What Do You Do All Day?

Friday, March 9, 2012 Isla Mujeres, Mexico
"What do you do all day?" This is a common question. So here's a typical day in our life. At six AM here the sun is just about to come up and we wake up with the light. Whoever's first out of bed makes the coffee in our french press. I searched high and low for a stainless steel one that makes four full mugs. Today it's going to be hot so after one cup each, we're off for about an hour's walk. From our marina it's about a mile down the sidewalk along the beach facing the mainland. We pass a lot of fishing boats tied up along the shore and the docks of the Mexican Naval College/Center first and then enter the town. On the beachside are restaurants, ferries, sightseeing/snorkeling boats along with stretches of palm trees and sand. At the north end of the island we walk along the beach itself for awhile; it's good exercise. Then we return through the town center down the pedestrian only street and watch the stores opening up and the tourists eating breakfast. Sometimes we sit down and eat ourselves but today we're going back as I have an announcement for the NET.

Sunrise on Scott Free - time for coffee

View looking over the stern

My herb garden

The NET is a cruiser tradition in the larger harbors with many boats such as Trinidad, Marathon and Cartagena. It's a volunteer run VHF radio morning show which provides a place for news, arrivals/departures, weather, local and cruiser services, trade/barter equipment, and local/cruiser events. Today I'm announcing the pot luck Sunday 4:30PM at our Marina Paraiso. The Marina has a BBQ grill going and everyone brings something to put on it, a dish to share, silverware/plates and drinks for themselves. Last week's was a great success with over 30 people participating.
After the NET and breakfast (an omelet with onions, peppers and some leftover roasted potatoes) we put on our swim suits and cool off in the pool. Sometimes I do laps but not today. We shower in the Marina bathrooms (we have a hot water separate show stall on board but it doesn't put out a lot of water, and it's small for Scott 6'6" height). It's almost 10:30am now and both of us put our feet up and read. We get the U.S.A. Today Mexican edition paper every morning. Our neighbor Grant picks it up for us.

Scott and Grant at the Marina Paraiso bar "Las Iguanas"
as the band sets up

Scott's project today is finishing up the rear air conditioning unit. The machinery is in place but the hoses and electrical connection need to be finished. He'll work at it after lunch. I'm walking down to the supermarket and buying a few items for my pot luck dish and a lentil stew. Then I'll do some cooking. I'm making a baked pasta dish with cheese. Today I'll make the meat sauce and put it away till Sunday. I make mine from scratch with hamburg, sausage, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, carrot, celery and naturally garlic. I have three herbs in a pot in the cockpit to help out; thyme, basil and rosemary.

Our cute bartender Miguel a little later

But I'll wait until after lunch to go. It's easy today as I have leftover salad and "dirty rice" (I like Zatarin's products). After I cleanup I do a quick check of my pantry for last minute needed items. But the shopping list can only be as long as their weight allows, as I need to carry it back. So I try and do a little bit every day.
My shopping was a great success. Not every item is in every day although the ingredients for this dish are. I also found a nice cauliflower (very exciting) and fresh spinach which I'm going to serve tonight with smoked pork chops. Well maybe tonight. There is a band on here at the bar from 5:30 on. We'll have a few drinks and listen. If they are good and we're having fun we'll eat dinner there, but if not, it's home for smoked pork chops.
Well I shopped and cooked. I have some spaghetti sauce and lentil stew in the refrigerator and now I'm up at the lounge writing this and checking my email. Scott is still hard at work but almost finished. He'll be joining me in a minute. Sometimes we have WIFI at the boat but often it isn't strong enough there. It's hot now, around 85 degrees, but very pleasant as long as you don't try to do anything in the sun. We had a lot of wind over the last week but that's died down now.

The Soggy Peso, filled with cruiser "souvenirs"

Dancing in the Town Square

It's now 4:30pm and Scott's just come in with his computer. I look through the book swap to find a few new books. This is a big one, about 200 volumes. Almost every Marina and many of the bars have one. You bring books and take them. No one monitors it. There is quite a varied selection. I find an Elizabeth George mystery and a R.F. Delderfield novel (used to be popular when I was young but few have heard of him now). That will do.

It was indeed "The Island of Women" this night and we
all partied on

More later...
The next morning I'm finishing up this entry for posting. The pork chops had to wait. Grant was at the bar and we enjoyed the band and our Margaritas. So when he suggested that the Soggy Peso nearby had their Crispy Tacos Special that night, it sounded good. And they were. By then we were filled with ambition and headed downtown to the Fiesta in the square. This was the conclusion of the three day Moving Forward 2012 Conference in honor of International Women's Day (WWW.wemoveforward2012.com). The band and singers were terrific and soon Scott and I were out dancing with abandon, along with everyone else. Cruiser's midnight (9pm) came and went while we celebrated. A wonderful end to a typical day!