Cancún - Day Two

I am kicking back on Av. Hidalgo, the main street on Isla Mujeres. Note that every town and city has an Av. Hidalgo, and 9 of 10 times this is the street where everything happens. The reason for it is due to Hidalgo's role in the Méxican Revolution, along the lines of the US's Lincoln or Canada's... Um... Adanac?

I woke up early, grabbed a shared taxi to Puerto Juaréz, and dropped the 70-peso return fare to take the half-hour ferry ride to Isla Mujeres. Once you are off the boat, you sense the difference between Cancún and Mujeres. This is aided by the following visible distinctions:

Taxis are actually golf carts, and sometimes mopeds.
The preffered mode of transport is on foot.
There is no Zona Hotelera.

I walked the avenue for about thirty seconds, then was drawn to the soft white sand beaches for my first taste of the Caribbean. After walking around the entire town (the beach wraps around the northern edge of the island, where the town centre is located), I thought my effort warranted a beer. I settled for a very fine espresso.

Slipping down to the South end of town, I stuck my thumb out hoping for a ride to the Turtle Refuge. I was picked up by the first car(t), but it was in all likelihood the slowest cart on the island. The couple from Wisconsin did not seem to mind, and we ended up toodling and beachcombing around the entire southern half of the island. This turned out to be a bit more interesting than the Turtle refuge, as the staff had long ago let all the larger turtles free in anticipation of the Hurricane.

Seeing locals race by on two wheels really has me thinking about buying a motocicleta, though I understand the paperwork is a nightmare. I will check into it tomorrow, but will not spend too much time - next stop is Mérida, and possibly the ruins at Chichén Itzá along the way.

So goodbye beach - nos vemos en seis semanas.