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| Sunset looking towards Cancun. |
Luckiest island? Just because we are blessed
with amazing beaches, fabulous restaurants, and gracious people?
Yes, but also because this year we dodged several natural disasters that devastated our surrounding neighbours. 2017
has been a hyperactive hurricane season in the Caribbean Sea with seventeen
named storms, including Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey,
Irma, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, and Rina.
Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Nate were
projected to ride right over our little sandbar of an island. Thankfully, both
storms changed their travel plans, leaving us in peace. Our neighbours in Texas,
Florida, Louisiana, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico were unfortunately subjected
to the wrath of several big storms this year.
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| Earthquakes in September 2017 |
In September, Mexico suffered a series of
devastating earthquakes on the Pacific coast and in central Mexico. Hundreds
of people died in the huge quakes. The communities are still in recovery mode,
with unstable buildings and damaged infrastructure.
Thankfully, we don’t seem to
be in an earthquake zone here on the Caribbean side of Mexico.
Most of the
quakes are concentrated further out where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic
Ocean, near Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the Virgin Islands.
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| Local policewoman and her daughter |
On the more personal side of living on Isla
Mujeres, we have a very low crime rate. Most of the problems are crimes of
opportunity. A purse snatched. A pocket picked. A camera or electronic device
taken from tourists in a rental property. With 16,000 residents and
two million visitors a year, the opportunities abound for thieves. They prey on
people who assume that since this is a small island, they do not have to worry about
any crime. Well, you do have to take precautions. Keep track of your valuables.
Use the safes supplied in your accommodation for your passports, extra cash,
and electronic devices. Lock your doors when leaving your lodging, even if you
are just going out for a few minutes. Don’t leave any small electronic devices
out on display. Someone will take them.
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| Sunrise on the eastern side of the island |
And sadly, you should be aware of the possibility
of sexual assault. Twice in recent weeks, a young woman has successfully
fought off an attacker.
But on the upside of living here, the weather is
nearly-perfect, the environment is healthy, and the municipality tries to provide
a variety of cultural experiences for everyone.
There is an abundance of
beaches, restaurants, and bars, plus ethnic activities on most weekends
in Centro. The Artist Fairs, located at the Casa de Cultura, are back in
operation starting this week. The plan is for every second Thursday, but will likely
change to weekly as the high-season tourist traffic increases.
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| Folk Dancers in Centro |
We have a reasonably good police force, and the
large comforting presence of the huge navy base across from the passenger
ferries.
It’s nice to know those folks live here year-round, providing extra
security, search and rescue for lost boats, and occasionally emergency medical
evacuations.
The two navy drug-sniffing dogs and their handlers frequently
greet the passenger boats or car ferries, checking for contraband. We enjoy
watching the dogs work.
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| Navy dogs and handlers at the ferry terminal |
So yes, we think Isla Mujeres is the luckiest island
in Mexico.
It’s a beautiful island with friendly locals and resident
foreigners.
(That’s us! Resident foreigners.)
Cheers from paradise
Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Max
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