Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nate – gave us a pass

Boarding up for TS Nate.  

Normally a bit of rough weather doesn’t bother us. We’re Canadian and have experienced snowy blizzards and drenching rainstorms. But I confess I’m not a fan of tropical storms teetering on the edge of being classified as a hurricane.

I don’t mind wind, but I really don’t like the high velocity winds of a tormenta. Sadly, though, when this recent storm, TS Nate, blasted over the mountainous countries of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it was the excessive rainfall that caused the deaths of twenty-two people.

Since we live at the edge of the ocean and TS Nate was forecast to pass directly over this flat, little sandbar of an island, we obsessively clicked on the NOAA site and several internet weather channels, checking predicted rainfall, storm surge, and wind speeds.

On Wednesday, it was clear we were going to get hit.

By Thursday morning, we had dragged everything inside our little casa: two sun loungers, a small sofa and two chairs, glass-topped tables, stacks of big cushions for the two larger sofas, and anything small enough to become an airborne hazard. 

We tied down garden hoses to prevent them from whipping around in the wind, and pushed plant pots into tight huddles. 

I made up a couple of dozen sandbags to block the rain from entering under our doors, especially our bedroom door, which has an outside entrance onto an open deck.

New house a bit north of ours is boarded up.

We had extra bottles of water, gas in the golf cart, easy-to-prepare food for us and the pets, and cash in case the power was off for a few days, making ATM’s useless. (By now, we are feeling like the characters in the novel that I am writing, Tormenta Isla, who had to do all the same prep work!)

Then, exactly as our friends Tony Garcia and Isauro Martinez described, many boat owners prepared for the storm/hurricane by moving their vessels deep into Laguna Makax. The Caribe line of passenger boats from Cozumel brought their three good-sized vessels to Isla and docked them at the municipal wharf next to the car ferry. Presumably, that dock is more sheltered than the ones at Cozumel. Even the car ferry and the Ultramar passenger ferries shut down early.

Caribe Ferry, normally located in Cozumel

It was an eerie feeling driving along the island’s shoreline, which normally bustles with boats, islanders, and tourists. Every public or private wharf from Velasquez Restaurante, near the north end of the island, to the car ferry was empty, and all of the oceanfront restaurants were closed. Every tour, pleasure, or work boat had been moved to Laguna Makax, or dragged high up on the beach and securely tied to nearby palm trees.

Hotel shuttered on the main floor

Many businesses were closed so that their staff would be safe at home before the Friday afternoon arrival of the storm. Doors and windows were covered by pieces of wood or cortinas, the accordion-style hurricane shutters.

A light rain damped the streets, and we decided it was time to hunker down with our pets and a good bottle of wine. We read. We sipped wine. We waited, and we checked the internet. The predicted rainfall was for around 95mm or 4 inches, although TS Nate had dumped 510 mm or about 20 inches of rain on Central America. The wind speed was predicted to reach a Category 1 Hurricane of 120 kilometers per hour, about 74 miles an hour.

Wharf at Bally Hoo, empty, restaurant closed.

The afternoon turned into evening, and still no rain or wind. 

Then, remarkably, we fell asleep for two hours. I usually lie awake during storms listening to the sounds of the house: the rattle of the screen on our windows, the creak of the patio doors as the wind pushes against them, and the banging of something not tightly secured.

At ten in the evening, both Lawrie and I woke up to silence. No wind. No rain. Nothing. We checked the internet. The storm, now Hurricane Nate, had moved about ten miles east, closer to Cuba. It had passed by us. That was a big relief to everyone. Facebook pages were soon littered with jokes about the overreaction and the huge amount of prep work for a non-event.

M&J's buttoned up for TS Nate

But as one of our friends said:

“They just don’t understand what it feels like to lose everything and not have insurance. To have your only vehicle damaged, whether it was a moto or an old car, it was still your only transportation. To worry about the lives of your family, your friends, and yourself. To step out of your home and see the damage done to your community and know that it could be days or weeks before everything is back to some type of normal. In the meantime, people scramble to make a living and to feed their children. It’s difficult, very difficult. So what if we over-prepared? Better that than homeless.”

We’d happily do the same preparations again, especially if it works as a lucky charm and keeps the tormenta away. 

Although it seems that when our nearby neighbours, Rob and Julie Goth, board over their small windows, the ones without the cortinas, we are guaranteed to get a pass from the hurricane.

We’re back to sunny and hot weather and waiting on the return of our various Canadian, American, and European neighbours for the busy October to April social season. There goes the diet!

Cheers from paradise

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Max

 ~

Tormenta Isla Book #3

 Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Available in online book stores

Local knowledge - an author’s best resource

We love living in a small community. The people are friendly and willing to share their insider knowledge. 

A few days ago, while I was working on Tormenta Isla book #3 of the Isla Mujeres Mystery series, I was stuck for an answer.

I popped a message to two of my island friends, Tony Garcia and Isauro Martinez. Within minutes, both guys had responded with oodles of intriguing information. How great is that? 

Captain Tony Garcia

Captain Tony Garcia is a well-known wedding, special-occasion, and island-ambiance photographer. 

He is also a tour boat captain, and judging by the photos on his Facebook page, he’s a terrific chef.

Isauro Martinez is the affable and always smiling owner of Indio’s golf cart rentals. 

Indio was his dad’s nickname, and he is Apache. He always has fun stories to tell about growing up on the island.

Isauro Martinez Indio Golf Cart Rentals

And then there is Freddy Medina, who has been a good friend since we moved to the island. 

In the first novel of the series, Treasure Isla Book, I had one of my main characters, Yasmin Medina, jokingly name the crocodile that lives at the Hacienda Mundaca Park after her fictional cousin Freddy. 

The real Freddy owns the El Arrecife Bar in Centro. He and his five sisters have been a fabulous source of island information and personal stories, especially for our weekly blogs.

Freddy, Yadira after the Elmo Christmas parade

Many other islanders and ex-pats have big-heartedly answered questions, contributed bits of information, and recounted funny anecdotes. 

It’s all part of the island colour that I try to bring alive in the novels.

My recent questions went something like this:

What happens to the car ferry during a hurricane?  “It normally is used as a breakwater across Laguna Makax to prevent big waves from destroying all the smaller boats stored in the lagoon.”

Chatting while cleaning the day's catch. 

Is the lagoon jammed with boats by the time everyone gets their vessel inside the area?   “They are tight around the edges but not in the center. The center is muddy, and if you drop anchor there, the boat will move. Berthed at a marina or tied to the trees is much better.”

What’s the name of the bit of water between Puerto Juarez and Isla Mujeres? “Bahía de Mujeres.”

Morning group - I gave them a copy of this pic.

You just can’t get that type of information from the internet. (Okay, maybe I could have eventually found the name of the bay on Google.)  

Why does most of my information come from men and not women? Maybe because the guys like to gossip, to chat, to chew the fat? 

I don't know.  What do you think?

Cheers, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Max

Isla Mujeres Mystery Lynda L Lock

Death in the Vineyards Lynda L Lock

Available in online book stores!

Grab your copy today!

5.0 out of 5 sta

Apache Mtz, little of this, and a little of that on Isla Mujeres, Mexico

“How long has your family lived on Isla Mujeres?” I asked. “Forever,” he replied with his huge, infectious grin, “since the beginning, when the first families settled on Isla.”

“I'm curious, what's your real name?”

He smiled again and laughed. “It doesn't matter; no one knows me by that name. I use Apache, because my dad was called Indio. My grandfather gave him the name because, as a little boy, my dad was tough. He never cried, even when strapped with a belt for stowing away on my grandfather's fishing boat instead of going to school. Dad loved fishing; he hated school. My grandfather admired his son's toughness and started calling him Indio as a nickname.”

Indio's name is synonymous with two island businesses. The Indio's Beach Club on the southwest side of the island was a popular place for people to hang out and enjoy a laid-back island experience. Then in 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit the island, leaving a path of destruction through the beach property; the sand shifted over to the Cancun side of the bay, their buildings were damaged, and the golf carts that were stored on the property were destroyed. It was a devastating event for the family.

The other business, Indio's Golf Cart Rentals, was started in 1994. Apache helped out at the family business from the time he was twelve years old. After assessing the hurricane damage in 2005, Indio decided to close the business, but Apache said he was interested in carrying on. He started operations with the four remaining usable golf carts. By 2014, Apache had increased the stock of golf carts to sixteen vehicles by creating a little niche market; they offer 24-hour assistance. If a rental customer needs help, it is only a cell phone call away. Clients are supplied with phone numbers for Adrian, the office manager, who is fluent in English.

Just for interest's sake, I asked how many golf carts were available for rent on the island. With pen and paper, Adrian and Apache did a quick tally, estimating that there are twenty golf cart rental companies on Isla Mujeres with a total of approximately 580 carts available for rent. Even so, many island rental companies are sold out during the busy times of the year, including the summer holidays. That bit of information really surprised me.

More recently, Apache has branched out into deep-sea fishing, acquiring a thirty-six-foot boat in partnership with friends. The two family-owned pangas (small open fishing boats) were not comfortable for offshore fishing with clients. The bigger boat has air-conditioning and cozy interior quarters. 

He is hoping to attract more couples – people who want the full experience. His offshore trips will start early in the day with fishing, then return to the Indio's beach club property to cook the catch while enjoying music and drinking a cold beverage or two. It's island life as it used to be.

With two sons and two daughters, Apache and his wife Arlina are hoping the family businesses will live on with the next generation. He has fond memories of fishing with his dad, and of learning English from his dad's clients. 

Isauro Martinez Magaña, May 2013

He has several old photos displayed on the walls of Indio's Golf Cart rentals on Medina Avenue, photos of his dad in his younger years, enjoying life and following his passion: fishing. Unfortunately, Indio passed away in August of 2013, at the still young-at-heart age of 64 years.

“One last question,” I said to Apache as I gathered up my things, “I have to know your real name, not knowing is driving me crazy!”

“Okay, okay!” he grinned, giving in to my cheeky persistence, “It's Isauro Martinez Polanco.” He was named after his dad, whose first name was also Isauro.

How to find Apache: www.indios-golfcarts.com  or on Facebook, Isla Mujeres Indio Golf Carts and Apache's Searious Fishing.

Hasta luego, Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky