Har Har Matey

I had a pretty bad night last night with all of the sudden stings going on, but they were nearly gone by morning, save for a few random ones here and there. We had free breakfast at our hotel, then packed up our bags and took a taxi to the nearby Puerto Juarez to catch a ferry to Isla Mujeres. Just 11 km off the mainland and only 8 km long, Isla Mujeres is cheaper, quieter, and even more beautiful than Cancún. There are a few stories as to how it got its name (it means ´Island of Women´). Some think that pirates used to keep their lovers on this island while they were busy plundering galleons and pillaging towns. We like this story best (being pirates and all) but more likely the name is more historical. Francisco Hernández de Córdoba came upon Isla Mujeres in 1517, where they found a stone temple containing figurines of Mayan goddesses. Córdoba named the island after these idols.

It was a short boat ride across, and we cruised over clear, bright turquoise waters. Arriving at port, we walked through the narrow streets of the small town and found a great, clean hotel. Only about 12,000 people live here, mostly working for tourism or are fishermen. The buildings and houses lining the small streets are colourfully painted, and the shops and restaurants bring their business out onto the sidewalks and into the streets themselves. We walked around a bit, bought Nigel some flip flops and then ate a fantastic lunch of 1/2 roasted chicken with the same Yucatecan spice rub as the pork last night, complete with rice, beans and plenty of freshly made warm tortillas. Fantastic, and only about US$6, including 2 beers! We´re loving this cheap, delicious food and cheap cold beer, especially after Costa Rica.

Then, despite the dark clouds, we headed to North Beach, on the north of the island and only 2 blocks from our hotel. Along the way we picked up a 6 pack of beer. It´s a perfect beach with soft, white sand and crystal clear water nearly all the way to the mainland. It´s so shallow that the water is as warm as a bath. We swam for quite a while, drank our beer and just enjoyed the paradise. For dinner we stuffed ourselves again with fresh tacos. I think we have just been a bit excited for all of this food, and have vowed to stop eating so much. We walked around the small streets some more before heading off to bed.