Jackieinpdx's Blog

I have been traveling to Isla four times a year for the last several years but I only post a trip report about once a year. This trip was very different for me. My daughter Tara, her husband Kelly and two other couples were there staying in a house on the airport strip. Allie, my 22 year old nice and her friend Lisa came down for just a quick four night stay. They stayed with me in the apartment that I rent year round with a friend. Usually my friend Denise and I are on the island at the same time or I am staying by myself.

Seeing Isla through Allie and Lisa’s newbie’s eyes was fun. Also two of my daughter’s friends had never been to Isla before.

Although Tara, Kelly and two of the friends flew down the same day that I did we were on different flights/airlines. I was scheduled to arrive in Cancun about 30 minutes after them. My flight left Houston late so they all had to wait for almost two hours at the bar outside the arrival area.  Oh, darn they had to start drinking cervezas before me.

I had booked a complicated set of rides to and from the airport with AGI. Thankfully Javier and Lisa understood what arrangements I needed. I was leaving on the 10^th on a 1:30 flight, Tara and Kelly leaving the 10th but on a 4:00 flight, Kim and Rob leaving on the 13^th and Allie and Lisa arriving on the 4^th and leaving on the 8^th. When we got to the ferry dock I paid in full for all of the roundtrips so that was taken care. Our driver on the way to the ferry asked if we wanted cold beer. He stopped at OXXO and ran in and bought us two six packs of Sol for the drive and ferry ride.

Tara and Kelly and their friends stayed out on the airport strip at Villa Tranquila. VT is a beautiful home with killer views from every floor.

Kelly was excited to be on vacation on Isla for the first time in almost four years. The highlight of the vacation for Kelly was that he got to hold a baby turtle and release it at the turtle release October 2nd at Playa Media Luna. He has a video of it on his cell phone but said the file is too big to email it to me.

Looking south from VT

The three guys rigged up a pulley utilizing a golf cart to get the massage table up on the rooftop. My daughter was scared to watch since she thought that the rope was going to break and someone would get hurt.  Once they got the table to the rooftop they said it would have been easier to carry it up the narrow spiral staircase. But hey guys will be guys!

Sunday night we went to the Soggy Pesos for the barbeque ribs. Some of us had the combo plate, ribs, chicken and sausage. Both the combo and the rib plate come with a healthy scoop of really good potato salad, black bean corn salad and corn bread. It looked like we had a ton of food on the table but I was the only one who took leftovers home. We were the only customers so Fredy wanted to buy us a drink. He made these shooters with tequila, Kahula, Coke and one other ingredient that I can’t remember.

Allie and Lisa had plans to do “everything” which included swimming with the dolphins and Garrafon’s zip line. After the first day on the beach at Sergio’s being served strawberry daiquiris by Rogelio they were content to just spend every day at the beach.

Each day I drove them around and showed them the island. They loved to just take the full loop drive around. I took them into the colonias so they could see more of the island. One night I tried to find the “crayola” house but got started too far south and we drove around and around for a long time and didn’t find the house. We were laughing hysterically at times because we started to use the dogs lying in the streets as our landmarks to tell if we had already driven down that street. A couple of days later after visiting the turtle farm I drove down a street on the opposite side of the salina where I knew I could see that back of the house to get my bearings.  Then I was able to find the house so they could see it close up. They also wanted to go into the Super Express in La Gloria so that they could say they shopped at a real Mexican grocery store.

Allie, Lisa and I visited the turtle farm. Lisa must have asked me a dozen times if they could hold the babies. Every time we went to a different tank she asked, “do you think we can hold these?”

The girls and I had breakfast at Bally Hoo one morning. I had the Island wrap and the girls had scrambled eggs with bacon. Thanks Isla Gringo for the recommendation. He even showed up that morning and said hola and we chatted for a couple of minutes.

Two girls, four nights and a whole lot of their crap.

Allie and Lisa sad to leave Isla. They will be back!

My daughter, her husband, her friends and I having tequila shots at Adelita’s.

This was my Breakfast Trio at the Rooster Cafe my last morning. This was the morning that I went out of my apartment to find my golf cart was gone. My friend Jeri and I drove around until we finally found it across town parked in front of some apartments. It had gas and started so I was ready to go eat.

Tara’s friends Kim and Rob were scheduled to fly home today but due to Hurricane Paula their flight was cancelled. They are “stuck” on Isla until Friday afternoon. I can think of a lot worse places to be stuck.

That’s it for this trip. Next trip booked for Christmas time. I will be on the island for almost a month then.

Filed under: beaches, family, Isla Mujeres, Mexico, vacations | Tagged: beaches, family, Isla Mujeres, Mexico, vacation | 2 Comments »