This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of Akumal, Mexico. Akumal is also my home and has been for almost 17 years. The anniversary of my hometown has made me a bit of a sentimentalist encouraging me to share some of my experiences.
On Dec 13, 1992 Gary and I pulled into Akumal with two trucks full of cave diving gear and $7000 to our name to seek a life of adventure and underwater cave exploration. Pablo Diaz was one of the first people we met. We took jobs at Mike Maddens Dive shop. Gary was the manager and I worked at a diving concession at the very first all inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen.
We had discovered Akumal prior to that however. Gary's first trip was in the 80's, and then in 1991 he and I began running trips for cave divers to the area. It then when we met Mike because got our double tanks and air from him. In November of 1992 Mike had called us in Baltimore shortly after a cave diving conference in Florida, and offer us jobs, we had to be there in about two weeks.
We left Baltimore waving good bye to Gary's brother, Gary's house, and off we went in our two pick up trucks headed south.
