Mexico / Isla Mujeres
Not in Your Guidebook

Isla Mujeres is a little out of step with the usual island fare. But then again, it’s perfectly in tune with its Mexican culture. Here a few quirky things we saw that left us smiling:

*The Conch House on the Panoramic Highway. What’s an architect’s vision of the ideal beach house? One in the shape of a perfect beach shell. Wish we could have seen the inside.

*The Xylophone Guys at “Brisas del Caribe” restaurant (in town). It’s amazing what Mexican tunes can come from 2 old guys with wooden hammers. Perfect entertainment to go with a cold beer at this very funky place.

*The Monkey Grinder Boy. Not really. But a cute little boy, all decked out in Mexican finery, including hat & pointy boots. A group of men play trumpets & guitars for outdoor diners, while their little “monkey” croons a tune. Who can hear him above the music? Who wants to? We gave the little monkey-boy a tip to go away. Child exploitation we think. But the kid looked happy enough.

*The ‘Shssshing’ Angels. Huge plaster angels loom above in the town cemetery. Each scowling figure has a finger at her lips to quiet you & another finger gestures toward heaven. Strangely menacing in such a bucolic place.

*A lot of Bull. The traveling bullfight we caught was really half-ass, including the arena set-up: old corrugated metal walls & dangerously high seating on mismatched planks.

The first small bulls were met with audience drunks, saying ‘ole’ with their own blankets. By the time the last bull appeared (large & well-horned), only costumed young toreadors were left to run away- in a hurry. Like the guy in the tu-tu. And the one dressed up like Cleopatra. No one strikes the bulls (thankfully). And it’s really very anticlimatic. A comedy we didn’t quite get. But the place was packed with happy families, so we were happy, too.

*Electric Line Art. Not very photogenic, but the hodgepodge of electric wires around town look like a modern electrician’s nightmare. Or modern art, perhaps? Certainly no one cares about their aesthetics. But its amazing they work.