This morning it is -36 degrees (with the windchill) and even though I was going to write about barley recipes this morning, I really need to go back to my time on Isla.

Even though I typically sit under a palm tree once I arrive at North Beach, I am always anxious to get there.  So on this second day, I pack up my Sudoku, book, sunscreen, etc. and head down to where I know that my brother and my Isla family will be accumulating.  There was a time when we would all be assembled at Sergio’s Playa Sol, a place where we met many of our Isla friends.  Now though, most of the gang gather at the back of the beach where the palms provide shade and they lug down their own beach chairs.  I played musical chairs for a while and then decided that I could not stand it anymore and headed to Chedraui (later that afternoon) to see if I could purchase one.  I did not stay long at the beach for fear of harming my freckled skin and instead wandered through Centro, checking out who had built or painted what.

This assessment takes me many days to accomplish.  You can likely see that my eye and camera is drawn to anything turquoise.  I am quite literally obsessed with the colour ever since I began traveling to the Caribbean many years ago.  My family is very patient with me as I have found a way to incorporate the colour into almost every room in our home.

I already know that I would like this mural size wave from Ikea for my birthday…….

The afternoon passes quickly with unpacking (I am always too excited to spend the time in my room on arrival day) and work that must be completed even though I am on vacation.  I am not complaining, having my own business gives me many more days of leisure than I deserve.

My mobile office for week #1 (so don’t cry for me Argentina).

My adventure at Chedraui was an interesting one.  I decided to walk there and it was a long and hot one.  When I arrived, I will admit that I was a little bit grumpy.  I headed to the spot where I knew that beach chairs had been in the past, crouched very low and lo and behold, found one solitary chair at the back of the shelf.  I set it up, right then and there, to ensure that it was in working order and then wandered off to make my next purchase of an alarm clock for our room at Casa el Pio.

I love that time has little or no meaning for me on Isla.  I can usually judge the time of day by the height of the sun or the grumblings of my tummy BUT I do not enjoy waking up in the middle of the night and not knowing if it is an hour after I turned off the light or 4 or 10 in the morning!  So this purchase was intended to enhance my sleep, not disrupt it.  It too, was the last one on the shelf.  In fact, I had to put the “floor” model in my cart, as they had scads of the make that cost almost 4 times the price, but only one at what I would deem a reasonable price.  So I determinately head to the check out, pleased with my seletions.

When it comes time to ring up the chair, there is much discussion amongst the clerks that there is no price tag on the chair.  A number of them go to the shelf to acquire what they explain to me is the code in order to ring it in.  They return with a supervisor who tells me that it is impossible for me to buy the chair and says that in fact, the chair is not for sale.  Well for 1) I have trekked down here in the hot sun and am in no mood to be denied, for 2) I do not want to spend two weeks stealing brief sits in a chair while others are swimming or off to the bano and for 3) the chair is right here in my hands!  After literally a dozen staff members are involved in the dispute, half of them taking my side and smiling brightly to reassure me that they are going to help me buck the system and buy the prize, I am successful in purchasing the chair.  And for a great price-less than the rental of a beach chair for a day on Playa Norte.

As I triumphantly leave the store, I decide to treat myself to a cab ride back to Centro.  On Isla, the cab drivers give you a brief and friendly honk of their horn to inquire if you are wanting a ride and this occurred as soon as I stepped out of the store.  It did not deter him that he was on the far side of the street, headed in the other direction, he simply spun around to make my loading the cab with packages easier to accomplish.  Unfortunately, when I emptied my cart, it started rolling down the incline at the front of the store.  Luckily, I was able to snatch it before it ended up in the traffic on the street but not without consequences.  Someone else’s empty cart, also started to roll and was headed right towards the cab.  I was already occupied retrieving my cart and could not stop this one and the cab driver was furious at me because the cart chipped the paint on the car (even though I had successfully prevented my cart from causing a major vehicle pile up).  So my feelings of triumph were short lived and all I wanted to do was get back to my casa and open a cerveza.

By the end of the afternoon, I was feeling better and wandered down to the shore.  I always try to capture the sun going down on the island.  The sunsets themselves are magnificent but it is more than that.   I can understand how the Mayans lives were dictated by the sun and I suppose that this is my way of acknowledging and respecting this.

When evening arrives, we have to make our most taxing decision of the day-where to go for supper? Sister #3 and I have debated which place on the island has the best frutti de mare pasta.  In her opinion it is Angelo’s but in my mind, the winner is Brisa Grill.  So, we head there for the test.

Our friend clinking cervezas with me here, is named Donna back home but on the island we call her Dona.

I do admit, that I remembered the seafood as being more plentiful.  Sister #3 is not disappointed, just content with her preference of Angelo’s.

In the mean time, I was more than pleased with my choice of pesto shrimp linguine.  I savoured the meaty prawn at the forefront of this photo and sliced into into to so many forkfuls, that it was like eating a baby lobster tail.

Others in our group sampled the coconut shrimp.  We informally perform an assessment of the Island’s best of this dish too.  I give Brisa’s Grill high marks for their unusual presentation.

My brother who is not as avid a seafood eater, opted for the ribs.  Quite honestly, he was still hungry when he finished eating this portion.  I suppose we should not fault a restaurant built right next to the ocean and the shore, to do a mediocre job of ribs.

I cannot specifically recall what we did that first evening but I would imagine that it involved a stroll down Hidalgo to wave or chat to friends.

Kath’s quote: “Sometimes I pray to Cod for the veal-power to stop playing with my food words, but I fear it’s too bread into me. For all I know, the wurst may be yet to come.”-Mark Morton

Love-that is all.

There are many topics that I could write about today but I choose to start my recollections of our wonderful time on Isla Mujeres.  This is the snowy scene outside my window at this moment. This is a good day to think tropical thoughts….

From my journal:

“Feeling wonky, as is sometimes the case on arrival day as I had to be up at 4 am and of course I didn’t have the best sleep.  The flight went quite quickly: got some work done and watched Argo.  Cancun was a zoo!  Wasn’t on Isla until 1:15 ( I think Donna said) and that was with no waiting for the ferry.  Just long enough to for me to buy everybody a beer for the ferry ride over.”

I get such a kick out of the ferry ride to Isla that this year, I crossed an extra couple of times, just to savour the trip more often.

We knew that Jill from Casa el Pio would be waiting for us, so we quickly pulled out bags over and then headed right out again to meet Sister #2 and Miquel for lunch before they headed in the direction of Punta Sur to their little beach place.  With an easy consensus, the meeting place was Bally Hoo for our traditional first lunch of fish and chips and inaugural island cervezas.

Sister #2  had coconut shrimp.

Sister #3: fish tacos.

And I, fish and a fantastic little salad.  Bally Hoo is perched on stilts right in the water, adjacent to the docks where the sport fisherman tie up their boats and clean their catch.  Perhaps this is why their fish is the freshest I have ever tasted, literally sparkling in your mouth.

My first view of “fisherman’s” beach from Bally Hoo.  Ah Isla, I have returned…..

We stopped in at the grocery store on the way home to pick up some supplies for the room: milk for my morning coffee, yoghurt for breakfast, more cervezas for any time of day and a Chilean Merlot that I had never sampled before.  It was so good, that the entourage of vinto tinto drinkers that accompanied me, stocked up too and for a while, the grocery store was sold out.

Casa el Pio would be home for the first half of my stay.

I love the crisp white and blue of the casa.  It reminds me of the Greek islands.

As my roommate settled in, I had my first walk around the seawall

and then to take in the lengthening shadows of the palms by the naval base.

Dinner that night was at Brisa Mexicana so we could watch the Oscars.

Breaded fish.

Seafood pasta.

I saw that they had pork chops on their surf and turf menu and they were kind enough to accommodate my request for them.  But who was I kidding?  They were tasty enough, but could not come close to Fredy’s 2 bone pork chop which I was craving.  I took half home for a next day sandwich.  Casa el Pio has a little fridge for left overs, that is also stocked with welcome cervesas and a shot of tequila!  They generously provide the coffee and filters for a great cup of joe, too.

But not surprizingly, we didn’t last long.  Fairly soon after the best supporting awards, we decided to head back to our cozy beds.  I thought that we might possibly be able to watch a live stream of the rest of the award show, but it really did not matter.  We were tired, but more than that: we were anxious for sleep so that we could wake up to our full first day on the island.

Kath’s quote: “There is poetry in a pork chop to a hungry man (person).”-  Philip Gibbs

Love-that is all.

We are home after another amazing time on Isla Mujeres.  Here are some random reflections on our time away.

• The world’s weather is changing.  There were a number of rainy days and brisk winds.  Now because I am not a beach fanatic, I really didn’t mind one bit, but the locals commented quite often that the weather was very untypical for early March in the Yucatan.  If you are still heading away, take one of those rain ponchos that you can buy at a $1 store, pack a deck of cards or an extra book so that you can still while away the time pleasantly, even if the weather doesn’t co-operate 100%.
• Even though we were there for peak season and the island was at 0% vacancy, there were some restaurants that were empty or had only a couple of tables occupied even at peak times. So in addition to the current high restaurant turn over, we predict even more.  Upon reflection, we are wondering if more visitors are dining at home now that places like Chedrui have opened and have so much to offer.  Islaholics, what are your thoughts?
• There are so many property for sale signs on the island, by our accounting, more than previous years.  Perhaps this is because even more land has been surveyed, parcelled and available for sale or maybe it is because economic times have created a bit of a glut.

• The locals are still working from dawn to late night.  Most of our friends have 1-2 and even 3+ jobs to try to make ends meet.  But they continue to work diligently, without complaint and are very appreciative of the tourist business.
• There have been some more municipal improvements like the new illuminated walkway on the south Caribe side.
• The Police presence was even more noticeable with a funnelling of traffic to single lanes just south of the navy base.  We wondered about their strategy, but in the mean time, I felt very safe and secure.
• The day-trippers have an impression that Isla is a great place to get liquored up and menace the roadways.  Something tragic is going to happen and then perhaps liquor will not be freely sold directly to golf cart drivers (who didn’t even get out of their golf carts to be served-as we witnessed).
• Being on Playa Sol feels a bit surreal.  It is still my favourite piece of beach on the island.  I loved the ever present cool breeze and the shade of a lone palm tree.
• Best orange juice anywhere in the world with the possible exception of Israel.
• Hotel staff remain the most helpful people I know-Jill at Casa el Pio and Isobel at Luna d’Meil especially so.

• The most beautiful sunrises.

• The most beautiful sunsets.

• The food was simply amazing but that story will be told many times over in the upcoming weeks.
• Families still flourish on Isla.  We saw so many babies, born to locals and brought by the tourists.  I still get a little freaked out when I see infants held by one arm as their parent drives a scooter with the other.
• With all the speed bumps all over the island, I am not sure why the traffic is allowed to race along the airport strip.  It seemed noisier to us than previous years and once again, I hope that the speed of the traffic, does not come to a bad end.

• The water is still the most amazing colour I have ever seen.

• The sea-glass picking was exceptional.
• Villa Bella really does serve “beer so cold that your teeth will hurt”.
• Many travellers are content to lug their own chairs to sit in the natural shade.  This produces a familiar and social atmosphere like the one that we enjoy at our summer cottage.

• Islanders still love colour.

I’ve got emails to catch up on, assignments due, unpacking and laundry but I just wanted to record these reflections while they are still in my consciousness.  We’ve already booked for 2014!

Hola from the Winnipeg gang!

Kath’s quote: “They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!” – Dr. Seuss

Love-that is all.

I will not be frequently posting “live” as I am this day, because even bloggers need to take a holiday, wouldn’t you agree?  But here I am in my land of bliss, the kind of place that you care for so much that you want to share it with everyone that you love.  But sometimes, logistically, this does not work out.  So here I am without D or my the rest of my brood.  Thankfully I am with most of the rest of my siblings so I am content.  More than content, in fact, I am ecstatic for the blessing of being back on Isla Mujeres once again.

Sweet Dreams on Isla Mujeres

In the days when our family was young, we didn’t get a chance to go on winter holidays.  There were a couple of exceptions for special anniversaries and so over the course of our first fifteen years of marriage, we visited Cozumel and Hawaii.  This took considerable co-ordination on our part to have various people to stay with the kids so that they could maintain their school and extra-curricular activities.  Even though there are far less logistical issues to deal with now that only our youngest is at home, we still want her fairly convenient lifestyle to be maintained while she is busy with university and her work.  She will also have extra dog walking responsibilities as our big old Samoyed collie  is arthritic and blind and will not take care of his personal toileting unless he is lead on a leash.  So because she is still my baby girl, I wanted to leave the kitchen well stocked for her convenience and sustenance.

Daughter #2 is a great cook but not particularly experienced in the kitchen (I kind of hog the room).  Everything that she takes on, tastes delicious, but she is not confident when looking in the fridge for what can easily be assembled with success.  But as luck would have it, on Friday afternoon a package arrived containing a gorgeous new sauté pan from T-fal and six varieties of Hamburger Helper. 

Daughter #2 was elated.  This would take the guess work out of what to pull out for supper (as long as she remembered to thaw the ground beef first). 

There was a beef sale at Sobey’s this weekend so I was able to pick up a value pack which held six portions for $13.80.  I thought that was a great deal for a variety of meals; and Daughter #3 can save the gift card that I left for her from Sobey’s, for little treats like sushi and in-store made pizzas.  Even though my kids are independent adults, I am still their Mom and I am blessed to think that I always will be.

 Kath’s quote: “It is the (North) Americans who have managed to crown minced beef as hamburger, and to send it round the world so that even the fussy French have taken to le boeuf hache, le hambourgaire.”-Julia Child

Love-that is all.

Earlier this week, we were invited over for dinner with beloved friends. At one time, one spouse from all three couples, worked with each at Winnipeg Harvest (in fact Lee was the founder of the amazing organization).  So once again in my life, food (and the sharing of it), drew me to loved ones.  I had been thinking about this particular appetizer recipe for as long as my count down of sleeps for Isla Mujeres, because Parmesan crusted fish is served a couple of places on the island.

The view from the corner table at the Co-op.

My favourite version is offered up at The Fisherman’s Co-op, right on the water and across from the little hotel where we typically stay.

In the end, D made this batch up and so they tasted even better than usual to me, as I didn’t prepare them.  I have posted this recipe today, in case you want to make them for an Oscar watching evening on Sunday.  In our house on Superbowl Day,  D plants himself in his football watching chair and I fix little treats for he and his quests.  On Academy Awards night, the tradition is reversed and he does the same for me.

Me on Isla (ha, ha, this is J2, my legs aren’t long enough to touch the sand).

This is really me on Isla (with Daughter #1)

Alas, this Oscar night I wouldn’t be with D as I will be spending my first night on Isla…

Love-that is all.