1) Mexico has a unique 2nd world balance. Sacrifices like not being able to flush toilet paper or drink tap water make it seem third world. On the 1st world side of the equation, there’s a truck which comes by everyday delivering bottles of fresh water. Then there are the unexpected technological advancements like last week I rode in a cab and the driver was playing music through a USB flash drive.
2) Even people who don’t speak English love listening to American music. But it’s rarely anything from this century. We find ourselves laughing as we get in the cab to hear oldies but goodies like “Eye of the Tiger,” “Invisible Touch” or the Soundtrack from Grease.
3) When cabs don’t have meters, it’s hard to find consistency with the fares. We’ve been charged anywhere from 11 pesos ($1) to 40 pesos for similar distances. Either way, it’s still pretty cheap. One of the “only in Mexico” things is that there are never any qualms about sharing cabs. Drivers don’t hesitate to stop for a second fare and you just have to move over and make room.
4) Apparently missionaries were quite successful down here. Catholicism reigns. We can often hear singing coming from the church near our house. As far as I can tell though, the religious mindset here has a more innocent, accepting tone than in America.
Even if the locals don't have much money, they never have to go far for a view like this. Maybe that's one of the reason's they're so happy. (Photo: Ravena Blumara)
5) The locals on Isla Mujeres are very friendly. Almost everyone says, “Hola” or “Buenos Tardes,” and we’ve never felt looked down upon as gringos.
6) Cheap traveling in Mexico is still possible to some extent but mostly it’s a thing of the past. Much to our disappointment, restaurant prices in particular are often on par with Santa Barbara. Lobster season just started and most places average between $35 – $40. Bummer! However, we’ve sought out the local places and found excellent ceviche and fish filets for around $5-$7 USD.
A traditional Mayan preparation for seafood called Tikinxik which involves roasting fish over an open fire for about 45 minutes; this meal for two at Playa Lancheros cost less about $9. (Photo: Ravena Blumara)
7) Our two favorite preparations for fish we’ve had so far are ajillo (a tangy red sauce with a gentle smoky spice brought on by guajillo chiles) and mojo de ajo (minced garlic in olive oil). We shared a fish filet mojo de ajo the other night at Velazquez for 70 pesos and couldn’t believe how delicious it was. Good thing Raven and I both love garlic equally.
Some outings in Mexico can take a turn for the unexpected. We went out for a few al pastor tacos and decided to sit down at a bar the other night for one drink. The bartender proceeded to give us three free shots of tequila over the course of the 45 minutes we spent there. They had a huge bottle of tequila on the bar filled with scorpions which had been drowned in the liquor. He tried to get us to eat one but we’re not that crazy. This place, La Argentina, was playing classic VH1 videos which really complemented (and contrasted) the mood. We both got a little choked up with “Papa Don’t Preach.” Later at Velazquez, they gave us another gratis shot of tequila which the server slammed down on the table to make it fizz.
9) It’s inspiring to see what a great mood a lot of people are in on the island. We were walking down the street the other day, mid-afternoon, and this golf cart full of people were singing together at the top of their lungs.
10) During almost every meal we’ve had at places on the beach, we’ve been approached by wandering guitar minstrels who want to play music for tips. We always politely decline. One afternoon, at a place called Sunset Grill, this table of patrons took them up on the offer. The head of the table, a handsome fellow who looked like a Mexican Richard Gere, took lead vocals while these guys played along and it was a pure, spontaneous, magical moment. They were so polished, it was like they had rehearsed. Mexi Gere had one of the most beautiful voices we’ve ever heard as he belted out these love songs that would have made women melt. He had this ultra suave approach where he would do these interludes before or during a song which sounded like he was telling a story. I wish I had recorded it.
11) One of the hardest, saddest things about the island is all the stray animals. We see dogs and cats everywhere we go. Surprisingly most of them appear to be in relatively good shape. Either they live off the generosity of restaurants or they’re good foragers. Probably a little of both. The other day this one adorable black lab type followed us for almost a mile before we got in a cab. Many restaurants have resident cats which do their best to work the patrons for some table scraps.
12) The first few days we were here, there was a tropical depression in the area and the rain came down in sheets. Since then we’ve had hardly any rain until today. Rain and clouds are our friend here as they keep it cooler. The nearly constant temp in the mid-80s with 97% humidity makes it feel like the high 90s. However, I’ve yet to experience anything quite like the suffocating, spirit-breaking South Florida humidity I grew up with. After three seasons mostly spent in the Pacific Northwest, it’s nice to sweat again.
13) As you probably know, the US has some of the ugliest money in the world. Like most foreign money, Mexican Pesos are very attractive. Especially the 100s which have this transparent window in one corner shaped like an ear of corn. Good luck counterfeiting that. It still is a trip to us paying in these huge increments which are only 1/11th of the US value.
You know what they say about a picture being worth a thousand words...(Photo: Ravena Blumara)
14) We saw the most breathtaking sunset we’ve seen in a long time two nights ago. We had almost left the beach when I turned around to see it and we hustled us back to the shore. It came about quite suddenly as the horizon transformed into a fiery pinkish-orange canvas. A couple we met from Dallas who come here every year around this time said it was one of the best they’ve ever seen.
15) Even though the island is only about five miles long and around half a mile wide, we feel like we’ve only scratched the surface. All the sides have a different feel. The eastern side with the Caribbean Sea is a lot more rugged with strong currents and not good for swimming. There is a small site of Mayan ruins on the south end we are looking forward to checking out.
16) We hoped it would be easy to rent or buy bikes while we’re here but both options are too expensive. That’s why we’re resigned to hoofing or cabbing it. We’ll rent bikes for a couple days soon. The main form of transportation for locals is mopeds. Given how safety conscious people are in the US, it’s funny to see these folks with no concern whatsoever like a mother I saw the other night driving with three small children crammed on. Most people don’t even hold on.
17) Isla Mujeres is nowhere near as touristy as Playa Del Carmen but of course tourist dollars are still the primary source of income for locals. Walking down the main street of Hidalgo, an attractive cobblestone stretch with a European feel, we are solicited on both sides by restaurateurs doing what they can to reel us in. We don’t respond well to pressure, thus typically gravitate towards the out-of-the-way spots where the locals go. Cockteleria Minino’s, near the ferry dock, has already become our regular haunt where we eat cheap and well with feet in the sand.
18) It was pretty depressing the first few times going to the grocery store. The options are painfully limited; especially after getting spoiled with New Seasons in Portland – one of the best grocers in the world. Now we’ve come to make the most out of the limitations and embrace a simple diet with a lot of chicken, rice, beans, basic veggies and fruit. The papayas and bananas make for an extremely satisfying breakfast. We have a bbq and I’m gradually becoming a pollo maestro on the grill. The Super Express is just a three block walk away. When I went last night, they were playing “Imagine.” Usually they play hip hop. Fortunately groceries are very affordable unlike many islands like Hawaii for example.
19) I still haven’t had the amazing, traditional Mexican food I expected in coming here. Surely it will happen soon but mostly it’s just been the seafood preparations which have wowed us. Salsa is also a strong point. Even stuff in cans and little cartons in the grocery store are top notch. Although, you have to watch out. Early on, I had some overly fresh jalapeno salsa at one restaurant and my gringo ass got taken to school.
Basking in the blissful calm of Playa Norte (Photo: Ravena Blumara)
20) Our favorite beach to swim at is a stretch called Playa Norte. It’s really shallow so you can walk out far and just sit on the bottom. It has this fine, sugary white sand. The water is a pale sea green. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the water temp isn’t too high. It’s actually quite refreshing and even on the cool side on occasion.
21) The house we are taking care of, Casa Oasis, is all walled in like a compound. It has a lovely garden up front where we like to eat our dinners. There is a small inflatable pool (about eight feet in diameter) which has been our saving grace. We’re in it usually three times a day. The rooftop has a steady breeze and a view of Salina Grande – a large salt lake which used to be a primary source for Mexico’s salt. We got a kick out of hanging our laundry on a clothes line for the first time in many moon as there is no dryer. Unfortunately the house doesn’t get much of a cross-breeze but we survive thanks to fans in every room and wearing as little clothing as possible.
22) The animals we are taking care of are very sweet. Gypsy is a medium size mix with an adorable smile. Bijou is a young poodle mix who is especially spunky and loves to lick us constantly. We aren’t poodle people but this one has won us over. Both dogs were rescued here on the island. They never leave the property so it’s kind of interesting not to have the responsibility of walking them. Lolita is a green parrot with a few cancerous tumors bursting from her breast. It looks gnarly but she doesn’t reveal any discomfort. She’s mostly pleasant although she does squawk a lot on occasion; especially when she is lonely or I am jamming Phish too loud. Often she sounds like R2D2 with these robotic type noises. The only thing I’ve heard her say is, “I’m Lolita.” Raven is trying to teacher her, “I am yummy.”
23) We were a bit spooked when we found out that the husband of the woman whose house this is, died tragically on the property seven years ago when he fell off of a ladder. His ashes are contained in a concrete urn shaped like a Mayan pyramid in the garden. Raven and I both dreamed about him the first night we were here. When she saw his photo, he looked just like he did in her dream.
24) One thing we didn’t plan for is how noisy our neighborhood is. This is the local’s area called the Colonia and there is a practically nonstop buzz of activity. Dogs bark day and night. Starting at 7 a.m. a guy selling fresh corn tortillas rides by on a bike every half hour honking an obnoxious horn. I want to stick that horn where the sun doesn’t shine. The gas circles the neighborhood everyday playing a voice recording along with some weird music. A golf cart with a big loudspeaker makes its rounds playing a recording which sounds like it must be a political statement; I’m guessing for an upcoming election. I should probably ask somebody. Children don’t seem to have much of a bedtime here as I can always here them shouting and playing late at night. Music blares perpetually. The first morning I heard a rooster crow but haven’t heard it since. Maybe a cat got him.
25) Beautiful as the island is, it’s a shame how many unfinished structures there are. This seems to be a theme throughout Mexico although I only have Baja as a personal point of comparison. You’ll see these huge foundations which clearly had major aspirations behind them and either the builders ran out of money or something occurred to halt the plans. You can’t accuse the workers here of laziness though. They were doing this project last week to tear out a long stretch of sidewalk and replace it with fancy flagstone. In America this probably would have taken weeks with the way workers tend to loll around. Here it took two days. Isla has its blemishes but it’s a colorful place full of old world character and charm. It’s easy to see why so many people love it.
