FOUND: Paradise - Isla Mujeres
Trip Start
Aug 20, 2011
1
2
17
Trip End
Oct 17, 2012
Where I stayed
Isla Mujeres, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Day 1 – 24/08/2011
It was sad to leave such an amazing resort, but we had to get out of the tourist area and head to a bit more chilled location. It was a bus ride to the local ferry where we forked out $450pesos for a round trip back to the island. I wish we had did our research on this! More on that later. It wasn't a very big ferry and carried us and about 20 other tourists to the island. The water was becoming clearer and you could see to the bottom of the ocean when we were about half way. The boat ride was around an hour and we docked in to Isla at around 1.30pm. Walked through a few stalls and we were at the main street. Nice little shops and restaraunts on the beach and plenty of local street carts selling cheap pancakes, tacos and ice creams. It was weird but we instantly fell in love with the place.
A friendly local was more than happy to point out where our hotel was and we were pretty happy it was just a few blocks walk. A few blocks on the island meant you already are half way across the width of it. So pretty much you could walk from one side (and watch the sunset) and to the other side (sunrise) in about 10 minutes. We opted for a locally run Mexican hotel which tripadvisor recommended rather than a flash resort where we had spent the last 4 nights. We arrived at the hotel where we had to knock on the front door to be allowed in. We were greeted by our wonderful host Safari and her 2 year old daughter. An amazing person who we could ask anything and would help us with everything. We found out she was originally from Canada and used to holiday to Isla as a kid and it got sadder and sadder to leave the place and she and her mum purchased a run down hotel and turned it into an amazing place.
We were pretty hot and bothered so chilled in the room and up on the hotel roof which included plenty of hammocks and a dipping pool before we decided to explore the island. What a cool cool place. If Cancun was like the resorts of Getaway then this was like the island of them. Perfect beaches where you could walk out 100m and only be up to your waisy with a heap of fish swimming around your feet. The beach was a 5 minute walk one way and in the other direction there was a street filled with nice little shops and plenty of places to eat. Not too badly priced. We stocked up on some groceries at the only supermarket on the island. Cornflakes and fruit for breakfast and our special blend of nachos for lunches. Very cheap.
Tea down on the beach it was. We dined with sand under our toes at the harbour as we watched the most amazing sunset. A plate of some local snapper and some vegetarian pasta for Shell. 2 coronas and 2 daiquiris for $30.00 including a tip. A great meal with fish that melted in your mouth. A walk along the beach with a corona watching the sky turn pink then finally dark blue topped off a great day.
Day 2
Good Morning! We sat on top of the roof in a hammock eating cornflakes watching the sun rise. Today we would be hiring a golf buggy for the day as these, taxis and scooters are pretty much the only means of transport on the island. It cost 400 pesos so around 33-34 bucks for the day. We had the flashest cleanest cart waiting for us. A bit daunting at the start around the town are but once we got out onto the open road we were loving it. It took about 15-20 minutes to get from one end of the island to the other on the buggy.
On the way up we stopped in at a turtle sanctuary which cost bugger all to get in and have a look around. Just like the turtles of Nemo in a few tanks scattered around and they also have incubation area where they keep a shitload of eggs! Amazing really. They also had a few tanks with hundreds and hundreds of little squirts swimming around. We were pretty tempted to pocket one but we didn’t think they would enjoy being carried around in a backpack for a few months. A few stops to take in spectacular views and we arrived at the point of the island. There were some pretty cool sculptures at the end and a little park you could walk around in with a few ruins.
It was now Shells turn to drive the cart back to the other end of the island. After a few minor glitches and fears for my life we were on the road. Only problem was it was the wrong side of the road. After a friendly reminder they drive on the right side of the road over here we headed back downtown on the other side of the island. Some awesome beaches, Mexican houses and cafes on this side and we were back at the motel again where we dined on some nachos for lunch. Well we booked the cart for the day and still had four hours to use it. It felt like we were the people from Commercial St on a Thursday night on Isla Mujeres. We circled the island about 4 or 5 more times making sure we didn’t miss anything before we returned the cart. Also booked our snorkling session with some whale sharks! About 90bucks which gave us breakfast, lunch, beers and a snorkel in a local reef.
All that driving had made us hungry for some pizzzaaaa! A few cheap pizzas and sols at the local pizzeria and we were back on the hotel roof with some 50cent beers, a skype session and a rather competitive game of UNO.
Day 3
A fairly sleepless night and a few dreams of being swallowed alive and we were up and about to be picked up at 7.45am. Very nervous a bit of adrenalin pumping already. A golf buggy arrived right on time to drive us and 2 German backpackers to breakfast were we met another 6 people who we would be heading out to sea with. Fruit, bread, yoghurt and coffee was awaiting for us and before we knew it we were on the boat heading out to sea. They insisted on putting sunscreen on before we left to help protect the environment which we thought was pretty cool. It was an hour on the boat before we were in the middle of nowhere and all you could see was blue. There were about 20 other boats around us also circling to find whale sharks.
Man these things are absolutely gigantic. We were allowed in the water with the instructor in groups of two with the instructor. Thankfully we were group number 5. We could see their humongous mouths popping in and out of the water and people swimming beside them. These things can reach up too 40 feet long and their mouths which are pretty scary can be 1.5m wide. It is the 2nd largest fish in the sea and the biggest one found was over 12m! Anyways enough of the geography lesson. Wikipedia can teach you more..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark
It was our turn to hop in after about 15 minutes of waiting. After the go ahead from the captain we were in the water with a 20T fish. It wasn’t as scary as we thought land was so enjoyable. They just go about their business and are amazingly speedy and agile for such a large creature. We could swim up and around them but weren’t allowed to touch them. Their spots and fins are so amazing. After about ten minutes following one around it was another couples turn. We would keep swapping around but it was good because a few of the other people must have been scared of going back in so we just kept jumping in and probably got the most time in the water out of everyone in the boat. We both agreed it was one of the best experiences we have ever had. The biggest one we seen was probably 4 times the size of Alex. Maybe 5. But we all know what a Killey is like at telling a fish size.
It was a bit quicker trip back into the snorkling reef with a tail wind and we anchored in where we were allowed 45 minutes to snorkel the reef. Was pretty cool some awesome coloured and different fish with water you could see 10m in front of you in. After that we docked up in the famous beach on the island. Surrounded by other boats our captain cooked up a cup of fish with lime and some frosty beers were served as we chatted away with the other snorklers. That was it. They just drop you off 100m off shore, water still at your ankles and you made your way back.
We explored the island a bit more, had a swim in the dipping pool and made our way down the beach for another meal and sunset. A couple of chicken tacos each, a bucket of beers and of course a strawberry daiquiri topped of a perfect day. One of the best we have had.
A video of Alex swimming next to one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHIastWjPB4
Day 4
A very sad day where we had to say goodbye to safari and her daughter early and catch the ferry back to the mainland. Only problem was our ferry never came and the tickets that we had said only a daypass, even though we asked if we could use it in a few days time! Also another bad thing one of the ATM’s on the island took out twice as much money than it should have so we are a few hundred down for the time being. Hopefully the bank can help us out with this. We didn’t let it ruin the trip though and we took a much faster, cheaper and used a better company for the ferry back to Cancun where we would stay one night before heading to Tulum for four nights.
Overall a nearly perfect stay on the island with a great host and the best experience swimming with the sharks. Our flights are now booked for Peru we saved a fair bit of money by booking them when we did so we are heading to Lima on the 2nd of September. Good luck to teams playing in finals. Will be blogging again soon.
Alex & Shell
PS we can ad more photos now we know a little trick to put more
Comments
that is my favorite so far !! I just want to go there
All the blogs are great you both look like you are having a great time miss you both heaps xo
Glad you are liking them mum and dad. Thanks for finally commenting:) we miss ya's lots. And Sally you should DEF go;) love to all xxxxx
Hi Michelle - sounds like you are having a fantastic time - I can relate to quite a few of the places you have been in the USA - brings back memories for me. You are doing a great job blogging - keep it up - really enjoying the read.