Today I walked over to take Diane and Betsy to Yal Ku lagoon a few blocks away and the locals entrance has been closed off with barbed wire. I had heard that the pay entrance would let locals in free so I went there but I need some kind of card from the Akumal Council. We decided to get in the jeep instead and go swim in a cenote. I did stop and see about the card but the right person wasn't there, I suppose I should be happy they haven't locked us out completely but it does seem like a lot of BS.

Instead we took them to Cenote Azul. It's nice, it's cheap ($50p) and it is used mainly by locals and a few tourists. There may be tours that go there but on this Saturday there weren't any.

It was hot today, somewhere in the 90's, and the water in cenotes is always around 72°. That feels really cold when you first get in and I couldn't stay in very long because I was getting chilled. It was nice sitting in the shade with the breeze off the water. The white things in the water are limestone rocks just under the surface.

There were some orchids blooming and interesting birds. We spent a couple hours there swimming and just hanging out.

We also stopped at the Saturday market and got some more pineapple, papaya and some mamey. We've really been enjoying the fruit lately. I made some papaya/pineapple/coconut ice cream the other night. First we had to remember who we loaned the ice cream maker to and then retrieve it. The ice cream is really good, perhaps because it's made with thick cream. I guess I should try making some sorbet as well or at least use yogurt instead of cream.

I've also been making fruit drinks every night, we're now calling all of them 'tropical hoo-ha' no matter what is in them. Tonight it was mango and pineapple chunks with fresh orange juice and rum, blend and serve. Last night it was papaya chunks, pineapple chunks, coconut syrup, pineapple juice and rum. The night before it was papaya chunks, pineapple chunks, sour orange and lime juice, a little sweet orange juice and tequila. All I need are some paper parasols.

Anyway, after the cenote and just to show them the other side of life on this coast, we went to Puerto Aventuras for lunch. This is a planned community with hotels, condos, houses, multiple marinas for yachts, a lagoon full of dolphin where stupid tourists pay big money to have a "Dolphin Discovery" and restaurants where you can sit and have lunch and watch the whole show. I had the Fish & Chips and it was actually very good.

I have to admit that this last pic of the Dr Phil lookalike kissing the dolphin is rather charming.