The Silly Social Side of Paradise

Turquoise water and sunny skies  

Isla Mujeres has an eclectic mix of residents. 

There are the folks who were born on this island nestled in the Caribbean Sea, as were their parents, grand-parents and several generations before them. 

There are the long-time resident expats, arriving in the early 1970’s to add their flavour to the island mix. A number of the younger expats married islanders and started families of their own. There are tourists who return year after year for an annual holiday, some for over thirty years.  And there are the newbies, the folks who have just discovered Isla Mujeres.

Mary & Charlie 2017, Bloody Mary Goodbye Party at Jax

In amongst the mix are a few hundred foreigners that have lived here part-time, or full-time for ten, fifteen or twenty-odd years. 

Many of us have become friends as we sort out the intricacies of living in a foreign country. Learn the basics of the Spanish language. Or navigate the laws and by-laws of the municipality, the state, and country.

One of the many Super Bowl parties at Charlie & Mary's

Right from our first year on Isla, Charles and Mary Simpson made us very welcome in their island home.  Well-known for their Bloody Mary Sunday morning get-togethers, or their spectacular Super Bowl Pig Roasts, Charlie and Mary were a fun-loving fixture at every gathering. 

Now, after eighteen-years of island life they are off on a new adventure. As of this week they have sold their home and are moving to Florida, closer to their children and grand-children.

Lawrie, Steve and Charlie - going fishin'

We will always have great memories of both Charlie and Mary. 

Memories of deep sea fishing on Charlie’s boat. Calm seas, with not a breath of wind, gorgeous sunrises, sea turtles, dolphins, and tiny iridescent-blue flying fish skimming over the water ahead of the boat. 

And we fished, reeling in fat Tunas, sleek Wahoo, golden coloured Dorado, and Rainbow Runners. The first fish might be caught at nine in the morning – and a minute later the first cold beer would be cracked open.

Charlie being the girl on their team

We have wacky photos of Charlie wearing a woman’s shawl as a skirt. His Cornhole bean-bag team, made up of he and Ron Berge, was required to have one woman and one man. Charlie circumvented the rules with panache. 

There are photos of Mary and Charlie in Hallowe’en costumes sprinkled throughout our collection as well as pictures of Charlie’s 80^th birthday, and Mary’s 75^th.  

Mary’s trademark is her beautifully coordinated outfits. I have a chest of drawers full of shorts and t-shirts. 

Mary has dresses, shoes, shawls, and jewelry all organized by colour and style into easily accessible outfits. 

Mary and Charlie at Villa la Bella party

And who hasn’t noticed Charlie’s gold fishhook piercing his left earlobe?  

Our social gatherings will certainly be a little less colourful with their departure.

Your many island friends wish you fair winds and following seas.  You will be missed.

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

 

The Morning Shoppers - Charlie, Gary, Dave, Barney, Lawrie

~

Treasure Isla 

$2.99 USD on Amazon E-Books

Where do you think the gold might be buried?

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.

You might be ready to retire to Isla if ….

You might be ready to retire to Isla Mujeres Mexico if:

Fishing tournament season

You are familiar with the four seasons: fishing tournament season, whale-shark tour season, we wish the tourists would hurry up and return season, and holy cow things are smoking busy on Isla season.

Swim with the whale shark season

You know that rust is not just a fashion colour made popular in the 1970's, instead it is the ever-present bi-product of salty air and ocean spray corroding everything made of metal. You have learned to love concrete, glass, granite, marble, wood and plastic.

Rust - not just a fashion colour

If the first name of most of your male friends is Juan or Jose, and your female friends are called Maria or Guadalupe. Everyone has a second name or a nickname that they use instead of their biblical first names. Juan Alfredo = Freddy. Juan Batista = Patricio. 

Lawrie was destined to live in Mexico, he is John (Juan) Lawrie, but has always used Lawrie as his first name.

Our daily transportation

Your everyday vehicle is a golf cart. Personal golf carts range from the plain vanilla original colour to a wild assortment of paint jobs, upholstery colours, festive decorations or fancy hubcaps. Individuality is the key!

You instantly recognize the sound of an motorcycle helmet being blown from the rider's head and bouncing across the pavement. According to the law riders are required to secure their helmets, but frequently the straps can be seen flapping in the wind or clenched in the rider's front teeth. It seems to be a choice of looking good, instead of being safer.

Family transportation

You know that five people can, and frequently do, ride on a motorcycle.

When we first moved to Isla three on a motorcycle was pretty novel to us, then four became the standard, and now we hardly notice when a family of five zip past crammed together on a moto. We are waiting for the next level – six passengers! 

 We have also seen up to twelve locals or tourists jammed onto golf carts, and twenty-four people in a pickup truck.

Coveted treasure - 4 litre plastic jugs

You might be ready to retire to Mexico if you understand the value of an empty four-litre plastic jug, complete with a good-fitting screw cap. Early in the morning or later in the evening you might see the familiar parade of motorcycle riders returning from the gas station with a couple of liters of gasoline in a plastic jug. The gas is used for cooking family meals. 

If you put a clean empty container on the curb, it will last about two and a half minutes before someone on a moto scoops it up, shouting “gracias” as they zip away with their treasure.

Wide range of fun friends 

Your friends range in age from early 20's to late 80's and everyone happily gets along. 

The very best thing about living on Isla Mujeres is that no one cares who you were in a previous life. What you did or are doing for a living is just not important. 

What is important is do you enjoy life?  Answer yes to that question and you'll fit right in.

You don't participate in seniors' organ recitals: “Oh, my liver. Oh, my spleen. Oh, my stomach. Oh, my heart.” Try doing that on Isla, and you will get a quirked eye-brow in response. You're getting older ….. oh, well, aren't we all?

Daily attire - short, t-shirt and flip-flops

And finally, you might be ready to retire to Isla Mujeres Mexico, if your daily attire consists of a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops.

Are you ready to retire to Isla?

Hasta Luego

~

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance. 

Available as e-books everywhere, or paperback on Amazon and here on the island 

at Jenny Penny Beach Boutique. 

Come join the adventure!

Feeling good all around (Lawrie’s turn to write)

Captain Lock freezing his *** off in northern BC

Last week I had the experience of a lifetime.  I was privileged to participate in the 4^th Annual Reeling for Ronnie Fishing Tournament.

Yeah, I know – fishing, no big deal – but this was different.  I was with a great bunch of guys in northern British Columbia at the top of the Haida Gwaii (former Queen Charlotte Islands) within view of the Alaska panhandle.  

Charter plane then a helicopter ride to the fishing camp

Getting there was no mean feat, involving a charter plane from Vancouver to Masset BC, and then a helicopter ride to the camp.

The West Coast Fishing Club is a floating fish camp that could put any five-star resort to shame with amazing service, and gourmet meals.  For three days we fished for salmon and halibut in a pristine wilderness surrounded by humpback whales, sea lions and bald eagles.

Lots of Humpback Whales playing around the boat

The fishing camp operates on a catch and release program using simple fish hooks, no barbs allowed.  It makes for exciting times as salmon are fighters and frequently a big one will shake the hook loose just as it arrives at the boat!  But usually the guides quickly net the fish, lift them slightly out of the water for weighing, snap a souvenir photo and then release the fish back to the freedom of the ocean.    

Lawrie - Salmon was shipped to his son in Vancouver

For anyone who wishes to keep their catch, the strict limit is two salmon and one halibut per day.  The accepted practice is that all large fish are immediately returned to the ocean, as soon as they have been weighed.  One of the newest guides, fishing during his free time, caught an eighty-pound salmon that had to be released.  The guides are not allowed to keep anything they catch, plus the fish was so big it was considered too important to remove from the gene-pool.  The West Coast Fishing Camp takes a very responsible view of sustainability.  Every year since they opened they have returned more hatchlings to the area than fish that have been caught.  

Richard Lock very good friend of Ron Brown

But here’s the best part about the experience!  This fishing tournament is in honour of Ron Brown a former Isla Mujeres resident.  He and his wife Gwen contributed to a number of charities on the island.  Still in his prime, Ron passed away in 2009.  The event was created in celebration of Ron’s life. 

The Reeling for Ronnie Fishing Tournament raises funds to pay for tuition and expenses for a select number of female students on Isla Mujeres who wish to attend university or college.  Ron’s memory is also preserved in the minds of these young ladies.  It just doesn’t get any better.

The only downside to participating in the event is I live in the tropics twelve months a year.  My blood has thinned out – or whatever.  Cold!  Wow, I don’t think I have ever been this cold.  The average daytime temperature was around 12C, (53F) dropping down further at night.  I’m just not used to that anymore.

The biggest fish for the day ..... 

Everyone was supplied a survival suits by the fishing camp operators.  We had to wear them when we were out in the boats, because the ocean temperature is so chilly the risk of hyperthermia was pretty high if we had experienced an unscheduled dunking.  I had three layers of clothes on under my survival suit and my teeth were clacking together.  I guess this means I won’t be moving back to Canada anytime soon. 

Oh well, I will just have to tough it out in Paradise! 

Thanks again guys, for the great time during the Reeling for Ronnie Fishing Tournament.

http://westcoastfishingclub.com/

http://www.reelingforronnie.com/

Nice warm sunrise on Isla Mujeres June 2013 

Hasta Luego          

Lynda and Lawrie

You know you’ve picked the right place when …. (Lawrie’s turn to write)

North Beach from a penthouse at IxChel Condos

Okay, I admit it we got lucky when we chose Isla Mujeres as our retirement destination.  Captivated by the turquoise water and friendly locals we jumped at the chance to live here.  Now prestigious Trip Advisor has named our little island #6 in the world for islands to live on.  Travelocity rated Isla as #4 for Value Vacations, and even Fox News and NBC have gotten into the act touting this little paradise.

Looking south from the IxChel Condos - 7 kms by 1 km

As most of you know, Isla Mujeres is a very small, 7 kilometers by 1 kilometer, island situated just off the coast of Cancun. It’s about fifteen minutes by passenger ferry across the azure and turquoise water to reach this little paradise.  Tourism is the #1 industry on the island, followed by fishing, although the locals are finding reeling in tourists far more profitable than fishing.  Tourism is increasing, more people traveling.  Fishing is decreasing, due to less fish available.

One of our favourite views - fishing boats

An abundance of island restaurants cater to every taste and there are many great watering holes serving up icy cold beer and frozen concoctions to help your vacation along.  And of course there are beaches, lots of beaches.  All very safe.

We are not the type of folks with what we refer to as a drawbridge mentality.  You know the type; once they have discovered a place they don’t want anyone else to discover it lest it might change.  Change is good.  It keeps the community vibrant and alive. 

And fishing nets ....

Some of the things that make living as an ex-pat in a foreign country easier are electronic readers that enable us to download the most recent new novels, magazines, and newspapers.  We and many of our friends have magicJack phones that allow us to call anywhere in the US or Canada – free.  The nearby Cancun International Airport gives us travel options with direct flights to many countries.  It’s all good.

Combo mini market and restaurante near Salinas Grande

So, if you are thinking of a great retirement location, or just a vacation slightly off the beaten path, consider Isla Mujeres.  If you are like us and dive right in to a new adventure, you will find professional real estate companies, good builders, and a very fun and affordable little community that will make you feel right at home.





Hasta Luego          
Lynda and Lawrie

Winter here …. Winter there

Our home in Penticton BC a few years ago

Shivering despite wearing a turtle-necked sweater over a second sweater, her image is projected, via Skype, from her house in the north to our computer in Mexico.   It is -5 Celsius, or 23 Fahrenheit!  The heating system is struggling to warm their house.  

The driveway has been snowed covered for two weeks, with never enough time between snow storms to completely clear it.  It is snowing again as we chat with her.  Brrr.  

Every winter a few of our dedicated friends and family members make the two-week trek back to northern homes to visit with grown children and grandchildren for the holiday season.  Are they crazy?  Probably.

Lawrie leading the way on a hike across our property.

When we lived in Canada Lawrie’s dad would make his annual sales pitch to his three grown children and grandchildren.  “Let’s go to Hawaii for Christmas this year!”  

And every year we all pooh-poohed the idea.  “It’s not Christmas without snow.  It’s just not Christmas with palm trees and sandy beaches.”  Were we crazy?  Yep!

Friends and family enjoying a winter lunch at Ballyhoo

In Mexico we can swim, snorkel, fish, boat, and buzz around on a motorcycle or golf cart twelve months of the year.  

Occasionally we experience a cold front from the north that drops the temperature by ten degrees, blowing fine white sand into our swimming pool and killing the more delicate tropical plants.  

Central heating for houses is unheard of here, so when the odd “norte” hits we simply add an extra blanket to the bed at night.  The “norte” also creates my only gardening challenge; finding plants that can survive the salty winds.

John and Lynda, 1986, x-country skiing

In the north during the winter months you can snow-ski, snow-board, ice skate, toboggan, build snow-people, and shovel the white stuff from driveways, or scrape the ice from your car windshield every morning. 

Annually in October we drove our vehicles to the local garage to have winter-tread tires installed, and then in April we reversed the process to switch back to summer-tread tires.  In later years with the advent of good all-season tires this tiresome chore was thankfully deleted from our annual to-do-list.  

World-famous Ice Wine harvest in Okanagan Valley BC

Every fall I'd carefully put my garden to bed for the winter, covering over less hardy plants with straw mulch, cleaning out pots of geraniums and stacking the terracotta pots in the garage until spring. 


In Canada we prided ourselves on not feeling the cold, wearing lightweight clothing during the winter months as proof that we were truly Canadian, tough like our pioneer forefathers, and able to face adversity. 

Friends and family enjoying a winter in Mexico

When we first moved to Isla Mujeres we snickered at the sight of locals bundled up in parkas, with toques pulled down tightly over their heads, and knee-high boots covering chilly skin.  Strangely enough after living here for four years, we are comfortable wearing jeans and occasionally a sweater during the winter months.  

Our northern blood is thinning, we are acclimatizing.  All the more reason to spend winters here and not there.

A Perfect Day! (Lawrie’s turn to write!)

The start of a perfect day!

Of course it’s all in the eye of the beholder, but my perfect day started with a phone call from our friend Charlie Simpson – the next day was going to be a great day for weather, with calm seas and very little wind.  Was I up for a fishing trip?  Absolutely!

This retired life is hard, however, with some careful planning I figured I could squeeze a little fishing into my busy schedule. 

We met at the dock at 8:00 a.m., four of us, Charlie, Dave Waddell, Brent Kraushar, and me.  It took us about twenty minutes to load on the gear – ice, bait, beer, and sandwiches – and we were off. 

Charlie has a Grady White 30 foot fishing machine, all set up for multiple rods and down riggers.  

It’s the ultimate guy-toy.

The perfect day

The day was perfect – sunshine, calm turquoise waters and good friends to have a laugh with.  The trip took us about an hour to get to the area where we were going to fish.  It is an underwater plateau about twenty-five miles offshore called Arrowsmith. 

And no you can’t see land from anywhere around there, but the boat has some pretty sophisticated electronics so we knew exactly where we were.  Once all six lines were in the water we decided to have a breakfast beer. 

Great fishing today

Fifteen minutes later we hooked our first fish – a really nice Blackfin Tuna – and now it’s time for another celebratory beer.   Charlie decided to circle around with our troll, just in case this fish had friends and relatives in the area.  And yes he did!  Lots of friends! 

We stayed in the same one mile area all day and caught eight more big tunas.  What a haul.  Good eating!

Late in the day it was time to head back to the dock, clean up a bit and hit the Soggy Peso Bar for a few more celebratory beers, and lots of fishing stories. 

 


Now the fish stories start ...Brent, Lawrie, Dave, Charlie



A truly fine day in paradise.