Christmas Crazy!

The world is going Christmas Crazy this time of year, and Isla Mujeres is no different!Right now, in El Centro, the town square is glowing with beautiful christmas decorations, lights, and things happening all the time..
The celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Patrona of Mexico, the Queen of the Americas started December 3. and finished on dec. 12., when all of Mexico goes on a timeout to celebrate the mother of God as she appeard on Tepayac, the prehispanic site of the temple to Tontanslin, one of the most influential Aztec goddesses, asking that a temple be buit to her on that site, as the Mother of Mexico.
Kids from Isla Mujeres will set out each evening from the church, to go on a pilgrimage to a different neighborhood.
The procession symbolizes the journey made by Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and Josephs search for shelter.
The peregrinos (pilgrims) include Joseph leading Mary on a burro(donkey), and a larg flock of angels, kings, shephers and lots of giggling shiny eyed kids with bright ribbons and decoration decked shepherds staff which they tap in time to the music. The kids will go in the streets asking for gifts from anyone willing, and each time they sing a song for you.

There has been different bands playing almost every day lately, and the streets are full of people, both Islanders and visitors.. Everyone is busy with their different chores and christmas cleaning.. My Novia even decorated our apartment, we now have christmas lights, snow on the windows, and these big red christmas "balls" hanging over our kitchen window!

It is so nice on Isla Mujeres in December, I think it must be my favourite month here!

There is always something going on, be it some crazy tourists, or the fireshows in the streets, or just the nice christmas spirit everybody`s in... Good times!

From all of us at IslaLife.com :
We wish all our readers a happy holiday and a merry Christmas!

Mexican revolution day

The celebration started early in the morning at 09.00 and there were hundreds of students gathered to go to the parade.

It started just by the airstrip, and they walked up the main street Av. Ruedamedina, all the way to the roundabout, and there they turned to walk down again the same street..

There were many different classes and all had their specialty, some wore cool sombreros and looked awesome, and others built human pyramids, there were cheerleaders, army outfits, gym classes

and a huge doll of some kind made of balloons on top of a car with one guy in the back holding up the head with a stick.

A lot of fun, but I wish they would walk around el centro, not just up and down the same street..
I love it when there is something different happening! Days like these are the best!

Hurricane Paloma close by

Hurricane Paloma, the 16. hurricane this year has made it apperance close to the Cayman islands, according to the latest hurricane warning, it is now a category 1 hurricane, and has windspeeds of up to 150km/h but can be expected to elevate to a category 2 or 3 by tonight/tomorrow morning.
It`s route is supposed to be crossing Cuba, but could turn towards Jamaica as well.

Yesterday was sunny and beautiful, but today started out gray, and now it`s very cloudy, and lots of rain!

Hopefully this is the only thing we`ll notice here on Isla Mujeres of Paloma, and the weather will be better again soon!

** Update **
Paloma is now a hurricane category 3, and is heading toward the Caymans, and Cuba..
Hopefully it will get weaker after landfall..

From Weather.com :

"HURRICANE PALOMA NOW A CATEGORY 3 WITH WINDS OF 115 MPH

At 7 p.m. EST, very small but strengthening Hurricane Paloma was located about 30 miles south of Grand Cayman Island moving to the north-northeast at 6 mph. Maximum sustained winds near the center have increased to 115 mph and now a category 3 major hurricane. It is forecast to intensify some more before as it hits the Caymans and then south-central Cuba.

Paloma is already bringing bands of heavy rain to the Cayman Islands and winds are already gusting to 75 mph with higher gusts to come. Overnight, Paloma will continue to strengthen as it passes close to or over Grand Cayman Island. Hurricane warnings have been posted for the Caymans. All preparations should be finnished.

Over the weekend, the system's track should turn increasingly northeastward. Paloma could briefly reach major hurricane status as it passes north of the remainder of the Cayman Islands Saturday morning.

Paloma will next target east-central Cuba later Saturday and Sunday. Increasing westerly wind shear aloft plus Cuba's topography should quickly weaken Paloma to a tropical storm after landfall but flooding rains and damaging winds are still likely. A hurricane watch has been issued for the provinces of Sancti Spiritus, Ciego De Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas and Granma."

*** Update 08. Nov. 2008 ***

Paloma has once again increased in strength, and is now a category 4 hurricane, with winds up to 140 miles per hour! As of 7 a.m. EST, Hurricane Paloma was located about 110 miles east-northeast of Grand Cayman Island, or near Cayman Brac, moving to the northeast at 8 mph. It is expected to weaken by nighttime, as it will hit Cuba.

Photoupdate

Got the latest sattellite photo from Weather.com and they report Paloma has hit Cuba, and will most likely become weaker during the day.. Hopefully there will not be too much damage to the Cubans!

Adventures on Isla Mujeres : Barracuda by the beach

Adventures on Isla Mujeres : Barracuda head found!

This thursday was so beautiful here on Isla, so we decided to go for a walk by the ocean on the rocky part where you can walk from Pocna to hotel Avalon..
Here we found something interesting, a huge Barracuda head, just by the ocean.. Maybe a fisherman threw it overboard, or a shark ate the rest, who knows?
I decided I wanted a souvenir and managed to get one of the teeth out whole, I hope it`ll be a good necklace.
Pretty huge fish, and the teeth are razorsharp! I wouldn`t want this thing biting my fingers off! What do you think? Have you found any weird headless/bodyless fish in the area? If so, send an email with the story and the photos, and we`ll post it here on IslaLife

Tell us what you think about Isla Mujeres!

IslaLife is currently working hard to let the world know about Isla Mujeres and what it has to offer!
There has been high demand, people don`t want the "travel agent" version of how Isla Mujeres is, they want to know where to really go if you want a nice secluded spot just for yourselves, where can you find the most romantic atmosphere, and what is really going on in the Colonias?

IslaLife would love to hear the voice of inhabitants and tourists that have lived on Isla..

We are working hard to let people know, and although it is possible to write everything ourselves, it would be just our view of Isla Mujeres.. Please tell us your story about Isla Mujeres!

We are trying to include as much information as possible about Isla Mujeres and what it has to offer, but regarding posts, we would like them to be on one subject at a time, so it will be easier for viewers to browse around by subject..

If you are interested in writing for IslaLife, please feel free to send me an email, and we will be glad to add you as a co-writer, just mail me here.
If you would just like to share your story with us by mail we can post it for you, be sure to include any photos you would like to accompany the story.
And if you really want to help, spread the word abuot this project, so we can get all views on how Isla Mujeres is!

Thank you for your interest in our site, we hope to bring you many good stories!

Frenchy in Paradise Island

Hey there, I am new on the Island and was nicely offered to participate on IslaLife, anything would do said my friend Daniel. So crappy, boring, badly written should be fine...
I am just joking, I ll try my best, but, where was I already? Jajajaja

Oh yes, lets start from the beginning, who is this crazy person? Why is she here? What did and does she do? How did she end up in Paradise?
Many many questions that will be answered when their time comes, when I feel like it, or maybe never to let people imagine and dream their own story.
I am Karoline, French, Master in Psychology, its funny how few words discribes a persons whole life, I could have said, likes cheese, children and sun, but I guess the image of a child-cheese-sandwich melting in the sun would not promote well neither my story nor the island or even my point!
So here I am, after "tripping around the world" for a year, from Europe through Canada to India Asia Australia, I guess I had to end it with a "A" again, and here it is: "Isla".
This little island I heard about on the internet and its Little Yellow School (http://www.isla-mujeres.net/school/home.htm) was what attracted me at first, and after not even on day, I was in love!

So here is a little presentation of our Isla and some (only of few for now) high points of interest:
Isla que bonita con...
Playa del Norte and the chill sand beaches





la "comida" tan buena for each and every taste from tacos deliciosos...

to home-made Cool ice-creams (blink-blink)...

and of course any drink you'd like...

and we can't forget the Mescal-scorpion-shots, that we definetly had in one of the crazy bars on Avenida Hidalgo, the main street on Isla:

The (often not entirely remembered) nights at Pocna
...
and even a soon to open Language and Bartending School how cool is that?!
Check it out at http://phunkyphreak.blogspot.com/

Yes, I suppose you must be thinking !!Mamamia!! It pretty much fits the description of Paradise

But a Heaven where the capital sins are mused by so many...
Lust,Gluttony, Envy...and most of all Sloth (I prefer to call it the art of perfectionning chilling) coz what else can you do with so much sun, silver sand and transparent-turquoise water???

I have been living in la Gloria for a few weeks now, its a cool area, with much more locals, Mexican fiestas and intimate strips of sand

and a rocky, dangerous and attractive east side, with impressive surfs coming from the caribbean sea on windy days
lots of small "Abarrotes" where you can always find everything a proper mexican "corner-store" should have, coke, tostadas, toilet paper and usually a dog at the door...
I love that area, althought its probably the poorest part of Isla
thats also why they built the school here, to enable the children and family the most in need to attend easily

Its also a more peaceful area, with a lot less tourists and therefore, less hassling from the street sellers, but you know, at the same time we need to understand, they have a rent to pay, a family to feed, and so many other things....

The people from Isla, for whom the tourists are the first income, will often give it back to you in many smiles if you don't just ignore them...
And in general I have the impression that los Mexicanos are very friendly, they greet you or smile to you on the street (and not only guys ;))









the children are so cute, you almost wanna eat them
and even the taxis drivers have always some crazy story to tell you about their
wifes' -brother-in-law-cuñado-de-su -Mama and god knows what
who has a cheese store in Oaxaca (and they know that talking cheese with a french girl always works!)
or that other time when "El Grillo" my favorite late-night driver, saved a huge blue-crab (cangrejo azul), trying to cross the road, supposibly they are endangered and as I can see also protected...
So many adventures and stories to tell already, in just 3 weeks
and so many more to come!
Besos from Paradise

To be continued...