Awaiting Hurricane Rina, Isla Mujeres Mexico!

I'm not a patient person at the best of times, but waiting for a hurricane to make up its mind and get moving is driving me nuts! Tuesday of this week, "Hurricane Rina" was sitting over Honduras, moving at 3 miles per hour. She was classed as a category two hurricane with wind speeds of between 96 and 110 miles per hour, due to hit category three status with wind speeds of between 111 and 130 miles per hour as it passes over Isla Mujeres late Thursday afternoon into early Friday morning.  Some reports are now showing it downgraded to a milder tropical storm by Friday.  

Sunshine and boats - calm before the storm

The National Hurricane Centre lists the possible damage for each category according to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale: Category One, serious winds and damage: injury or death due to flying or falling debris, older mobile homes could be destroyed, loss of vinyl siding, and damage to roofs, unprotected windows, or chimneys. Category Two, extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: all of the above plus destruction of all mobile homes, damage to wood frame houses, complete power outages and uprooting of trees. Category Three, devastating damage will occur: all of the above, plus roofs, siding, fences, commercial signage, complete and long-lasting power outages, and glass in high-rise buildings will fail. Category Four and Five: think of Katrina in New Orleans or Wilma here on Isla, both in 2005. Nasty stuff.

Chica and Tommy on the pile of outdoor cushions

We have had things from outside decks packed up for two days; cushions, furniture, and some plants all stuffed inside. The cats are grumpy. I have been keeping them in more than usual, and when I do let them out it's windy and wet as the unsettled weather is pushed our way. The beach dogs are hiding in their house in the carport. Not at all happy about the thunder and lightning last night.

Our upper and lower sliding windows have been braced with pieces of aluminum or wood to keep the wind from pushing them open. We have extra supplies, candles for the lanterns, batteries for the flashlights, lots of purified water, and soda water for the single malt whiskey (priorities you know). Lawrie fueled up the car on Tuesday. We hit the ATM one more time for cash as that is something that frequently is not available when bad weather hits. Everyone heads to the banks to take money out, and the ATM's have been known to run out of cash. 

Lawrie's hurricane prep

In the past the electricity was shut off the day before a hurricane was due to arrive as a preventive measure.  Fortunately CFE (electrical company) has not done that yet, however the power line coming from the centre of town to our house is only at 110 volts, making it impossible for things like our water pressure pump, microwave, and cappuccino maker to operate. (We are surviving, barely, in these primitive conditions.) The power line coming out of the Colonias to Richard and Linda's house, one lot south of us, is still at 220 volts.  Fortunately, they don't mind us using their showers to clean up. 

Navy rescue boats stashed in the lagoon area

We took a drive around Isla a few minutes ago, looking for a CFE service truck and linemen so that we could tell them our tale of woe, as the main office is boarded up and locked up until Monday. Eventually, we tracked one down and followed him back to the compound. He was so delighted to find out that we wanted him to do electrical repairs in the rain. So very delighted!  As I am writing this, the CFE service truck with three linemen has just arrived at our house! And lo and behold, five minutes later, we are back to normal power-wise! The wire running from the pole to Ronda's house and ours had come apart. The linesman stripped the wires down to metal, twisted them together, and applied electrician's tape. Voila! Done!

As for the rest of the island, doors and windows everywhere are boarded. The hotels have removed every chair, sun lounger, umbrella, and table from their beaches or patios. Schools, government offices, and most businesses are closed.  A few restaurants remain open for the people who either don't want to cook or tourists who can't cook. Big boats such as the car ferries, tour boats, the Pirate dinner cruise boats, or UltraMar water taxis are stuffed into the inner harbour.  Pangas, the small fishing boats, have been pulled up a long way onto land and secured to palm trees.  A number of boats in the boat-repair yard are lashed down with multiple lines, anchoring them securely to the ground. 

PeMex gas station boarded up

And everyone is waiting, bored silly, playing with computers, texting friends, watching TV, reading, or napping. 

Various friends have posted on social media: I'm bored. I want to get back to work. Is it over yet?  Nine months from now, we may see an increase in the birth rate on the island. 

Hopefully, Saturday morning, we can wake up to brilliant sunshine and a storm that passed quietly by on tippy-toes, rather than stomping around on thick-soled hiking boots.

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Road Trip to Izamal in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico!

We love road trips, short or long, it doesn’t matter.  It’s all about the adventure.  One of our favourite road trips is to a small Spanish colonial town - Izamal - between Cancun and Mérida.

Monastery under restoration.   

The easiest way to reach Izamal is by driving up the four-lane toll highway 180D from Cancun.  The first time we visited Izamal, we turned at the exit that is closer to Mérida. The next time, we turned off at the exit closer to Valladolid, which made for an interesting trip along a narrow winding road, through three very small pueblos: Kantunil, Sudzal, and Juan Pablo.

We were the subject of much curiosity and gawking as our Canadian car slowly navigated the “topes” (speed bumps) and narrow, shoulder-less roadway.  I'm sure our friends were convinced we had absolutely no idea where we were headed as we squinted at the windshield, muttering, "I don't remember this. I don't remember any of this." We just hadn't realized that there were two different exits off the main highway.

Marketplace in the centre of Izamal

Eventually, we arrived at the centre of Izamal, a lovely little town settled in the early 1540s by the Spanish. During the time of the Spanish conquest of Yucatan (1527-1547), Izamal was one of the largest and most beautiful cities on the peninsula. The city was considered by the Mayans to be the home of Kinich Kakmo, a manifestation of the sun god, and of the god Itzam Na. Following the capture of Izamal by the Spanish, the local population was ordered to dismantle the top of the enormous pyramid in the center of the city. Upon the flattened pyramid, at the place where previously had stood the sanctuary of the god Itzam Na, the inhabitants were then directed to erect the new monastery and the church. 

For decades, many of the buildings, including the market, colonial buildings and the monastery, have been painted a lovely golden egg-yolk colour. The cobblestone streets, the iron lamp posts, and the clippity-clop of horse-drawn carriages give the town a tranquil old-time ambiance. The site is undergoing a massive restoration with state, federal, and UNESCO money.

Our car, and a horse-drawn carriage at Kinich temple

After visiting the monastery, we decided to find a restaurant in Izamal for lunch, as the drive back to the bigger city of Valladolid would take about another 45 minutes, and we were starving. We happened upon the only sign that we could see that said restaurante. 

Wow! Was it cool! The Restaurante Kinich (named after the Mayan Sun God Kinich Kak Mo) is about a block off the city square, with a pretty entrance and a large, cool, palapa-covered interior.  Delicious smells wafted out of the kitchen. Inside the restaurant was a smaller hut with three traditionally dressed Mayan ladies sitting on large rocks, hand-making tortillas over a very hot wood-burning fire. The food was fabulous.  It has become our favourite place to have lunch on our road trips to Izamal. 

Ladies making tortillas inside Restaurante Kinich

After lunch (with much discussion about directions between my navigator and me) we decided to try and find the Kinich Kak Mo temple ruins. We drove around and around this very small town, only to discover that the temple was right next to the Restaurante Kinich, where we had had our fabulous lunch!  It turns out that my navigator was right all along, and I once again was 180 degrees out on my directions! (Okay, I said it! You were right!)

We have returned to Izamal several times with friends, and every time it is just as enjoyable as the first time.  Road trips!  Love 'em.

Restaurante Kinich - our favourite place!

Hasta Luego
Lynda and Lawrie

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Home deliveries & small businesses: Isla Mujeres, Mexico!

Yummy pineapples for under two dollars each!

Want freshly squeezed orange juice?  Just wait for the beep-beep of the motor scooter horn at your front gate.  

Need a 20L bottle of agua purificada? A loud musical tune repeated over and over again, and the squeak of the truck brakes – and you know the delivery truck is outside the gate. 

Feel like fresh tortillas for your breakfast or lunch? Several young kids patrol the Colonias on basic, no-frills bicycles with a cooler chest strapped to the back of the bike, filled with hot, freshly baked tortillas. Their marketing tool is a series of blasts on the little bulb horns that we probably all had on our bikes when we were 6 or 7 years old.  The cheese salesman has his unique marketing tool. He sings a short song offering "queso, queso" (cheese, cheese) as he walks the street carrying his produce balanced on his head. 

Sharpening knives and garden shears

The knife-sharpening man has a set of panpipes that he plays as he rides his bicycle through the various neighbourhoods. When flagged down to do a knife-sharpening job, he turns his bicycle over and uses the pedals to power the grinding stone. He did a great job on our pruning shears and garden clippers. 

Yesterday, a furniture maker walked past our house, dragging a wheeled contraption with his creations stacked on top. It looked like he had the base of a double bed, a single bed and a complete bookcase on his cart. He was headed into town to sell his wares, probably along the seawall where most of the locals and tourists are during the day. 

Two blocks away from our house is the start of the Colonias, which is the main residential area for locals.  It is situated in the centre part of the island and is crammed with small homes and even smaller businesses. 

Francisco and Juan recovering our cushions

One of the businesses that we have used is Francisco Avalos’s Tapiceria Isla Mujeres (upholstery).  He operates out of his covered driveway, recovering and creating a variety of upholstered goods, including the cushions for our downstairs sofa. We have seen him work on moto seats, golf cart seats, stacks of chairs from one of the hotels, and a dozen or so lounger mattresses from a beach club. He’s good, fast, and very reasonable. 

Another small tienda about two blocks away changes with the seasons or holidays.  In February, it is a Valentine’s Day store, a few weeks later it’s an Easter store, in late August a school supply store, or this week it is a kids’ toys and clothing store. It’s situated out in the front yard of the owner’s house – just a couple of display cases and a table.

Furniture manufacturer and salesman

A few blocks further on is a Papelería, a stationery store. The owner was a little taken aback when we wanted to purchase 20 envelopes. She only had 25 in stock, so we compromised and purchased 10.  Computer paper is sold by the sheet, but if you insist, she will reluctantly sell you the entire package. How do I explain that when I was working, I ordered 10 boxes of computer paper at a time?  Ah, well, a few sheets will probably do just fine. 

Last week, Lawrie spotted a shoe store that was so small the buyers were trying on shoes out in the street, and further on a tiny station wagon, stuffed with boxes of shoes, set up as a mobile stockroom.  Frequently, during national holidays or around Christmas time a variety of shoe and clothing companies from Cancun will set up tents near the town square to flog their wares to the local people.

The juice guy ran out of bottles!

It’s the number of tiny businesses that amazes us.  In the one block we counted four grocery stores, a pharmacy, three vegetable stores, two butchers, a fresh orange juice stand, the tortilla factory, a shoe store, two video stores, a hardware store, a bakery, a bar, arcade for kids, hair and nails, bakery, the veterinary, a dentist, and Francisco’s upholstery place.  

For the most part, these stores are around 10 feet by 10 feet in size, and stacked floor to ceiling with goods not displayed particularly well, as space is definitely at a premium.  

Most of them have owners’ residences attached either in the back or above the tienda, or in the case of the tire repair shop, where Lawrie gets the car washed, the kitchen-dining-living area is next to the air compressor.

It's amazing what these resourceful people will do to make a living.

Hasta Luego
Lynda, Lawrie and Sparky.

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The benefits of nasty weather, Isla Mujeres Mexico!

We had an unexpected visit on Saturday night and all day Sunday, from a tropical storm, that, according to all the weather and hurricane forecasters, had only a 10% chance of developing into nasty weather.  I suppose no one thought to inform the gods in charge of the event.

So glad I washed the windows yesterday!

We had a restless night listening to the winds batter the house, and the rain squeeze in between the window casings, dripping onto the floors. I lay awake, mentally cataloguing all the things I had left outside, mistakenly thinking we were only due for some rain; things like sofa cushions, the solar pool cover, and other assorted light objects that would make fine missiles in the wind.  It would have been foolhardy for us to attempt to retrieve our things while the wind raged.

Our two cats disapproved of the wet floor.

In the morning, we were greeted by running water cascading down two levels on our inside staircase from the rooftop to the kitchen below.  The rooftop drains were clogged, and the water had breached the doorsill.  When we opened the door into the kitchen, our two cats were perched on the furniture, meowing at us, convinced that their lives were in imminent peril.  There was an inch of water on the floor, and they couldn't get near their food dish without getting wet feet.  Oh my, such a tragedy!

In Centro - rain, rain, rain on Sunday morning.

When most of us think of tropical storms or hurricanes, we think of terrifying winds, torrential downpours, flooding, power outages, property damage, and unnecessary loss of lives…not good things.  However, many meteorologists believe that tropical storms may more than offset the damage they cause by the good they do.  

Scientists already know that in such places as Japan, India, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean, even in the southeastern portion of the U.S.−tropical storms provide up to a third of the annual rainfall for drinking water, as well as refreshing wetlands and tidal areas behind the barrier islands.  In the Yucatan Peninsula, where we live, most of the domestic water supply comes from the underground rivers running beneath the limestone.  This source is replenished by tropical storms and hurricanes.  The rainfall associated with hurricanes also benefits the farmers in the hilly and remote areas of Mexico, providing much-needed water for their crops, unless the rain becomes excessive, and then the farmers’ fields and homes can be washed away in the onslaught. 

Big waves rolling in on the east side of Isla Mujeres



It’s a pretty fine balance between good and evil.

Tropical storms are also a crucial factor in maintaining the planet's heat balance. Meteorologists believe that the tropics will become warmer and warmer if some of this heat is not transported away from the tropics.  Fortunately, the Earth has some handy methods for carrying heat from the tropics toward the poles; about a third of this heat is distributed by ocean currents, a significant amount is transported by movement of the atmosphere, and a large portion of heat is picked up from the sea by tropical storms.

So, there are several benefits to nasty weather – but I’m not sure it is the easiest way to get a kitchen renovation.  At least we only had a bit of water in the kitchen, no harm done - and it was a very novel way to wash our stairs. 

Hasta pronto, Lynda and Lawrie

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"It's not my country, I am a guest!" Retired in Mexico!

The first winter we arrived on Isla Mujeres, we met Harriet, and she regaled us with funny stories of learning the intricacies of a new culture. Harriet's mantra, when sometimes the cultural differences make her head ache, is "it's not my country, I am a guest." We liked it! And promptly stole the quote for our own use.

It has become one of our favourite sayings - especially when something wacky happens that makes you shake your head in wonder, muttering, "Why don't they ....?  (fill in the blank) and then you remember, "It's not my country. I am a guest," and laugh. 

Rope and traffic cones - this road closed, use new one.

On Sunday this past weekend, Lawrie and I took our car into Cancun for our monthly grocery shop, doing the Costco, Mega Commercial, Home Depot circuit to buy things that are not readily available on the island. We were headed back to the car ferry depot at Punta Sam when we spotted a barricade constructed out of a thin piece of rope, two tires, and four traffic cones. It stretched across the main road between Cancun and Punta Sam - directing traffic onto the new double-lane section of highway that appeared, finally, to be completed. No signs, no warning lights - just a piece of rope and four orange cones. Interesting.  Oh well, the new pavement was great. 

Normally, when cars disembark from the ferry, the road into Cancun is four lanes wide, two headed into Cancun, and two headed out of Cancun for about a mile, then it switches rather abruptly into just two lanes of opposing traffic. The drivers have to be on their toes. The only indication of a change in the traffic pattern is a row of round bumps, sometimes painted reflective yellow, across the left-hand lane to indicate you should move over to the right-hand lane. NOW. Okay, we have all become accustomed to this manoeuvre during the past year or two. No big deal.

The new road. Behind the trees the original road.

Then on Wednesday, while we were headed back into Cancun to buy a new dishwasher, we thought the traffic headed out to Punta Sam was quite light, not many cars on the road.  We finally realized what was happening.  Some of the traffic was on the new section, while some of the vehicles were using the old road.  So, now we had one lane headed into Cancun, and two, or three, lanes (take your pick where you want to drive) headed to Punta Sam.  

 

"You would think that some signage might be called for at this point, wouldn't you?  .... oh hell, it's not my country.  I am a guest."   

When we lived in Canada, sometimes our various foreign friends would mutter and shake their heads over Canadian idiosyncrasies. That's when we could have quoted Harriet's favourite saying.

Hasta luego

Lynda and Lawrie

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Colour surrounds us, Isla Mujeres Mexico!

 

Colourful fishing boats

It’s hard not to get caught up in the extravaganza of colour on this little Caribbean island, Isla Mujeres. 

There are blues in shades of azure, cobalt, navy, sapphire, cerulean and indigo, and greens running from jade green, and emerald, to bright lime greens. 

Other colours of the island palette include crimson, scarlet or ruby reds, with a little added zing of papaya, orange, lemon, and banana. Wow! 

At Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres

In Canada, we grew up with more sedate colours reflecting the thick forests of conifers, dark northern Pacific grey-blue seas, enlivened for a few months with splashes of spring blossoms.  

Each year, I could hardly wait for spring to arrive to brighten the dun-coloured landscape.

Living in the Caribbean, I can hardly wait to open my eyes to start a new day.

Our northern tastes in colour reflected our environment, nothing bright or fun, just staid creams, grays, dark blues, deep greens, and browns. The houses are typically painted neutral colours unless you are lucky enough to live in a 'painted lady', the grand dames of the Victoria era. We blended with our surroundings. 

Here on Isla, the houses, clothes, and even municipal structures reflect the brightly-hued environment. Clothing, anything goes for colour, including accessories and shoes. 

One of our favourite buildings in the Centro

Houses and businesses alike are painted a happy hodgepodge of orange, green, pink, blue, yellow, purple, red or whatever colour the owner had access to, or enjoyed. 

The seawall protecting the eastern side of the downtown (Centro) has been painted several times in the three years that we have lived on Isla. It was pink and blue, then yellow and pink, and more recently a brightly painted collection of various scenes depicting turtles, fish, and the national flags from nearby countries. 

Brightly painted building in Centro

During carnival, the week-long festival at the end of winter leading up to the beginning of Lent, everyone has fun dressing in vibrant costumes for the daily parades and dance competitions.

We may have arrived late to the party, but we are happy participants in the festivities.

Hasta luego

Lynda and Lawrie

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