A little help for our furry friends!

Sparky at Clinica Veterinaria de Isla Mujeres

Pets occasionally need a visit to a doctor, or as Thomas the Cat would say, the cat-doctor. 

Sparky, our almost-famous, island low-rider, recently needed a few tests to diagnose his health issues. We took him to Clinica Veterinaria de Isla Mujeres, where Delfino Guevara, DVM, and soon-to-be-certified DVM Rossely Gonzalez expertly performed a chest x-ray and blood tests. The last time Sparky needed tests, we battled with a car ferry ride to Cancun and back. Staying on the island for his tests was much less stressful for everyone.

Sparky about to be X-rayed.  What do I do now?

For analysis of blood samples, Clinica Veterinaria currently uses a laboratory in Centro. There is a fundraising campaign for a blood chemistry analyzer that will obtain results quickly and cheaply for the clinic. Part of the fundraiser includes the memory tile project, displayed on the entrance wall of the hospital. It is one of those things that we have passed time and again, briefly glanced at, but not really noticed.

  

Artist, Julie Goth, Thomas the Cat's tile

The project was started by well-known islanders, Tony and Mim Gallagher, as a means to raise a little extra money for the animal hospital. 

They kicked off the program by generously purchasing six hand-painted tiles with the names of their grandchildren. The kids get a giggle out of stopping at the clinic to check on their tiles every time they visit the island. 

Julie Goth and Déanne Gray

It wasn’t until recently, when two of our nearby neighbours and close friends, Julie Goth and Déanne Gray, became involved with the project, that we really paid attention. Julie Goth created a beautiful image for our mutual friends, Chuck and Marcy Watt, in celebration of their Isla fur-baby, Sombra. Déanne Gray, on the other hand, actively promotes the fundraiser, organizing the placement of the tiles and collecting the money. To order a memory tile, please private message Déanne Gray (Day) on Facebook.

Bonnie Hamilton, Eileen Regn help the animals

If you are on the island, you can either pay at the clinic or arrange to pay Julie Goth, Eileen Regn, or Déanne Gray, or pay online through Helping Animals Living Overseas (HALO). The minimum donation is 750 pesos or $50 USD, and goes to helping island animals.

Please remember to add a note that your donation is for a memory tile, and include photos and personal details of the person or pet you wish to honor. www.helpinganimalslivingoverseas.org/donate

Cover illustration by Diego Medina

We recently purchased two: one for our seventeen-year-old Thomas the Cat, who succumbed to kidney disease last April, and the other for Princess Chica, another true-life character featured in my children’s book, The Adventures of Thomas the Cat. 

Chica passed away in 2014. Her tile will be mounted on the wall adjacent to her best friend, Thomas. 

Princess Chica and her best friend Thomas

And in case you didn’t know, both Day Gray and full-time islander Bonnie Hamilton are the legendary cat-trap-ladies. Every week, they voluntarily trap feral cats to be spayed or neutered at the clinic. Day has extended an open invitation for us to share the experience. However, she has mentioned on occasion that her clothes are quite odoriferous by the end of the evening’s festivities, giving us a reason to be otherwise occupied.

Delfino and Rossely, blood tests for Sparky

Funded by HALO (Helping Animals Living Overseas), Clinica Veterinaria’s current location is across the street from the original clinic. The new structure was purpose-built about three years ago to house the animal hospital, pet adoption centre, and cat sanctuary. We asked one of the founder members of HALO, Kit Lilly, for background information. Her answer was so detailed and well-written, we decided to include it, as is, in this blog post.

~

The new clinic before signage and murals

From Kit Lilly:

“HALO (Helping Animals Living Overseas) was formed in October 2013 as a US 501c3. HALO’s mission is to support select projects outside of the US that benefit animals. The first project that HALO chose was the construction of the new animal hospital and adoption center in Isla Mujeres. In addition to the new building, the project added a small adoption area at the front of the building, a cat sanctuary on the land behind the clinic, and equipment such as stainless steel cages for hospitalized animals and an X-ray machine. The project included providing ongoing operating support to help offset losses generated by the fact that much of the clinic's caseload is caring for homeless animals. The clinic rates are below market rates for vet services.  The rates are intentionally set this way because many of the island families cannot afford market-rate care for their animals, and the clinic did not want animals to go without care. 

The clinic entrance, today.

All of the initial founders of HALO had been to Isla Mujeres (several of us are property owners, and all are repeat visitors) and admired the work of Clinica Chipie and its staff.  

The founders wanted to be able to help improve the clinic facilities, provide a safe space for the “clinic cats”, and have a space to feature adoptable pets.  

Mural by Barbara Siebenlist

They recognized the clinic as a valuable resource for the island, both for the quality of its care and also because it is the only 24/7 emergency care for animals on the island. It was also recognized that because of the free and subsidized care provided by the clinic, ongoing outside operating support would be necessary. 

HALO was essentially formed concurrently with selecting this project as its first. After learning more about the mission of Clinica Chipie and examining its financial statements, it became clear that Clinica Chipie was in all forms except legally a non-profit. We suggested that Delfino consider converting his existing business from a traditional Mexican corporation to an Association Civil, a Mexican nonprofit. He applied to the government to convert it and was successful. 

Thomas the Cat, illustration Diego Medina

HALO raised funds for the construction of the new clinic building, and it was completed in the fall of 2014. HALO continues to provide operating support and hopes to fund the purchase of a blood chemistry analyzer to facilitate diagnosis later this year. HALO continues to raise funds for operating support.  The sale of the hand-painted tiles to honor a loved one (human or animal) is one way people can donate and enables them to have a physical connection to the island.”

~

Sombra sharing a hug with her best friend 

If you have a friend, family member, or beloved pet you would like to honor, you will be helping out the island cats and dogs, plus keeping alive the memory of a special person or pet.  

Or in the case of Tony and Mim Gallagher, giving the grandkids a giggle when they visit the clinic and can see their names on the wall.

Hasta luego, Lynda, Lawrie, and Sparky

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Bonnie and Ariel the faces behind Sea Hawk Dive Shop & Suites

Ariel - a few years ago

“Do you ever take a day off?”  I asked Bonnie Hamilton early on a Sunday morning last week. 

She flashed her high-wattage smile and said, “In hurricane season,” which probably meant, we do if it is raining like hell and the weather is too rough for our boats; otherwise, no, we don’t take a day off.  

   

Bonnie Hamilton, Ariel Barandica Dec 2015

Well-known islanders Bonnie Hamilton and Ariel Barandica met on Isla Mujeres in 1985, when Ariel was operating his Sea Hawk Dive Shop from the beach near what is now Fenix Restaurante. Every morning, he stuck a colourful umbrella in the sand, and placed a dive tank under the umbrella, then added a sign proclaiming Sea Hawk was open for the day. His boat was either anchored in the bay or tied to the bridge that gives access to what is now the Mia Hotel.

Diver and turtle - photo by Tyto 

Originally from Veracruz, Ariel arrived on Isla Mujeres in the late 1970s. He had been working the oil rigs near Campeche for a few years before deciding the work was too dangerous and there had to be a better way to make a living.  

Ariel originally operated his business from another beachside location at the south end of the island, before it was designated as Garrafon Natural Reef Park.  The snorkeling was outstanding with thousands of nearby fish inhabiting clear blue waters.  By 1981, the reef was beginning to show signs of decay, with too many boats dumping effluent and people carelessly walking on the coral, not realizing how delicate it is. Ariel and friends petitioned the government to protect the reef from abuse.  It’s an ongoing problem.

Eagle Ray - photo by Tyto

Married in 1987, Bonnie and Ariel’s two adult children have dual citizenship - Canadian and Mexican.  

Their son Jerson is an engineer by trade, but an award-winning soccer player by passion.  He learned to play five-a-side futsal on Isla Mujeres, utilizing sand lots, streets, basketball courts, soccer fields, and beaches.  

Any level space would do. He is currently the Head Coach of the Women’s soccer program at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, and a coach for the White Caps High Performance Academy.  Also well-educated, their daughter Leira enjoys traveling the world and helping out at the dive shop whenever she returns to the island.

Omer & Avital, Israel swim with Whale Sharks

By 1999, Bonnie and Ariel had built their current Sea Hawk Dive Shop & Suites facility on Avenida Carlos Lazo, near the Convention Centre and just a block off North Beach.   Their cozy little hotel has six rooms, allowing guests easy access to snorkeling or diving tours, diving lessons, and trips to swim with the beautiful whale sharks. 

The cool thing about booking a whale shark swim with Sea Hawk Dive Shop is that they supply wetsuits for all of their customers.  Wearing a wetsuit in place of the mandatory and clumsy life vest provides buoyancy but a lot more flexibility when swimming. 

According to Ariel, here in Mexico, we have the largest congregation of whale sharks in the world, and it is very interesting to compare the prices for a day trip to see these gentle giants.  Australian tour boats charge between $600.00 and $650.00 USD per person per trip, while the tour companies that arrange trips from Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to see the pod that congregates near Isla Mujeres charge between $300.00 and $400.00 USD per person.  If you deal with an island tour boat, the cost is typically $100.00 to $125.00 USD per person.  Shop local!  Save money!

Zephyr & Megan from USA, Roberto & Tyto

Marine biologist Tyto Morales is the dive master, and Roberto Leiva is the boat captain at Sea Hawk Dive Shop. The two guys work hard to make your experience fun and informative. 

A number of the gorgeous photographs on their Facebook page and in this blog article were taken by Tyto.  

Daniele & Assuna, Italy

Bonnie and Ariel are busy, community-minded islanders who donate a lot of time, money, and energy to the betterment of the island. 

When she isn’t working at their businesses, Bonnie might be practicing dance routines for the next Carnaval parade, typically held in February or March, or perhaps teaching yoga in the evenings at NaBalam Hotel. 

Some evenings, you might find her live-trapping feral cats to be spayed and neutered, in an attempt to keep the island's domestic cat population manageable.  

Anytime you see a cat with a notch out of one ear, it’s a pretty good bet that the cat has paid a visit to the local veterinarian to be altered, compliments of Bonnie and her like-minded friends. It’s a smelly and thankless job, but she is committed to helping out.

Bonnie dancing for 2016 Carnaval 

Next time you want a snorkeling trip, dive on a wreck, learn to dive, or visit during the whale shark season, drop them a note on their Facebook page, or email them at seahawkdivers@hotmail.com – you’ll have a great experience.

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Sea-Hawk-Divers-144655245615133/?fref=ts

Hasta Pronto!

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, & Thomas

Ariel, always smiling!

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

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Death in the Vineyards

Tangled - the Isla Mujeres parade that never was

Carnaval dancer

A hot salsa beat pounds out of enormous speakers, as a truck and trailer filled to overflowing with Carnaval dancers heads for the parade assembly area.  

The street is stuffed with happy spectators. The street-side restaurants are overflowing with celebrants waiting for the start of the Carnaval parade. It’s all part of the fun, knowing that the parade never, ever starts on time.  

And knowing the wait will be worth it when the dancers finally arrive.

Group arriving at the north end of Medina

Truckloads of costumed dancers drive past our chosen viewing outpost on Rueda Medina.  

The groups lurch forward, then stop as the troupe manager decides they should do an impromptu performance – hoping to make a little more money from the crowd to help pay for their expensive costumes.  

The street is a whirl of pink and purple and green and orange.  

Great-grandmothers and Grandmothers

Great-grandmothers and grandmothers strut and twirl. Their daughters, granddaughters, and grandsons follow with more energetic routines. 

The traffic stutter-steps along the proposed route, inching along in the wrong direction. Other groups have assembled near the Navy base for the three o’clock start time, while the renegade groups buck the system and party on.  

High flying dancer

By four o’clock, we decide to walk south along Rueda Medina, towards the beginning of the parade, looking for more dancers.  

Many groups are still performing in the street, nowhere near the assembly point.  The crowd doesn’t care.  Everyone is having a great time. 

A little further south, directly in front of the UltraMar passenger ferry terminal, we finally find a dance troupe that is headed in the correct direction.  This group is also dancing enthusiastically, and their forward progress is slow, very slow.  

Energetic dancers outside ferry terminal

The street is noisy and awash in bright colours as costumed performers strut, twirl, leap, and spin. Arriving ferry passengers are caught up in the mad whirl.  

Some are startled by the pandemonium, others instantly meld into the chaos – bouncing to the beat as they weave their way through the crowd, dragging unruly suitcases along bumpy sidewalks. For them, it’s an unforgettable introduction to Carnaval.

The south-bound trucks get diverted by the municipal police, the wrong way on a one-way street, to enable the troupes to join the parade line-up. 

Fun introduction for visitors to Isla Mujeres

By six o’clock in the afternoon, we had given up on the idea of an actual parade.  

Groups of dancers come and go in front of us. I snap photo after photo, wondering how soon I will exhaust the camera battery. The last and the largest group finished their spectacular display in a candy-coloured whirl of pink, orange, blue, green, and yellow. Worn out from all the fun, we walk back to where we parked our car. 

Last and largest dance group

The next morning, while chatting with friends, we discovered that the parade never did get as far as the corner by Jax Restaurant and Grill - the official end of the route. 

Many groups gave up partway along, too exhausted by their three full days of energetic dancing, and then the energy-sapping long delays during the parade. 

There is always next year! It’s Mexico! Nothing ever goes as planned.  

Hasta Luego

Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas 

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

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Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky