Whats up on Isla Mujeres?!

Aaaallright!

This is going to be one hell of a blogpost!

There has been so much happening the last couple of months, I am almost embarrassed that I haven`t updated my blog more often! Sorry all readers!

After arriving at Isla Mujeres, things have just been fantastic! We had a good time in Guanajuato, but Isla Mujeres is more our thing!
What I love most about Isla is that it is so full of life, the beaches are wonderful, the people are friendly, there is always something happening here, and the prices are allright!

What we have been up to lately?
Well, now I really have to think a little back, as there have been so many adventures!

Since we got here, we have had a wonderful time at the beach, and exploring the island a little, we met a nice couple from San Francisco and together we went snorkelling not far from the port, the only thing was that on that particular day, the currents were a little rough, so the visibility was as I have learned to say in Mexico, «mas o menos» (more or less),we have been enjoying the good restaurants of Isla Mujeres, and went together to Cancun for a daytrip, and the following day took a look at the incredible sights of Chichen Itza's ruins. But this you can already read a lot about in my earlier posts.

After Aman & Susan went back to «Frisco» we had a few days here alone again before we were supposed to meet Elin & Richard the 24. December, but they got stuck in New York, and had to celebrate their Christmas on a Hotel in the centre.

They arrived the next day, but their bags did not. Sad for us too, as our «christmas present» was in those bags, Norwegian chocolate, milk chocolate! We have found very little chocolate in Mexico that we like.. And we were reeeeeaaaallly looking forward to having some for Christmas.

They had a very hard time trying to find some information about where the bags were.. Nobody knew anything, and I think they were pretty fed up in the end..

With Elin & Richard we went driving around the Island, drove by the Rooneys that were visiting the Island and together with them we went looking for seashells, which we found MANY of!

We rented a Golf Car and had a nice look at the scenery, the beautiful houses, the iguanas, and went to the most Eastern part of Mexico, which just happens to be on Isla Mujeres. We also took a nice trip to Cancun and ate some good grub at Hard Rock Cafe Cancùn (cool place!)

We also went diving, and saw nice corals, some cool fish, and even went to visit the caves of the sleeping shark.. We only found one shark though, but i was a cool dive anyway! Lots of corals, caves and weird fish everywhere! Merethe got a little tan while she was there too! :P

Elin & Richard went to Tulum to check out the ruins, we decided to stay home as we have to save money, can't waste it all the first month here.

They had booked a trip to Chichen Itza the next day, and luckily for them, as they could not get back to Isla Mujeres, as a small storm was brewing, and the winds were crazy! The ferry did not cross for 1,5 days, and we felt like we were on a deserted island as we heard the wind howling outside, seeing the palm trees, and then we lost power on the entire island for a few hours.. It was cool! I think I am falling in love with this island!

New Years eve was celebrated with a nice dinner at Olivia and then a little private party on our roof!

Richard wanted a tattoo while he was here, and we found a tatoo parlour in the back of a shop which looked like it was at least halfway decent..

Check out the tattoo!

It looked like it hurt a little, but thats just how it is supposed to be! Gotta suffer a little to gain a little! :)

The day before they were leaving we decided to take the girls to the dolphinarium on the island, and to say the least, they had a great time! I will try to post the video here, but despues (later)

I got a lot of great pictures, and Merethe bought some there as well..

The dolphinarium is not cheap, she ended up paying 2600 pesos for the «royal» package which included being pushed by your feet by the dolpins, dolphin tow, handshake, dolphin kiss, and some more stuff, then the photo/video package.. It`s not cheap, but it`s something she'll remember!

Flying dolphins?

While Elin & Richard's two weeks was over, they had to go back home, and on the final day, they got their bags finally! They got them on the airport when they were checking in for the flight home..

So we did not get any chocolate for christmas :(

Terrible stuff!

We have been meeting people from Guanajuato here all the time lately, Merethe met some nice people while she was horsebackriding in GTO, and many of these went on to Isla Mujeres and were still there when we arrived!

Gustavo is a suavè guy from Mexico City, he works in a bar and is better in Spanish than English :)

Then we have the Israeli`s that were everywhere!

And ofcourse Hallgeir that was here and made the Island a little more bright! A good guy from Bergen, Norway

After a few days, on the 8. January our next visitor arrived, Ursula!

This is a girl that likes to party, and we had a hard time following her around! :)

We had some good days on the beach, and have been around the island looking at the sights, the shores, and ofcourse the iguanas that are everywhere on Isla!

We thought it would be a fun thing to buy a piñata for new years, but we never got around to whacking it.. Then we decided to have a party at our apartment to kill it!'

We suddenly had a lot of guests, and had a great time trying to fool each other with where it was..

I accidentally broke my devilstick while we where whacking around :( I'll guess I have to buy myself a new one then..

Partyparty!

On the 15. January my mother arrived in Cancùn and we've been very busy while she is here...

Lots of stuff to show and to do!

We went together with them to Chichen Itza again, but this time the tour was not as exciting.
The tourguide we had this time was not as interesting.. This guy just had cheap jokes, little knowledge and was just full of crap. He did not tell us about half of the stuff that our favourite, George from bus #32 did! We were a little disappointed, as we hoped Ursula and mom could get the same cool experience we had when we were at Chichen Itza.

She decided to get a tattoo as well.. A nice hawaiian flower around her ancle

Ursula wanted to swim with the dolphins, so we went with her there, and got some good pictures.

A little more windy this day!

Other than our experiences, the beaches, bars and restaurants are where we have been hanging out.
Especially this nice place called Comono (placed in the shopping street) is a cool place to be.

The couple that runs the place are very nice, and the food is great! They also have hookah's (water pipes) and wireless internet! So most of the time that is where I am posting to my blog from. (not that it has been so many updates while I have been here)

Oh! And I got myself a new tattoo as well!
I was inspired by The Da Vinci Code, and just love this motive!

Earth, Air, Fire, Water is what it says, even if you turn it upside down. It is already healed and looks great I think!

Merethe got a new piercing on her lower lip, and I think she looks great with it!

What we are doing next is leaving to Havana, Cuba 10 days, then going to Montego bay, Jamaica a week and then back to Cancùn and Isla Mujeres..

I hope I did not bore you to death with this update, I will try updating more often, it is just harder when I do not have internet in my apartment. I hope that will change! :P

Oh.. And if this post seems messy it is because i had to slap this together while listening to Merethe and my mother talking in the background.. Sorry! :p

We have big plans here.. I will reveal nothing until it is 100% certain..

Mwahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Viva Mexico!

La buena vida

The life on Isla Mujeres is great!
The reason the posts are running a little behind is just that the beach is soooooo good and the sun soooo hot that sometimes I just have to prioritize a little bit in Islas favour.. I will have a huge update here again soon, hope you will check back! :)

Bye for now! Just got a fruitshake at Comono, a great restaurant with Hookahs(waterpipes) :D

-D-


Ps: here`s a little teaser of whats to come in the update :)











Curious yet? :p

Oh.. And a Happy new 2008 to you all! :)

Feliz Navidad!

I just wanted to wish all my readers a merry christmas!
I hope you will all have nice celebrations, nice presents, and happy times! :)
More updates to come soon! :)

We made the apartment feel a little more "christmassy"

We bought a piñata for christmas! :D

Aaaw.. look at the cute widdle jaguar and christmas tree! :D

Here is how we celebrated Christmas 2007
I just have to say this is one of my nicest christmasses ever! :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Want a sip?

Hot christmasbabe!

OhYEAH!
This guy will soon face a hard stick!

Christmas at Casa Isla Mujeres! :)

We found some seashells on the beach..

Penguins in Isla Mujeres!
Nice eeeh.. Christmastree! :p

Snorkelling, Cancùn, Cenotes & Chichen Itza

After staying on Isla Mujeres a couple of days, we met a nice couple from Estados Unidos (Usa) and have been hanging out with them the last couple of days here..

We went snorkelling on Saturday, but it was a little windy, and the currents were a little edgy, so the trip was cut short because of that, but the 2 or so hours we were in the water we saw some cool colourful fish, lots of corals, and I even caught a glimpse of some Barracudas lurking about..

We have «one time» underwater camera, but we`re saving those pictures for later, so stop by, and they may be out! :)

On sunday we thought it would be a good idea to see what the mainland had to offer, and took the ferry to Cancùn to go sightseeing..

My first impression of Cancùn was not the best, as we have become a little more adjusted to the laidback island of Isla Mujeres.. Cancùn is made for tourists, and people who want to spend a years salary in a couple of weeks! There are shops everywhere, Gucci, Rolex, fancy jewelry, expensive food, drinks and even the cabs are expensive compared to any other place in Mexico..

It`s crazyprices everywhere, and in they eyes of a backpacker, it`s terrible! But on the other hand, the people that usually stay in Cancùn are the people that don`t mind spending a lot on vacation, visiting with their yachts, living in ritzy hotels with all inclusive, and paying extra for VIP entrance to discos and bars.. It`s not my thing as I feel I miss out a lot on what is really happening around. I prefer walking around looking at how the locals make their living or relaxing in a hammock at the beach, buying directly from the locals help contribute to their wellbeing.. Buying rolexes at the gigantic malls in Cancùn is probably just helping some big company give more money to their stockholders..

Anyway.. Cancùn is a crazy place, with flashy lights, lots of people everywhere, huge shops, huge restaurants, and people offering trips to this and that on every corner.. We even fell for one of their packages at the end of the day.. We wanted to go visit Chichen Itza, and were thinking about renting a car for a day, drive up to the pyramids, and maybe spend the night close by, that way we could see the sound/light show..

But as we walked around in Cancùn, we found a guy offering a full day trip with a guide to Chichen Itza, the Cenotes, and showing Valladolid, including buffèt and a dance show.. He charged 440 pesos (220,- NOK) per person for this.. To rent a car would cost 440,- for a day too, but this would not be including food, highway tolls, gas, or a guide, so we went for the easy alternative... Relaxing on a airconditioned bus..

I would recommend this to anyone not known in the area, as it is a much easier and cheaper alternative to doing stuff yourself.. :)

We were picked up early the next morning and the busride took about 2.5 hours.. after 1.5 hours we stopped by the Cenote, and this was an incredible sight..

It was a huge hole in the ground, and stairs had been made for easy access to the gigantic underground well..

Roots hanging down from the top of it all the way down to the water, and the water was several hundred meters deep, connecting with other cenotes several miles away.. Looks like something from a paradise movie, and absolutely a sight!

It was a little bit crowded, as this was a very popular place to go with the tourbuses..

But people were jumping in the Cenote all the time! Just look at the pictures and you`ll see what I mean..

After the Cenotes, it was off to get some grub, and we drove for 10min before arriving at the buffèt..

Here they had great food, and the locals showed us some of their dances, they balanced bottles and serving trays on their heads while dancing, and showed some real skill balancing this.. Must have had a lot of practice!

Then it was off to the main attraction, the pyramid and ruins of Chichen Itza:

The guide brought us around to all the attractions and told us a lot of how things were done here back in the days of the Maya and the Toltecs.

He told us how the real human offerings were done, not by cutting open the chest to see the beating hearts, but by cutting open the stomachs of the poor victims, then reaching in under the ribs to grab the heart and pull it out, still beating and pumping out blood while they had it in their hands.. Terrible stuff! He also told us about how the pyramids were built using a mix of rubber, clay and water to make the cement water resistant and last until our days..

He showed us how that if you stood directly in front of the stairs to the pyramid and clapped your hands, the echo sounded like an eagle screeching, and as eagles were a big deal for the mayans, they had calculated exactly how to get this effect.

The same with the ball park.. Here there were 7 players on each team, dressed in heavy armour, beautiful feathers, and trying to get a heavy compact rubber ball through the «hoops» which was an almost impossible achievement, as throwing the ball directly through the hoop was not possible.. It was not allowed touching the ball with your hands, they had wooden sticks.

They had to use geometry to find the perfect spot for the ball to bounce off the wall, then through the hoop. If you stand in front of the hoops, and clap, the clap will echo 7 times back an forth, symbolizing the 7 players on each team.

In the game, one goal and the game was over. The captain of the winning team was honoured by decapitation, this giving him direct access to the heavens and the gods. This was a great honour for the Mayan people.

Death was not seen as a punishment or a bad thing, it was a way to the next life and to glory.

Human sacrifice was done daily to send «messengers» to the gods asking for rain or sun.

The priests were astrologers, and using the stars calculated exactly when the sun would get blocked by other planets, down to the minute/second. The huge pyramid is actually a mayan calendar, and is incredibly complex.

According to the Mayan calendar, december 2012 is going to be the end of a 26 000 year circle, where the earth`s «wobble» will come full circle. There are many theories about what will happen, some say the poles of the earth will turn upside down, others the world will end, and some that there will be huge changes to climate and the way we live. I guess the only way to find out is by waiting for it.. :)

People also said the world would end in 2000, but we`re still here, messing it up!

When you are at the site, you will be guaranteed to be asked a couple hundred times if you want to buy stuff, there is lots and lots of beautiful artwork for sale, and the locals make their living of the tourists buying stuff.. Some give you good prices, others have found out that some «gringos» pay whatever they say so they charge higher.. I would recommend asking around the different places for prices, and haggle as much as you want.. you can find many similar works around so don`t worry if one guy is expensive.

I bought a ceremonial offering knife for 150 pesos (75,- NOK) but they charged a lot more other places for this.. Just use your head when buying.. If you are happy with the price, and they are happy with the price, buy it! Remember you are helping the locals in most of the cases here.. And these are not rich people..

The guide told us how the Mayan people still live in the areas, living off the forests, hunting meat, fishing, and growing what they need. We were told that the Mayans today aren`t even registered in the «system» as they have to pay to get a birth certificate, and if they pay for this they have to pay taxes.. And as most of their system is built up around them living of their own natural land, not the commercialized world «we» live in they do not want this..

Even the women who give birth, do not go to hospitals or anything. Giving birth is done by sitting on the knees tying a sheet around their belly, and as the first retractions come they tie the sheet harder and harder, helping the baby out.. They have no social aid, no benefits and noone else than their families to help them if anything goes wrong.

I gotta say I am impressed.. But this is they way they have done it since 1000`s of years ago..

After a long day walking around the area, we were happy to get back on the bus again, getting a little shut-eye before coming back to Cancùn doing some last minute shopping and then taking the ferry back to laidback and quiet Isla Mujeres..

Life is good on Isla Mujeres... and we`re not leaving here until the end of January..

Aah! Paradise!