Just Another Day in Paradise

We had to leave the island today, but not before we took a wander out to Puenta Sur and stumbled across a dog rescue chock-full of island puppies that we had to stop and play with. I didn’t want to leave. Not the island or the puppies. It’s going to be hard to top Isla Mujeres, but fingers crossed that Cancun’s got something going for it.

Since we had all day to kill and the sun was finally out, we spent a couple hours after checkout lounging at the hostel beach before we hiked two miles with our packs to the Soggy Peso, a little dive bar that I’d heard about on YouTube. It was full of aging ex pats playing cornhole and swapping stories of the glory days, but it was quaint and the tostadas were fabulous. On the way to the SP, we stumbled across an animal rescue and an entire room full of mangy little mutt puppies, just yowling for attention. They were so sweet. I could have eaten them up. I wanted to bring every one of them home. Instead, I gave almost all of my pesos to the rescue and trudged onward.

We got to the ferry an hour ahead of schedule and managed to catch an earlier one over to Cancun. The ride took us through a couple of small rain storms which made it that much more of an adventure. The cab from the ferry to our hotel was 3x the cost of a taxi on Isla Mujeres for less than half the distance, but after packing more than two miles on the island, we were ready for a break. I’ve been trying hard to not be disappointed in leaving Isla Mujeres and the inundation of tourists and chintzy attractions since we got to the resort, but as I said before, it’s gonna be hard to top what was going on out there. In a way I wish I could get out of this all inclusive and the hefty bill, but barring some catastrophe in our room, I don’t think these people will let me out of it.

Day 2 on the Island

We rented a golf cart. I have no idea why the guy looked at me so sus when I told him I ABSOLUTELY knew how to operate a golf cart. Do I look like the kind of person who couldn’t possibly know how to operated a golf cart? I don’t know but he clearly didn’t believe me. It only took me a few minutes of fumbling and a few reprimands from the 18 year old before I was negotiating the machine like a champ.

Speedbumps, however, that’s another story. Aspen gave me loads of crap for taking a couple of them at a dead run (accidentally), and so I decided to let her drive. It seems like she has a deep rooted, blood feud vendetta against the things. She’s out to get them, as hard and as fast as possible. Actually the golf cart navigation went pretty well, even when we were tailed halfway up the island by two truckloads of heavily armed policia. It was a good way to cruze the little island, and escape the over-populated north end quickly and efficiently.

The two places we wanted to visit - the turtle refuge and the ancient Mayan temple ruins, were both closed, the turtle place permanently and the temple hopefully only til tomorrow, but it made for some extra lay-around-on-the-beach-and-do-nothing time. Zero complaints.

It’s been cloudy and windy since we got here but still so much warmer than home, and the humidity… well let’s just say my hair was born for this climate.

Mexico or Bust

I’ve had plans for months to get down here. Anywhere, close to the ocean, with sunshine and cervesas… took me a minute, what with making idiotic choices like buying a house I probably can’t afford and taking on yet ANOTHER hound pup, like a fool, but here I am. Day one. Yucatan Peninsula. It’s Aspen’s “senior trip,” and we’re doing Cancun. I’ve never been, and before I pick a spot on the map and decide to live there I figure I better see what all the hubbub is about at some of these other places.

We left Spokane behind us at an ungodly morning hour, shortly ahead of a winter storm system that beset the northern parts of the country. I kinda feel bad, but not really.

Other than throwing a perfectly good $12 turkey sandwich on the floor of the Denver airport, losing a cell phone momentarily in a bathroom stall and not being able to find ANYWHERE in Isla Mujeres to break a 500 peso bill to pay the poor taxi driver, the trip was pretty uneventful. We pre-booked a shuttle from the airport to the ferry terminal and I couldn’t figure out why the shuttle guide was looking at me with such pain in his eyes when we drove away until I realized I was probably supposed to tip him as well as the shuttle driver. Oops. Those eyes will haunt me for days. I actually couldn’t have tipped him even if I remembered because the only pesos I had consisted of a handful I scrounged out of my “foreign money” collection jar, and half of those turned out to be obsolete coins with no value after I tried to pay the unfortunate cab driver with them. (Note to self: coins collections that have been collecting dust for eons are better left at home.)

At any rate we found an ATM and a super cool Jungle Bar with staff that kindly broke down the bills for us, obliging us to eat there after we settled into our hostel.

It’s Aspen’s first hostel experience, and she might be getting the wrong idea because this place is awesome. Legit boho vibes and absolutely perfect beachfront access… for $26 a night. Ok so, in true hostel form you’re putting up with the tall german girl in the opposite bunk who scolds you for leaving the balcony door open for a couple minutes because of mosquitos. And somebody left their drawers in the shower, but you know, it’s all good for 26 bucks a night. Chief complaint is the one flimsy pillow the price gets you. At a certain age you become accustomed to - nay, reliant upon, a certain architecture of pillows stuffed between knees and under aching low backs in order to sleep well, and I forgot my unicorn pillow which usually helps bridge the gap somewhat.

Dinner at the Jungle Bar/Japanese restaurant was spectacular, complete with a tricksy bartender channeling some Mexican Tom Cruise ala Cocktail that seemed to REALLY like Aspen, as he let her have a taste of most of the concoctions he was choreographing behind the bar. What’s not to like though, amiright? Since most of our time here will be at an all inclusive AND this is one of only a couple dinners we’ll have to buy AND we finally made it to Mexico AND it’s Valentines Day, it only seemed right to splurge on a few fanxy drinks and some delicious asian-themed cuisine. Best of it all was some spicy rock shrimp. This is why the ocean is important.

After stuffing ourselves and making friends with the staff and the other people eating at the bar, we waddled back across the street (ok I waddled, Aspen glided gracefully) and tried a sample of what the hostel bar had to offer. Less expensive but no disappointment there. And, in true hostel form, an interesting crowd for people watching.

Can’t wait for the sun to come up and see this place in the daylight. We’ve only got two days on Isla Mujeres and while every bit of me wants to just go plant myself on the beach, there’s a couple spots on the island I really want to check out. Plenty of lounge time at the all-inclusive coming up.