Hey, when are ya coming back to Isla Mujeres? We're ready for you.

Visions of Margaritas dance in your heads

The annual winter migration begins soon, and Isla is ready for your return. Restaurant owners and merchants have been busy over the less hectic summer months, preparing for your return this winter. It’s the time of year that you leave the rain, ice and snow, and prepare to be pampered under the tropical sun.  It’s that wonderful time of year, when visions of frosty Margaritas dance in your heads. 

Freddy Medina Independence Day at El Arrecife 

Centro has several new places to enjoy an evening out with friends.  In the spring, everybody’s favourite bartender, Freddy Medina, opened El Arrecife – The Reef. The new bar is a joint venture between Freddy and his cousin Manuel Figueroa. It is located across from the municipal square and above the Paradice Cream shop. The entrance to the second-floor bar is on Hidalgo Avenue, behind the big tree decorated with toy monkeys. The Reef serves good fresh food, and all the fun that you can handle with Freddy.  Their street-view bar stools are a great location to relax with a drink and do some people-watching.

Jax Bar & Grill - the big bar on the corner

‘The big bar on the corner’, Jax Bar & Grill at the northern end of Rueda Medina, recently reopened after their annual staff holidays and restaurant refurbishing in September.  

This year’s big project was to redo the upper deck. Good thing! We think our dancing contributed to the old one’s demise. 

Jax is one of our favourite places for a hearty breakfast and tasty fish and chips.

Javi's Cantina 

Another new eatery is Javi’s Cantina & Tapas Bar, located on Juarez south of Abasolo Avenue.  

Javi’s serves up cold drinks and great food in an intimate environment with live music several nights a week. Check out their delicious fresh tuna, ceviche, and nachos.  The sliders look amazing as well. 

(We were recently caught on camera, dancing in the street outside Javi's, by the local paparazzi.)

Amar Cocina Peruana

Over a few streets, across from La Tablita’s and next door to Pleacorp (the pool supply place) is the new Amar Cocina Peruana.  

Owned by Catherine Benson, Amar features Peruvian cuisine and a fabulous selection of ceviches. The food is tasty.

In the same area, on the second floor kitty-corner to La Tablita’s, is Facebar, owned and operated by Luz Del Alba Hernandez and her sister. It’s already of favourite of locals for its cold beer, good prices and a ton of laughs.

Directly below Facebar is the brand new, bar and restaurant named BE. That's all we know at the moment. We happened to be driving past with a camera in hand and discovered that the day before, the windows were still boarded up, and the next day, they were ready to go.

Heading south along Rueda Medina is the ever-popular Soggy Peso Bed & Cocktail.  Closed for September for staff holidays and renovations, they will re-open this week. Bar service is now also available in the lower area, on the beach.  When you fall out of your chair, after two or maybe three of their famous Margaritas, it’s a much softer landing.  (We don't have any photos, as yet, of the new additions.) 

New and expanded Donosusa

And in the colonias a few blocks south of our house, but before you get to the double ‘highway’ at the Salinas Grande, is Bofitos.  It’s a great neighbourhood location to get simple, yummy food.

Another big change is that Donosusa, the grocery store near the tennis courts, has done a huge remodel. Double in size, new shelving, brighter lights, and a touch of air conditioning.  Good pricing for basic packaged goods, detergents, paper products, with a small deli counter, and a cold beer fridge.

There’s probably more, but those are the ones that we’ve noticed.

Counting down the days until everyone is back in paradise.

See ya soon,

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

Or

Death in the Vineyards

Clothes for the nation

Three Amigos - fishing tournament shirts

Mexico is kinda unique in North America.  

Unlike its northern neighbours, who love t-shirts emblazoned with sports team logos or various rock stars, Mexico relies heavily on political events to clothe the nation. A favourite giveaway during election time is a t-shirt with the name and slogan of a political candidate featured prominently, perhaps accompanied by a photograph.

Political rally for the Governor and Presidente

Even though we are residents, not citizens, and therefore cannot vote in the elections, we have on several occasions been offered a t-shirt from a political party, but we can’t wear them. 

As non-citizens, we are not allowed to be involved in anything political. 

 Fishing Tournaments

Another source of free t-shirts for locals is their employers. Many tour boats, or fishing charter boats, outfit their crews in white, long-sleeved t-shirts emblazoned with the boat's name. It’s a great way to keep the crew looking professional and to advertise the boat to tourists.  

The long-sleeved style is the preferred shirt when working out on the sun-reflecting water. They are hotter to wear, but do a better job of preventing sunburn. We know from the half dozen or so times we have gone fishing with friends. We usually returned in late afternoon, hot and sweaty, and relatively burn-free.

Winners in Ladies Tournament 2015

A free t-shirt also comes with every entry fee for the numerous annual fishing tournaments.  

There are the standard white fishing shirts for the regular tournament and the prettier pale pink shirts for the ladies-only annual tournament that took place this last weekend.  

A boatload of our friends participated in the ladies’ tournament last year, and judging by the photographs, they had a heck of a fun time.  Of course, with fishing, there are always copious quantities of cold cerveza, bringing smiles to all of the participants.

Crews and participants, long-sleeved shirts

With the political giveaways, the locals are pretty savvy. It’s a fairly common strategy to profess support for different candidates until the t-shirts have been handed out. We were out walking the other day, and spotted a clothesline with several t-shirts drying in the sun. Wow! We could go back at least nine years of political candidates, from all parties.  And best of all, they are free.

Different political candidates represented here.

We have amassed our own personal collection of free t-shirts gifted by business friends who wanted to spread the word about their company: restaurants, bars, and breweries.  

Hey great!  Free clothes.  Thanks.

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries