Feeding time at our zoo, Isla Mujeres, Mexico

While typing out a list of ‘how to’ instructions for friends who are babysitting Sparky and our house for a few weeks, we noticed we had included several references to critters other than Sparky.  

There are a myriad of instructions on the care and feeding of our free-roaming collection of pets that inhabit our small bit of the island.

We have Geek the Kitchen Gecko, who lives behind the fridge, and gives me a loud chuk, chuk, chuk greeting every morning when I turn on the coffee maker.

Geek the Kitchen Gecko

Geek doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, except that he likes a shallow dish of clean water to be available on the kitchen counter. A few times, when he has tried to catch a drip from the kitchen tap, it has resulted in a traumatic drop into a slippery-sided enclosure with no traction for his Velcro-like feet. Rather than chase a panicky lizard around the sink, we have settled on letting him use the former-hand soap dish as a drinking bowl. 

Occasionally we pull the fridge away from the wall and vacuum his house, taking care not to suction him up with the poop. In return for our acceptance of his requirements, Geek the Gecko does his best to eliminate mosquitoes and ants. 

King of the Beach - Thomas the Cat 

Before our famous seventeen-year-old Thomas the Cat passed away in April of 2016, there was a succession of kitchen geckos who had a brief and tension-filled existence. 

We intensely miss our Tommy, but the household geckos had a disco party in celebration of his passing.

While Geek patrols the interior of our house, the larger lizards inhabit underground burrows outside. 

There is a herd of about twenty-five iguanas that mooch bits of fruit, veggies, and leftover pet food. (The collective noun for a group of lizards is a lounge of lizards!) They are similar to beach dogs, keeping a watchful eye on movements at Casa Rosa, Casa Luna, our house, Casa K’aay Há, and Punta Piedra. 

Any indication that someone

Stumpy the Iguana is about 15 years old 

might be willing to feed them, and the whole group will converge in a scurrying mass hoping to be the lucky one who gets the piece of mango, or papaya. 

They like to leave the boring broccoli or celery bits for the night-time beach-cleaning crew, the hermit crabs.

The free-roaming hermit crabs number in the hundreds. They are the most labour-intensive of our outdoor zoo critters. 

Hernando the hermit crab - we think!

Hermit crabs require a daily supply of fresh, clean water in dishes, shallow enough to be accessible to small creatures, an assortment of scraps to dine on, and a steady supply of new shells to move into as they outgrow their current domicile. 

Hermit crabs don’t create their own shells and must find larger homes on average every six months. Only certain shapes meet their requirements for comfort and accessibility. 

The black and white turbo snail shells are their favourites, but the Hermit Crabs are in direct competition with tourists who also collect the beautiful and increasingly

Hermit crab using a Pond's Cold Cream jar

 rare shells. Over the years, we have purchased hundreds of substitute shells for the Hermit Crab shell exchange program at our crab-i-tat. The crabs take one – leave one. 

We usually mark the purchased shells with red, orange, or bright pink nail polish so that we can identify our frequent visitors. And of course, since they are regularly swapping shells, it is virtually impossible to recognize a particular Hermit Crab. You can never be certain of who you are chatting with!

Regular visitors 

And then there are the birds that visit every afternoon for a drink of clean water and a feather-cleaning bath. Soon after we moved here in 2008, we swept out the natural indents in the coral rocks just in front of our house. 

The birds quickly learned to rely on us for fresh water, happily congregating for a few minutes of social time in the late afternoon before heading to their roosting spots for the night. Even the iguanas, larger hermit crabs, or passing cats and dogs drink from the pools.

Sparky star of Treasure Isla, waiting for the sequel

As for the instructions for looking after our almost-famous divo, Sparky, well, those took up three full pages of computer printing. 

We did mention he is a divo, a pampered, but we think very lovable, brat.

Being zookeepers at our house is almost a full-time job.

Hasta Luego

Lynda, Lawrie, and Sparky

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Expats in the electronic age. Living full-time in Mexico!

Sunrise a few days ago

One of the greatest things that the tech-age has brought for expats is that everyday tasks that used to be a challenge are much simpler to complete.

Affordable and quite reliable telephone service is available over the internet.  With a service such as MagicJack, a low annual rate of less than fifty dollars gives service to and from Canada and the USA without long-distance charges.  Expats can easily keep in touch with family and friends using their telephone number from their home community.

Hidalgo Avenue in Centro, early in the morning 

Internet Banking, of course, is easy with debit cards and credit cards. However, the island’s ATMs are currently experiencing a problem with cards being cloned. It’s a worldwide problem, apparently originating in Venezuela.  

We’re fortunate because we have a local bank account where we keep a small amount of cash, and can pop into the branch for more pesos as we need them. Our RBC account in Canada allows us to transfer money over the internet directly from one bank to the other.  

Fun colour combination

Shopping online is available in most countries, but here it’s a big advantage, bringing a wider choice of items directly to our little island in paradise. Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Costco, and big local chains such as Liverpool offer delivery to the island.

E-books have really made our lives easier.  In our previous travels to other countries, we typically had one suitcase with nothing but English-language novels to occupy rainy days or cool evenings. 

With our electronic readers, we can be anywhere in any country, and as long as there is an internet connection, we can purchase a new book. Best invention ever, for travelers.

Door-to-door furniture salesman

Passports will soon be renewed online for Canadians. For us, that would be a big bonus.  No more trekking into the Consulate Office in the hotel zone of Cancun to submit our applications. 

And in case you are wondering why the photographs, which we normally choose to illustrate the article, have this time around absolutely nothing to do with the article. A picture of a debit card, n ATM, or an internet phone would be a bit boring.  

Great mural, no design committee rules

So, instead, we’re posting a sampling of recent random photos of life on Isla.  

Enjoy!

Hasta Luego  

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas

For the iguanas - should be Lazy Lizard Lounge!

This guy likes our loungers - the sign is for him!

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Mexico, the art of communication and miscommunication

“Please put the toilet paper on the waste basquet.” 

A sign posted inside the public washrooms at one of our favourite island restaurants always makes me giggle when I read it.  Just one small word, on instead of in, and the whole purpose of the sign is destroyed, in a humorous way. 

Seasoned travelers automatically get what the sign is trying to communicate: put your used toilet paper in the waste basket. There is no sewer system in many parts of the island, or in many other parts of Mexico, only holding tanks. Business owners ask their customers to place all used paper products inside the waste paper cans. This will reduce the number of times the tank must be pumped out and the number of times the system overflows onto the street. It’s not our favourite thing about living in Mexico, but it is what it is.

Another confusing sign can be seen at the crumbling edge of the Punta Sur cliffs.  It severely admonishes: “Do Not Close to the Cliff!”  Sure, I won’t close to the cliff, if I only knew what that meant.  It does sound kind of scary, though.  Maybe the sign painter meant - don’t walk close to the cliff? Don’t run close to the cliff? Or maybe, don’t stand at the unprotected edge of the cliff as people have been known to fall off trying for that perfect tourist selfie.  

Other signs on the island deliberately use humor to get the point across. “Live Nudes! We don’t have any, but we do have frozen drinks.”  

Bet that sign makes a lot of guys do a neck-twisting double-take as they putter along Rueda Medina in their rented golf carts.  

Or the sign that used to be across from the passenger ferry terminal where thousands of Cancun day-trippers arrived hourly; “Husband day care, while you shop.” I’m sure more than one shopping-bored husband pointed to the sign and said, “See, honey, they will take care of me while you look for souvenirs.” Then, gleefully handing over a fistful of cash, waved goodbye, “Have a nice time, dear.  I’ll be right here.”

M. Watt photo

But the signs we enjoy the most as the hand-painted, kid-produced signs reminding everyone to protect and care for local critters.  There are signs about iguanas printed in rudimentary English: “Take care me, make part of your world.” Signs about the crocodiles living in the marsh near Hacienda Mundaca.  And hand-painted signs about the annual migration of the protected blue crab, posted at both Sac Bajo and Punta Sur, remind drivers to slow down and let the critters cross the road.  

Watch out for migrating crabs

The large blue and the smaller red crabs like to make the trek, from land to ocean and back again, during moonlit summer nights. Unfortunately, not all of the crustaceans survive this summertime ritual. Some get squished, providing tasty morning snacks for squabbling birds or cannibalistic crabs. In case you missed the words “protected blue crabs” and are considering a tasty feast, think again. And besides, after watching the crabs feast on iguana poop, er, no thanks, I’ll pass.

Signs – the art of communication and miscommunication.  It is one of the challenges of translating from your own language to another language.  Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.  

I have, on occasion, okay many times, written or said something in my rudimentary Spanish that means something other than what I intended to say.  Like the time I posted in a blog that I was feeling very hot, as in temperature, but the Google translation said I was hot, as in sexy. Our friend Vivian emailed the correct words, and I fixed the blog post. We had a good giggle over that little error.

That’s what is so great about living in a small community on a tropical island: friends laugh with you.  

It is all a part of communication – mistakes and all.

Hasta Luego

Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas

Pretty clear message - D Adler photo

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You know you are an islander when …

Crocodile round-up in front of new hospital

You know you are an islander when:

The recent round-up of baby crocodiles makes you smile, knowing that they are being moved to a bigger and better location instead of being destroyed as a nuisance.  Their mother has already been moved to the Hacienda Mundaca Lake, and now it is time to catch the youngsters.  

You go get 'em!  No, not me!

A crowd of city workers stood on the edge of the marshy swamp near the new hospital, jockeying for a better view, but still keeping their feet on dry ground. “You go get them,” one man said, playfully pushing his co-worker towards the dark, foreboding water.  “No! You get them!” the other man responded, shaking his head, No!  Baby or not, crocodiles have sharp teeth and vice-like jaw muscles.  They can do a lot of damage to hands and fingers.  We didn’t stay to watch the round-up, but I was told they have been successfully relocated.

Stumpy, enjoying a free meal.

You know you are an islander when:

Thirty-five iguanas of assorted sizes come knocking at our patio door every morning.  “Hey, lady!  Where’s our fruit?”  We buy a steady supply of watermelon, bananas, papayas, and sweet peppers – anything red, orange, dark pink or yellow.  Those colours attract iguanas.  They wait impatiently on the back patio, pacing along the edge of our pool as I dutifully cut up the fruit and skins into iguana-sized pieces.  

Iguana fruit & veggie salad

They don’t have teeth, just bony ridges that can shred things to a certain extent.  A too large piece can result in a choking problem, and I don’t really want to do the Heimlich Manoeuvre or CPR on a frantic lizard.  I chop and cut, slice and dice, then scatter the goodies over the back yard and rocks.  There’s a flurry of scurrying bodies, scrabbling claws, flicking tails and then the fruit is gone, leaving behind deposits of fresh iguana poop.  Stumpy, the large one with the short tail, tries unsuccessfully for seconds, following me back to the house, begging for more.  He looks very disappointed that I don’t fall for his antics. 

Dolphins in front of our casa

You know you are an islander when:

A pod of dolphins cruises past in the late afternoon, cavorting and courting.  Their lithe muscular bodies flip out of the water, corkscrew through the air and slice back into the ocean.  All you can do is stop and stare in wonder at such beauty.  We were so preoccupied with the display that we forgot to take photos.  The one included with this post was taken by our neighbour.  The pod played for several minutes in front of our house before taking their circus act further south, past where David and Diane Daniel are staying at Casa Toloc.  David has a fun new toy, a drone.  He filmed the pod at sunset. You can see it on YouTube – link below.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1atIZycuSSc&feature=youtu.be   

Fishing boats at sunset L Lock photo

These are just a few of our daily experiences of living on Isla Mujeres.  Many more amusing things happen, but we have always tried to have photographs with our blog, and sometimes I just don’t have the right photo for the situation. For instance, the police vehicles that cruise around the island 24/7 with their emergency light flashing - red and white and blue.  In most countries, flashing lights on a police vehicle mean one thing: pull over now! We want to talk to you. In Mexico, it means, yep, that’s a police vehicle. When they want your attention, they will “blip” the siren. That’s when you know you need to stop, right now.

Island living has a personal, quirky charm.  That is what makes living here magical.

Hasta luego, Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas

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What's the favourite colour of a bamboo chicken?

Red, orange, or yellow! 

Green Iguanas (nicknamed bamboo chicken) are attracted to bright colours such as red, orange, and yellow. From personal experience, I'd say that this bit of trivia found on a website dedicated to the care and feeding of pet iguanas is correct. We have had iguanas munch on our yellow hose nozzle, attack the orange handle on the rake, or beg for treats when I wear my red gardening gloves. But lettuce, cucumbers, and broccoli hold absolutely no fascination for them. Iguanas don't have teeth as such, just bony ridges that can, as my sister Joann discovered, do damage to fingers if you forget to keep those pink-wiggly-things out of the iguana's mouth.  

Iguana salad

They primarily reside in rock piles along the beach, or in empty lots, but they will also tunnel under houses, or take up residence in just about anything that can be considered a burrow - such as the large drain on the side of our house.

Their biggest enemy seems to be dogs, especially dogs that are hungry or dogs that like to dig.  We have seen a few dead or about-to-be-dead iguanas being carted off by a dog or two on the island.  Some of the dogs get quite excited, yipping while digging up the burrows, and that's when we use our super-duper water cannon and chase the marauders away.  However, occasionally the dog is a quiet, efficient hunter and secures his prize before we can interfere.  Score: Dog - 1, Iguana - 0.


Municipality installed iguana-crossing signs

Iguanas also have a poor survival record when crossing the busy sections of the island's roadways. The municipality has recently started a campaign to make drivers more aware of favourite iguana-crossing locations on the island by posting caution and yield-to-iguanas signs.

I was surprised to learn that Green Iguanas are classified as "Threatened" and are so listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).   We have at least 15 to 20 Green Iguanas currently in residence along this stretch of the beach.  It's hard to get an accurate head count because the little devils all look alike.

One of our resident iguanas, enjoying snacks

There is one other natural enemy that I should mention - hurricanes.  The big waves associated with tropical storms and hurricanes can drown them inside their burrows.  Iguanas need heat to be active.

Typically, we experience a rapid drop in temperature with storms, making it difficult for the lizard to escape the inundation of water.  So, between dogs, vehicles, hurricanes, and small boys with slingshots, these hapless critters can use a helping hand. 

Treats for iguana at local marina

Keep in mind, though, they are vegetarians. Don't feed them cat food, dog food, cheese, leftover pizza, biscuits, or anything with protein, wheat or corn in it.  A diet that contains animal proteins will lead to kidney failure, and this is a terribly long and drawn-out way for an iguana to die.  

The fresh fruit or vegetables should be shredded or chopped into small pieces.  Remember, they don't have teeth. Some suggestions on the pet websites include green beans, winter squash, sweet potatoes, yams, and carrots. Fruit can also be offered, such as strawberries, cantaloupe, or raspberries. Not my raspberries! I'm not sharing my imported raspberries with iguanas. I do share the local papayas, pineapples, mangoes, and bananas. They adore bananas. When I appear with a dish of bananas, those lizards run so fast their four little legs barely touch the ground.

A couple of other funny facts about iguanas. 

Shedding!

1. They shed.  Depending on its growth rate and age, an iguana will shed from once to many times in a year. An iguana's skin will begin to turn a dull, hazy shade of grey, indicating it needs to shed. It's a messy affair with bits and pieces hanging off in a state of disarray. The fresh new skin will be shiny and brightly coloured. 


2. The male iguanas have a hemipenis.  That's two - that they can use alternately.  Twice the fun!

3. A group of iguanas is called a lounge of lizards. As my character, Jessica Sanderson mused in Tormenta Isla Book #3 of the Isla Mujeres Mystery series; 

My attempt at hand-painting a sign

She supplied chopped fruits and vegetables to the lounge of lizards in the garden. She’d read that amusing expression on YucatanLiving.com. A group of lizards was called a lounge. So, she supposed, a group of lizards hanging around could be thought of as a lounge of lizards lounging in a lizard lounge.  

Hasta Luego from paradise
Lynda and Lawrie

My second attempt at hand-painting a sign.

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