May 2007 Issue 53

INTRODUCTION

It's hard to explain or understand, but it seems like April just absolutely flew by, and as a result this issue of The Akumalian may seem a tad on the short side.  Maybe it had something to do with all the Comings & Goings or Events, or maybe, it's just a sign of aging.  Whatever.

Regardless, there's something in this issue for everyone, including a couple of "Events" which created additional Photo Galleries.  One of the real BIG EVENTS was Ryan Fredette's return to Akumal and Casa Colibri after an absence of more than 14 months.

Besides the usual Full Moon story, there are three other (Sun Halo, ISS Fly Over, and eta Aquarid Meteor Shower) stories related to looking skyward.

Please note that the Video Library has been updated, as has the Akumal Telephone Books. A Business section has been added to the Akumal Telephone Book, but the formatting is not correct at this point in time.  It still should be useful, and any additions and/or corrections would be greatly appreciated by the extended community.  Look in on the Business section periodically to catch the correct formatting.

This is a last minute "Hold the Presses" issue, as the phone just kept ringing with last minute stories being reported. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Table of Contents
Important May Facts
May Birthdays
CEA and Akumal Council Meeting with Municipality
Mexico's Carlos Slim, The World's 2^nd Richest Man
Sun Halo, April 30
Primero De Mayo, May 1
ISS Fly Over, May 1
Full Moon, May 2
Robin's Best Shirt Award, May 4
Cinco de Mayo, May 5
Kentucky Derby, May 5
The Mint Julep
eta Aquarid Meteor Shower, May 6
Mother's Day in Mexico, May 10
Mother's Day in U.S., May 13
Armed Forces Day, May 19
Memorial Day, May 28
Comings and Goings
Charles Shaw & Kate Robinhawk Say Goodbye
Who's Who in a Monarchy
What's New Around Town
Photo Caption  'Contest '
Favorite Golf Course Sign
EVENTS

IMPORTANT MAY FACTS

Several stories are passed around to show how the month of May was named.  The most widely accepted explanation is that it was named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth.  Her name related to a Latin word that means increase or growth.

Taurus: April 21 - May 21
Gemini   May 22 - June 21
May Birthstone:  Emerald

May Flower:  Lily of the Valley

MAY BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Bat Mitzvah

7          Steve & Ingrid Clouther Anniversary
12        Chris Firth
17        Greg Franta
18        Derek Firth
18        Bob & Sherwood Anders' Anniversary
19        Cassie Gonzalez is having her Bat Mitzvah (Jewish coming of age ceremony and dance party) on Saturday in Los Angeles

 There must be more than this.  Let's hear about YOUR birthday.

 Missed April Birthdays

4          Diane Firth
17                   Chris Haas' dad celebrated his 95^th birthday.
23        Sharon Wandler
25        Lindsay Firth was 17
28        Cailey, Susan Gravlee's granddaughter was born; 6 lbs 5 oz.
30        Phil Combs started work at the GM plant in Guanajuato

 And, on March 28^th, Solmar & Carlos Danu had a baby girl, Solmar

CEA AND AKUMAL COUNCIL MEETING WITH MUNICIPALITY

On Wednesday, April 18^th, a major event took place at the Lol Ha restaurant. 

The dignitaries representing Akumal and the Municipality at the head table included:

 CEA presented the Akumal Bay Management Plan, and the Akumal Dive Shops, Akumal Caribe, Las Casitas, CEA, and The Akumal Council agreed where they/we all recognize the importance of the Akumal Bay Management Plan, and they all commit to respect and have everybody responsible to respect the buoys on the bay.

 The Municipality  finally, signed the Fidecaribe building over to the Akumal Council.  The Akumal Council will invest something like the previously approved $10,000USD in fixing up the building and immediate property.  The Akumal police headquarters will be located downstairs, and there will be offices upstairs.

Laura reports, "The day I arrived in Akumal (April 26), the Pres. Municipal and the Port Captain, among others, came to Akumal, because they had not been able to attend on the 18th.  This was coordinated by Gonzalo, and I was able to be there, and we had the same ceremony, only a bit briefer for them.  It went very well, and they were very supportive of our efforts and congratulated us as a fine example for the rest of the coast line."

 See CEA and Akumal Council Meeting with Municipality for the photos.

THE WORLD'S 2^nd RICHEST MAN

Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim has quietly overtaken investor Warren Buffett as the world's second-richest man and is close to wresting the top spot from Bill Gates, Forbes magazine reported in April.  In the two months since Forbes calculated its 2007 wealth rankings, the 67-year-old Slim's fortune rose $4 billion to $53.1 billion, while Buffett's holdings slipped to $52.4 billion as of March 29.

In an article on its website, Forbes attributed part of Slim's "amazing run" to a 15 percent increase in the stock price of Carso Global Telecom, part of a larger rally in Mexican stocks.  Slim's America Movil cellphone company also soared on news of a possible acquisition of Telecom Italia.

Carlos Slim Helu runs Mexico's largest cellular phone company (America Movil), as well as the virtual monopoly on landlines (Telmex).  But Slim's greatest asset is diversification: his investment group Grupo Carso owns an ISP (Prodigy), an online bank, department stores, a cigarette company (Cigatam), and a restaurant chain with hundreds of locations.

In the 2007 rankings released March 8 - but prepared almost a month earlier - Forbes had listed Slim as the world's third-richest man and estimated Gates' fortune at $56 billion.

Slim said shortly afterward that he wasn't concerned about his ranking or taking over the top spot, but he expressed differences with Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, and Gates, the chairman and co-founder of Microsoft.

"It's not about having who knows how many bonds, to spend them on whatever one wants or live it up all year," said Slim, an engineer who wears modest suits and whose main indulgence appears to be expensive cigars.  "I don't have apartments abroad.  I don't have a house abroad."

Slim, who owns Mexico's dominant phone company and has holdings throughout Latin America, said his vision of a businessman's role in the world is at odds with that of Buffett, who announced last year he would donate $1.5 billion every year to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"It's very interesting, because he leaves those who are running his affairs the responsibility of being very profitable," Slim said of Buffett.  "If they're inefficient or don't get real-term returns, they're not going to be running anything."

"Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving — that is, not going around like Santa Claus," Slim said.  "Poverty isn't solved with donations."

SUN HALO, APRIL 30th

On Monday, April 30^th, around 2:15pm, a sun halo appeared directly over Akumal.  This fairly common sight occurs when high thin cirrus clouds containing millions of tiny ice crystals cover much of the sky.  Each ice crystal acts like a miniature lens.  Because most of the crystals have a similar elongated hexagonal shape, light entering one crystal face and exiting through the opposing face refracts 22 degrees, which corresponds to the radius of the Sun Halo.  A similar Moon Halo may be visible during the night.

Light undergoes two refractions as it passes through an ice crystal and the amount of bending that occurs depends upon the ice crystal's diameter.

22 degree halo develops when light enters one side of a columnar ice crystal and exits through another side. The light is refracted when it enters the ice crystal and once again when it leaves the ice crystal.

The two refractions bend the light by 22 degrees from its original direction, producing a ring of light observed at 22 degrees from the sun or moon.

Thanks to Mary Henderson for reporting this to The Akumalian.

PRIMERO DE MAYO, MAY 1ST

Primero de Mayo is the Mexican national holiday that is equivalent to the U.S. Labor Day.

ISS FLY OVER, MAY 1ST

On May 1^st, at exactly 19:48 (7:48pm) the International Space Station (ISS) will be flying almost directly over Akumal in a NW to SE direction.  Get outside and look almost directly overhead, but in a NNW direction.  See the diagram.

FULL MOON, MAY 2nd

The Full Flower Moon occurs on May 2^nd at 6:09 am.  In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time, thus, the name of this moon.  Other names include the Full Corn Planting Moon, or the Milk Moon.

ROBIN'S BEST SHIRT AWARD, MAY 4th

Come one, come all, to the Beach Bar, where we'll have a ball.

It's time for the fifth monthly "Best Shirt Award", which is held on the first Friday of each month during Happy Hour at the Lol Ha Beach Bar.  This award is based on Robin's penchant for good, classy Beach Bar shirts, and his sister, Mary Henderson, is ready to once again be the judge and jury as she selects the "Best Shirt" worn by a male for May.  And, as we go to print the criteria are still somewhat nebulous, but it looks like "coolest", "neatest", and "most colorful" might garner a lot of brownie points.

 Last month, Mary presented the  "Best Shirt Award" to SteveC.  In his acceptance speech, SteveC commented, "I'd like to thank the judges for this recognition and honor, and I definitely need to thank Bob Mulgrew for being a "no-show" again, and Bud Blatner for leaving town yesterday.  But, I need to thank my beloved wife, Ingrid, who has suffered with me through the earlier "Best Shirt Award" losses this year, and most importantly, for buying this shirt for me in Merida last month."

See April Best Shirt for more.

CINCO DE MAYO, MAY 5TH

            The holiday of Cinco De Mayo (The 5th Of May) commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle OfPuebla in 1862.  It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other parts of Mexico, and especially in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population.  It is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16.

The battle at Puebla in 1862 happened at a violent and chaotic time in Mexico's history. Mexico had finally gained independence from Spain in 1821 after a difficult and bloody struggle, and a number of internal political takeovers and wars, including the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the Mexican Civil War of 1858, had ruined the national economy.  During this period of struggle Mexico had accumulated heavy debts to several nations, including Spain, England and France, who were demanding repayment.  Similar debt to the U.S. was previously settled after the Mexican-American War.  France was eager to add to its empire at that time, and used the debt issue to move forward with goals of establishing its own leadership in Mexico.  Realizing France's intent of empire expansion, Spain and England withdrew their support.  When Mexico finally stopped making any loan payments, France took action on it's own to install Napoleon's relative, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as ruler of Mexico.

 France invaded at the gulf coast of Mexico along the state of Veracruz (see map) and began to march toward Mexico City, a distance today of less than 600 miles.  Although American President Abraham Lincoln was sympathetic to Mexico's cause, and for which he is honored in Mexico, the U.S. was involved in its own Civil War at the time and was unable to provide any direct assistance.

Marching on toward Mexico City, the French army encountered strong resistance at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.  Lead by Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a small, poorly armed militia estimated at 4,500 men was able to stop and defeat a well outfitted French army of 6,500 soldiers, which stopped the invasion of the country.  The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots, which at the time helped to develop a needed sense of national unity, and is the cause for the historical date's celebration.

Unfortunately, the victory was short lived.  Upon hearing the bad news, Napoleon had found an excuse to send more troops overseas to try and invade Mexico again, even against the wishes of the French populace.  30,000 more troops and a full year later, the French were eventually able to depose the Mexican army, take over Mexico City and install Maximilian as the ruler of Mexico.

 Maximilian's rule of Mexico was also short lived, from 1864 to 1867.  With the American Civil War now over, the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French, after which Maximilian was executed by the Mexicans - today his bullet riddled shirt is on display in the museum at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City.  So despite the eventual French invasion of Mexico City, Cinco de Mayo honors the bravery and victory of General Zaragoza's small, outnumbered militia at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

KENTUCKY DERBY, MAY 5TH

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival.  The race is over one and a quarter miles (2 km) at Churchill Downs.  Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57.2 kg) and fillies 121 pounds (54.9 kg).  The race is known in the United States as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" for its approximate duration, and is also called "The Run for the Roses" for the blanket of roses draped over the winner.  It is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the US and typically draws around 155,000 fans.

Horse racing in Kentucky has a rich history, dating back to 1789 when the first race course was laid out in Lexington.  However, it was almost 100 years later, in 1875, that Churchill Downs officially opened and began its tradition as "Home of the Kentucky Derby."

 Once again, Akumal's Derby festivities will be held at the Lol Ha Beach Bar, and there will be reserved seating for the locals wishing to be "up front and personal" with the 2007 "Run for the Roses".  The coverage for the 133rd Run for the Roses and the Triple Crown on May 5, 2007 begins on NBC Television at 5PM (4PM AT), post time approximately 6PM ET (5PM AT).

THE MINT JULEP

Early Times Mint Julep Cocktail is a ready-to-serve beverage that has been "The Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby" for 20 years.  Each year almost 120,000 Early Times Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.  A feat that requires over 10,000 bottles of Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint, and 60,000 pounds of ice.  Try one and you'll understand why it has been a Kentucky Derby tradition for so long.

The Mint Julep has always been a symbol of Kentucky's rich heritage and hospitality. Perhaps General Simon Bolivar Buckner put it best when he wrote from the South Pacific during World War II: "A Mint Julep is not the product of a formula.  It is a ceremony that must be performed by one possessing a true sense of the artistic, a deep reverence for the ingredients and a proper appreciation of the occasion."

Many Kentuckians claim that when a Julep is done right, you can hear the angels sing.  One 19th-century jurist is said to have ruled, "Who has not tasted one has lived in vain."  Then again, newspaper editor Henry Watterson's recipe for the perfect Mint Julep is somewhat different, his recipe: "...throw the other ingredients away and drink the whisky - straight."

 Early Times Mint Julep Recipe
Ingredients:
2 oz. Early Times
1 tbsp. simple syrup (recipe below)
Mint sprigs
Crushed ice

Crush a few mint leaves in the bottom of an 8-oz. glass, then fill with crushed ice.  Add one tablespoon of simple syrup and one tablespoon of water.  Add 2 ounces Early Times.  Stir gently until glass frosts.  Garnish with a fresh mint sprig, sip and enjoy.

Simple Syrup with Mint Directions:
1 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 bunch fresh mint sprigs

Combine sugar and water.  Boil for 5 minutes without stirring.  Pour mix over a handful of mint leaves, and gently crush the mint with a spoon.  Refrigerate overnight in a closed jar.  Remove mint leaves, but continue to refrigerate.  Stays fresh for several weeks.

eta AQUARID METEOR SHOWER, MAY 6TH

The eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks on Saturday, May 6th.  The best time to look, no matter where you live, especially in Akumal, is during the hours immediately before sunrise on Saturday morning.  As usual, you will see more meteors from the dark jungle; get away from the lights on MX 307 if possible.

This is mainly a southern hemisphere shower, but northern observers can see it, too.  Expected meteor rates are 5 to 10 per hour in the northern hemisphere, and 20 to 60 per hour in the southern hemisphere.  Latitudes between the equator and 30 degrees south are favored, and this includes most of Australia, South America and southern Africa.

The eta Aquarids are flakes of dust from Halley's Comet, which last visited Earth in 1986.  Although the comet is now far away, beyond the orbit of Uranus, it left behind a stream of dust.  Earth passes through the stream twice a year, in May and October.  In May, we have the eta Aquarid meteor shower, in October the Orionids.  Both are caused by Halley's Comet.

The eta Aquarids are named after a 4th-magnitude star in the constellation Aquarius.  The star has nothing to do with the meteor shower except that, coincidentally, meteors appear to emerge from a point nearby.  Eta Aquarii is 156 light years from Earth and 44 times more luminous than the Sun.

The constellation Aquarius does not rise very far above the horizon in the northern hemisphere, and that's why northerners see relatively few meteors.  But the ones they do see could be spectacular Earthgrazers.

Earthgrazers are meteors that skim horizontally through the upper atmosphere.  They are slow and dramatic, streaking far across the sky.  The best time to look for Earthgrazers is between 2:00 to 2:30 a.m. local time when Aquarius is just peeking above the horizon.

The Akumalian suggests you dress warmly, bring a reclining chair or a thick blanket up to a flat roof, lie down and look up somewhat toward the east.  Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, although their trails will point back toward Aquarius.

MOTHER'S DAY IN MEXICO, MAY 10TH

In Mexico, Mother's Day is celebrated on a fixed day of May 10.  Mother's Day in Mexico is celebrated in a colorful fashion.  Children honor their mothers and thank them for their efforts in bringing them up, and According to a custom in Mexico, sons and daughters make themselves present in the house on the eve of Mother's Day on May 9.

Mother's Day is celebrated with gusto as churches in Mexico organize special mass, and the highpoint of the event is the orchestra, which plays "las mananitas" and distribution of 'tamales' and 'atole', the traditional early-morning meal to all local mothers.

On Mother's Day people in Mexico gift flowers and cards to their mothers.  There is also a tradition of giving gifts on Mother's Day.  While the older children buy gifts from the store, the younger ones prepare handmade gifts to honor their mothers.  In several schools, Mother's Day functions are organized where little ones present skits and songs to express their gratitude for their mothers and to entertain them.

MOTHER'S DAY IN U.S., MAY 13TH

Mother's Day is a holiday honoring mothers, celebrated (on various days) in many places around the world.  Mothers often receive gifts on this day.  Mother's Day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of May in the United States and Canada.

Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins.  One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece.  Mother worship - which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and (mythology), the wife of Cronus; was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (March 15 to March 18).  The Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day.

In the United States, Mother's Day was copied from England by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War with a call to unite women against war.  She wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation.  In the UK, the day now simply celebrates motherhood and thanking mothers.

According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States.

ARMED FORCES DAY, MAY 19TH

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days.  The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces within one department -- the Department of Defense.  Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day.  The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day.  The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day, but supports Armed Forces Day, too.

In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Truman praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas and said, "It is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace."

In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:

"Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality.  It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense."

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense."  It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government.  Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day.  It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces.  It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life.  It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting.  And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows.  In Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched pass the President and his party.  In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops paraded for the German citizens at Templehof Airfield.  In New York City, an estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day "under an air cover of 250 military planes of all types."  In the harbors across the country were the famed mothballed "battlewagons" of World War II, the Missouri, the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public inspection.  Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar was exhibited on the ground.  All across the country, the American people joined together to honor the Armed Forces.

MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 28th

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.  There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day.  There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead". 

While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.  It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868.  It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established.  Memorial Day is not about division.  It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873.  By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.  The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).  It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years.  Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day.  At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected.  Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day.  While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades.  Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions.  Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery.  They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.  In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day.

COMINGS AND GOINGS

There were a couple of "events" in April, and the first week of April was Easter Week, so there was a number of Comings & Goings, but the pace seems to be slowing down as we head into May.

 Comings:

• Suzy Campbell and Patsy Tyler were back in The Reef Penthouse for 10 days in April.
• Pat & Cheryl Reagan were sighted at the Beach Bar.
• Gayle & Pauli Rasmussen are in town for awhile.
• Sheri & Ron Stern were back in La Bahia.
• Bruce & Ellen Eanet were in Lol Ka'naab #3 earlier in April for nine days.
• Dick & Jacquie Blanchard are in town with Scott Brown's aunt & uncle, Cynthia & Steve Harting.
• Terry & Lisa Turner made another trip back to South Akumal.
• Oveta & Gary Vardell are also back in South Akumal.
• Bay & Chris Haas were back in 7 Seas with Chris' dad, who celebrated his 95^th birthday.
• Myrna & Gary Sparks were back in Playa Caribe.
• Larry & Cherie Jackson were back in 7 Seas for a short spell.
• Jim & Jackie Power were back at Jade Beach.
• Jim Farrell and Kathy Farrell Sonheim are back for an extended stay.
• Jim Coke was spotted on MX 307 in Tulum.
• Helga & Manfred Schober, Rhett's father, are visiting from Germany.
• Ken & Karen Sutton arrived in the latter part of April.
• Sherwood & Bob Anders were back for a short spell at the end of April.
• Cheryl & Bill McClendon arrived in Akumal on April 27^th.
• Barbara Miller is back in town for a very short stay.
  Sydney and Thomas Reagan are in town now.
  Macon & Susan Gravlee return to Akumal on My 6th.
• Tricia Haynes and her mother arrive in Akumal for three weeks on May 23rd

 Goings:
Isabel Schober went over to Cuba with Claudia Munoz and her family.
Gabriella made a short excursion over to Merida.
Salvador Gutierrez Montesinos went to Mexico City for two weeks.
Kay Walten left on the 18^th for a brief trip back to the states.
Hurley Hackler left for Atlantic City and Barcelona on April 21^st.
Jamie Cost was spotted in the airport departure area on April 24^th.
Dani Brown is in Illinois for a quick visit with the family.
Phoebe returned to Vail on May 26^th.
Bud Blatner, Maggie McKown, and Red Beard returned to the U.S. on April 26th.
Marcy & Maimo Essy returned to the US on  April 28th.
Didiere Jackson heads north on May 3^rd.

CHARLES & KATE SAY GOODBYE

            On Wednesday, April 25, a small contingent of friends and well wishers gathered at the Lol Ha Beach Bar to bid farewell to Charles Shaw and Kate Robinhawk, who are leaving Akumal for the sunny shores of Monterey, California. 

 Charles reports, "Yes, it is true, we are leaving Mexico and returning to the States after nineteen years here.  I have accepted a summer contract with the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) in Monterey, California, through the Geocorp program of the Geological Society of America.  Geocorp is a program to place experienced geologists in National Parks and other federal land programs with the purpose of broadening public awareness of the role geology in our national life.  The program that I will carry out is mandated by the charter of the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM), created by executive order by President Bill Clinton.  The Coastal National Monument includes thousands of islands off the California coast, the famous kelp beds and birthing places of seals and sea otters, as well as such well known sites as Big Sur, Cape Mendicino and the beaches at Monterey and other places.  I will develop a text for the entire coast that will be published on the CCNM web site (see http://www.blm.gov/ca/pa/coastal_monument/ ) and help visitors to the Monument understand the unique California geology, including the San Andreas Fault, the Coast Ranges, plate subduction and the unique low temperature-high pressure metamorphism that happens there and around the Pacific Rim.

Kate has volunteered to be a Seal Mommie, other things too, but this is very different.  Seal Mommies hold abandoned baby seals in the water in tanks in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, also part of the BLM.  The babies need to be cuddled after they are born, and if their birth mom is irresponsible, the Sanctuary uses human substitutes.  Is that not cool?

I start at the CCNM on May 7.  We hoped to leave on Thursday of this week, April 26, but Migracion won't have Kate's letter allowing her to leave ready until Friday, so we will leave Friday morning after they release the letter.

We shall be driving.  I just went to the States and bought a van.  We arrived in Mexico in 1988 in a van, having camped our way here.  We will leave the same way.

We came here to a vast empty paradise.  Every path off the old highway 307 was an adventure leading to hidden beaches, cenotes, dazzingly beautiful, colorful, living reefs offshore swarming with fish.  We lived in places that would surpass the most far out fantasies of most people who dream of such things.  Our year living in a remote palapa on the beach near the Sian Kaan reserve, a mile from our nearest neighbors, was incomparable.  All that is gone now; we were so fortunate to have experienced it.  It is time for something new.  We will probably try different things until we find the right adventure.  Kate will be studying to get her English-as-a-Second-Language teaching certificate, I might too, then we could go around the world, expenses paid, teaching and experiencing.

Akumal and this coast will remain with us, especially the many friends we have come to know. We thank you all for being among them. 

We are still working on the book."

 For all the photos go to Charles & Kate Say Goodbye.

WHO'S WHO IN A MONARCHY

This is another one of things that came up for discussion at the Lol Ha Beach Bar, and the hierarchy went unresolved.  Ask The Akumalian!

 A look at the aristocratic pecking order.

 Emperor
The title emperor comes from the Latin, "imperator," which was originally a military title.  Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as "imperator."  Augustus Caesar assumed the title, as did all subsequent Roman and Byzantine leaders.  In Europe, Charlemagne became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800.  Various countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, Ethiopia, and India, have used the title "emperor."

In 1804 Napoleon was named emperor in 1804.  Except for the phrase "Emperor of India," which was added to the British Monarch's title in 1877 and used until India became independent, Britain has not used the term.

 King, Queen
The monarch outranks everyone else.  In England, which generally gives precedent to males, the Queen nonetheless outranks her husband since she inherited the title.  Queen Elizabeth's husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.  Men who are commoners, such as Antony Armstrong-Jones, who married Princess Margaret, typically receive a title as a courtesy.  Armstrong-Jones was made the Earl of Snowdon.

 Prince, Princess
In England, a prince or princess are often children of the monarch, and therefore royalty, as opposed to nobility, but those holding the title can vary in rank.  In France, a duke, or "duc" outranks a prince.  In Russia and Austria, the title archduke is an indication of royal blood, and is used instead of prince.

 Duke, Duchess
Originally all English dukes were of royal blood.  When sons of kings came of age they were typically given the title duke.  Now a duke is the highest of the five degrees of English nobility.

Other noble titles, indicating one is a member of the hereditary peerage, are:
Marquess, Marchioness
Earl, Countess (in France and elsewhere on the continent, "comte" or count),
Viscount, Viscountess
Baron, Baroness

 A baronet is not included among the peerage, but the title can be inherited.  Below a baronet, is a knight, which is a title of honor rather aristocracy.

While the hereditary rights of the British aristocracy have diminished over time, peers still retain the right to vote in the House Lords, the upper house of Parliament.

While titles can be inherited, the Life Peerages Act of 1958 permitted the creation of non-hereditary lifetime titles, whose holders, but not descendants, are entitled to vote in the House of Lords

WHAT'S NEW AROUND TOWN?

Akumal Postmaster
In early April, Akumal's Postmaster, Mr. Luis Hernandez, died of a stroke, and no further details are available.  After a long delay, the post office located in CEA is open once again, and there will be someone there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but there will be no mail delivery.

The New Mini Market Opens
On April 18th, the new mini market (SUPER MERCADO) directly across from Super Chomak and beside Mulgrew's Laundry re-opened under new management as El Pueblito.  It's quite open, airy, and clean, and they have a diverse, but limited, inventory.  However, they do have an attempt at a gourmet section - in the walk-in wine cellar - that has, among other things, escargot.   Management has also taken a page from Super Chomak's marketing strategy by not providing prices on the goods.

 "New" Airport Shuttle Service
This has not been checked out yet, but Tucan Kin is providing direct (no stops on the way) Akumal to Cancun Airport shuttle service for $21USD per person.  From the card's map, it looks like the pickup point might be at the Las Casitas reception at the arch.  Reservations are required, and they can be made at 01-800-702-4111 or at the Tulum office at (984)129-1575 or (986)-871-3538.

Excavation On The Highway South Of Akumal Has Started
For awhile it looked like the 4-lane MX 307 was going to stop just south of the entrance to Central Akumal, but work has started on excavating the buffer zone for the continuation of the 4-lanes, at least to South Akumal; obviously they will take it at least to Xel-Ha, if not all the way to Tulum, or the bottom of the Riviera Maya.  The current forward point of excavation stops just short of South Akumal.  The photo is taken from the entrance to Jade Bay, looking north to Central Akumal.

Public Beach Access Signs
Most of the public entrance roads to the beach areas have been posted with signs indicating "access to the public beach" from Akumal down to Tulum.  These signs have even been posted at Jade Bay and the entrance to the DIF beach (road directly across from Aktun Chen and beside the overpass into Bahia Principe).  The latest news is that smaller signs have also been posted at the beach accesses within North Akumal, South Akumal and Akumal (rocky) Point just north of OASIS; don't know if there are others within Jade Bay or Aventuras Akumal.

El Moreland's Lot Being Excavated
It is hard to determine if this is a mirage, a myth, or just a rumor, but El Moreland's lot in Akumal Sur is being cleared for something, and there are early indications that El might actually start to build something there.  Anyway, whatever it is, something is happening there.  Maybe El is making this a parking lot for easier beach access.  Can a taco stand be far behind??

 CANCUN

Waiting Lounge At Airport
Here is a very welcome addition to the Cancun Airport.  Just to the left of the International Arrival exit/gate there is the "meeting bar and cafe", and inside they have two large flat screen monitors.  One shows the information about the international arrivals (flight number, city, arrival time, and status), and the other is a video camera pointing up the International Arrival exit way, so you can comfortably sit (with a drink and/or sandwich) and watch for your arrivals.  And, if you are perchance picking somebody up, you can just say, "Meet me in the 'meeting bar and cafe'".

Hospiten Clinic at Cancun Airport
Unfortunately, The Akumalian needed medical attention on Tuesday, April 24^th, at the Cancun Airport and learned that there is a clinic there at the airport.  It's a Hospiten Clinic, and it's way down on the left side of the departure check-in counters, just beside Immigration.  The medic on call that day spoke very good English and was able to easily and professionally handle the first line of medical aid.  Hopefully, you or your guests never need this service, but it is there.

Hospiten Hospital Cafeteria on Bonapak
This one might be considered a little "strange" in some circles, but after the above episode at the airport, we went to the Hospiten Hospital on Av. Bonapak in Cancun, where things were stitched (14) back together.  Afterwards, we had lunch in the Cafeteria, and it was quite good.  This can be a very good alternative when you are in Cancun and want a quick bite to eat during lunch (after visiting Home Depot) or when you are exiting Cancun.  It's located on Av. Bonapak, and it's at a traffic light for easy access and egress; there's plenty of parking; the selection is quite good; the quality and prices are also good; it's quiet and cool; service is fast; and it's very easy to get back onto Av. Bonapak and the journey onto Akumal.

PHOTO CAPTION "CONTEST"

            While the response was not overwhelming, it was better than in March.  With that in mind, one entry was selected, and the caption is seen below. 

 What did Lucy say to Miguel to get this response?  Or, what is Miguel responding to Lucy's remark?

 "Wow, so the more ice cream I eat the more weight I'll loose!  That's incredible."  
Thanks to Michelle Bliss.

FAVORITE GOLF COURSE SIGN

What's your favorite sign?

Thanks to Kathy Farrell Sonheim for this one.

EVENTS

During the month of April, three "events" took place within Akumal, and two of them (CEA's Akumal Bay Management Program / Akumal Council Receiving the Fidecaribe building and Charles' & Kate's Goodbye) have already been reported in the main section of this issue.  The third one is really about "A Day in the Life in Akumal" and all the mini-events that occurred on that one day, Wednesday, April 18, albeit with a slanted perspective.

 For photos on these "events" go to:

CEA and Akumal Council Meeting with Municipality

Charles & Kate Say Goodbye

Wednesday, April 18, 2007