Wintering in Mexico

We’ve been docked at El Milagro in Isla Mujeres 

for almost 6 weeks. The island  is only 4 miles long and a 20 minutes ferry ride from Cancun but it has a laid-back Caribbean vibe that we enjoy . The streets of this former fishing village are crowded with scooters, golf carts, and taxis but we usually opt to walk. Our leisurely pace enables us to wander the streets lined with colorful buildings and surrounded by clear, turquoise waters. 

Sunset at El Milagro

Tony and Anne Robson were with us until March 1 and during that time were rented a car and drove to Valladolid for lunch, bought some Mexican glass in Playa del Carmen, had dinner at Tacos.com in Puerto Morelos (Richard’s #1 restaurant), and drank our share of margaritas. We attended Carnaval and went diving to see the underwater sculpture park.  We spent a considerable amount of time lying in the sun relaxing and reading. The Mexican sun is intense and it’s important to avoid the serious skin-scorching that results from too much time in the water with not enough sunscreen.  We end almost every day watching the spectacular sunset and swapping tales with interesting folks we have met staying here at El Milagro. 

The Robson’s flew back to the UK on March 1  and Tara, Chad and baby Henry arrived March 3-11.  We took them to visit Mayan ruins at Ek-Balem, stopped by a number of bars and restaurants, and pushed Henry in his stroller for miles; no easy task when sidewalks seems to just randomly come to an end. We snorkeled from our dinghy and saw underwater life including healthy coral, parrot fish, angel fish, barracuda, and lots of other snorkelers.  If we were here in May we would have an opportunity to see the migrating whale sharks. Henry loved riding in a golf cart over numerous speed bumps to visit a turtle sanctuary and tour the island from North to South. Hildago, the main shopping street , is filled with colorful shops beckoning tourists to negotiate the price for souvenirs, trinkets, jewelry, textiles, pottery, T-shirts, and tequila. Restaurants galore blanket the island. From upscale and touristy  to hole-in-the-wall and local, there is an abundance of delicious food. We still haven’t gotten our fill of ceviche, shrimp tacos, pastor, or chilaquiles. Kay found a street vendor selling her favorite local sweet – marquesitas con Nutella y queso -  while Chad chowed down on churros. Yum!

We anticipated leaving the land of Corona beer and sailing back to the land of corona virus on Tuesday, March 17 but it is not looking good for a weather window until at least the 24^th. I guess we will just have to linger longer and drink a few more margaritas.

While those in the States are concerned with the pandemic, it is not as much of an issue here in Isla Mujeres.  Stores are not being run on and folks appear to be taking a cautious but calm approach to the situation.  It is one of the better places to be as the pandemic unfolds, at least for now. 

Thanks for following our journey

Richard and Kay

More pics:

Pastor for Tacos
in Cancun

Chad, Henry, and Tara
Isla Mujeres

Ek Balem

Henry relaxing

Murray is happy to share

Night on the Malecon
Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres

Visiting Turtle Rescue