BACK WITH A BANG

We're glad and thankful to be back after a month in warm places and blue seas. Isla Mujeres is so familiar it felt like a second home. Images from the last days there include school kids being rounded up to celebrate the 125th anniversary of their state, Quintana Roo. Rough concrete construction being done by old-fashioned manual labour. The co-existence of traditional fishing culture with more lucrative tourism. The gaviota sea birds soaring as dark tropical storm clouds form. And 4 times a day, the ancient slow ferry Isla Blanca chugging its way to the mainland. Great memories, sure to bring us back some day...

And then BAM! re-entering the mainstream. In Spanish, the airport greeting is a traditional "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", but in English it's all about shopping and gifts. Sigh. At our connecting flight, I could actually see through my window that our one checked bag did NOT get loaded! That's it, black backpack, in the lower right of the luggage cart picture. We frantically alerted the crew but they basically said we were mistaken. We weren't, it didn't, no apology when it was retrieved next day. Also, during an earlier wind storm a largish branch of our old maple was left dangling in plain view. Welcome back, homeowners!

But it's good to be back enjoying some clean bracing fresh air. The local outdoor rinks are all open and Zamboni-ed. Then last night we streetcar-ed downtown to join the other 100,000 at city hall for the 48th annual Cavalcade of Lights. Beautiful mild night, lighting of the tree, happy live music that created thousands of real bobbleheads in the glow. On the ice multi-culture faces (many experiencing the challenges of skating for the first time in their lives!) sharing an amazing fireworks show. Toronto at its best!

MISCELLANEOUS ON MUJERES

No snow here (Buffalo NY got 6 feet?!?!) but the week started with a wallop of a tropical storm. Dark skies and a heavy tidal surge left eroded beaches, flooded streets, and a collapsed roof at the medical clinic.

Mostly though its been warm, sunny and tropical balmy. Miscellaneous scenes on the daily miles of walking the island: the gorgeous blue waters that keep us coming back. Hundreds of school kids in uniforms, in a country that still values childhood. A suspicious U.S. aircraft (registration begins in "N") on a military airstrip --- conspiracy theory, anyone? Iguanas in the thousands sunning on rocks, the biggest "wildlife" here. Slam-banging bus rides through the colonias, watching whole families on motorbikes. Mothers having a swap meet in a corner park.

Even with a lot of oblivious gringos in town, Mexican culture still abounds and is unashamedly in Spanish only. (Shouldn't visitors try to learn it??). One night in the zocalo a raucous Caribbean festival featured singers/dancers/musicians from offshore countries. But the major visual event is the 23 giant murals splashed around walls like hot chillies on white bread. They're Mexico's contribution to the international PanageaSeed 2014 project to educate about and protect whale sharks and manta rays. Countries all over the world with ocean coastline are muralling in support --- is yours??

The daily sunsets are spectacular at about 5pm, like the closing item on a good news channel. You can have your sunset with boats, clouds, beach soccer games, pelicans, or the wail of a solitary mariachi guitar. If you search the shore carefully, you can even spot the rare and elusive blue Barracuda. '67 I think!

I AM BACK ON IM

We left the upbeat street vibe of Playa del Carmen by jumping on a shared collectivo just as the sun was coming up and the hipsters going home. The van took us north past the thick gringo touristo zone of mega-resorts and into ground zero Cancun. In the local market, Pat once again bought unique fabric to be sewn into pretty dresses for some lucky little girls back home.

But faster than you can say No, gracias! we left town, got to the slow cargo ferry I've been taking for 35 years, and were gobsmacked again by the amazingly deep clear turquoise seas. Clean ocean still here, still unspoiled. Landed on good old Isla Mujeres. Once a sleepy fishing outpost, now devolving into better hotels and disrespectful day trippers. We had to stay 2 nights in a cave called Maria del Pilar because there was no place at the inn. OK at $40 but dark and cramped. Like the cemetery next door??

The island is undergoing a beautification campaign with fresh pavement, extra garbage cans, and professional murals on dozens of walls. On the other hand it is becoming formalized with unnecessary (and unmanned!) lifeguard towers, roped off swimming areas, and more pet rescue groups. It's a good place for long morning power walks, such as along the rough east shore; take a walk on the wild side?? But what was really wild was seeing a 1965 Mustang on this tiny island! Be still my beating heart. Turns out it was the father of the bride driving her to a beach wedding at sunset. Awwww (the car, not the bride!!)

We can find more nutritious food here. Night strolls are yummy with the balmy sea breezes and colourful craft markets. Oh, and we moved this morning to a much better $47 garden court room above the Mexican Divers shop. It includes a full kitchen so Pat will be in her glory after we raid the grocery store. What happened first --- home cookin' or the beach?

FROM CC TO BC TO PdC, SEE? SI!

In the last few days we've boated/walked/bussed/border crossed/bussed from Caye Caulker to Belize City to Playa del Carmen. That includes the most crowded boat (60 on a ferry with capacity of 40) and the longest bus ride (5 hours, second class) of the trip. And the change from Rasta English in Belize to familiar friendly Spanish in good old Mexico. The overcrowded motorboat snaked through the Belizean keys like a crazed drug smuggler (hmmmm). Then a walk in morning heat to the bus station in Belize City. We passed the century-old swing bridge that girl-powered Pat helped swivel (with 6 other strong guys) years ago. Then the usual very interesting milk-run school bus to the Mexican border. (We haven't been on a bus with that many chickens since Egypt!)

Glad to arrive in Chetumal, the capital city of Mexico's Quintana Roo state. But there's no other gringos --- just markets, ripped-up main streets, and all conversation in Spanish which we like practicing. A long morning walk along the shore showed marble government buildings, lone fishermen in the mangroves, and weirdly ---- a Sam's Club featuring 65" TV's!! Easy decision to buy some fruit and jump a slow Mayab bus north through sugar cane fields to the resort area of Xcaret, Xplore, and Xcuseme.

Arrived in Playa del Carmen, a beach town we remembered as hip but not especially appealing. At first we were appalled at the massive expansion in mega-shops and crowded walking streets. Wrist bands are a giveaway that there were cruise ship daytrippers and all-inclusive package people in shopping and drinking frenzy. Faux Incas flew off a 80-foot pole.

The only interesting car in Playa Car was half a car! Massive beach condos and retail plazas are still going up up up. But slowly we were won over by the beautiful shores, turquoise waters, and gentleness of the balmy evenings. It's even possible to find good cheap rooms and food if you go native. If you want a cosmopolitan mix of European, Hispanic, and gringo vibes you'll give PdC an A, see? Si.