This place is a collage

So many different sides to Isla Mujeres. On one hand, it is the kind of tourist area that has bars with names like "Margaritaville 2", "The Soggy Peso" and "Hemingway´s¨ (I am not sure if old Papa H. spent time here, but ok.) Some of this is clever. One bar had swings at the bar and advertised itself, ¨Come Swing With us.¨ But on the whole the congestion and commercialism are hard to take.

We found other sides to the island today. There is a facility that rescues sea turtles. They have babies, young adults and adults in different tanks. They do release turtles, and I am guessing they release the adults they have here, There was no one to answer detailed questions; I will give them the benefit of the doubt. The turtles are really beautiful and fascinating.

We also did a long walk around the Island. We wandered through a pleasant Mexican village away from the tourist section and found freshwater lakes where we saw a number of interesting birds. We also wandered back to our hostel on the side of the Island that faces the open ocean and not the mainland; it is quite picturesque and must less congested than the other side. At one point we were surrounded by kids, who I guess were around 7 - 9, They wanted to sell us some of their artwork that is made from seashells. They were thrilled when we bought a piece and danced around. These were not poor kids. I am guessing they are at the end of their winter break and a parent suggested they do this as fun project.

We swam in the Carribean before dinner, a very refreashing swim. We ate at a place called
Pita Amore, where we had a very unique dish served on a pita. The chef and his friend were really Island characters. They got involved in a discussion about Frank Sinatra{s musical style. We get the feeling that there are lots of unique individuals who spend time on this island.

I hope all is well in Los Estados Unidos. More posts to come.