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Published: December 20th 2006
Previously on the blog - after being a professional tourist for a week and a half, I decide it´s time for a good sit.
How do from Quintana Roo. After deciding I needed a bit of r ´n´ r, I consulted the trusty guide book for a location. I wanted open the door - BEACH, open the window - BEACH, open the wardrobe - BEACH (c) Lenny Henry mid-80s. Well, maybe not beach in the wardrobe. A little place caught my eye and, when I translated the name of the place, I knew it was the one. A short ferry ride off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula is a small island called Isla Mujeres - Women Island. It is in the state of Quintana Roo, which now means I know three words ending in roo - kangaroo and easily broken 80s board game Buckaroo. Just thought I should share that with you all.
You ever get that feeling you are going to like a place as soon as you get there? That´s how I felt when I arrived on Isla Mujeres. It was pouring with warm rain, me and my pack were getting soaked but I kinda liked what I saw. Disappointingly, the island is named after the female clay idols that were discovered here by the Spanish in the 1500s. There is also the only Mayan shrine to a female idol.
In the 1950s, Isla Mujeres was a popular holiday destination for Mexican tourists. In some ways, not much has changed. The island has a much more peaceful feel to it than the mainland. For starters, large franchises like McDonalds and Wal-Mart are not allowed to open branches here. And no building can be built more than three stories high, although I can see this rule being broken in some of the new developments. The hotel I stayed in had a distinctly 1950s feel to it. The exterior was painted in a mighty fine combo of turqoise and yellow. The rooms were faded and shabby but comfortable and clean. I felt at home right away. Outside the rooms, there was a communal balcony where the guests congregated in the evening. On my first night there, I got chatting to a group of people. This was pretty much my first conversation in English for over a week. It was a relief to have conversation without pointing and stumbling over words. (Insert your own jokes here about my usual state after a few pints in the pub).
I met some great characters through the week. There was Albert, the retired school teacher from New Jersey. He had travelled extensively in central America, including surfing in El Salvador, and gave me tips for the rest of my journey. There was Chuck, a builder from California, who has given me a recommendation as to where to stay when I get to parts of Belize. There was Ed, the real life fishing boat captain from Delaware. In season, he captains a fishing vessel out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. He personally knew the captain of the Andrea Gail, the boat skippered by George Clooney in the film "The Perfect Storm", and told some stories about him. We swapped tales all week long as we did some world class sitting on our balcony. Finally, on Ed´s last night, he talked of retirement. I asked him whether retirement would mean moving away from the coast. "Oh no," he replied in his distinctive Delaware drawl, "the sea is my life. I could never leave it." Top answer.
A lot of the other guests were North Americans who would stay on the island for weeks or months at a time to avoid their cold winters back home. One thing that struck me was how most people I met were returning to the island for a fifth, tenth or umpteenth time.
The weather was generally cloudy and rainy with temperatures well into the 70s. To be honest, the weather was not that important to me. There will be sun somewhere on my journey so it´s not worth worrying about it. As soon as the rain cleared, I headed for the beach to grab my first ever swim in the Carribean. It was like paradise. I spared a thought for those of you in English December. As I sat in the sea looking at the blue sky, my trip had reached a new high. I was in a great mood. In fact, as I exited the sea, the water glistened off my famous swimmer´s shoulders, the azure sea matched the colour of my eyes (c) Mills and Boon. Yes, there was no doubt about it, I looked slightly James Bond like as I exited the water. Sadly, I had left my camera at the hotel and there were no witnesses present so you will have to take my word for it!
I liked the island so much that I could have easily stayed for a week. So I did. When it came to time to move on, I felt sad to be leaving. I wonder if I´ll ever go back.
Turning back home for a minute, a mystery guest has sent me some photos of the Pemberton Greenish Christmas party. Looks like everyone made a top effort in dressing up and it´s one event I was sorry to miss. I hope the improv karaoke returns for future parties! Thank you for the photo containing the "we miss you" message. I´ll be back in England before you know it boring you with traveller´s tales.
As promised, a quick run down of my itinerary:
Now until end of January - down the central American isthmus to Panama City
Feb - Ecuador (2 weeks)
End Feb - Peru and Bolivia
March/April - Chile and Argentina
May/June/July - New Zealand
July-August - Fiji and Tonga
August/September - Australia
October/November - South Africa
It is, however, a rough itinerary and may be subject to change or shortening depending on cash, circumstances and whether countries have military coups or not (Fiji!). Countries could be chopped and changed if I feel like it.
Coming next time - I make plans for Christmas and there´s a special guest appearance!
Take care everyone
Joff
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Dad
non-member comment
Where is the evidence?
I think you are sitting in a small flat in downtown Hampstead writing all this stuff. We have not yet seen one scrap of photographic evidence to prove that you have left these shores. Not even a glimpse of an embryo zapata moustache (better known as a "football tache" - 11 a side!). If this is an elaborate plot to surprise us on Christmas Day you'd better let us know or there won't be enough taties and I'll need to go out and get an extra can of Boddies from the off-licence.