Saving Lola, a giant sea turtle!

Julie Goth pouring water on a stuck mama turtle.   

“Hey, Lawrie! There’s a sea turtle stuck between two rocks! Can you help me get her free?”

Rob Goth, our neighbor a few houses to the north of us on Isla Mujeres, stood in our courtyard shouting towards our upper deck. 

It was early in the morning, and we still had our bedroom door closed with the a/c running. We hadn’t heard him shout, but the dogs Sparky and Max had. They woofed, and Lawrie opened the door to investigate. 

Julie, Lawrie, and Rob - how are we going to do this?

Then Lawrie yelled an explanation to me and took off, leaving me to scramble out of the shower, throw on clothes, and dash after him with my camera in hand.

When I arrived on the beach side of Rob and Julie’s house, appropriately named Casa de Tortuga, Julie was gently pouring water over the turtle’s head, and Rob and Lawrie were discussing ideas to free her. 

The temperature was already a sweltering 30 °C but felt like 36 °C due to the high humidity, that’s 86 and 97 in the American temperature scale. 

Rob Goth, sun umbrella for turtle

The turtles can survive on land for short periods to lay their eggs, but the ladies always arrive after dark and usually leave by sunrise.

This poor mama was hot and getting hotter.

She was tightly jammed in a crevice between a ledge and an enormous chunk of rock. Fortunately, she was in the upright position, not standing on her head. 

Lawrie suggested lifting her out by her flippers. I said no, that might injure the muscles in her shoulders, and then she wouldn’t be able to swim. (What do I know?)

Rob went back to their house for a small, red and white beach umbrella and a bigger bucket to pour more water over her. 

Rob Goth, hat for him, bigger umbrella for turtle

I zipped out to the street, looking for a local who might know the number for the Tortugranja, the Turtle Farm. 

Tony Gutierrez was passing by, I asked him if he knew anyone at the Turtle Farm. He said yes, and offered to drive over to tell them we needed help.

Other neighbors, Cesar Sepúlveda and Sylvia Leal supplied a bigger beach umbrella and another bucket. Their daughter, Fanny pitched in with filling buckets of water and passing them to Rob. 

Visitors from Kansas City, who were staying at Vidrio del Mar, the Sea Glass House next to Rob and Julie's, helped wherever they could. As did a guest from nearby Punta Piedra.

Fanny lugging water. Guest from 'Sea Glass House" 

Cesar hopped into the family golf cart and drove to the Turtle Farm looking for help, not realizing I had already spoken to Tony Gutierrez.

More people arrived, everyone curious and trying to be helpful. Some of the new arrivals took turns pouring the water over her head and body, hoping to prevent heat exhaustion. 

Lawrie and I both grabbed large coils of rope from our house. 

Cesar and Sylvia contributed flat tie-down straps used for holding cargo in place.

More helpers arrived

It seemed like forever, but in reality, it was probably about thirty minutes before the turtle farm employees arrived. 

They decided to lift her out by her flippers…as I said, what do I know? (Yes, honey, you were right.)

The guys used the tie-down straps instead of the rope because the thin straps were easier to maneuver between the turtle’s body and her flippers. 

Success! She's moving.

Then Luis, Amado, and Emir lifted her, one on each side, and one grabbing her shell behind her neck. The first attempt didn’t work. Amado asked for a hammer and chisel, thinking to chip away a bit of the rock. 

Rob reached in and suggested they give it one more try, poof – she was out.

Cheers erupted, everyone grinning like little kids at the circus. 

Turtle guys and helpful visitors - hold her for a minute

The mama started off but she was dragging a strap still attached to her front flipper. 

Three guys struggled to hold her back while another (Luis maybe?) undid the strap. And then she was off.

Amado escorted her to the water’s edge, waving farewell.

Everyone is happy the turtle is headed back to the ocean

It was heartwarming to see so many people from Canada, the USA, and Mexico come together to help this one creature. 

The next day was Rob Goth's birthday, and as he said, "This was the best gift I could have dreamed of."

A really big thank you to the Tortugranja employees from all of us.

As we headed home, carrying two really heavy coils of rope, I turned to Julie Goth and Sylvia Leal, “Hey, what’s her name?” I asked, pointing at the retreating turtle.

Amado escorting 'Lola" back to her home.

“Lola!” They yelled back.

From all of us, happy travels, Lola, and for heaven’s sake, watch where you are going!

                ~
Later in the week, Capt. Tony Garcia found another mama turtle stuck near Casa Coral. 

He was able to rescue her as well. It might be an idea for homeowners on the Caribbean side of the island to do a morning check for trapped mama turtles.  Better than letting them bake to death in the sunshine. 

 

Murder and mayhem. Romance and revenge.

Death in the Vineyards - Okanagan Valley BC

Isla Mujeres Mysteries - Isla Mujeres Mexico

Have you got yours yet?

Isla Mujeres Mystery series 

Why is the Caribbean Sea so blue?

Knock-your-socks-off turquoise!

It’s a knock-your-socks-off turquoise.  An eye-popping azure.  A multitude of shades and hues.  

The first time you see the Caribbean Sea, it usually causes a stunned, jaw-dropping reaction. ‘Oh, my god, that’s beautiful.’

Youngsters enjoying the beach near our casa

So, why is the Caribbean Sea so blue?  We’re not trained scientists, just observers, and we read a lot, and this is our version of the reason. 

The colour of water is controlled by a combination of factors – depth, the floor of the sea, suspended particles (soil and pollution) and plankton. Plankton are those tasty little organisms that are the base of the food chain for the big, hungry ocean creatures. 

1987 north of Puerto Vallarta

Depth – well, generally the deeper the water, the darker the colour due to less reflected light.  

However, in our opinion, the deep water of the Caribbean is a brighter sapphire blue when compared to the light jade green of the Gulf of Mexico in the north, or the deep cobalt blue of the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of Mexico. So what else is going on here?

Sand made of coral and seashells reflects the light 

Well, another big influence for determining water colour is what is on the floor of the ocean. Pale pink or bright white sand made from coral bits and degraded sea shells – mixed in with a few bits of lost pirate treasure - reflects light better than the fine, darker sand found in the cooler waters to the north.  

Then, as we mentioned, the amount of plankton and other particles suspended in the water contributes to the colour.  Phytoplankton, for example, harbours chlorophyll that absorbs red and blue light and reflects green. The more plankton, the greener the water. The Gulf of Mexico also has a high concentration of river silt and fertiliser nutrients, added daily by the rivers draining into the Mississippi River basin. All those bits contribute to the pale green colour.

Isla Holbox in the Gulf of Mexico

Even just a few miles north of Isla Mujeres, you will see a dramatic visual difference between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The Gulf of Mexico water surrounding Isla Holbox is light green and filled with plankton and nutrients. The Caribbean Sea water is turquoise and has less plankton. The colourful ocean critters that live in our area have apparently adapted to surviving in an environment low on nutrients.   

View of the Caribbean Sea from Isla 33 condos 

Whatever the reason, the Caribbean Sea is just outright gorgeous. The clarity of the water makes it a diving and snorkelling paradise.  

Or if you prefer a more sedentary form of exercise, hanging out by the water’s edge is a totally relaxing way to spend the day. Staring at the colour, listening to the gentle ‘shush’ of the waves, or immersing in the warm salt liquid.   

Heaven on earth.

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Hanging out in paradise

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

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Death in the Vineyards

Fine dining on two wheels (Street meats and sweets)

What do I want, what do I want .....

Walking through Centro in the evening can be a sensory experience.  

The smells of cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, and grilled fish waft through the warm tropical night.  

Followed by scents of hot sugar, cinnamon and warm chocolate.  It’s time to eat!

Mealtimes start early with the mobile fresh orange juice vendor setting up on the corner of Matamoras and Rueda Medina.  Freshly squeezed juice is available until the merchant runs out of oranges.  

Juice man 

The proprietor uses a hand-powered press, pulling down hard with his right hand and biceps to squeeze each individual half.  

He quickly flips the spent portion into a refuse pile, repeating the process until the container is filled with the sweet amber-coloured liquid.   

Judging by the bulging biceps, the juice vendor could easily win any arm-wrestling challenge.

Later in the morning, other mobile vendors arrive to sell cold drinks, flavoured crushed-ice concoctions, popsicles and frozen ice cream treats.  

Choices, choices ......

They set up their carts across from the popular beaches, enticing hot sun-worshipers to purchase a cooling confection.  

It’s a giggle to watch the intense decision-making as youngsters ponder their choices: pineapple, coconut, mango, and chocolate.  

So many flavours. The youngsters turn with inquisitive eyes towards their parents. It’s too hard to decide. Maybe I should have two treats?

The cemetery on Lopez Mateos

Then at sundown, the mobile food peddlers make an appearance, tucking their two-wheeled carts into familiar niches, on street corners at either end of Hidalgo Avenue. The intersection of Lopez Mateos and Hidalgo Avenues, near the entrance to the oldest island cemetery and the IxChel condos, has become a very congested area.  

The vendors vie for their little patch of the pavement, pushing further and further into the street, frequently restricting the vehicular traffic to one lane at a time.  

Churros!

A couple of years ago, the city administration decided to prohibit the street vendors from occupying Rueda Medina, limiting their approved location to include this busy corner, and in the square across from the Super X-Press.  

Good idea or bad idea, the jury is still out on that decision.

My favourite street treat is the delicious hot marquesitas filled with chocolate sauce and sliced bananas rolled up with a napkin secured on the end to catch the melting syrup.  

Marquesitas!

Marquesitas are a traditional Yucatan treat, invented in either the late 1930s or early 1940s by Don Vincent Mena Munoz, the heir to the Polito Ice Cream Company. He was looking for a cool weather treat to offset the downturn in ice cream sales during the winter months. 

Similar in texture to a waffle cone, the batter is heated over a hot fire using a cast-iron variation of a waffle pan. The resulting crepe-shaped form can be filled with a combination of ingredients such as Nutella, goat’s milk caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, shredded cheese or sliced bananas. The traditional shape was rolled into a cylinder, but here on Isla it is pretty common to see the cooked waffle mixture folded into quarters. I’m a fan of the rolled shape; it’s easier to cut in half and share.

Juice man headed home at sundown

At the end of a busy day, the vendors head home, back to their neighbourhoods in the centre of the island.  Some of the heavy mobile carts are powered by a moto, many others are pedal-powered by two strong legs.  It’s a pretty physical business, getting the cart to Centro, standing while preparing the food, and powering the cart back home again at the end of the workday.

And then the streets go quiet for a few hours before the process starts all over again with the dawn arrival of the juice vendor. 

Another juice man headed home late afternoon

Yum!  Good eats!

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, & Thomas

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

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Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

A thirsty weekend - election time in Mexico

2016 candidate Juan Carillo, elected

The liquor departments in the grocery stores are roped off. Large signs proclaim: No alcohol sales today.  

The local cantinas and neighbourhood beer stores are closed up tight. Good grief! This is Mexico. Normally, beer and bottled coolers are sold in every corner store, all year round. What’s happening? 

2016 Media truck 

It is election time, and Mexico has a dry law, ley seca, prohibiting the sale of alcohol on the weekend of the elections.  This year, it fell on Saturday, June 4^th, and Sunday, June 5^th. The good thing is that if you are a foreigner and not a Mexican national, you can still access your favourite beverage in bars and restaurants that cater primarily to tourists. 

The fine to the business owner for selling alcohol to a Mexican national during the election weekend is 50,000 pesos! Yikes. That’s a lot of lost profit for a two-dollar cerveza.

2010 painted political signs

The rotation of the three-year terms for Municipal Presidente, and the six-year term for the State Governors is coming to an end.  National President Enrique Peña Nieto’s term started December 1^st, 2012, and runs until 2018, at which time he is ineligible to run again for this office. 

It is also the law in Mexico that once a candidate fills a position, he or she cannot run again in the subsequent election. They can try their luck with a different municipality or the Senate. In the next election cycle, three or six years later, the previously elected official may run for re-election.

2013 PAN party parade

The election weekend is preceded by a boisterous few weeks of parades, car-mounted loudspeaker announcements, and, of course, speeches; lots of speeches making pledges that, like any political promise, may or may not come to fruition.  

It’s what politicians the world over do.  

Promise heaven and earth, yet deliver only air.

The evenings leading up to the June election are typically punctuated with beeping motos and car horns, loud music, cheering supporters, and hundreds of participants parading in various locations around the island. 

2013 Alicia Rincalde, rain for the parade

Our home is situated on a main road, and the parades invariably pass us at some point during the procession. We are not Mexican citizens, and therefore can’t vote, but it is entertaining to watch the process. 

Canadian elections are much more subdued, relying primarily on television advertising and televised debates.  This loud and crazy stuff is a lot more fun.

2013, buzzing the fishing tournament

In 2013, a large parade for the PAN party was led by several young people on in-line skates, waving oversized flags, trailed by a cadre of bicycle riders and a drum corps. Next came the walking contingent led by the candidate and followed by the inevitable motos, golf carts, and vehicles. Everyone was cheering, waving, and yelling their candidate’s name. Organized chaos.

Typically, there are brightly-coloured signs painted on every available flat surface, and posters hung from light poles or posts. Three years ago, one candidate had her full-length image mounted on corrugated plastic boards that popped up all over the island, even during the annual fishing tournament. Three small boats were hired to circulate around the tournament docks with her image displayed proudly in the bow. We thought it was an inventive idea.

2013 Agapito Magaña won the election 

Sunday, June 5^th, was Election Day this year, and it was a quiet and subdued campaign. We were barely aware it was happening. We only saw one parade for each of the two major candidates. 

According to a local source, there are now limits on how much can be spent on promotions, a direct result of too many signs and posters unclaimed after the 2013 campaign, leaving the municipality with the cleanup cost.

Even the traditional victory parade for the winning candidate didn’t happen this year. 

2016 Juan Carillo PRI parade

Well, at least we didn’t have to worry about being thirsty this past weekend.  We had wisely re-stocked our fridge with cold cervezas and wine. Only to start alcohol-free diets on the following Monday. Talk about bad timing! 

As I have discovered, fat cells have GPS. No matter how many times we lose them, they find us again. It’s time to send those fat cells packing, yet again. 

2019 will be the next municipal election for Presidente.  We are looking forward to the chaos and the parades.

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

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Death in the Vineyard Mysteries