NOW PLAYING: LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE


Anim


AAAAANNNND
HE'S OFF TO MEXICO!


3 AUGUST

Neal emails:

8:34 a.m.: Looks like we will be boarding on time.

8:51 a.m.: I'm on board. AFAIK no delays.

9:39 a.m.: On my way.

3:16 p.m.: Arrived ok at about noon;
took a while to clear immigration and customs, get bags etc.
Now on way to Isla Mujeres at 2:15 p.m.
No rain yet. May be land-locked for a few days.

Ph

Scott & me; Blake & Lora; Melissa & Chelsea
on the ride from the airport to the ferry

Ph

Snacks waiting outside for the rain to stop

10:40 p.m.: Back from dinner with the group at a Mexican-Italian restaurant.
Food was good, but service very slow.

No snorkeling tomorrow. Land excursion depending on rain and wind.

Breakfast is a two-minute walk from the hotel.

Meeting at 8:20 a.m.for an 8:30 a.m. buffet.


4 AUGUST

10:53 a.m.: Nice right now. Heavy rains in the afternoon.

Group going on hike, I'm not going.

Maybe snorkeling tomorrow. Won't know for a long while.

Ph

Pool-side room


12:55 p.m.: A recap . . .

My flight went very smoothly.

There were no problems meeting the transportation agent
after I came out of the airport lobby. There were several people waiting for me.
We all had to wait for one more person to show up before we could
pick up the last two and head to the ferry.

At the ferry we waited for Angela to arrive before we took it
across to the island and as I wrote yesterday, by 2:15,
we are on our way to the island.

We got checked in and we had a little snack at the poolside bar,
then it started to rain quite heavily, I went back to the room
to pack up my gear for snorkeling and unpack my suitcases.

After I finished that I came back outside to a different poolside bar.
It was happy hour; I had a virgin strawberry daiquiri and
a made-from-scratch Margarita.
Then we all went out to the Italian restaurant for supper.

Right now I'm sitting poolside and waiting for the group to return
from their excursion to the east side of the island where the storm surge is quite heavy.

The planned snorkeling and swimming activity had to be canceled because of that.
They are touring a turtle conservation area and then hiking
along some bluffs or cliffs and I just don't want to do that hiking;
I'm worried about turning an ankle.

It is currently 84 degrees, but with the humidity feels like 96.
There are thunderstorms about ten miles away and more rain is headed our way.
I understand it's supposed to rain a lot tomorrow, too.

The only Whale shark seen so far . . .

Ph

Hurricane Earl and rains prevent us from going out.

Towel art . . .

Ph

Lunch/dinner . . .

Ph

Got a canine fix at a little bar . . . yellow lab was the musician's companion.
We're going back there tomorrow night.
I'll take photos if it's not raining.


5 AUGUST

Towel art, Day Two . . .

Ph


Gettin' my canine fix . . .

Ph


Filling the tip jar
for a musician in Isla Mujeres.
He did some Jimmy Buffett.
Dog's name is O G;
don't have the singer's name.

Early day tomorrow;
MAYBE whale sharks!


6 AUGUST

Back from snorkeling; no whale sharks.

MAYBE tomorrow.
We have to go 20 miles offshore and the seas are still pretty rough out there.
Rough ride out. Snorkeling in rolling seas is no fun.

Towel art, Day Three . . .

Ph

It's a tortuga (turtle).



YES, THERE ARE WHALE SHARKS HERE

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