Sometimes a last minute invite can be a fun one!

Late this Wednesday afternoon, Lawrie just happened to check his emails and discovered a message from Marla Bainbridge Martinez asking if we would consider helping out as bartenders at a fundraiser starting at four in the afternoon.

I heaved an unhappy sigh, and stared longingly at my just-poured glass of Malbec wine. Our afternoon plans had included reading a book on the ocean-side patio, with a glass of wine in hand. But it was a fundraiser put on by a group of island friends and business people in support of a badly injured islander. Julio Zapata had recently been in a horrific moto (motorcycle) accident in the nearby City of Mérida. Julio has two young children and a third on the way. He is facing large medical bills for multiple surgical operations.

We couldn’t say no. It’s what people in small communities do – help out. Lawrie and I scrambled to get to the fundraiser for the four o’clock start time, knowing full well that as eager-beaver expats we would be among the first to arrive.

Navy truck in front, providing an armed escort for the ice?

Driving to the venue at the Casa de la Culture via Guerreo Avenue, we trailed behind a golf cart, loaded with bags of ice. Apparently ice for a party is a valuable commodity on Isla Mujeres. Driving ahead of the golf cart was an armed escort in the form of a truck load of Navy marines – presumably protecting against the threat of ice-bandits.

Lawrie and Fernanda all set to sell beer and drinks

At the ocean-side esplanade for the Casa de la Culture busy hands were in the process of setting up the venue. Lights and sound systems installed. Band instruments un-packed. Beer organized in the cooler and covered with the precious ice. Bid pages were arranged for silent auction items donated by several island businesses. And then our favourite beer dispensers arrived: Isla Brewing.

La Banda Sin Nombre

Okay, we’re good to go! Now let’s hear some tunes from La Banda Sin Nombre, the Band with No Name!

The crowd was small but very generous in their donations. Thanks to everyone for helping out. Here’s a copy of Marla’s list of contributors: hopefully no one has been left out.

Javi's Cantina Restaurant Tapas Bar, Bobo's Grill & Bar, Isla Mujeres Bar Card, El Arrecife, Parque de los Sueños, Restaurant Asia Caribe, CARM Tours & Transfers, The Joint Reggae Bar & Grill, El Patio house of music, Gigi Kraycar, Nirit Ben David, Olivia Tastes from the Mediterranean, Catrina Restaurant, BE Wings Restaurant, Nisa Disco, and Michael (no last name given).

Aida signing up for an auction item

La Banda Sin Nombre, and Deejay Dani for the tunes. Cheryl Gabel and Kevin Gabel for running the auction. Isla Brewing Company - Cerveza Isla for showing up last minute. Emilio Fernando Sosa Delgado and Martin Burgos for setting up. Jason Williams and Fernanda.

Some of the silent auction winners include: Phil the new owner of the Bahai Tortuga Restaurant, Mark and Monica Macpherson, Sandra Murray, Tomas Christianson, Terri Huff, Dede Clark, Aida and Patricio Yam.

Phil, Barbara Beck, Chris Shannon, Jimmy Picuri

Between the beer sales, the silent auction items, and an earlier Go Fund Me campaign the group efforts have brought in about $41,000 pesos of the $70,000 pesos needed to pay for the operations. It’s a great start! Donations are still gratefully accepted. Contact Marla at Javi’s Cantina for details.

The weather was perfect, the music enjoyable, and the crowd was happy.

Thank you everyone for your generosity.

 

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Organizing the silent auction items

~

Available as an e-book on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, or Nook. Paperback copies are available from Amazon. If you are on the island you can purchase a copy at  Jenny Penny Beach Boutique or Casa Sirena Hotel. 

Isla Mujeres Mysteries are the perfect beach-read for your next vacation.

Patience! Living in Mexico is all about patience

“Living in Mexico is all about patience,” Tiffany Yenawine-Wareing philosophically wrote on her FaceBook 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 allows access to the middle section part of Rueda Medina, the main north-south route on Isla Mujeres. She and husband Brad Wareing jointly 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 few hundred feet south at the 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 causes a big problem with space, 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 backup 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 as to how or where to gain access. 

Many taxi drivers are reluctant to drive customers or employees to the various restaurants and bar. A few taxi drivers have been demanding more money for the nuisance factor of traveling on bumpy dirt roads, worried about damaging their cars. The local Policia are telling 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 really wouldn't want to have an close encounter of any kind with these two behemoths.

Expanded deck area at Marina Paraiso bar

The staff and management of the various businesses would really appreciative 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. 

Hasta Luego

Lawrie & Lynda

Today's "pretty picture" - three amigos fishing near our house

You can find us on the web at:

Humerous stories about critters we have known:

http://animalsandfamilymembers.blogspot.mx/

AND

The Adventures of Thomas the Cat: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Adventures-of-Thomas-the-Cat-Las-Aventuras-de-Tomás-el-Gato

Hidden Secrets (Lawrie's turn to write)

I know, it's a hard job running around Isla looking for all the fun bars. Oh well, my “check liver” light is not on at the moment, so here goes.

Starting downtown on Francisco Madero Street, just off Hidalgo Avenue is Tiny's Bar. No, Tiny, the owner is not tiny, but the bar is. 

Two-for-one Mojitos

It is probably only eight feet across. Tiny's is a fun spot with great drinks, and my brand of beer: Sol. 

But since it is two-for-one Mojitos day, I had to sample a couple, and then it is time to move on. 

This time I stopped at the Bunga Bar, also known as The Drunken Mermaid, just a cross from the ferry terminal on Rueda Medina. They don't carry my brand of beer, but oh well, I guess rum and Coke it is. 

This is a perfect spot to people watch in the late afternoon – lots of small and even smaller bikinis passing by on the street – with fun music playing in the background.

I've got a bit of a buzz going. I'm going in circles, retracing my route back to Hemingway's Grill (La Tablita) on Guerrero Avenue. 

La Tablita - Hemingway's Grill

This is a place for me to get into serious trouble. Luz the bartender takes very good care of me, and they have icy cold Sol. Well, I'm going to leave the downtown area now, and travel up the west side of the island to where I can park the golf cart, and get a taxi as driving will soon not be an option for me.

Bahia Tortuga - listening to music.

Bahia Tortuga is the first bar I came across. It is a great palapa bar situated on the bay, with a stage for the outstanding live music acts they feature. 

They don't have my kind of beer, but a Margarita or two will be just fine fun.

Soggy Peso SOL - colder than a penguin's butt

Next is a short walk to the Soggy Peso Bar & Grill. Okay it's only two doors away. 

Here I am in serious trouble; icy cold Sol cerveza, killer strong margs, and fun, friendly staff. I had to be taken home at this point (I think).

Oh, the sacrifices I make for a good story.

The day after I continue my quest to hunt down all the fun bars on Isla; besides I need the golf cart back.

Daddy Blues at Barlito's 

On to Barlito's at the Marina Paraiso. It's another enjoyable palapa bar, overlooking a marina, that also features live music three nights a week. Barlito's serves most types of beer, which is rare, as most bars in Mexico are either a Sol house, or a Corona house, but not both. It's a licensing thing.

The Band with No Name at Chuuk Kay

Next door to Barlito's is Casa Blanca. It's one of those bars that is not structurally sound, as they seem to need a brass pole to hold the ceiling up. This one is probably best enjoyed later at night.

A little further along, and back on the waterfront, is Chuuk Kay with a new and very large palapa right on the beach. The covered space would easily accommodate a large wedding group. Chuuk Kay also has my kind of beer, and good food. The Band With No Name – Javier and the guys – play fun danceable tunes on weekends.

Five-piece Cuban band with a guest singer

Right next door is Varadero, also known as El Cuba Ron. It's an excellent Cuban restaurant overlooking the passage where all the expensive boats pass by, headed into their docks, or stopping at Varadero for food and fun. They have live Cuban music on the weekends, both Sol and Corona products, and super fish dinners, but I'm just drinking this time. After leaving Varadero, out on the main road is Bronco's, with cold Sol and late night entertainment. I would need a special kitchen pass to go there – and I'm afraid to ask!

I've heard good things about the Casa de los Sueños happy hour, and the one at Maria's Kan Kin on the south-west side of the island, but darn, I'm impaired again and will have to continue this fact-finding mission another day …....

Hasta Luego

Lawrie, Maureen, Randy, Amy, Kevin, Ken, Colleen, Linda, Rich

Lawrie & Lynda

Find us on the web at:

The Adventures of Thomas the Cat: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Adventures-of-Thomas-the-Cat-Las-Aventuras-de-Tomás-el-Gato

Cruising the Neighbourhood, plus reviews of Wine and a Restaurant



Interesting new sculpture on west side of Isla

It's always fun to see what's new on the island when we are out walking in the early evening. 

We left our house around 4:30 in the afternoon and headed towards town, eventually wrapping around the airport to walk along the west side of the island.



New stamped concrete sidewalk and seawall on west side

We ambled along while I snapped photos of the seawall re-construction project, admiring the white stamped concrete walkways, white stone walls, and the new fishing boat sculpture.

When completed it will be a beautiful place to seat and watch the sunsets.

On our walk we eventually made our way to the new Bahia Tortuga Bar (Turtle Bay) just to have a peak at this new facility. 



new - Bahia Tortuga Bar

It is located about two lots north of the ever-popular Soggy Peso Bar & Grill.  Danny, the owner, has created a beautiful setting for the bar.  

And, some of you may remember J-J, the very tall and very pleasant young man who worked last year at the Soggy Peso as a bartender.  He's the new bar manager for the Bahia Tortuga Bar. 

Beautiful sunsets from this location as well.

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Wine!  by Lawrie Lock

The Curse of the Tropics

I know - you think all is perfect down here in paradise.  I assure you it's not!  Wine (my little vice) in the tropics has a shelf life that is decidedly short, especially white wine. 

My favourite white wine is a Sauvignon Blanc, and it's a good example of why I don't buy anything over two years old.  The fruit flavours and citrus overtones fade when the wine is too old, or has been mistreated in transit.  A hint for you, if you see a white wine that is lemon yellow in colour when viewed in a bottle or poured in a glass - stay away.  It is old, has no flavour, and just plain nasty to drink!  The exceptions are the big, oaked, Chardonnays from Australia and California.  French Chardonnays are typically not "oaked" and should be light in colour, not lemon yellow.



 Our favourite: Sauvignon Blanc, and a Chardonnay

So now that it's 2012, for white wine, I buy nothing older than 2010.  The date on the bottle is when the grapes were harvested.  And you have to remember that when you are looking at wine from south of the equator such as New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina, their seasons are opposite of ours.  Their winter is our summer and vice versa which means that the wine is six months older than when calculating for our northern seasons.  A good Chardonnay can be a bit older but will also lose its fruit characteristics with heat and rough treatment.

Recommendations for Sauvignon Blanc in Mexico

Argentina - Secreto

Chile - Santa Rita Medalla Real 

Chile - Santa Rita 120

New Zealand - Kim Crawford

New Zealand - Nobilo

For the reds, again use caution when buying.  Nothing over three years old.  Yeah, I know, in Canada, the US, and Europe this would be considered to be a very young red wine.  Remember the temperature in the tropics is hot all year around.  The bigger stores may be nice and cool with air conditioning, but the un-refrigerated truck that brought the wine to your city traveled over miles of highways and rough local roads pitted with pot holes, through temperatures of 120F or 40C.  Not good for wine!  Rough treatment will prematurely age wines.

Recommendations for reds in Mexico

Australia - Cabernet or Shiraz

Chile - Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

France - most of the reds, but watch the dates

USA - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

So, remember drink fast and often.  You don't want the wine to go bad. 
(Did I say that?)

(Lawrie, has in a previous life, managed several gourmet restaurants, and he managed a winery in the Okanagan Valley of Canada.  He wrote a weekly wine column in Canada for three years. He enjoys wine!)

                                      ______________________

Restaurant Review:

This year there has been a rash of new restaurant openings, so many in fact that a group of us decided we would try one new place each week. 



Almar, recently re-opened

Almar Restaurante, located at Casa Suesnos on Carretera Garrafón. (It's on the southwest side of Isla.)

Out of a possible 1 to 5 Forks for each category - the results have been averaged for the 6 people who voted:

Food:                     4 Forks - mixed reviews, some good and some not

Ambiance:              5 Forks - beautiful spot on the west side of the island

Service:                  3 Forks - inattentive

Wine:                     2 Forks - a choice of one red and one white

1 order of Beef Fajitas - good

1 order of Fish and Chips - good

3 orders of Fish with Tamarind Sauce - okay, but not great

1 order of Quesadillas - good

Total for 6 people, with two bottles of Chilean wine, and 4 beers = $2200.00 pesos (before we added on the tip).