December3
We were awake for our last beautiful sunrise from bed.
Then we packed up and headed to Mango’s for Breakfast. D finally got to taste the famed coconut French toast and I asked the server what she would recommend, without hesitation, she said the chile relleno that had been stuffed with eggs, ham and bacon (?) then rolled in a crunchy batter and deep-fried.
She said that if she were to die tomorrow, she would hope that this would be her last meal.
I love the décor of Mango’s complete with coloured different coloured barn board, heavy old tables and funky painted chairs. I even loved the multi-coloured brick flour. Polo is truly an exceptional chef, host and manager.
We headed back to the airport road to pick up our luggage to drop off at Casa el Pio while we still had the golf cart. Once D returned it, we proceeded on foot back to Luna d’Meil for your last hours of reading and relaxing by our favourite scene of the crashing ways of the Caribe. For sustenance along the way, we finally got a chance to stop in on our favourite liquid and popsicle place on the corner of the Casa del Pio street for lime popsicles.
D had stashed away two ceremonial beers for us to drink together and we had done so, sitting on a flat bed of coral. My gaze went to the stony edge in case there was a heart shell or a nugget of sea glass that I had missed. After scooping up another handful of beach glass, I was proceeding back the way we had come, when my foot broke through a shelf of coral and really surprised me. I grabbed onto D and would have pulled him down, had he not been able to settle me and warn me that it would not be productive if we both lost our footing. D had a couple of punctures around his ankles from the coral and I was pretty badly scraped up. But we washed and bound up each others’ wounds and we not horribly traumatized by the adventure.
We gathered up the last of our snacks and beverages and left gifts and messages for Isobel. We love this lovely woman and she was and always has been so kind and generous with us. Just as we started our walk into Centro one last time, we saw her whizzing by to start her day on her golf cart. Later that evening we saw her again with a golf cart full of family celebrating a Saturday night like the rest of us. We tried to financial thank her for her rides in her retro golf cart and the extra trouble that she went to with white Christmas lights, tables, chairs and table cloths for our birthday happy hour party for Sister #2 and Brother #3. We also sent her an email booking for 2014. We have also booked La Brisas, a couple of doors to the north, so that between the house and the two units, we will all have a comfortable place to stay. I had also attempted to book the Roca Mar beach houses and the studios of Gladys’s new hotel but they had already been secured for 2014. We had dropped in to visit Don Salomé, who had shown us with pride that at communal kitchen was being built at the east end of the swimming pool. We couldn’t translate perfectly what the kitchen will be used for, but a communal kitchen would make sense.
We also enjoyed a cold beer on the stools at the corner of the Argentinean steakhouse (there is a new one in the old La Luna that Jill from Casa el Pio recommended but we never got there).
Being our last day, we realized that of all the beautiful photos we had taken, we had very few of the two of us so we tried this selfie.
When we needed a light lunch to tie us over, we dropped in Poc Chuc’s original location where D had
a traditional poc chuc torta
and I a fish torta. Both were so delicious that we mentioned buying another couple for the plane ride home. In the end we opted for a couple of airport pizzas that were surprisingly good.
Before dinner we had assembled at the old pier at Play Sol for our tradition of one last sunset. D made kahlua cooladas and we finished up beer and wine along with snacks of Sister #3’s guacamole and chips.
The three sisters and Brother #3 (Sister # 3’s twin, follow?)
Here’s an out take of the photo taken just before.
And here is our entire gang: front row-Sis in law, Moi, Newbie, Do-na, back row-Sister # 2, Sister #3, my D, Bro-in-law and Brother #3. Table for nine please.
As we took our last photos of each other and the setting sun, we ran into an acquaintance from the beach. She was touched by the three sisters, as she had just recently lost hers. I asked if she used to come to Isla too and she said no, but her sister was the person who first introduced her to the idea of holidaying in Mexico.
We celebrated my Bro-in-law’s birthday at Olivia’s with an amazing dinner.
We love all the little touches of this Middle eastern Restaurant. The owner/manager is a fantastic (handsome) host. Andrea was our server from Toronto and our wine and beverages were served by a singing server.
Food was exceptional-starting with a Turkish dish called Lacmajun which when translated means “meat on bread”. Besides ground beef it included pine nuts, tomato sauce and parsley with a tahini drizzle over top.
I had Shepherd’s Salad,
D and many others Pastille,
Sis-in-law, Moussakka
and Bro-in-law, Moroccan Fish.
The perfect way to end our perfect vacation.
Kath’s quote: “Too much work, and no vacation, Deserves at least a small libation. So hail! my friends, and raise your glasses; Work’s the curse of the drinking classes.”-Oscar Wilde
Love-that is all.