Friday, November 17, 2017

11-10-17: Adventures Away From the Hotel

Occasionally we venture away from our little town at the north end. Last weekend we rented golf carts and headed off to the south end. The island is only about four miles long and just under a mile wide. There’re basically three towns, but dwellings are scattered everywhere. Larry and Lisa’s golf cart was on its last leg. After multiple stops and starts we limped into the southern park which is considered the most eastern tip of all Mexico. They have a little amphitheater to view the sunrise (that way you can be the first person in Mexico to see the sunrise).

The temple of Ixchel is located there… well what remains of it. The ruins were knocked down to the foundation the year we got married. Ironically it was Hurricane Gilbert that did it. 

The park is basically a flat-topped bluff. Just keep walking to the second trail to your right. This will take you down a stairwell to the well-designed sidewalk skirting the cliffs. At some points the waves crash against the rocks and spray you, so plan on the possibility of getting a little ocean spray. A restaurant is located at the entrance with a great view. They also have a few shops to buy local souvenirs.

Coming back up the island we stopped at the Launcheria (I think that’s what it’s called). They are famous for their Titinxic fish. We ordered one to split between five of us, and some guacamole, and were stuffed. The waitress tried to convince us to get one fish for two people, but we knew better from our last trip. You can easily make ten or eleven tacos from one Titinxic.

It’s much, much cheaper to take a taxi than it is to rent a golf cart. There’s a certain freedom to having the cart and they are fun. You can change your mind and whip a U-turn to check out some little roadside stand selling seashells. But taxis are everywhere and very convenient… usually.


Our second outing was go to the only micro brewery on the island – Isla Brewery. Tres Mentiras restaurant on the pedestrian street serves their beer, so we knew it was good. Our plan was to hit the brewery then the famous Mangos restaurant. Apparently Mangos was destroyed or is being renovated, because it has no roof. We hopped in the first taxi to stop and told him we were going to Isla Brewery. He didn’t know where that was, but he started driving anyway. I mean how lost can a taxi driver get on Isla Mujeres? It turns out that if it’s his first day on the job, he can get pretty lost! After zigzagging across the island for twenty minutes, he finally followed our instructions using Larry’s phone app. All that said it is a good brewery and Oscar’s Pizza is worth the short drive.

Lisa and I wandered down the alley in search of restrooms and suddenly we were on the marina! It was beautiful with the jungle greenery growing right up to the docks. I've always loved marinas, but especially since writing my recent screenplay about yacht piracy. 

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