Last Day As A Frist World Refugee

I get to go home tomorrow. And thats saying something. Usually, I'd be saying I have to go home tomorrow, and thinking of missing the islands. But not this time.

Isla hasn't changed much, if anything for the better. Lots more places take your credit card. Most of the buildings that were ruined during the hurricane a few years ago are up and running again. Lots of new restauraunts, not all of them good, unfortunately. They are doing a lot of road work, and good cigars are easy to find. The first time Deb and I came here with Diane and Joe in 1999, there was only one real cigar shop on the island. Lots of places sold cigars, but they were mostly crap.

The folks are still friendly, but I've changed. And so has Deb, and it makes this kind of a vacation much tougher.

The first three days were awesome. All three concert/dinner venues were within a five minute walk of the room. Too much fun, too much drinking, great music, meeting wonderful people. It was great. But come Monday, things started to change. Most folks who came for music fest went home, and the condo complex was pretty empty.

Since 2008, I've had a back surgery, an abdominal hernia repair and a knee surgery. I'm lucky to be walking. So those long strolls along the beach in the thick, sugar sand aren't so much funny any more. They are WORK! As is a walk from one end of the town to the other.

And Deb's eyes continue worsen. So the cobblestone streets of the Caribbean are not the best place to turn her loose. I have to take her everywhere. If you spend all day saying shit like, "Watch the curb, ladies is on the left, move right to avoid the pot hole, watch the telephone pole on the right, ..." you get awful tired of it. Then, at every meal, I have to read the whole menu to her. I know what your thinking, yeah, it's a minor annoyance. But it gets old.

Those of you who raised kids, tell me you didn't at some point, get tired of reading the kids menu to them every time you went to a restaurant? And then tell me you wouldn't get tired of reading the entire three page menu of a sea food place every time you sat down to dinner? See what I'm getting at?

I love Isla Mujeres. It's beautiful, and Playa Norta might be the best beach we've ever been on (all appology's to Grenada's Grand Anse). But there are some things that I don't like.

It's not comfortable to walk down the street either night or day if your objective is to just get from point A to point B. I don't mean it's dangerous, but it's annoying as hell! I get tired of being followed by people who won't take, "Gracias, no." for an answer. Shop keepers are a little too aggressive these days, they follow you down the street, "Come see my store. It's a beautiful store. It cost's nothing to look. Buy some jewelry for your lady?" sometimes for a whole block! There have been times when I have had to give up on, "Gracias, no" after about the third time to get the guy out from in front of me so we can get where we're going and say, "I SAID NO!" before they would give up! That is not right. That's why I won't go back to Jamaica.

In San Pedro, Belize, the really nice jewelry store on Front Street won't buzz you in the door until they size you up and decide you're not a bandit. The place where Deb had some stuff custom made was very accessible, but the guy running it wasn't out side, following you down the block trying to get you to come in. He was making jewelry! Imagine that. And his wife was watching the kids, and cooking lunch. They live in the shop.

Here, the restaurant owners are standing outside, trying to beckon you in. In San Pedro, there are some places you have to make reservations the day before. I know that has to do with volume, there are ten times the restaurants here that there are there. But the ones off the beaten path? The ones away from the city center, that are REALLY good? They don't do that.

I have not ever gotten ripped off in Isla, but I do hate making the conversion of dollars to pesos. It's tiring, especially when so many places still don't take credit cards. I always seem to end up with a pocket full of heavy, low value, Mexican coins. You can't buy much with one and two peso coins. You have to have twenty of them to buy an ice cream bar.

In Belize, $1 US=$2 BZ. It's pretty simple. You don't need to go to a combia to change money, and they don't have to use a calculator to figure out what you owe them for a beer and a burger. Makes life a lot easier.

After the last hurricane in 2005, we were here in 2006. There were all kinds of signs, and jars to accept tips, about helping the homeless pets of Isla Mujeres. I put money in some of them. I love animals. It seems to have backfired a bit. You still see some funky looking dogs running around the beach or downtown with a bandana tied around their neck. But they all seem to be with someone. The cats are another problem.

This island could use a, "Curt Oda" solution for it's ferol cat problem. The have made a comeback with a vengeance . Most business owners seem to like having them around, and just like in Greece, you will see open cans of cat food left in the street's at night. Even the restaurant here at Nautibeach feeds them. But they also have a huge sign in the restaurant, "PLEASE DON'T FEED THE CATS!" It goes on to explain that they feed them, and most of them have been rounded up and given their shots, but they probably still have fleas, and they don't want them in the business. Oh, and you pet them at your own risk, some of them are mean.

I don't need THAT bad action on vacation. In San Pedro, everyone in town feeds, care's for, and pets, "Barkley", the island dog. He doesn't seem to belong to anyone, and there are plenty of dogs there that do, but he's not mangy or dirty. He always has a clean bandana round his neck, and he's friendly. Here I don't think I want to have anything to do with these animals.

Kind of like at home. I love watching the birds at my feeder, but I don't want them in the house.

So this has been an interesting week. I'm glad I came back. I had a great time listening to, Mark, Kelly and James sing. With the exception of tonights fish, the food has been great. The staff at, Nautibeach is great. But it's time to come home.

I hate missing my son's soccer games. I hate missing the NHL playoffs. And I think I have enough sand in my clothing and luggage to last for a while. Back to the first world on an early ferry off of Isla, and a plane to Mexico City then home to SLC. And with any luck, I'll be home in time to watch the last half of the Redwings game 7 against the Sharks. Glad to be back in the First world.