Last day on Isla Mujeres

Last day on the island, we go back to the mainland tomorrow, and back to Playa del Carmen. We decided to go back there because there were a few day trips easily done from there to other beaches and a few cenotes, that we didn't make it to last round. We will be there will we fly home in a week. Isla Mujeres has been so great. I love it here, and will be back someday.

View from the rooftop palapa at our place...it has been under construction until last night, and now it is awesome! Hammock, lounge chairs, table and chairs, beautiful view....

See the dog lounging on the roof?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We had a beautiful day at the beach. Then we went home and played some dice. when I tried to turn on the gas stove to start dinner, there was nothing in the gas line, and it didn't light. I was busily trying to figure out how we could make our entire meal in the microwave, when the property manager walked by, and he was able to install a new tank. Crisis averted! We had a roast chicken we bought in town (no oven), garlic mashed potatoes, beet salad with chick peas and queso fresco, corn, sauteed cauliflower, and gravy made with cram of mushroom soup beefed up with cabbage and onions. It was wonderful, and I feel very happy and thankful for everything.

So much beer. These little trucks are pretty funny

Our friend on the walkway along the water into town

At Hemingways with snacks!

Our neighborhood

We just got back from an evening stroll around our neighborhood. It is so amazing going to another city/state/country, and trying to see what it would feel like to live there. I feel lucky to be able to, and to search out these experiences when I travel, because for so many people, traveling means going somewhere, eating in the hotel where they stay, or restaurants that cater to tourists, and going to places built for tourism. Nothing wrong with that, but it is incredible seeing how other people LIVE, and a totally different experience. I am a bit of a voyeur, and I always try to catch glimpses into peoples houses when we are walking around. Tonight I saw people lazing in hammocks strung through their living room, a light glowing against brightly colored walls with a pulsing rhythm from the fan blades. TV screens bright against the dark. Large families crammed into small living rooms, and loud chatter. Mom and daughter on a couch watching TV, the living room connected with the little mini mart where we bought a few heads of garlic and tomatoes. The ball field totally lit up with a soccer game going on. The electronics store covered in christmas lights and promotional deals. Christmas wreathes and lights going up on a few houses. A man giving a sermon from the Bible at a dining room table. And, there always seems to be faint strains of Mexican ballads being sung, music I love that just fits....it feels like it is set up sometimes, it is so perfect.

There are, I think, three lagoons on the island. This is the smallest one, right by our house. We had a lovely walk around it yesterday

The street that runs parallel to ours

Our corner store

The front patio at our place

Kitchen/living room

Our nearest beach

Woke up this morning, walked to the mini super to grab what we needed for breakfast, then on the way back to the apartment a kid on his bike rides by with a cooler full of steaming warm fresh tortillas wrapped in brown paper. oh man, there is nothing like fresh warm tortillas, they are so good! Ate breakfast, then did the walk into town, spent time on the beach, read, walked the beach, went to grocery store to buy a few things for dinner. Caught a taxi, which is almost like flagging a bus here, because they just fill up the cabs, which is great, because it makes it cost almost nothing. Home, game of dice, a few drinks with fruit and rum, a little AXN, our favorite latin cable station with cop shows in english. Then a great dinner of home made fajitas, with the same incredible tortillas from this morning that still tasted just as good. It is stormy now and the moon is huge. We have a nice routine starting....

Kim Miller, this fruity deliciousness is your honor!

Domestic night at home #2. Fajitas with chorizo, cabbage, peppers and onions, with queso fresco, beans, salsa, avacado, and amazing fresh tortillas. Plus side salad and drinks.

New apartment

10,000....friday night, blaring music, ron y cola

Big hangover breakfast the next morning

WeYesterday was my mom's BIRTHDAY!! Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Today we moved into our new apartment! We will live here for a week! It is called La Rinconda on a quiet neighborhood street in the next neighborhood or town down from the touristy north beach area where we were staying. It is a nice change of pace, it is where locals live and that makes all the difference. There aren't stalls and stalls of souveniers, and overpriced restaurants catering to foreigners. We do have a few small restaurants and a corner market, and a church. Our place has a little front area shaded by bushes and trees with a small table and chairs. We have a full kitchen with a futon couch that sits right by the french doors that open onto the porch and the breeze that comes through is so nice. Big bedroom, bathroom. And there is a rooftop palapa patio with lounge chairs. It is nice to have a "home" for a week. As I said before we are most excited about cooking meals! We started trying to plan out Thanksgiving dinner tonight.

After moving over to our new place, we headed back to the north beach, because the actual beach is so nice and it's a great place to hang out during the day. The side of the island we are on is the windy rocky side, and there really isn't a beach by our apartment. The trip into town is easy though, the walk is ok, and the taxis are really cheap to get back. We hung out with the locals on the end of the beach that is not connected to hotels, where all the families come. Then we went on a big grocery trip and headed back out to the house.

We explored out new area a little as the sun was going down, and a huge almost full or full moon was rising. Very dramatic, with warm strong breezes blowing around us. We cooked dinner.

Images of Isla

On our walk down the island, along the seaside walkway we are able to take almost to the next town/neighborhood, there is a flock of birds hanging in the air. Really, they just look like they are hanging, and it is a little creepy, besides the fact that they are huge, wingspan is probably about 4 feet on a few of them

This place is called Hemingways, I have no idea why. It is a cool old Carribbean building, they have a few different kinds of booze, but I only saw people drinking beer, and the occasional tequila shot.

View from our hotel balcony

On the way into the next "colonia" (town)

We have been seeing some stunning sunsets! Hope it's not getting boring...

First home cooked meal in a while. Ah, the beauty of having a kitchen! And, fresh veggies! Pasta with too many hot peppers, cucumber and tomato and carrot salad with lime, and garlic bread.

Isla Mujeres

On the ferry!

On the ferry from Cancun to the Island

Everyone either tries to convince is we need to buy t-shirts and corral necklaces, or to rent a moto or golf cart

One of the hurricane destroyed buildings on Isla

The dock...you know how I love boats

Beautiful sunset, just before the storm