Isla- Sept 2010 - Begin the Beguine

Twas four days before Christmas and all 'round the net, folks yelled 'POST YOUR TRIP REPORT BEFORE YOU FORGET!' Okay, someone once told me (Hi Nancy) that I couldn't go on another trip to Isla until I'd done a trip report from the last one. Wise words. So grab a glass of wine and let's head South of the border! Our trip began with an extended stay at DFW Airport. We boarded our plane, only to be kicked off due to an A/C problem. (Can't we just open a window and go already??). Our estimated two hour delay turned into a five hour delay, but we amused ourselves with $3 Mimosas and made new friends at the bar. I used our $20 in lunch vouchers to buy everyone ice cream sundaes, so it was really pretty fun, all things considered. I figure if you're gonna be stuck somewhere, you might as well have fun. Apparantly not everyone shares this view. Finally we took off, arrived in Cancun and whizzed seamlessly through immigration and customs. I was a little weirded out about being stopped in customs with about 20 cookbooks, but they let me through. Yay! USA transfers had been tracking our flight and were ready for us. We watched the sunset from the van as we drove through Cancun. Not ideal, but could be much, much worse. The ferry is pretty at night. We sat atop and watched the ocean go by, all lit up by the blue ferry lights and saw our beloved island come into view and the stars come out to play. We arrived at Casa Sirena in time for happy hour. God Bless Steve!! Tio Bobby was there and a lovely couple who I believe were newlyweds, Lars and Christina. A margarita has never tasted so good. Gerald and I enjoyed a very late supper at Brisas and it was a beautiful quiet night. I enjoyed shrimp tacos and another margarita and Gerald feasted on blackened grouper and drank a rum and Coke. It hit the spot and we really liked the habenero oil that was offered on the table. It was a delicious blend of oil, habenero, garlic, onion and spices. Sorry a couple of these pics are really out of focus. It was very late by the time we finished dinner and we strolled slowly back to Casa Sirena. A breeze blew through the empty streets. It was like a ghost town. So quiet and serene. Off to bed. Buenos Noches! Friday was a beautiful day to sleep in while Gerald rummaged around. I was so happy to be on Isla after such a busy summer. I had just mailed out about a hundred cookbooks and Chloe had been in two plays back to back, so I was tired. And I mean like I've never been tired before. I was exhausted. Being at Casa Sirena was so peaceful, so comfortable and I was incredibly happy. Breakfast was delicious Chicken Enchiladas, a lush plate of fresh fruit, coffee and fresh squeezed juice. It was cool on the patio and we leisurely dined and chatted with Steve and Tio Bobby. After breakfast we ran around the island for a while, went to the beach and went hunting for sea glass at Playa Media Luna (there was a man in business attire sitting on a big chunk of concrete on his cell phone. Nice place to spend your lunch break!) and then over to Qubano to visit with Vivian and refresh with some of her wonderful Watermelon water. After a grocery store run, we hung out on our beautiful Casa Sirena balcony and then, in a sudden but short lived burst of energy, managed to make it up to the rooftop where we lounged the rest of the afternoon away. We were all set with Habenero potato chips, drinks, a plunge pool, lounge chairs and I was reading a new Alice Hoffman book - The Story Sisters (which I really enjoyed). All was right with the world as we relaxed in our own private heaven four floors above the world. There was nothing in my life that demanded to be cleaned, cooked, driven anywhere, processed or answered. Ahhh.... That evening Tim and Vee joined us at Casa Sirena for happy hour. It was so great to finally meet them, as Vee and I have been friends on the internet for years. They were so much fun! Vee and I were like long lost sisters. Tim and Gerald hit it off, too with their quirky senses of humor and the fact that they are both musicians. We were lucky enough to have Zina join us, as well and another cute couple, Josh and Emily. We all dined at Brisas (two nights in a row and no complaints from me). I ordered Tequila Shrimp, which was delicious and we dined, laughed, drank wine and basked in the glow of the beginning of our vacation and wonderful friends with our feet in the sand. A Blue Seahorse talking to a Pink Bunny Tequila Shrimp at Brisas Huge Plate O Fish! Josh and Emily Tio Bobby and Lars Zina is serenaded