First Taste of Travel

Isla De Mujeres, Mexico June 30 - July 5, 2006

My first vacation was when I was 25.  I know for some that seems normal and others are like dang it took you that long to take a vacation.  I was working in corporate America since I was 17 and at one point I had 3 jobs and everyone called me a Jamaican lol.  What I realized is other than going to my aunt’s house near Atlanta, GA and periodically visiting my family in southern VA, I was in Richmond, VA the majority of my life.  One day while I was at work I saw a vacation package advertisement and I made up my mind that I was no longer going to take time off to sit at home. One thing was crystal clear I needed a real vacation.  

Initially I was supposed to go to Florida, but the package deal also included a discounted trip for Cancun, so I was thinking Florida could wait I wanted to do it big and go to Cancun. I heard Cancun was party central for lots of people on spring break. I talked to a few friends and got the rates together and planned the trip.  Once I was ready to book our trip I found out Hurricane Wilma hit Cancun in 2005 and the resort we planned on staying at was affected but they had a sister resort in Isla Mujeres that would honor the same rates. I had never heard of Isla Mujeres so I did some research, it's a small island about 6 miles from Cancun and also located in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The scenery was beautiful and I got even more excited because it seemed to be a lot more laid back and less commercialized than Cancun but yet it was only a quick 20 minute ferry ride away.  This was exactly the atmosphere I needed to relax.

I remember like it was yesterday picture it Isla Mujeres, Mexico 2006 (oops sorry for the Golden Girls throwback moment).  Back to what I was saying, I just needed to get away and have some real rest and relaxation.  At this point in my life I thought in order to get ahead you had to work hard and make more money in order to have a better life.  It seemed the more I worked the more stressful my life became as I did not have any time for myself. Anyway I planned a girl’s getaway for a small group but it ended up being just me and one of my close friends. I had never been on a plane before I didn't know what to expect and I had never been on a real vacation so I didn't quite know what to pack.  By the time I got to Cancun you would have thought I was moving there I had so much luggage and half the clothes I didn't even wear.

I was so excited that I couldn't really sleep the night before. I had never been in an airport and wasn't familiar with the security procedures or check in, it was all new for me.  Once we boarded the airplane and I made it safely through my first take off and touch down I was in love!  Flying was so amazing to me and I love the window seat (shout out to Erykah Badu).  I thought I was scared of heights but I could not take my eyes off the beautiful clouds and the sun.  The picturesque view of Cancun from the sky was awe inspiring.  I definitely had to have more of this feeling whatever it was.

For me there was a bit of an unexpected cultural shock in Mexico.  There are so many beautiful pictures online I thought the place was pure paradise and I was not disappointed with the allure of the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan Peninsula, but the shock for me was the currency exchange, living conditions, way of life and the people.

Our USD (US Dollar) had a higher exchange rate than MXN (Mexican Peso).  I did not research the currency exchange I knew it would be different, but had not put much thought into it.  I exchanged some dollars for pesos at Puerto Juárez which is also where the ferry is.  The most impressionable moment was when I tipped a man who assisted with my luggage on the ferry with 50 pesos (about $5 USD) the look on his face was like he had gotten a huge tip that could last him a while.  That made me think about how we easily squander $5 in America without much thought but in other places it takes quite a while to earn the same amount and last longer.

Life outside of the US has a much slower pace and people are very pleasant. Expect that food may not arrive as quickly but it will definitely be flavorful and fresh. Some of the food taste different for example if you should want orange juice, milk or a hamburger, it is more natural and is not pasteurized like a lot of products in the US. I found myself in love with the pure food.  I noticed the people were friendly and free spirited.  They live humbly within their means and appeared very happy with their lives.

During this stay was my first experience at an all-inclusive resort.  Albeit was one of the lower end all inclusive it had the best view on the island.  I was staying at Avalon Reef Club this hotel was on a private islet off the island of Isla 
Mujeres facing the Bahia Mujeres (Women’s Bay) connected by a short bridge that cars and people crossed. I love the openness of the hotel layout light came in through all the windows which really allowed you to see all around the island from inside the hotel no matter where you were. The artwork in the lobby of the hotel was very interesting as well.

Coral Reef Pool (that's me with the snorkel gear on)

The location was purely majestic it has a coral reef pool in the back near the Villas. The beds were harder than I am used to at home, but they were not uncomfortable. The food provided by this resort was mostly American cuisine which was a bit disappointing because I don’t want what I normally have at home when I am on vacation. There are restaurants on the resort which served Mexican and Italian food but you had to make reservations for those.  The buffet did have some Mexican dishes.  I love sampling authentic food of other cultures I consider it part of the whole experience.  I noticed that this hotel had more than enough places to be alone and enjoy the scenery yet they also had activities going on and of course the drinks kept flowing whether you were at the bar or on the beach under a palapa eating shrimp cocktails sipping on a tequila sunrise.  

View from my room

Avalon Reef Club (Tower and Villas) 

   

Our room was in the tower with a beautiful ocean view. Every morning I watched the sunrise. The beach was calling me and I had to answer.  Often times I would just sit in the water and allow it to flow all around me. At certain times my eyes would close and I would open them to small fish that looked almost invisible with yellow stripes. Initially these fish would swim in circles then their swim pattern would change once I took note of them. It was as if they could tell I was looking. It seems like I was having some sort of spiritual awakening with the water and the sun as I was in the ocean communing with the waves as the sun came up.

Off to the right I saw a pier that reminded me of the one in the Corona commercials. Being in such a relaxing and beautiful environment permitted me the time to let my mind to wander and think about past and current events in my life and why I felt the urge to take this vacation. I would definitely be making some changes to my lifestyle upon my return home.

The best way to see the island is the rent a golf cart. Don’t be surprised if you hear a car honking behind you. Most of the natives will greet you as they pass by.  Touring the island by golf cart you get a chance to see how people live on the island. You can see the entire island in less than 2 hours. Of course it going to take more time if you want to eat and do some shopping.  The structure of the homes seems more sustainable than those built in the states. The homes were made of concrete or stucco as to withstand tropical storms.  The Spanish colonial architecture is very bold in color and style throughout the island.   

       

 
There are various plant and fauna (mainly iguana) on the island as you drive around. The island has tons of stores where local handmade crafts and souvenirs are sold. The aroma of Mexican cuisine and the sound of Mexican music was in the air and I loved it.  There were plenty of restaurants with genuine Mexican cuisine. We took a moment to enjoy a meal in town with the locals.

The beaches around island were splendid but were not all suitable for swimming as they are part of a rocky coastline. The beaches near most of the hotels in Playa Norte (North Beach) were best for swimming. In the front of the hotel one could walk out in the crystal clear Caribbean Sea for what seemed to be miles and the water never came up further than your waist.

 

Our vacay in Isla De Mujeres was essentially laid back and relaxing, not a lot of pre-planned excursions. However I did plan something special on my friend’s birthday.  We went to Xcaret – Oh my! One thing I want to say about this is book it before you go. U may want to plan a 2 day pass for this excursion there is so much to see and do. I recommend the Xcaret Plus Tour package this package include round trip transportation and lunch. When going to Xcaret from Isla de Mujeres you will need to wake up early enough to catch the ferry to the mainland (Cancun) a van will have to pick you up to take you to the bus that will carrying you to Xcaret.  If you miss the ferry you will mess the entire day up.  Needless to say I had the hardest time getting my friend up for her birthday surprise I almost panicked since she just didn't want to get out of bed. I gently shook her as said “we are in Mexico who sleeps all day on vacation in Mexico especially on your birthday”.  I had to pick her clothes out and beg her to get out of bed. Note to self don't take your friends that want to sleep late on active vacations. Well I’ll digress. We caught the ferry just in time to get on the van and we enjoyed our day at Xcaret we even snorkeled it was the one of the highlights of this Odyssey.  

There is another post with more details about my experience at Xcaret and about the temple on the island venerating Goddess Ixchel.