Isla Mujeres from a different perspective (Lawrie's turn to write!)

Enrique Lima Marina - early in the morning

I know, most visitors fly into Cancun and take a passenger ferry across to our island paradise, but if you are one of the adventurous ones, come in by boat; it's a very different perspective. 

Yes, there are some great places to berth your boat and have a good time.  

Looking towards Ballyhoo Restaurant

At the north end of the island is the Enrique Lima Marina, home of the Isla Mujeres Yacht Club, and commonly know as the El Muelle de la Gasolinera: Gas Dock. This marina is central to hotels, restaurants, bars and the Super X-Press grocery store. Located at the head of the docks is the Ballyhoo Restaurant, serving good food every day of the week.

Nice anchorage at the entrance to the inlet

As you travel south on the waterways past the passenger ferries and the car ferry docks, you will see several reasonably protected spots to drop the hook and anchor for a few days. 

 If anchoring is not your style, keep travelling deeper into the inlet and you'll discover more marinas, bars, restaurants and several small hotels.

El Milagro Marina

The El Milagro Marina has good docks, a small pool, a community kitchen and several hotel rooms right next door to the fishing co-operative, where fresh lobster can be purchased in season. 

It is also close to three fun bars: the Bahai Tortuga, the Soggy Peso Bar & Grill, and Barlito's.

Marina Paraiso

Right next door to El Milagro is the Marina Paraiso Hotel, featuring great food at Barlito's Restaurant. 

Marina Paraiso also has a sports bar, two large swimming pools, a dive shop and a twenty-room hotel for those nights when you really want a comfortable bed and a good hot shower. Do I have your attention now? Good!

New name for Villa Vera 

As you motor up this inlet, on the west side of Isla, you will pass several restaurants and bars, all with a dock to tie up your dinghy should you wish to investigate this area later. 

Then deep inside the inlet – wow, a really big marina, Puerto Isla, comes into view. This is the recently renamed Villa Vera Marina that was managed by Raintree Hotels. 

It is a large facility complete with a travelling boat lift, fuel docks, restaurant, bar, and hotel. This marina is very well protected from severe weather and is a favourite hiding place for boats during hurricanes.

Big yachts at Puerto Isla Mujeres

Just past the Marina Puerto Isla are more economical places to berth a boat for the night, or for a longer period. 

The Marina Del Sol is basic but well run by great folks who care about their clients. Nearby is Oscar's Marina and restaurant.

Affordable and friendly Marina del Sol

As the waterway narrows, many tiny facilities will allow boaters to berth at their docks for a fee.

For a change of perspective, come on over and explore the island by boat. 

It's a whole other view of living in paradise.

Happy New Year to Everyone, Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

The twelve days of Christmas on Isla Mujeres Mexico

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Isla gave to me:

Twelve Boats a Bobbing:

Could Santa Claus fit one of these beauties in Lawrie's stocking?

Any Sunday afternoon at North Beach, a collection of yachts and mega-yachts can be seen anchored just offshore while their passengers enjoy a dip in the warm aqua-coloured seawater. These yachts are a fairly recent phenomenon, as Isla was originally a fishing community. Walk any beach on the west side of the island and you will see numerous small multi-coloured panga-style boats pulled up on the beaches waiting for the work day to begin.

Eleven Loungers Lying:

Starting at seven in the morning, the employees of the beach restaurants and bars begin to get organized for the day, setting out sun loungers and umbrellas for potential customers. 

Every business has its own colours to identify its area. Waiters will deliver food and drinks to the loungers, allowing holiday travellers to just relax and enjoy the sun, sand and surf. 

Lawrie tried to train me to do that at our casa.  It didn't work out so well for him.

Ten Taxis Racing:

Even though the island is only seven kilometres long and a kilometre wide, the taxis are always in a hurry to get somewhere, whenever that somewhere is. Taxis are reasonably priced and can usually be flagged down from anywhere on the island. The main taxi stand is located near the passenger ferry docks. It is still best to ask the price before you ride, as the rates can be higher in the holiday season.

Nine Snowmen Waiting:

These nine little donut-snowmen lined up on a baking tray at the Chedraui Super Store made us laugh. 

Snowmen, in the Caribbean? Thank goodness they are not real, and are only in someone's imagination. 

We've done our time with snow: no mas.

Eight Palm Trees Swaying:

Nothing says “the tropics” like a sugar-white beach and stately palm trees swaying in the breeze. Beware – those picturesque, and very hard, coconuts hanging above your head can knock you out if they connect with your softer noggin. 

Usually, around this time of year, the city workers remove the almost-ripe fruit from the tree to prevent injuries. Still, sitting in the shade of a coco tree is just so darn romantic, it's hard to resist – potential head injuries be damned.

Seven Hammocks Hanging:

Swinging in a hammock strung between two coconut palm trees, sipping on a cold cerveza: ah, bliss. 

We recently planted two little palm trees in our small patch of sand on the ocean side of our house. 

We check their progress daily to see if they are hammock-ready. 

Unfortunately, five feet high doesn't quite qualify. We have a few more years to wait. 

Six Massage Tents Ready:

Stressed from gift shopping or flying economy class? Why not hit the beach for a massage? 

Located on the beach, across from Jax Bar & Grill or the Posada del Mar Hotel, are five or six massage tents where the staff will give you a relaxing light massage, guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit.  

Alex, Daniel, Freddy, Inez, Joao, Pepe, and Gustavo

Five Freezing Coooold Beers:

Merry Christmas to our good friends Freddy, Joao Gustavo, Alex, Daniel, Pepe, Inez and of course Sal and Mal Richards at the Soggy Peso Bar & Grill. 

They have the biggest smiles while they serve the best freezing cold beer on the island!

Four Trees in Centro:

The smell, the shape, and the decorations of a real Christmas tree bring back great memories for anyone from northern climates, but I always wonder how a Christmas tree became synonymous with Christmas in the Caribbean. 

As ex-pats, we really enjoy seeing the trees in Centro, at the passenger ferry docks, and on top of the City Hall. It's a beautiful thing.

Three Church Bells Ringing:

Christmas time is very special to the islanders. It is the time of year when many children are baptized or confirmed into the Catholic Church. 

It is also the start of a six-week-long celebration that includes The Feast of our Lady Guadalupe on December 12th, Posadas Navideñas from December 16^th to 29th, Noche Buena on December 24^th, Christmas on December 25th, and ending in January with the Night of the Kings on January 6th. The three large Catholic Churches on Isla Mujeres are beautifully decorated and overflowing with worshippers during the holiday season.

Two Christmas Parades:

There are two Christmas parades: the official Municipal Santa Claus Parade and the Christmas Golf Cart Parade organized by a local carnival dance troupe. Last year, we participated in the golf cart parade for the first time, dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, tossing candy to the crowds of kids. This year, the parade was scheduled for Saturday, December 20^th, but due to the high possibility of rain has been moved to Saturday, December 27^th, starting at 5:30 in the afternoon. It is so much fun to ricochet around the island in a decorated golf cart, trying to follow the lead vehicle when the route is being planned, just as the parade starts. The crowds of little kids waving and yelling hello make it all worthwhile. We'll be there again!  

On The Twelfth Day of Christmas, Isla Gave to Me - One Brightly Lit and Noisy Party Bus:

It's bright. It's noisy. It's fun. Every year around this time, the party bus, or as some people call it, the disco bus, or the funny bus, comes out of storage and begins doing nightly runs around and around, up and down the island.

Loud music. Bright lights. And people have fun. It's become a favourite with Bachelor and Bachelorette party celebrations. 

It drives me nuts when I am trying to sleep, but it has become part of the annual holiday celebrations, so we have learned to laugh and go back to sleep muttering, “It's just the party bus.” We have plans to use it soon, and it will be our turn to be silly.

Feliz Navidad to all, may your Christmas be merry and bright!

Lawrie, Lynda, Thomas, and Sparky

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

You might be ready to retire to Isla Mujeres, Mexico if...

You might be ready to retire to Isla Mujeres, Mexico if:

Fishing tournament season

You are familiar with the four seasons: fishing tournament season, whale-shark tour season, we wish the tourists would hurry up and return season, and holy cow, things are smoking busy on Isla season.

Swim with the whale sharks season

You know that rust is not just a fashion colour made popular in the 1970s; instead, it is the ever-present by-product of salty air and ocean spray, corroding everything made of metal. 

You have learned to love concrete, glass, granite, marble, wood and plastic.

Rust - not just a fashion colour

If the first name of most of your male friends is Juan or Jose, and your female friends are called Maria or Guadalupe. 

 

Everyone has a second name or a nickname that they use instead of their biblical first names. Juan Alfredo = Freddy. Juan Batista = Patricio. 

Lawrie was destined to live in Mexico; he is John (Juan) Lawrie, but has always used Lawrie as his first name.

Our daily transportation

Your everyday vehicle is a golf cart. Personal golf carts range from the plain vanilla original colour to a wild assortment of paint jobs, upholstery colours, festive decorations or fancy hubcaps. Individuality is the key!

You instantly recognize the sound of a motorcycle helmet being blown from the rider's head and bouncing across the pavement. According to the law, riders are required to fasten their helmets, but often the straps flap in the wind or are clenched in the rider's front teeth. A choice of looking good instead of being safer.

Family transportation

You know that five people can, and frequently do, ride on a motorcycle.

When we first moved to Isla, three on a motorcycle was pretty novel to us, then four became the standard, and now we hardly notice when a family of five zips past crammed together on a moto. We are waiting for the next level, six passengers! 

We have also seen up to twelve locals or tourists jammed onto golf carts, and twenty-four people in a pickup truck.

Coveted treasure - 4 litre plastic jugs

You might be ready to retire to Mexico if you understand the value of an empty four-litre plastic jug, complete with a good-fitting screw cap. Early in the morning or later in the evening, you might see the familiar parade of motorcycle riders returning from the gas station with a couple of litres of gasoline in a plastic jug. The gas is used for cooking family meals. 

If you put a clean empty container on the curb, it will last about two and a half minutes before someone on a motorcycle scoops it up, shouting “gracias” as they zip away with their treasure.

Wide range of fun friends 

Your friends range in age from early 20s to late 80s, and everyone happily gets along. 

The very best thing about living on Isla Mujeres is that no one cares who you were in a previous life. What you did, or are doing, for a living is just not important. 

What is important is do you enjoy life?  Answer yes to that question, and you'll fit right in.

You don't participate in seniors' organ recitals: “Oh, my liver. Oh, my spleen. Oh, my stomach. Oh, my heart.” Try doing that on Isla, and you will get a quirked eyebrow in response. You're getting older… oh, well, aren't we all?

Daily attire - shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops

And finally, you might be ready to retire to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, if your daily attire consists of a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.

Are you ready to retire to Isla?

Hasta luego,

Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance. 

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

Patience! Living in Mexico is all about patience

“Living in Mexico is all about patience,” Tiffany Yenawine-Wareing philosophically wrote on her social media page, “things happen when they happen.” 

You can almost hear the exasperation in her typed words.

Tiffany was referring to the road construction and daily changes to the intricate detour routes that allow access to the middle section of Rueda Medina, the main north-south route on Isla Mujeres. She and husband, Brad Wareing manage the Marina Paraiso hotel/marina/restaurant/dive shop complex located behind the detour barricades.

First road block, near car ferry entrance

Rueda Medina is the route that gives customers access to at least eight other restaurants, a handful of bars, several hotels, four marinas, the cement plant, the building supply store, the middle school, a pharmacy, the one and only auto parts store, plus hundreds of homes that are located on the west side of the island between the car ferry and the Chedraui Super Store.

October in front of the Soggy Peso Bar & Grill.

The repaving project started in early October and was to be finished within two months. In the meantime, a group of business owners met with the municipality and asked if a sewer line was being installed at the same time. 

They were told there were no plans for a sewer in that area for the next few years. Then the business owners met with Aguakan, the water/sewer provider and asked, “Why not? The road is already torn up, why not do it now, not in a year or two from now and repeat this whole painful process?”

Why not indeed.

November, a bit south of Marina Paraiso

Eventually, with a lot of managerial scrambling, the budget was allocated to upgrade the water lines and install a sewer. 

For those of you who have never been to Isla, you probably can't figure out what the big deal is. 

Perhaps you have noticed in your travels through Mexico signs that say: Please do NOT flush the toilet paper! Place it in the waste basket provided.

 That is because most homes and businesses operate on holding tanks, not sewers. The extra paper waste in the holding tank creates a space problem, necessitating weekly or sometimes daily pump-outs with, as our grandson says, “the poo-sucker-truck.” Expensive! Smelly! And not very sanitary when the toilets back up or the tank overflows onto the street. Sewers are needed.

Point south and say you are headed to a restaurant

Besides the dust, dirt, noise and the daily confusion about how to access this area, there is a personal cost for the employees. Their earnings (tips) are dramatically reduced, with many customers avoiding the area, unsure how or where to gain access. 

Many taxi drivers are reluctant to drive customers or employees to the various restaurants and bars. A few taxi drivers have been demanding more money for the nuisance factor of travelling on bumpy dirt roads, worried about damaging their cars. The police tell people that the businesses are closed. Not so. They are all open and waiting for you.

New sewer lines and upgraded water lines

The new construction completion date is set for the first of the year, but right now I am looking out my window at a torrential downpour of rain that is turning the dirt streets to mud-holes, filling in the trenches with goopy muck, and slowing down the process yet again!

This week, the detour route starts at the north end of the project, near the car ferry docks. When stopped by the police at the barricades, just point south and say you are going to a restaurant, then head on into your off-road adventure. Keep a sharp eye out for the propane delivery truck, and of course, the poo-sucker-truck. You wouldn't want to have a close encounter of any kind with these two behemoths.

Expanded deck area at Marina Paraiso

The staff and management of the various businesses would really appreciate your support. Since I wrote this article yesterday, the road has been preliminarily paved up to the entrance to Marina Paraiso & Barlito's. 

Patience, my friends, patience. Eventually, it will all be finished. 

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky