Isla Mujeres Tour, 2016!

Last week, I added a video of our scooter rides through Isla Mujeres, Mexico.  In the future, I hope to video more often, and I wish I would have gotten a lot more videos during our time in Mexico. However, I don't know if I can get accustomed to doing everything with a camera in my hand ... kinda takes me out of the moment. Since I only had videos of our scooter rides, I put together this slide show of our time on the island.

We loved Isla Mujeres ... I hope you enjoy this!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

A Slick Sliding Hatch!

With plans of living on Nirvana, we needed to figure out a way to make our companionway hatch easier to move back and forth.  The hath was really tough for me to move, making a need for quick entry or exit difficult.

The first thing we needed to do was lift the two pieces of the hatch just a bit higher.  Ken came up with the idea of aluminum strips from the local hardware store.  He glued a strip along the entire length of the hatch, and then he glued another strip on the outer rear where the second (top) piece of the hatch sits.  You can see in the first pic below the first strip that was placed to see how it would fit before cutting it the proper length.  The second pic shows the interior (full length) strip and the exterior (shorter) strip at the rear.  These strips gave the hatch pieces just enough lift to stop the dragging.

Lifting the hatch pieces helped, but we needed something to make the front hatch glide a bit more smoothly into the rear hatch piece.  After hearing about "slick tape" on Facebook's Catalina 30 group, we decided to give it a try and ordered a roll from Amazon.  After cleaning the aluminum and cutting the tape into thinner, shorter strips .. it was just peel 'n stick!

We hoped this tape worked as well as folks claimed it did, and we were eager to find out.  We placed the hatch on top of the aluminum strips and were pleasantly surprised at how much easier the hatch slides.  As Ken likes to say ... our companionway hatch is now "slick as owl shit"!  I took a very quick video showing how much smoother the hatch glides .. I wish you could feel it.  It's so much easier for me!

Stay tuned for new Plasteak handrails & the next step on our companionway hatch project ... replacing the rotten teak trim pieces with custom-made trim made out of Ipe wood by a friend.  Below is a pic of some of the old & new trim required for this job ...

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Isla Mujeres by Scooter!

With videos being the new rage, I thought I'd see what it's all about and put together a few clips from our scooter rides on Isla Mujeres.  It was a blast riding around the island and the views were gorgeous.  It's a simple & short video, but gotta start somewhere.  There's lots of room for improvement and I've already learned that next time I need to hold my phone in the "sideways" position!  You may want to hit the "full screen" button to see this better ... sorry!

I hope you enjoy this short clip .. and the music!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Boat Ride n Snorkeling in Cancun!

After a day of relaxing on the beach, Ken and I were ready for a little excitement the next morning.  We booked a "Jungle Tour" at Barracuda Marina that wasn't exactly anything to do with a jungle, but a power boat ride through the mangroves was good enough for us.  Don't these little boats look fun?!

Evidently one couple that had booked the tour was late and we waited around a while for them.  I think being 20 minutes late is grounds for being left, but we enjoyed the views...

The boats waited patiently as well ...

When everybody finally arrived, we were given instructions on hand signals and told not to follow too close.  Our guide said that the week before, one boat ran into the back of another and was left with a bill of over $10,000 bucks!  We then boarded our  boats and "followed the leader" through the mangroves.

We sped around curves for about 25 minutes ... the breeze felt so good.  These little boats are as fun as they look!

We then arrived at a reef (along with other tour boats), where we anchored and snorkeled for about an hour.  Unlike the snorkeling in Isla Mujeres (which we enjoyed), this spot had an actual reef!  There were all sorts of cool looking coral and fish, and we even came across a couple of underground sculptures ... really cool!  We packed real light, so the only camera I had was my phone ... so no pictures.

After snorkeling, another brief source of entertainment for Ken & I was to watch everyone climb back on their boats!  We had no ladders, so needless to say it was comical.  We all got a good laugh at ourselves.  As we rode back through the mangroves, I wished the ride didn't have to end.  If we become full-time landlubbers after traveling, one of these tiny boats would be perfect to keep at the marina.  Talk about less maintenance!  The tour was a lot of fun, and we'd recommend it.  Again, going in September got us a cheaper rate ... a really good time to visit this part of Mexico!

We arrived back at the hotel just in time for lunch.  Although we didn't purchase the "all-inclusive" package, we were able to buy food at the hotel.  We decided to eat at the pool area, and the grilled burgers were really good!  

The afternoon was again spent lounging on the beach, and as we arrived I spotted a couple of guys in uniform standing in the area that was roped off to protect the turtle eggs.  As it turned out, a ton of tiny turtles had hatched.  Check out the egg shells!

We really need to learn Spanish, as we couldn't talk to these guys but they had gathered up the baby turtles ... probably to release them later.  I wish I could have seen them hatch ... or watched them be released.  So cute!

The lazy afternoon was so peaceful as we watched colorful para-sails glide through the air.  Just like in Isla Mujeres, we tried not to think about the fact that this was our last day.  Can't we stay a little longer?!

That night we again walked around downtown and then ate across the street from our hotel at Bubba Gump's.  Although we have this restaurant in the states, we never eat at it so this was still a treat for us.  A feast of shrimp for Ken and "fish n chips" for me while overlooking the lagoon was a nice way to end the night.

With an early flight the next day, our trip had come to an end.  The getaway was too short, but the memories will last a lifetime!  We really hope to sail Nirvana back someday.  We've already been back in town a month, and we've been getting a lot done on Nirvana.

It seems that videos are the new trend, so I wanted to start playing around with how to create videos.  I created two short ones from our time on Isla Mujeres ... one is clips from our scooter ride around the island & the other is really just a slide show, but gotta start somewhere.  Stay tuned!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Beaches of Cancun!

After our time on Isla Mujeres, we needed a day of adjustment ... on the beach!  After lunch at the beach-front restaurant, Ken & I put on our swimsuits and claimed an umbrella & chairs.  Aaahh ... the beaches of Cancun are beautiful!

We body-surfed for hours in the waves, and I found a few seashells that would make a great necklace for myself and our daughter!  In fact, one of the tiny shells had a perfectly round hole .. in just the perfect place!  What are the odds of that?!

During our time on Isla Mujeres, we didn't really just sit and relax on the beach for a day.  It was so nice to do absolutely nothing!

After getting showered that evening, we hopped on the local bus & headed downtown to walk and explore the area. Take a look at the supermarket!  The bottom floor was covered parking, and the store was two stories.  If you look close, you can see the escalators through the windows.  Ken & I had to go inside and take a look at this store!

Check this out ... a wine dispenser!  Just grab a glass, choose if you want a full or half glass, add your money, and drink while you shop!

There was an entire section of the store dedicated to tequila!

Ken and I walked around in awe for a few minutes checking out the cigar department, the deli with huge slabs of meat displayed, and the most beautiful produce section we'd ever seen.  We don't have these kinda stores in Louisiana!

The main strip in downtown was full of night clubs with foam parties and booze tours, which just isn't our thing ... I guess we've gotten old!  After a nice walk around town, we again hopped on the bus and headed back towards our hotel .. and then a little further.  There was an upscale mall (also not our thing) that had several outdoor restaurants on a lagoon (food is our thing)!  We had more tacos & tequila and enjoyed the moonlight on the water.

We had big plans the next day ... renting a tiny power boat to ride through the mangroves and go snorkeling!  Stay tuned ...

Hasta luego ... until then!  Mid-Life Cruising!

Isla Mujeres to Cancun

On our last morning on Isla Mujeres, we headed back to the Bally Hoo for coffee.  It was a somber morning, as we enjoyed the sights and tried not to think about having to check out of our hotel.  The views that surrounded us were beautiful, and we were thinking that we'd made a mistake by booking a hotel in Cancun for the next three nights!

While we love Cancun, it's much more commercialized and we hated to leave a more authentic Mexico .. and an island paradise!

We stretched out our morning coffee as long as we could, then headed back to our hotel.  I took a couple of pictures of the beach before things had gotten started for the day ... island time!  What had we done?!

As we said goodbye to Isla Mujeres, we were hopeful that we'd be back for the months of December and January .. we liked it that much!  Our hotel didn't provide any deals for monthly rentals, but there's always Airbnb.  Unfortunately, when we got home we realized that Winter is their busiest time and all the monthly rentals on Airbnb and such were already booked.  Oh well, at least we didn't know at the time or we'd have been really bummed. We'll just have to go back on Nirvana!  So remember, if you wanna spend the winter on Isla Mujeres .. book early!

While we weren't happy to leave the island, we enjoyed the ferry ride to Cancun and took a short cab ride (should have taken the pubic bus, but didn't know where we were) to the Flamingo Hotel.  As we passed high-rise hotels and chain restaurants, we were again thinking we'd made a mistake.  We don't like touristy stuff, but we'd booked Cancun for a few nights because years ago we loved their gorgeous beaches and body-surfing in the waves.  Surely, Cancun was now an over-priced tourist trap ... we were doomed!

As we walked into the freezing lobby with zen music and a not-so-friendly desk clerk, we were silent as we waited for our room to be ready.  To make things better, a guy sat down next to us and proceeded to throw the "time share" sales pitch.  All we had to do was meet with him the next morning for breakfast, and we'd get all kinds of free stuff .. ugh!  As the guy spoke, Ken just shook his head "No!", while keeping silent.  The guy finished his speech, but didn't pressure us the rest of the trip.  I guess he could tell he'd be wasting his time with us!

Shortly afterwards, we were able to check into our room.  I have to say, it was really nice .. very modern bathroom and sleeping area with a decent view of the lagoon across the street.  The pool was pretty nice too ...

After unpacking, we walked to the beach to check it out ... the whole reason we were here!  How could the view below be bad?!  We immediately felt the stress of a bad mistake leave our body ... luxury ain't so bad sometimes!  Also, we opted NOT to book the "all-inclusive" option at this hotel, and only paid $90 a night.  We thought the price for this hotel was great, as a hotel on the Mississippi Gulf Coast near our home is well over a hundred bucks, and not nearly as nice .. and with brown, shallow water!

By this time, it was about 3 o'clock so we decided to take the local bus for a cheap tour around the strip.  We knew we wanted to take a sail, a booze cruise, or some sort of boat ride while in Cancun so we wanted to get a feel for the area.  We learned where some places were thanks to our phone, and were able to "map them out" with the bus ride.  One thing hadn't changed since our visit years ago .. cheap and good bus transportation!  There were bus stops everywhere, making getting around very convenient.

That night we again ate tacos n beer at a little hole-in-the-wall just outside the hotel.  We were pleasantly surprised to see that the prices were just a bit higher than Isla Mujeres and the food was almost as good.  Maybe Cancun won't be so bad after all!

It's funny how we acclimated so quickly to Isla Mujeres, and how strange we felt when we first arrived in the commercialized Cancun.  It gave me a small taste of how "cruisers" must feel after being on their boats and then coming back to society ... overload!

We made the transition by spending the next day lounging under an umbrella on the beach and checking out "downtown" ... stay tuned!

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!

Snorkeling on Isla Mujeres!

We started our last full day on the island (already?!) with a short walk to the ferry area for a cup of coffee with great views at Bally Hoo ... 

We then rented another scooter for the day (about $20 .. what a deal!) and headed to the South shore for snorkeling.  When exploring the day before we had taken the first photo in this post from the side of the Southshore road.  This is Garrafon Park, where there is snorkeling, zip lining and a pricey admission!  At $89 a person or more for the day, we were going to check out the cheaper place just next to the park ...

The following three photos were taken of Garrafon Park ... isn't it beautiful?!

We arrived next door at the Garrafon de Castilla.  When we first pulled up just before 10 am, we weren't sure if we were at the right place.  The building was tiny, there wasn't a parking lot, nobody spoke English, and we were the only visitors in sight!  It turned out that we were at the right place, but they didn't open till 10.  The English speaking guy arrived, told us to park on the grassy hill (not easy on a scooter), took our small admission fee of about $6 each, and provided us with snorkeling masks. We knew we were saving over $160 bucks by not going to Garrafon Park, but was this place legit?!

As we walked down the stairs, these were our views ... this would work!  There was a locker and bath area, a restaurant & a covered area with lounge chairs overlooking the water, and a beach with chairs & umbrellas.

The beach was small, but for the price we couldn't complain ... it was beautiful and all we needed!

Other folks arrived ... a couple from Florida & another couple from Texas were among the folks that we spoke with.

After relaxing a bit, I was ready to see some fish!  As soon as we walked in the water we saw a lotta fish.  The place sells fish food, so they're used to people and they swim right up to you.  They were harmless, but it took Ken a minute to get used to them.

After snorkeling a bit, Ken waded in the water & was talking with the two American couples while I continued to snorkel. I immediately saw a stingray, and I watched him glide gracefully through the water for a while.  The stingray then started swimming right towards Ken & the other folks.  I popped my head out the water and hollered to Ken, "There's a stingray headed towards ya'll"!  Sure enough, it swam right by their feet ... and ran the couple from Texas outta the water for the rest of the day.

Just to the right of this area near some rocks, I then spotted about five stingray lying on top of each other on the sandy bottom.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that one of the stingray was the size of a small car!  I had to get Ken to see this, so I got him over there & he then told the Florida guy.  While we kept our distance (remember Steve Irwin), the Florida guy swims right over the group of stingray and tries to pet the biggest one!  The stingray took off in a cloud of sand, and while I swam further back I watched it glide through the water and then settle back into the sand.  It was an amazing sight!

This "discount" park was well worth the visit and I'd recommend it.  Heck, it's over $160 savings per couple for just one day!  While snorkeling, I also saw a foot-long squid and several other cool looking fish.  While the buildings are kinda run down, this place was very relaxing and beautiful.  There were also iguana everywhere!

Around 2:00, we headed back towards the downtown area for a late lunch of tacos n beer.  It was good timing, as right after we parked the scooter and grabbed a seat it started raining.  As we finished up, the rain stopped!

After a quick ride around the island again, we returned the scooter and got cleaned up while it rained once more.  We were really lucky with the timing of the few showers!  After getting cleaned up, we watched the sunset on Playa Norte with a couple of beers.

This was already our last night on Isla Mujeres, and we were sad to see our visit to this island coming to an end.  We soaked up the sights til the sun set, then we headed to a little bar downtown for a couple of margaritas. I'm not a big margarita fan, but these were really good ... lots of tequila and freshly squeezed juice!  At only $4 bucks each, we had a few of these until we got the munchies and headed to a restaurant right across the street from our hotel for a cheap steak dinner .. so good.  After a few drinks with dinner, we slept well that night!

The next day would take us on another ferry ride to Cancun ...

Hasta luego ... until then.  Mid-Life Cruising!