We have a tradition as soon as we get off of the ferry on Isla. We immediately (with suitcases in hand) head to Bally Hoo. This year it didn’t work out as I arrived late in the day and the rest of my entourage was waiting for an additional ferry to arrive. When D stepped off the ferry a week later it was late in the evening so that didn’t work out either.

Here are some previous visits from the Food Musings Archives:

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

The day after D’s arrival though, we were meeting a couple of old friends who were about to spend a week with us on the island. They arrived at lunch time and were hungry. When we asked them where they might like to go for lunch, they immediately said-Bally Hoo!

It didn’t take them long to decide what to order: one of them chose the shrimp tacos and the other the fish ones so that they could trade and share. They were happy that they selected tastes that are so entrenched in why we all love the island. We had just been to Mango’s for breakfast so unfortunately we couldn’t partake. But we happily got caught up with them as we sipped ice cold cervesas.

We would share a meal with them almost every day of their trip but this first one was very special with the excitement of just arriving on the island and the reuniting of four very old friends.

Kath’s quote: “To reminisce with my old friends, a chance to share some memories, and play our songs again,”. -Ricky Nelson

Love never fails.

Continuing with our new tradition of joining J1 and J2 for Happy Hour while they and the little girls enjoyed an early supper, Bally Hoo was our next destination. We were lucky enough to snag a table for all of us, as Bally Hoo was hopping as usual. The Wee One with Auntie Boo We have always loved the location, perched right over the water but this year even more so than most. It meant that D and I could take the wee ones for a walk on the piers when they got rambunctious waiting for dinner. The acorn doesn’t fall fare from the tree. J1 and J2 order their meals in tandem so that they share them as D and I love to (especially on vacation). They ordered fish tacos and coconut shrimp to share and then quesadillas for the little girls to split. They were all very pleased with their meals and the way that the Bally Hoo did their best to accommodate the kids and indeed all of us. Kath’s quote: “Ballyhoo are frequently used as cut bait and for trolling purposes by saltwater sportsmen. The fish is known to have reports of ciguatera poisoning to humans”.-Wikpedia Love never fails.

The day started with a gorgeous sunrise and

early morning guests to watch the Olympic men’s hockey finals on our TV in the spacious living room at Luna d’Miel. I cooked up a batch of Canadian back bacon and eggs to celebrate our team’s victory.  By 9 am the kitchen was all cleaned up and we were ready to start our day.  D had to head into Centro to arrange to have the golf cart looked at, where it had stalled the night previously in the Colonias.  Lucky for us, they compensated for our break down by giving us another day with the cart.

The gang did not all get up to join us for the game/breakfast and since they had access to the cart, they headed to Mango for brunch because they were all hankering for a fix of Polo’s breakfasts before they left the island.

Everyone had the yummy Coconut French Toast

with the exception of J1 who went for the Breakfast Quesadilla.

When you are at Mango, have you ever been drawn towards to beautiful church on the opposite side of the street?  The church attendees had just departed and so I knew that if I went to have a look around, I wouldn’t be disrupting anyone’s worship.

The sanctuary is absolutely exquisite and I very much want to attend a service the next time I am on Isla.

I can only imagine what it would be like to worship here on a regular basis, with the beauty of the sea just behind the altar.

D and I went back to fetch more ribs for lunch from the Rib Man.  This was the busy scene as I waited for D in the golf cart.

We went back and forth a number of times to deliver the kids and all their luggage to the ferry with the  golf cart.

It was very hard to say good-bye to the kids as I was so sad that their time had gone so quickly.  But like the ebb and flow of life, while we bid farewell to some, we said hello to others.  We had a second task to perform at the ferry, as my brother, his wife and the Wee One’s other Grandma were arriving that afternoon!

We had a brief time to while away between ferries so we headed to the Fisherman’s Co-op with J2 and the Wee One to sit in the shade and enjoy a cervesa.  The latter were staying on the island for another five days and moving into the Roca Mar with J2’s Mom.  After we delivered them to their hotel, we made one last trip around the tip of Punta Sur before returning the golf cart.

After wandering around Centro for a bit we decided to see if J2 and the Wee One had settled into their new digs okay, but the room was silent and we didn’t want to disturb the baby if she was sleeping.  We headed towards the marina and Playa Sol to catch the sunset and were drawn into Marina Muelle 7,  a place that we had walked by many times but never stopped.

Even though we love our Sol and vino tinto, these cocktails were calling our names.

I opted for a mojito served in what I call a fishbowl chalice (just the way I like ’em).  I even eat all the smashed up mint.  D gabbed the camera and took this rare photo of me because he said that my drink matched my dress.

We felt very luxurious, sprawled out in beach recliners and watching the sunset with no plans for dinner, no plans for a rendezvous, no plans for anything except savouring the moment.  And just when we thought we had enjoyed the most amazing sunset and it could not possibly get any better….

…it went and did.  So it is, on Isla.

When I am back home and in the city, I sometimes have popcorn for supper.  This is when I have no one at home to cook a nutritious meal for, D is out of town and I am feeling particularly worry free.  A popcorn supper is symbolic for not really needing to give a !@#$ for anybody but me.  D and I were feeling this way on this evening.  We toyed with the idea of going many places for supper and in the end decided to pick up some papas fritas at La Lomita and share them on the walk home.

Lo and behold, Veektoria (the way the Islanders love to pronounce Wee One’s other Grandma’s name), J2 and the Wee One were waiting for an encore of La Lomita’s Garlic Shrimp that J2 had enjoyed so much on our first night on the island.  So we got to have a little visit with them after all, only to find that they had been steps away from us the entire time, enjoying the sunset over mango margaritas at Bally Hoo.

We meandered back to our fabulous little apartment and enjoyed a glass of wine, all alone under a canopy of stars, so different from our northern sky back home.

Kath’s quote: “Second star to the right…and straight on ’til morning.” -Captain James Kirk, Star Trek

Love-that is all.