the numbers down. They are wearing masks, respecting social distancing and sanitizing as much as possible. Please do not step off your virus contaminated planes and leave your brains and consideration at the border! In good times we see enough of this with people doing things they would never do at home because heck, they are on vacation and what can possibly go wrong? Over the years I have seen and heard a lot of stories which I won’t bore you with now. So, if you don’t believe Covid-19 is real, or don’t feel like wearing a mask in a hot, humid climate, consider staying home. If you are coming to greet everyone with the normal warm embrace and share shots of tequila while unable to consciously calculate proper distancing – you may also want to stay home.
Why am I sounding so strict and somewhat unwelcoming? Because here there is no safety net. None of the workers who have been out of work for 3+ months have had the luxury of unemployment insurance. None of the owners of businesses, who have struggled and done without in order to help their employees survive, are getting tax breaks, breaks on their bills or small business loans! Mexico was in recession when Covid hit and endemic poverty is a fact of life. The pandemic has not been horrible in Quintana Roo, at least not yet anyway. But that’s mainly because the tourists left abruptly in March and with them many of the hospitality workers – back to their home villages in the interior – who work for the thousands of businesses forced to close. Opening back up is going to be a challenge and the scale could easily tip back to full closure, so please don’t be one of those who cause that to happen.
That said, I have written about our time spent in lock-down mode, or as I refer to it, being grounded. We were lucky enough to have neighbors who we formed a “social cohort” with and were able to visit and socialize with limitations. We were also able to get foods delivered, groceries and essentials delivered, go to some stores, walk, kayak and swim. We also did a little safe socializing while helping out with the soup kitchens. Life was limited but not awful!
As we slowly come out of our cocoons we appreciate being able to go to restaurants that are open air with limited seating. It was great to visit some of our favorite places and we still have a few more on our post covid, pre-tourist list. Latitude 20 was our first to visit. They have done a great job of marking off the areas, designating where people can sit and still enjoy a much-missed happy hour and meals. Nauti Burro brought back live entertainment while still limiting seating and maintaining safe distancing. The owner, Donnie, was the first to perform. Café Ole is following suit. The PA Beach club has also opened up a small part of the beach for those who have been missing the sand.
We spent Father’s Day weekend in Akumal visiting Hotel Akumal Caribe and dining at Lolha Restaurant and Beach Bar. We have been staying there for 20 years and little did I know it would remain a highlight get-away, just 15 minutes down the road. I have to say, being able to walk the beach, swim in the bay, enjoy the pool, laze under a palapa and dine out was incredible – in some ways it reminded me of how charming it was all those many years ago, before Akumal was discovered. I highly recommend it for locals who want a little pampering at a very reasonable price.
The boat tours are back in operation, though limiting their numbers and taking maximum precautions. We have been out on the Catamaya Sailing Cruises week twice. With the capacity to hold 90 and limiting it to 20 we felt completely safe and had an amazing sail, snorkel, food and drinks, while soaking up the sunshine on the Caribbean Sea! Note that it is only available for private excursions right now, so grab a group of people you feel comfortable with, who you trust will adhere to social distancing and enjoy some time on the water. Calypso Charters, one of our favorite boats, Dralion, is also available for private groups and you can enjoy the day on one of our favorite catamarans with their incredible crew. The Yacht Experience, a new tour group, is also offering a number of tours for your private groups on the open seas and private areas.
This week we are planning a two-day stay at Royal Haciendas, an all-inclusive just 30 minutes north of us, where we will be visiting friends. The resort is at 17% so we feel safe in checking it out for a few days.
Also on our bucket list while the number of tourists is still low is: Sian Ka’an, as soon as they will allow 4-6 people on their boats, currently the number is limited to 2. Xel-ha, which we have avoided in recent years due to the number of tourists, and the fact that we visited it so often in the past, when we brought groups or friends down. We’d love to take a boat to Punta Allen, once it opens up. Whale shark snorkeling is on our list, if we can find a few others who would like to go, so we are not in a van and boat with strangers.
There is a feeling of gratitude and appreciation as we venture out to enjoy some of the places, people and things to do that drew us here to retire. That feeling is balanced with a healthy awareness that the other shoe may fall at any given moment.
We are grateful that we landed and settled in such a warm and wonderful community. I can’t imagine enduring being grounded if it hadn’t been for the support of all those who are here, and the way they welcomed and accepted us. I guess in some way we went from newbies to full timers at warp-speed. That and the fact we moved somewhere we have loved and visited for 20 years, and are here with our wonderful long-time friends!
This isn’t to say we haven’t missed our old home, friends and families. Knowing we are not free to travel back and forth at will makes that so much harder. Remember, we no longer have a home in the States, so if we were to go back and get stuck in quarantine, we would be a huge burden on those we love. But thanks to Facetime and other ways to keep in touch we have not lost contact with anyone. We have thoroughly enjoyed watching Matt and his family as they have renovated a new home on the marsh. Not to mention seeing our grand kids transforming into real marsh rats – swimming and paddle boarding in the salt water creek and just enjoying their new home. These pastimes have reassured us that they have been staying close to home and are safe, a small but important positive as we watch the numbers back in the States rise again.
We hope all of you, where ever you are, stay safe and healthy and make the best of what life is throwing at you! Be well, and until we can journey more, we will try our best to entertain you with our local adventures.