Isla Mujeres, Mexico / East

[Amgine]

::chuckle:: You know, there are so many 'American' foods, and it's amazing how people lay claim to some and never admit others. I have no dispute that the hamburger is as 'American' as Apple Pie and Chevrolet, any more than Pizza as Italian(-American) or Thai peanut sauce as Thai. But I have to point out that chopped beef patties were known and consumed a few hundred years before Europe first heard of the west indies, and I suspect Chinese steamed buns with various fillings were known rather earlier than Shakespeare's mention of bread and cheese as a meal, or a contemporary had a character pleading for "a peece of bread and meat for Gods sake."

French toast isn't French. Here in Canada they don't eat Canadian Bacon; it's that old european (and undoubtedly many many other places) standard called back bacon. The American Hamburger is an icon, and in my opinion a unique dish of the region, but it's not the exclusive purview of united staters. Which is why it's so fun to try out the versions in other places, with other ingredients and sauces. I've had banana ketchup on one, and wasabi on another.

Time to lighten up and try all the burgers in all the paradises, or whatever experiments in cuisine you're interested in! I read of a sailor getting a lobster burger on the west coast of Mexico. I wonder if they have something on the east coast that's the local flavour?

When I was in asia my craving ashore was pizza or ice cream, depending how hot it was. Everyone else seemed focused on cold local beer.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Amgine

I read of a sailor getting a lobster burger on the west coast of Mexico. I wonder if they have something on the east coast that's the local flavour?

The best pizza I ever had was on the Yucatan peninsula, in the town of Playa del Carmen, in a palapa named "La Mascara" near the ferry station. It was a lobster pizza, comprised of an adobe-oven-baked cheese pizza upon which an intact lobster tail had been placed.

I'll never forgot entering into a fonda on the west coast of the Baja peninsula, and having the proprieter apologize profusely that they were out of chicken, so the only burritos they had available that evening were lobster.

We assured him, graciously, that this would not be a problem.

[CapnTony]

Somehow this has turned into a tread on food. I've stayed in Isla many times and found it quite reasonable given the time to shop around. If you know were to look and stay away from the tourist spots, you can find beer for a buck, beds at the hostle for around 7 bucks and nice rooms with A/C for $35-$45. When you insist on acting like a tourist, you'll always pay like a tourist.

[svHyLyte]

Lannen--

As for ports along the Yucatan--some friends of ours with a sistership to ours spant a part of last year traveling from Isla to the Rio and back. Their ports of call are described beginning at Caribbean Adventure . Many were notably less costly than Isla.

Good Luck..

[Don Lucas]

Back to the orginal question of ports, across from the island there is a small marina in Punta Sam. It is next to the Blue Bay resort which is where I was staying a few years ago and was walking the pier when the sailing idea first hit me. A couple of days later hurricane Wilma came and knocked the marina away. But I was there again last Nov and you would never know. Anyway, Punta Sam isnorth of Cancun and off the strip and is not very tourist like.

[captainpauly]

We agree Capn Tony, we have found Isla Mujeres to be very reasonable, with the exception of the golf carts, scooters, etc.. $65 a day is too much
Seems like every time we go, there is a boat aground somewhere around the island .

[clausont]

If you like it remote, we were in Xcalak, just north of the Belize border. I don't know that it would be considered a destination.
Xcalak is a small village of about 400 people. It has a couple of places to eat and a small tienda. Has some great diving in the area. Has a public pier.
I did even see a cruising boat tied to the only mooring ball there.
Oh - and you can order pizza or a cheeseburger and fries there too.

[Compass Rose]

I've been to Isla Mujeres a couple of times (sadly, we didn't sail there but would love to) and really liked it. You can definitely get burgers and pizza and other non-Mexican fare, but you can also get delicious Yucatan-style food - wonderful, fresh ceviche, shrimp cocktail, fish veracruz, etc. There's a terrific little place on the beach not far from where the ferry stops that's cheap and very local. That said, we had what might have been the best pizza ever there (mine was shrimp) and some incredibly tasty roasted chicken served with tortillas, beans, jalapenos, etc. I think it was $6 for a half chicken.

We loved it there; it's only about a 20-minute ferry ride from Cancun but is much quieter and frequented by lots of Mexican families on vacation.
Oh, I am missing that water right now!

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Compass Rose

We loved it there; it's only about a 20-minute ferry ride from Cancun but is much quieter and frequented by lots of Mexican families on vacation.

Oh, I am missing that water right now!

The water on the Pacific side, in San Carlos, will be just as lovely, Compass Rose. And July 9th will be here very soon. I know it's in a different thread, but good luck with your prospective Island Packet purchase. If you get her, do cruise Mexico's Pacific coast and up into the Gulf of California before you have her shipped to the PNW.

Cruising Mexico, east or west, is wonderful.

TaoJones

[Ocean Girl]

Next time at Isla be sure to check out Isla Contoy just north a stones throw away. No shops no people. One side is rough with some "blow holes" and the other side is blue lagoonish beautiful.There is an old parks tower that looks over the entire island complete with bathrooms with running water. The water at the parks tower is not drinkable, the microbes are so big they had hair The only other boat was some local yachties. They had a great BBQ on the beach invited us over and we ate like kings and queens. The Mexican people are really very hospitable. There is a draft problem, we were in a Hans Christian38(6ft draft) we ran up on a uncharted shoal and was stuck for 18hours, a few local fishermen helped get us off, but not before teaching us dominoes and I fed them pop corn and beer We named the spot dominoes shoal-Thems were good times.
Erika

[Sea Yawl Later]

Rusty and I live in Beaumont, Texas. We just bought a Sea Wind 1000, a 33ft cat, which is currently in Brunswick, Georgia. We will be having her ferried to Kemah next month. We had intended to sail her ourselves but Rusty got called back to work sooner than expected.

Our plan is to leave in January or early February to go to Mexico, down the coast and on to the BVI. We know nothing about sailing Mexico and South America so we are hungry for any and all information. I was reading this discussion and saw you were from Kemah, hence this post.

Any information, advice, resources, etc would be most appreciated.

I was very concerned initially about safety but having read some on this site I am much more at ease.

Thanks so much,

Linda

[Mule]

Does anybody know anything about Meridia, Mexico? Is it on the tourist beaten path. I have heard it has a lotof Portiguiese influence?

[Ocean Girl]

linda, sent you a pm
Erika

[defever]

merida is a beautiful city of about 1 million people. it's called the "paris of mexico" because of it's wide blvds. and beautiful colonial buildings. we hit there one nite late and while looking for a place to stay found out it was carnival time. wow, what fun. parades every night for 5 days, food, dancing, booze---a real rio. the people are very urbane, nice and friendly. never felt threatened even late out on the streets. well worth checking it out.

on the subject of isla mujeres, we ALWAYS stop there on our way down to c. amer. from key west. the 1st time there it was like "oh no, not another mexican tourist trap". boy, were we wrong! it IS touristy by day from the ferries coming over from cancun but at night the tourists are gone and it is a laid-back, very cool place. the locals are great, not pushy, and there is really tasty, inexpensive food right on the beach if you look around a bit. don't miss it if you're nearby.

[Sea Yawl Later]

Thank you so much for the information. That is exactly to kind of info we are looking for. Do you happen to remember when the carnival time is?

Thanks!
Linda