On Day 5, I did something I rarely do when I am vacationing on Isla: I voluntarily left the island.  Jackie, Sister #3 and I headed to Puerto Moreles to the Little Mexican Cooking School.  Sister #3 and I plan on collaborating on a number of posts about our cooking adventure, so I am going to skip right over the day at this time.  That evening, I didn’t even venture out for dinner as we were still too stuffed from eating the results of our classes.  I stayed in that evening and ate a peanut butter and banana sandwich (I didn’t photograph this).

On Day 6, the inclement weather that began the day before, continued.  We hung around our hotel and Sister #3 picked up Rotisserie Chicken for our lunch which we ate around our little plunge pool with the gang.  I did do a wee little wander around Centro.

That evening, we braved the elements and ventured to El Veradero.

At our first table, the wind was whipping us all about but the expertly-made mojitoes occupied us until the staff sympathized with our suffering and moved us to a more sheltered table, where we had a wonderful dinner.

After all the years that I have heard about this place that is tucked away and right on the water, I felt right at home. I loved everything about it, but especially the rustic décor.

Our server pulled in the English expertise of an interpreter.  When we chatted with her later she indicated that she helps out in order to enhance her English skills.  What a resourceful woman and a win/win situation for us all.  There was a bit of a debate about who would get the last two orders of the fish special.  She carefully steered us to the shrimp which were prepared with the same topping.

There was a bit of a surprise later when the bill came to see how much more expensive the shrimp was than the fish (if she knew this too-then she is VERY good at what she does).

Sister #2 and Paula ordered the garlic shrimp and there were oohhs and aahhs coming from their end of the table.

I felt like I had struck it rich when my shrimp ceviche arrived (with a side of fabulous papas fritas). The flesh of the shrimp was still plump and firm and there was just the right amount of lime.  Even though there was way more shrimp in my dish than the other dinners, mine was priced more affordably.

Kath’s quote:  “When the waitress puts the dinner on the table the old men look at the dinner. The young men look at the waitress.“-Gelett Burgess

Love-that is all.

While I was on Playa Sol, a lovely and rare thing occurred on North Beach-Hortencia took time away from her dress shop, to visit our gang with her gorgeous grandchildren.   Even though her family lives on one of the most beautiful islands in the world with one of the most exquisite beaches, an afternoon swim is a rare treat for her grand-kids.

Waiting for them on the beach was a whole pack of would-be grandparents to play catch, frolic in the water and buy them treats from the ice cream man.

The little angel depicted below has my heart.  I think that she must looked exactly like Hotencia when she was this age.

The kids were so polite and appreciative and I think that they had almost as much fun as my family did entertaining them.

Later, I met up with everyone, back at Case el Pio,

The sun was just about to set on another gorgeous day.

I love to be on the beach for sunset but it is as beautiful in its own way, from anywhere you watch it disappear.  Sister #3’s guacamole and ice cold Dos Equis, make the whole experience….complete.

I was really looking forward to that evening’s dinner and not just because we were dining at our old friend Fredy’s, but because we were finally meeting up with Jackie (a new friend from Winnipeg who is now a true Islaholic) and her traveling companions, Julie and Evelyn!

But to the food!  There were Fredy’s famous two-bone pork chops requested by many.

Sister #3 is totally hooked on Fredy’s Mexican platter.

My beloved Sis-in-law loves Fredy’s chicken bruschetta.

Paula chose the chicken enchiladas (what an amazing presentation).

Sister #2 couldn’t resist the garlic shrimp.

Last but not least, Evelyn tucked into Fredy’s shrimp.

You know, I am having a revelation as I write this.  My family and I say that being on Isla is like coming home;  I always thought as if it was the island itself, that made us feel this way, but I realize just now that it is the people!  When we are on Isla, we are surrounded by the locals that we have come to know and love as family and this day was one where we had the pleasure of spending special time with them.

Kath’s quote: “Best things in life: Friends that are like family, and family that are like friends.” –Unknown

Love-that is all.

Today’s post will be more of a pictorial than a literary accounting.  Day four started with another colourful walk around Centro.  I get such a kick out of the way Islanders use colour to freshen and preserve their homes.  The salty sea air must take its toll after a while and regular paint touch ups seem to be a fairly regular occurrence.  Interestingly, the painters don’t seem to enjoy the clean up (neither do I) but they have discovered an easy solution-they simply abandon their rollers, brushes and paint trays where they completed the task.  I have seen this occur a number of times in some of the most scenic places on the island.   There is a stretch on the uninhabited west border of the airport property along Rueda Medina, where you can spot discarded paint gear amongst the tropical plants.

I wondered if this variety of colours were planned or if there was a sale on small cans of paint.

Isn’t this house, fresh and clean looking?

And I love, the peeling turquoise paint on this corrugated metal wall!

The sky had cleared and made way for another beach day but the humidity was a little higher and there was no breeze.  I attempted to spend some time with the gang at North Beach but just couldn’t mange staying put.  I was craving the breeze of Playa Sol.  So I packed up and relocated around the corner.

This solitary palm was the perfect place for me to plunk my stuff and I quite obviously had the beach to myself.

Or did I?  There was a constant stream of beach vendors getting a work out, trudging through the gorgeous white sand.

Turns out that the Islanders selling their beach ware wasn’t my only company.  At one point, I looked up from my book to see my brother in law paddling by in his kayak.  He has a inflatable type that he can easily transport wherever he goes.  He and Sister #2 like to stay on the southeast end of the island and by the time I spied him, he had paddled a considerable distance.  He still intended to navigate around the northwest point of the island to visit the family assembled on north beach.

Then, of course, he had the long ride home.  When I saw him later that evening, he confessed that once he got out into the bay, the breeze, the waves and the wake from the ferries crossing back and forth, gave him more of a work out than he had bargained for.

Well I suppose 20+ photos is enough for one post.  Stayed tuned (soon, I promise) for the rest of Day Four.

Kath’s quote: “One of the best gifts we can give ourselves is time alone with God.”-Unknown

Love-that is all.

I spotted Tio’s Mexican Restaurant as I was heading south on St. Mary’s Rd. (754 to be exact). one afternoon and made a mental note to put it on my “must try” list.  Unfortunately, my list is very long and there are only so many times that I can justify going out for dinner.  But, if a new friend suggests that we meet at a restaurant that she thinks that I would enjoy, the decision is made for me.  I just had to go out again, didn’t I?

Even though the sun is changing locations in the sky and sticking around for longer in the evening, it is still not spring time in Winnipeg.  This, I believe is the perfect time to savour the tastes that remind you of warm places like Mexico!  For me, the combination of tomatoes, limes and cilantro transport me to a place and time where the sun is warm and always shining.

It was cold and blustery, the night that we met, but the tidy and cheerful décor was warm and inviting. The helpful server was truly glad to take care of us and shared her stories of warm places that she has traveled to.  Dinner started with chips and salsa and we ordered guacamole just for good measure.

Tio’s makes their guacamole to order only when avocadoes are in season, which I think bodes well for their commitment to quality.  We agreed that the recipe needed a little bit more zing so we added a pinch of salt and more lime juice.

My supper mate chose the Combination Plate and was cheerfully accommodated when she requested a mix of chicken and beef items, instead of one or the other.  Her platter of a beef burrito, chicken taco and chicken enchilada came with a cheese quesadilla, Mexican rice and re-fried beans.

I went with the Shrimp Tacos and both of us had to take leftovers home for lunch the following day.  The next time we meet for chips and salsa again, it will be in Mexico (I am counting the sleeps)!

Post Script:  I obviously wrote this a little while ago because I have been to Isla and my tan has already washed itself down the shower drain.

Kath’s quote: “Grilling is like sunbathing. Everyone knows it is bad for you but no one ever stops doing it.”-Laurie Colwin

Love-that is all.

My cyber friends on the Isla message board often say  ” A rainy day on Isla, is still better than a fair day, anywhere else.”    This is pretty close to the truth for my time on the island and my enjoyment of it.  On this particular morning, it was a bit muggy and you could anticipate the rain.  But because we (the Royal “we” of those lucky enough to be on Isla), often watch rain storms over the sea, completely avoid the island and pour as soon as they make landfall over Cancun (te he, we are a smug lot sometimes), I was as optimistic as the rest of the beach babies that morning.

I had a lovely swim to eliminate the humidity and then was just getting comfortable to read my book.  When the rain came, I stood under a palm tree, quite sure that it would soon pass.  Sisters 2 and 3 were swimming in the ocean and decided, what the heck, no use coming out.  It reminded me of when they were little and we would all holiday at Grand Beach.  I am the eldest daughter and so hyper-responsible and I would anxiously watch them from the shore with my Mom, hoping that lightning was not part of the storm.  Back in present day, after we were completely drenched along with most of our things, we decided that the rain was not going to stop and began slogging down the streets of Centro carrying all of our wet stuff.  Once I got out of my wet suit, I was still content to mosey around town doing all that I love to do.

Often times, rainy days mean a visit to our friend Hortencia and her family.  She is our dress-maker friend that has a stall at the north-east corner of the local market.  We could shop at other stalls or on Medina or Hidalgo, but we have know Hortencia and her lovely growing family for eight years now and we really, really care about her, so we make a conscious decision to buy whatever we can with her.  This year, we got to spend two really special times with Hortencia outside of her stall at the market.  One was when she took her adorable grand-kids to north beach for swim and another when we had the distinct honour of being invited to her home for mole (these stories to follow).

The other person that we were intent on meeting up with on this day was Jackie.  Jackie is a foodie, also from Winnipeg, who discovered my blog and decided (without ever having been to the island) to book a month vacation at the Sailfish condos!  I was delighted to inaugurate another Islaholic but I was also hesitant.  It is hard to be objective about someplace that you love.  If she focused on the north winds, the smell of sewage in Centro and the piles of rubble that often seem to turn up on Isla, how will I bear it?  Well I can tell you that she loved Isla and I had no reason at all to be concerned.  Anyway, we had hoped to meet up with Jackie and her travel companions for an evening at El Varadero but we were concerned about dining on an partially exposed dock out in the rain, and so we postponed our get together for another day.

In the mean time, we wanted to ensure that we would find an inside table, without walking too far in the continued rain so we headed to Angelo’s for pizza. We are hearty stock from Winnipeg, knowing how to deal with the extreme cold but damp and chilled is a different story.   Sister #2 and her hubby were making the trip to Centro from punta sur in the pouring rain, on their scooter!

This me in my cropped pants and flip flops.  Sometimes there is no avoiding the puddles on Hidalgo, so I am prepared to wade through them.  Hey, if there is pizza at the end of my trek, I am prepared to do lots of things. 

I think that Angelo does an amazing job and not because I am one of those travellers who like to enjoy my favourite foods from home when I venture to a new place.  I think that Angelo does a great job when measured alongside Italian restaurants in Italy!  Dishes are always made from scratch, using fresh whole ingredients, they are blended with a light touch and the recipes let the natural flavours of tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil shine through.

Now I will not profess that every meal that I have eaten at Angelo’s (and there have been a great many of them) has met this same standard but his seafood pasta dishes are as delectable as ones that I have supped on, on the Italian Riveria (I am teaching a blogging course in Tuscany this October if you are interested in knowing more).

We almost all opted for pizza with the exception of one hearty eater who enjoyed both the Spaghetti Bolognaise and a pizza.

Ham and pina.

Sister #3 and Dona shared this one and still had enough to have it for lunch the next day on the beach.

Doesn’t this look good, right about now?

Kath’s quote: “The definitive recipe for any Italian dish has not yet appeared. We are still creating.” Luigi Barzini

Love-that is all.