It ain’t easy!

Another spectacular day on Isla Mujeres.      

It sounds easy; tour around Isla Mujeres on a golf cart. Just point the front end, stomp the gas pedal and off you go.

Caritos de golf aren’t fast and are relatively easy to steer depending on the overall condition of the vehicle. Uneven pavement, unmarked pot holes, or the numerous speed bumps, called topes, can jostle a poorly maintained vehicle around.

Richard and Lawrie - our island vehicle

A typical golf cart is just darn basic. It comes equipped with four wheels, a steering wheel, seats front and back and a one-cylinder seven-horsepower gas engine. 

They don’t have turn signals, brake lights, windshield wipers and of course no seat belts, airbags, or baby seats. In the slightly upgraded models a horn is included and if you are lucky it might actually work. 

Your arms are the turn signals. (Although it seems at times that drivers born after 1980 were never taught how to use hand signals.)

Accident in front of our house

When driving on Isla indicate your movements, lane changes, and direction changes clearly or you will find yourself being driven in a cop car to the police station. There you will pay for the damages to the vehicle that you hit, damages to the vehicle that you were driving, the other persons’ medical bills, your medical bills, and a number of vague traffic ‘fines’ that can mount up to several hundreds of dollars.

Busy streets on Isla Mujeres

The whole process of straightening out your accident can burn up hours and hours of your vacation time.  We know from personal experience after helping other folks deal with the situation. 

And please, don’t think about leaving the island without paying for the damages. You are a long way from home, and Mexican jails won’t win any Trip Advisor Awards for Excellence. 

(Prisoners are not fed, they must make their own arrangements for food and water to be brought in to them.)

Move over - we're coming through!

But the most important accessory on a carito de golf is the rear view mirror.  Make sure your rental vehicle has one, and check it frequently.  Motos, motorcycles and scooters will pass on either side of you. 

Drive as far to the right-hand side of the lane as you safely can because other vehicles will pass on corners, hills or wherever there is a little bit of space. 

For a taxi driver time is money. If you are hogging the lane the taxi drivers will become impatient and pass you, expecting you to move over and make room for their vehicle to squeeze by.

Vacationers - let's go to Isla and rent a golf cart!

During the year when families are on vacations watch out for young children steering a golf cart. 

It’s illegal, but for some reason folks think that the streets on Isla are quiet little country lanes with a few golf carts puttering along, and that it’s a cute idea to teach a youngster how to aim a vehicle on a busy road. 

Look again folks. There are ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, propane trucks, or tractor-trailer units, over a thousand rental golf carts, plus hundreds of taxis, motorcycles and bicycles all vying for limited road space. 

There is no 'slow season' on Isla anymore. 

Another challenge of driving on Isla is the abundance of drivers posing for ‘selfies,’ weaving back and forth in the lane as they try for the perfect shot of themselves and friends. 

Add a few cervezas and margaritas and later in the afternoon we hear the ambulances whizzing past our house, responding to yet another accident involving golf carts and motos, or golf carts and taxis, or golf carts and pedestrians.

Watch out for unmarked hazards.

One of our island-born friends, recently lamented, “They think they are in Disneyland when they come to Isla.” 

Enjoy your visit to the island, and don’t become one of the accident statistics. 

It’s not the way to finish up your vacation in paradise.

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

~

Treasure Isla

Have you got yours yet?

Treasure Isla is a humorous Caribbean adventure set on Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the eastern coast of Mexico. Two twenty-something women find themselves in possession of a seemingly authentic treasure map, which leads them on a chaotic search for buried treasure while navigating the dangers of too much tequila, disreputable men, and a killer. And there is a dog, a lovable rescue-mutt.  

$2.99 USD on Amazon ebooks.

https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Isla-Caribbean-adventure-Mujeres-ebook/

The cover of Treasure Isla has a new look courtesy of one of my favourite mystery writers Carmen Amato. She is the creator of the popular Emilia Cruz Detective series set in Acapulco. 

Day-tripping around Isla Mujeres:

North end of Isla

“Golf cart amiga? Carito de golf amigo?” the commission salesman asks as you exit the passenger ferry boats. “Take a tour of the island?”
You stop, and chat, negotiate a price, and follow then him to the rental company's office. What now? 

 The island is only eight kilometers long and less than a kilometer wide. (For our metric-challenged friends that is five miles long and half a mile wide.) You could zip around the entire island in less than an hour and be back at the rental place before lunch. What fun is there in that?

Indio's Cart Rentals new colours

Let's take a tour of Isla in one of these jazzy, fun vehicles. Most of the dozen or so rental companies are located in the general vicinity of where the passenger ferries unload. A few that come to mind are Captain Azul, Cardena's, Caribe, Ciros, Coco's, Easy, el Sol, Fiesta, Gomar, Indios, Isla Mujeres, Islander, Joaquin, Luxury, and Prisma. The cost can vary, but is usually around $600.00 pesos per day - $50.00 US more or less.

Fun rentals from Ciro's

The golf carts come with a few basic instructions, forward, reverse - and it is illegal to let an underage child drive. Then off you go. What they forget to mention is you do not have brake lights, turn signals, or windshield wipers. What you have is a low-power motor, four wheels and a steering wheel plus seating. Basic! Because golf carts are slow, be courteous and stay as far to the right as possible. Passing is a national sport in Mexico: passing on hills, passing on blind corners, and passing four across on a two-lane road. Golf carts are not made for passing – you are the tortoise in this race, not the hare. Relax, enjoy, and watch out for the other drivers. And yes, you can be fined for drinking while driving.

The Mia Reef at North Beach

Let's get started. The congested downtown area of Isla consists of one-way streets; streets that are not clearly marked. If you make the wrong choice your first clue would be the frantic signals of other drivers, waving their arms: Stop!-not-this-way.  Driving on the seawall or malecon is prohibited.  There are also two pedestrian-only streets; Hidalgo Avenue where the majority of the restaurants are located, and Morelos, the one with the pedestrian crosswalk usually controlled by a police officer. Poke around downtown and get your bearings then head north in the direction of the big hotel, the Mia Reef.

North beach is as the name suggests at the northern tip of the island, with white sandy beaches made famous by the Corona commercials and Trip Adviser's surveys rating it one of the Top Ten Best Beaches in the World. 

North beach is glorious on a sunny day, with numerous places to rent a beach lounger and be served good food and cold drinks. But hey, you have wheels, it's time to see the rest of the island.

North-western side of Isla Mujeres

To keep your bearing for this circumnavigation of the island – always keep the ocean on the passenger's side of the vehicle. This trick will take you completely around the island and back to the beginning. As you drive south along Rueda Medina, there are a number of great places along this stretch to enjoy good food and live music later in the afternoon; Jax Grill, Velasquez, Mininos, Ballyhoo, Brisas Grill, and Picus. This is one of our favourite areas to settle in for sunset drinks and snacks. But for now, carry on – you can always walk back to this area after you have returned the golf cart.

Entrance to Barlito's at Marina Paraiso

Drive straight ahead at the intersection by the car ferry, keep going on Rueda Medina until you start to see the various bars and restaurants: Bahia Tortuga, Soggy Peso Bar & Grill, Barlito's @ Marina Paraiso. Anyone of them have icy cold beverages and good food. This might be a good time for a quick stop for refreshments, but don't take too long, you still have the rest of the island to explore.


Back on the road again: turn right and continue on your adventure. Eventually you'll pass the big orange grocery store – Chedraui. Follow the main stream of traffic veering slightly to the right as you drive under the overhead warning lights for the pedestrian crosswalks and traffic congestion. If you notice a line up of impatient drivers behind you let them pass or you might be startled by drivers overtaking you with little or no visibility on Devil's Corner. Remember what we said about passing being a national sport in Mexico?

The Joint at Punta Sur

Great colours at Punta Sur

At the round-about across from the Isla Mujeres Palace Hotel you have a choice; you can make a sharp right and visit Dolphin Discovery to swim with the dolphins for the balance of the day or keep driving south to see the rest of Isla Mujeres. Heading south the next refreshment stop is at The Joint, a relaxing shady spot hidden in a jungle of trees and flowers. 





Then a few feet further along you will see a perfect “Ah!” location. It is a wide spot on the right side of the road where the gorgeous blues of the Caribbean are displayed for your visual enjoyment. It's a perfect location to stop for a photograph, and a homemade ice cream cone purchased from the mobile vendor.

Yummy treats!

A little further on at the extreme southern tip of the island, Punta Sur, is a small collection of stores and the stunning views from the Ancantilado restaurant. For an entrance fee of thirty pesos you can wander the park, and depending on the time of year you might see giant sea turtles mating in the surf.

Whew! You are half way around the island now. Don't forget to use the baños before leaving this area! The perimeter road on the eastern side of the island is primarily private residences, not restaurants and bars.

Don't get distracted by the view!

When leaving Punta Sur, turn right, keeping the ocean on the passenger's side of the vehicle. Along the eastern coast line are a number of beautiful homes. This road will lead you down a slight hill, past the smelly but unfortunately necessary garbage dump, the newer cemetery, and the settlement of Guadalupana. 

The beautiful ocean vistas have been know to distract drivers leading to collisions with motorcycles, other golf carts and assorted vehicles. Be careful! Drivers doing u-turns in this area have been seriously injured and have injured other people.

Famous sign at Villa la Bella

Passing by the various neighbourhoods you will eventually see a sign at Villa la Bella: “Beer so Cold it Will Make Your Teeth Hurt!” You might want to put that claim to the taste test, as this is pretty much the last stop for refreshments before heading back to centro and to return your golf cart.

Remain on the perimeter road, passing the Colegio de Bachilleres (high school) and the airport for the Naval base. At the corner of the airport if you turn left, then take the next right, driving in front of the Naval base, you will be back in the area where you first disembarked from the passenger ferries. Or if you drive straight ahead, behind the Naval base, you will arrive at the Palacio Municipal (City Hall) where a few more golf cart rental companies have their offices.

Our friends Edie and Gary with their 1957 Chevy golf cart

Well done! You made it – time for a sunset celebration.

And don't forget to collect your identification that you left with the golf cart office. It's a real nuisance to come back for forgotten items, although it could be an excuse for a return trip.

It could be opportunity to explore the individual, local neighbourhoods and really get lost in paradise.


Hasta Luego
Lynda & Lawrie

Moto Mania

Using the moto to transport lumber

How do they make it look so simple?

We have a collection of snapshots, taken in haste, as various motorcycle drivers hurry past; photos of people clutching small children, demur women in dresses balanced side-saddle, or workers holding on to ladders, tools, buckets or large pieces of lumber.  

The photos are blurred by movement, slightly out of focus, but represent an interesting cross-section of islanders. 

In the late 1970’s early 1980’s there were three rental companies on Isla Mujeres that had a few machines available for tourists to buzz around on the mostly sand streets.  Gomar Rentals was the pioneer in rentals on the island, being joined later by Carabela and Honda.  

Riding side-saddle - no problem!

Every two years the rental motorbikes would be replaced with new ones, allowing islanders to purchase the castoffs at a much reduced price.  

Until about seventeen or eighteen years ago privately owned motorcycles, or motos as they are called in Mexico, were rare on Isla.   

A few ex-pats either brought their favourites from the USA or purchased a new motorbike in Cancun.  

The Honda Store

In those years only the fortunate few who did not require a loan to purchase were able to own a new moto.  Interest rates in Mexico can run from 25% to 75% for a loan or credit card, depending on the circumstances and the company.  

In about 1995 Honda made the decision to put a dealership store on the island, and to offer terms: little payments over a very long time enabling many people to own their first motorcycle or scooter.  

For sale at Chedraui Super Store on Isla

An explosion occurred, and the streets were overrun by motos.  Now, motorbikes are so common they are sold in the local grocery store, Chedraui as well as several other appliance stores.  

The Chedraui Super Store is currently offering twelve months interest free and a free helmet if the purchaser qualifies for a Chedraui credit card: a mixed blessing in itself.

Common to see four or five on a motorbike

As the motos became more common islanders invented new uses for these versatile machines.  They became tireless workhorses, or tow trucks, or family vehicles.  

When we first moved to Isla seven years ago we typically saw two or three people on each moto, now the norm seems to be four and occasionally five family members crammed on one bike.  

The law states a maximum of three people per motorbike, but for the most part that is overlooked unless there is a campaign of enforcement in effect.   

Helping a friend with a push.

We are especially intrigued by the drivers who helpfully push a friend’s motorbike to the gas station, or the repair shop, or to their home for repairs.  The drivers will position the working moto slightly behind the non-functioning bike.  

The driver of the operating machine will then place a foot on the foot-peg of the other moto and off they go – cruising along, chatting, not a care in the world.  It’s a feat of balance and coordination unlike anything I have ever seen. 

I’m jealous!  My motorcycle riding abilities consist of applying a painful death grip to the rib-cage of the driver.  Clutching until my fingers turn white, hoping against hope that I will survive.   

I just don’t have the graceful confidence required to ride a motorcycle.  I’m happier in a car or golf cart.

Hasta Luego 

Lynda and Lawrie