A wacky week of fun – something for everyone

Just hanging out with family and friends

It’s February in paradise, the high season for tourism, and there is fun for everyone.  

You can buy beautiful crafts, listen to Nashville performers, go deep sea fishing, hang out with friends, or have a visit with a free-roaming crocodile. 

On Monday night the Mexican Artesian Pavilion was officially opened by local dignitaries.  This national exhibition is here on Isla until February 21^st.  

Beautiful crafts from all of Mexico - City FB page photo

The big white tent in centro houses an assortment of beautifully handmade items from several different Mexican states, featuring a tasteful assortment pottery, hats, jewelry and clothing.  

It’s a fun place to do a little shopping in the afternoon, especially earlier in the week when unexpected downpour put a one hour hold on many of the other activities, such as the Island Time Music Fest.

Hidalgo Avenue - after 20 minute down-pour

Now in their 7^th year the Island Time Music Fest – and Island Time Fishing Tournament started rocking the island with music and Nashville singers on Monday February 15^th.  

Originally a smaller, two-venue event it has grown to include a variety of restaurants and bars scattered around the island.  And for the diehards, there is still the exciting fishing component of the event – sailfish, marlin, wahoo, Dorado, and yummy tuna.  

All proceeds from the week-long extravaganza go to funding the Little Yellow School House on Isla Mujeres.

Island Time Music Fest - FB page photo

For us we have had a more personal, but very fun time with family members, first-time-to-Mexico cousins, and an assortment of Canadian friends.  

We ate, drank, napped, ate, drank and napped our way through two laughter-filled weeks.  

If the fun doesn’t end soon, we will have to buy our clothes at Jones Tents & Awnings. 

Richard, Scott & Judy (cousins) Lynda, Linda, Lawrie

The margaritas at the Soggy Peso are now on the “that’s-never-gonna-cross-my-lips-again” list for a number of our friends.  Something to do with memory loss, I think.

As for the visit with the free-roaming crocodile, Lawrie’s cousin Scott and I were driving back from taking the two pooches out for their morning swim, and I spotted a local woman standing beside the pond near the new hospital.  

“Ah ha, I bet she is taking a picture of the croc.”  

Smile - say Tequila!

I did a u-turn and we parked alongside the pond.  Yep!  There was the crocodile stretched out and sunning on a mat of vegetation.  

The crocodile didn’t seem at all concerned at the attention, just continued to sun itself, although I think it was keeping a hopeful eye on the two dogs.  Perhaps it was hoping a little morning snack would just happen to come its way.

Just another fun week in paradise!

Hasta Luego

Lawrie & Lynda

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What do Nashville entertainers and migrating sailfish have in common?

The 7^th annual Island Time Music and Fishing Fest.  This fun event features world-class catch and release sail fishing and top notch entertainment from Nashville Tennessee.  It all happens here in paradise.

Almost seven years ago, the Island Time Fishing Tournament and Country Music Concert, held its first event featuring an intimate evening with Nashville artist Phil Vassar who happens to have a personal connection with Isla Mujeres.  He was joined by entertainers and songwriters Tim Nichols, Tim Johnson, James Dean Hicks, Jon Stone and Nick Norman.  Recently renamed the Island Time Music and Fishing Fest, it has now burgeoned into a large music festival, with the added attraction of great fishing. 

Margarita Madness at the Soggy Peso 

In past years we have enjoyed the tequila-fueled entertainment of Jon Stone, Nick Norman and Lewis Brice during the wild Margarita Madness at the Soggy Peso Bar & Grill. This outrageously fun event has been relocated to a larger venue featuring six artists including the original three very popular guys.  Jax Bar & Grill was the original host restaurant for a number of years offering intimate concerts with the performers, and auctions of crazy items such as Reba McIntyre’s teeny-tiny autographed jeans. 

The bigger festival has necessitated a move to larger venues and also a change in ticket prices.  Because this is a charity event with the proceeds earmarked to help the local school for developmentally challenged children, the organizers are trying to keep the costs to a bare minimum.  The Little Yellow School House on Isla Mujeres began with one room, six students and a really big dream. The school now has six classrooms, full-time teachers and over 50 students, with fifteen more on a waiting list.

For the Music Fest the list of entertainers includes Kellie Pickler, Jerrod Niemann, Blackjack Billy, Love & Theft, Kyle Jacobs, American Young, Nick Norman, Natalie Stovall, Lewis Brice, Joal Rush, Hailey Steele, Rob Hatch, and islander Ryan Rickman.   Although the artists are generously donating their time, the non-profit society is responsible for covering expenses for travel, accommodation and meals.  Venue tickets per person for the 2016 events range from $199 for All Access Except the Opening Show to $249 for All Access Including the Opening Show at Casa Fenix.  (Food and beverages not included.)

Here’s the link for tickets:   http://www.islandtimemusicfest.com/#!events/c8k2

If you want to have a great time listening to current country hits, up close and personal with some of Nashville’s best talent – head to Isla. 

Sunrise - day one, boat captains getting ready to head out

Or maybe you actually want to go fishing; getting up before the crack of dawn to head out on the bumpy ocean and put squiggly wet things on sharp hooks to catch really big and hard fighting fish.  (You can probably guess, I won’t be doing that!)  In between the entertainment and the many cold beers, tournament competitors usually find time to go fishin’.  Trophies and bragging rights are awarded to the boats, anglers, and junior anglers with the most releases.

Whatever your choice, it's a fun way to enjoy a week in paradise and to give something back to the community.  

We’ll be waiting for you!

Cheers

Lynda & Lawrie

John & Betty Raimondo - a big thank you!

It’s a wrap!

I hear y’all were at a disco ..."

“I hear y’all were at a disco dance before comin’ here.” She said in her husky Georgian drawl.  Her grinning smile and the tone of her voice implying: a disco dance?  Really?

Well, yes, most of the crowd assembled to listen to E.G. Kight’s rich voice belt out southern-fried blues had been at a disco party thirty minutes before.

E.G.’s second performance at Jax Bar & Grill was the final event in a week-long string of festivities – all aimed at raising funds for two well-known island charities.

Enjoying E.G. Kight's southern blues

The majority of the events were focused on raising money for the very significant Help a Special Child Inc. (The Little Yellow School House) while this second concert by E.G. Kight was solely to benefit the Isla Animals society. 

Hair of the Dog - starting point at Jax

Another event the Hair of the Dog Poker Run organized by Paul Ricker and Brook Prinsen was also a very successful first time event for the Isla Animals society.  

A group of fifty-two participants all clad in vivid green t-shirts met at Jax Bar & Grill on Saturday morning, and set off on their adventure as a group.  

Get Down Tonight!  Ashley, Lawrie, and Betty

The bar-hopping revelry yielded over $1000.00 to help with spay and neuter clinics, or vaccinations for the many dogs and puppies being sheltered and fed by the organization.  

The final fundraising event for Help a Special Child Inc. (The Little Yellow School House) was the disco dance hosted by Brisas Restaurante.  

The proprietors Karina and Wbeymar Maldonado contributed fifty percent of the beverage revenue to the host charity.  

DJ Rosa Sirenas

It was a fun way for the volunteers who helped with the fishing tournament, the music festival, and the t-shirt sales to unwind, relax, have a few laughs.  

Special guest DJ Rosa Sirenas kept everyone grooving to the music until it was time to boogie on down the road to Jax, and the final E.G. Kight concert.

And just to keep everything interesting the national Mexican carnival celebrations started on Friday, so at times the two boisterous events overlapped each other with raucous music, booming sound systems, dance troops, noisemakers and whistles competing with speeches and awards ceremonies.  

One of the colourful Carnival entries

At one point during the disco dance we had two separate sound systems on the street booming out salsa music for the carnival dancers, and our DJ blasting disco tunes. 

How do you dance to that?  

Is it salsa-disco, or rock-and-roll salsa?  It was all good fun.

But now it’s over, wrapped up for another year; two amazing back-to-back events; the six-day long Island Time Fishing Festival intersecting the five-day Mexican carnival celebrations.  

Great Carnival band - beating on the drums  

Whew!  It’s nice to get back to a quieter routine. 

Hasta Luego          
Lynda and Lawrie
            






     

It’s all for a good cause

Wake up!  Time to go fishin'

I slowly pried my eyes open. The clock shows 5:15 - in the morning!  Sighing, I quietly fumbled my way out of bed in the pre-dawn darkness, trying not to disturb my spouse, who was still slumbering.  Dressed, but with no time to wait for the coffee maker to do its thing I snuck out the door and hailed a taxi.  “Marina Villa Vera por favor.” 


  

Songwriter and ITFF Director Jeff Outlaw sound checks

It’s opening day for the 2013 Island Time Fishing Festival and I promised to take photos of the boats as they head out for day number one of fishing. The things we agree to do when sharing a bottle of wine with friends…   All of the proceeds from this multi-day event go to support the island-based non-profit organization Help a Special Child Inc., (The Little Yellow School House), so yes this is all for a very good cause.

Nick Norman, Lewis Brice and Jon Stone at Soggy Peso

This year the entertainment line-up was as interesting and as talented as previous years.  Nightly concerts featured different entertainers upstairs at Jax Bar & Grill; Rivers Rutherford, or Wynn Varble and David Lee, or Craig Wiseman and Rodney Clawson.  

On Wednesday night E.G. Kight, a good friend of Jackie Walker and Michael LeFiles, presented a fabulous dinner concert.  She had so much fun she has offered to do a second concert on Sunday evening – admission by donation, to assist the Isla Animals Society.  Whew!  Such a lot of really talented and really generous people who are donating their time and talents.

How much am I bid for Nick's sweaty shirt?

We unfortunately missed the E.G. Kight concert due to the after-effects of the annual Margarita Madness Wednesday at the Soggy Peso Bar & Grill.

Returning favourites Nick Norman and Jon Stone, with the addition this year of Lewis Brice, rocked the Soggy Peso with their original compositions, and old favourites.  

Margarita Madness at the Soggy Peso

The party rolled on from two until five in the afternoon culminating with the auction of Nick Norman’s t-shirt; reportedly fetching a whopping amount of money.  This great group of guys will also wind up the Island Time Fishing Festival on Saturday night at the Awards Presentation.  It’s a sold out concert, but occasionally the fishermen are too worn out by a week of fun to attend.  So, if you are really, really lucky you might be able to snap up a spare ticket late Saturday afternoon.  Check with the staff at Jax.

Carnivore and Relax - heading out fishin'

And this year there are even more events to keep fishermen, their friends, and locals entertained.  The Hair of the Dog Poker Run, organized by the Isla Animals Society happens on Saturday afternoon.  

Then there is a wind-up Disco Party hosted by Brisas Restaurante and the Disco Queen herself Deb C, from four until seven on Sunday afternoon.   The disco dancers can then disco right on down the street to the E.G. Kight benefit concert at Jax Bar & Grill starting at seven-thirty in the evening.  

As the Island Time Fishing Festival website says: The Fishing is Legendary, and the Party Never Ends.

John & Betty Raimondo and friends

In between the entertainment, and the great dinners, and the many cold beers the competitors always find time to go fishin’.  This is a catch and release tournament – for trophies, and bragging rights.  Trophies are given to boats, anglers, and junior anglers with the most releases.  

And since it is a fishing tournament, in the middle of a music festival, our Texan friends cajoled me into taking photos of the sport fishing boats as they departed at dawn.

As I got in the taxi at 5:45 in the morning, I realized I was wearing one green sock and one blue sock with my sneakers.  That’s what dressing in the dark does for my personal fashion sense. 





But, it’s all for a good cause, a really good cause; Help a Special Child Inc., 
(The Little Yellow School House).

Relax - LED underwater lights on transom

                    

"Oh the noise, noise, noise, noise, noise. There's one thing I love, all the noise, noise, noise, noise!" (To paraphrase Dr. Seuss and the Grinch)



Local cutie in parade



Carnival is over!  Finished for another year.  Damn, we miss it already.  The loud music, whistles, honking horns, laughter and traffic-stopping parades created havoc for the five days, and we loved it.  As the third annual Island Time Fishing Festival and country music acts were winding up, Carnival was revving up.

There were events for everyone to enjoy.  You could watch the coronations of a number of kings and queens, starting at pre-school age, working up to seniors, culminating with the celebrity king and queen.  A number of dance competitions were held on various evenings at the municipal plaza.  Or you could take your pick of three different parade nights, if you were patient and didn't mind the confusion of start times, or start locations. 



Rio-style whistles, drums, horns



We decided to watch the first parade, on Saturday night, before Lawrie and I headed into Cancun to see a concert.  We picked out a good viewing spot along the Malecón and settled in with friends to wait for the parade.  One side of the Malecón was blocked to traffic to allow for a staging area.  However, the driver of the Corona bus apparently didn't get the memo and tried to enter the parade line-up from the wrong end.  Part of the problem was the bus was too tall to move under the electrical wires. These wires were scheduled, last year, to be re-routed underground as part of the new road work project  ... instead a Corona employee was stationed on the metal roof of the bus with a long piece of wood, assigned to lift the electrical wires up while the bus moved along the road.  

A logistics nightmare!

Then a number of floats, or pick-up trucks stuffed with dancers and celebrants formed up at the head of the line, blocking the float for the carnival king and queen.  The celebrity floats were then moved from the back of the line to the front, but someone forgot to tell the participants about the change in location.  So, we waited, and waited, and waited for the parade to start.  Eventually the celebrities found their floats and the parade began.  The enthusiasm of the dancers was contagious.  Everyone in the crowd joined in - yelling, whistling, clapping and cheering with great vigor.  Unfortunately with the late start we had to leave before the parade was over to catch the water taxi into Cancun.  We had tickets to see Pitbull.  Pitbull - a high energy hip-hop Cuban-American singer.  Yep, that's us.

More Carnival parade participants

We checked into the Ibis Hotel in the business district of Cancun and had a tasty dinner at their in-house Italian restaurant.  Then we were off to the concert, scheduled to start at nine in the evening.  We got to the football stadium around 8:45, and hiked to the end of the extremely long line-up.  Doing the ten-step-shuffle for forty five minutes we arrived within a hundred feet of the gates - just as they were slammed shut.  That side of the stadium was full, and everyone now had to run around to the other side and line up again.  It's quite entertaining to watch young women run in skin-tight jeans and five-inch tall stiletto heels.

Amazing Carnival costumes

Eventually we found a good spot in the general seating section, costing around $25.00 as opposed to the floor seats, starting at $150.00 finishing up at $500.00 dollars.  Then, yes, we waited, waited.  Waited.  Around 11:00 p.m. a warm-up act started, then another, and another and finally the main attraction, Pitbull, deigned to start his act at midnight.  It was a fun and lively performance.  And we were very entertained with people watching.  In the expensive section the seats were white leather sofas, with waiters attending to the needs of the audience.  Every long-legged blonde in the Cancun area was there on the arm of a purportedly rich man, strutting their stuff in sequined shorts or mini-skirts.  We watched one couple take a tour of the stadium in-field every hour, showing off her sparkly shorts and long legs.

The final events of Carnival wrapped up on Tuesday with the burning of Juan de Carnival (in effigy) after the late night mass service.  We, on the other hand, couldn't stay up that late opting instead to attend the very successful annual PEACE Mardi Gras fundraising event held at La Luna nightclub in Centro. 



Last night of Carnival - wrapping up in Centro



Today we are back to normal. 

Quiet.  Eating at home.  Reading.  

   

Life is good.



(We didn't get any photos of the Pitbull concert.  Didn't take a camera with us, thinking it might be confiscated at the gate.)

Great Music & Deep Sea Fishing



                   782 photos later, I think I got it! 

Nick Norman and Jon Stone at Soggy Peso

Mal Richards introducing singer Danielle Braund

I think I captured the essence of the Soggy Peso country music event on Wednesday February 15th. 

As part of the third annual Island Time Fishing Festival, that includes a fishing tournament and a fabulous line-up of country music stars, the Soggy Peso Bar and Grill once again hosted a fun-filled afternoon of music and laughter.  It's a great way to raise money to help support the Little Yellow School House charity.  www.Islandtimefishingfestival.com

The afternoon started off with a thirty-minute performance by singer-songwriter Danielle Braund.  

She had an opportunity to showcase her gorgeous voice and original material, singing just before Nick Norman and Jon Stone arrived to perform.  Danielle is originally from Ontario Canada.  She and her friend Kristi Kirik both worked with Lawrie at Hillside Estate Winery in the Okanagan Valley BC.  http://www.daniellebraund.com/



Nick Norman and Jon Stone performing at Soggy Peso



The two guys were fabulous - entertaining, joking with the crowd while singing non-stop.  Nick's a South Carolina Southern-Baptist boy who dreamed of playing his guitar instead of attending Sunday school.  His killer smile and bluesy raspy voice are beautiful compliments to the smooth guitar notes.  He calls his music country rock.   Check out Nick's website for more information about his music.  http://www.nicknormanband.com/    

Jon Stone of The Jon Stone Band is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based artist who performs tributes to country music outlaws of the 60's and 70's.  He pays homage to artists such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and David Allan Coe.   These two guys played together last year at the Soggy Peso, wowing the crowd with their music and humour.

http://www.jonstonemusic.com/home.cfm

Enjoying Danielle Braund's music at the Soggy Peso Bar

And tonight, Friday February 17th, the annual Carnival festivities rev up. One festival is ending, and the other is just beginning! 



Thank you! Sally and Mal Richards, Soggy Peso Bar & Grill

Festival Week on Isla Mujeres

Parade March 2011

Sequins, balloons, skimpy costumes, tropical-coloured feathers and the thumping beat of salsa music – it is Carnival time in Mexico.  We love this time of year, with 5 days of impromptu parades and dance competitions all over the island.  Traffic stops!  All the dancers pile out of a friend’s pickup and the music cranks up! 



Got the moves!



The group will do a fifteen minute routine, pile back into the pickup and head off to the next stop.  Everyone from the smallest kindergarten kid to the oldest grandmother knows the moves. 

This year we have two big events overlapping during the next eight days.  First up is the 3rd Annual Island Time Fishing Tournament and Country Music Festival starting Tuesday February 14th and ending Saturday February 18th.  Check the website for the details http://www.islandtimefishingfestival.com/  This fabulous event features performances by music legends such as Phil Vassar, Craig Wiseman, Dallas Davidson, Rodney Clawson, Brett James, Tim Nichols, Tim Norman, Jon Stone and EG Kight.  

Phil Vassar February 2011 at Jax Bar & Grill

Then starting Friday February 17th the kick-off for Carnival starts with the Coronation of the various kings and queens, leading into an-all night party and dance that will continue until dawn. 

Here are some of the events listed on Tourism Isla FaceBook page:

Friday February 17th - 8:30 p.m. Coronation ceremony for kings and queens starting with the youngest and working up to the famous.

Friday February 17th - 11:30 p.m. Coronation dance continues until dawn



Queen and King of Carnival 2010



Saturday February 18th - noon to 5:00 p.m. music and activities on the public beach near Jax's Bar and Grill

Saturday February 18th - 5:00 p.m. start of 1st parade near Jax Bar and Grill at the north end of the island, near the fisherman's statue.

Saturday February 18th - 8:00 p.m. Noche de Fantasia at the Municipal Plaza in Centro

Saturday February 18th - 11:00 p.m. to dawn, dance at the Municipal Plaza

Sunday February 19th - noon to 5:00 p.m. music and activities on the public beach near Jax Bar and Grill

Sunday February 19th - 5:00 p.m. 2nd parade same route, same time  -  probably featuring different dance groups as each group must stop and perform for judges at the reviewing stands

Sunday February 19th - 8:00 p.m. Noche de Cubano in Centre, Dance competitions

Sunday February 19th - 11:00 p.m. Presentation de Show in Centre

Carnival Parade March 2011

Monday February 20th - a number of impromptu dance demonstrations at various locations on Isla  

Monday February 20th - Noche Regional Caribena, 8:00 p.m. dancing and 10:00 p.m. comedy.

Tuesday February 21st - 5:00 p.m. 3rd parade same route, same time  -  probably featuring different dance groups as each group must stop and perform for judges at the reviewing stands which can make for a very slow, but interesting parade.



Tuesday February 21st - in the afternoon Negrada,  Black Face and different costumes for dancers gathering at Municipal hall around 9:00 p.m.

Grande Finale Tuesday February 21st - 11:30 p.m. church services, and around midnight burning of the effigy of Juan de Carnaval in Centre



Carnival Parade March 2011



You may have noticed I use the words "approximately" and "around" when listing starting times.  The times are just a suggestion! 

This is Mexico.  The events are fabulous, however they seldom start on time. 

Relax.  Enjoy the sounds, sights, smells. 

Isn't that why you are here?