Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My final entry...or is it???

Okay, so this is the last post on my Isla escape. It's kind of long, but I didn't want to have to do another one considering how time-consuming these darn things are!!

One of the things I thought deserved some mention are the artful walls in some of the restaurants on Isla...and most of them are quite good! This one is at Justicia Social.

The next three are from La Tigrena.



And the next three are from Minino's.



Now that I'm home, I can't really remember which restaurant this is in front of...maybe Minino's too??

This was just sitting out on the sidewalk somewhere along Medina.

This is obvious.

And this was sitting on the front porch of a house in honor of Navy Day.



I 've only been going to Isla since 2006, so I can just imagine how things have changed since, say, 20 years ago. But even in only two years, things have had their share of changes...like the Palacio Municipal. This is from September of 2006 when they were digging everything up.


And this one's from December of 2007. One of the neat things about this photograph is the reflections in the windows...something I didn't notice until a few months after I took it!


So this time, I made a point of just taking pictures of the windows to see what kind of reflections I'd get.


So they painted it since the last time I was there. Looks okay, I guess...kinda blah, though.



This is the only time I've seen the fountain on.



Another change that screwed up a good photo op.




And another.






Even though I never ate there, I always liked the way Loncheria Chely looked across from Alexia & Geovanny's.



It changed a year ago...



And now it's closed.



There is a big change from this...



...to this...



...and now this.






Urban Hostel back in 2006...



And a year later...



Alexia & Geovanny made some improvements...




But they'll never be able to improve on this...



I already posted the post about posts...so I won't post anymore posts on that.




And the malecon is definitely an improvement since I first saw it back in 2006 (except for the posts, of course).





Houses and stores are always getting painted new colors.




Plaza del Sol...




...definitely had a facelift this last time.



And this place certainly has never been lacking in the color category.




I didn't get a front shot of the lighthouse at Gran Puerto this time...will work on that next time.




This guy has been sitting here ever since my first visit.



The past couple times he's been alone, though.





And I guess this will always be a resting spot for folks....that hasn't changed.


I took this picture last May of this little cutie.


I was hoping I'd see her again this visit, but just got an empty window.


I do like the new umbrellas at Sergio's...they match the colors of the water.


I took this on my first visit in 2006 and was glad I did because it's been torn down.


This will probably be the next to go.



Alrighty-then...enough about changes. On to some obligatory island/nature pics.


Pretty pastel colors.



A shot from Jax while I was working on the blog.



Standing at the northwest corner of the island.


This flower was all by itself on one of the islands between the lanes of Medina.

It always amazes me how blue the water is.



My only sunset picture from my last visit...taken from Justicia Social.


Now for some "I love the colors of Isla" photos.







And some different ones.


Friendly newspaper guy stopping to pose.


These guys again...in a different pose! I think they move around themselves just to mess with the tourists.


Now here's an artistic variety of blankets, throws, scarves or whatever they are. Frida Kahlo, Botticelli and I don't know who designed the other two...but definitely an interesting mix!





Just thought I'd throw this in of my free Isla souvenirs. I met up with Marianne for a couple of buttons, collected some very interesting shells...and just had to take a chipped off piece of the old turquoise posts.


The next set of photos is for my special friend in South Dakota...Paul Mitchell (no, not the hair products guy). Paul sells Harley-Davidson motorcycles for a living and he was asking me whether they rent Harleys on Isla. When I stopped laughing, I told him, "No, Paul, you'd just have to pretend on a scooter." No wide open roads on Isla and the speed bumps and slow golf carts would be a considerable frustration to any Harley rider. I took this first picture because it reminded me so much of the Sturgis Rally! HaHaHaHaHaHa!


Looks just like it, doesn't it??

This is the closest thing I could find to a Harley. You don't see too many scooters with fringe on the handlebars on the island.


Here it is from across the street. Just like Sturgis with the tattoo thing going, right??


I even saw it again several days later! Weird...but then again, it IS a small island.


I'll bet you don't know too many Harley owners who put a colorful tablecloth over their bikes to protect them from the rain. Huh? Huh?



And when they're parked, they do double duty as pet beds!



You're familiar with the phrase, "One- or two-up," right? Well, on Isla, it can be three, four or even five-up depending on the size of the passengers and the scooter!


A newer model parked in a very colorful spot.


West Coast Choppers...another rarity on the island.


Okay, so that's it for my Isla Escape blog. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it. But I guess I need to get on with my life now, gosh darn it.

My last picture on the island.


Along with the traditional "Goodbye Isla" photo. :-(

Until next time, adios amigas and amigos...
























3 comments:

Islagringo said...

Whew! I'm exhausted. Lots and lots of great photos, but maybe a bit too many for one post? By the time I got to the bottom I could hardly digest them anymore. Your before and after photos are the most interesting to me. I loved the window reflection shots. I am definately going to steal that idea for my blog! LOL! Are you finished with the blog now? Hope not. Maybe you can elaborate more on individual topics? I would hate to see you stop posting now!

Anonymous said...

Deb, the man sitting on the rock on Juarez I call “the rock man”. My friend Denise calls him “the boat man” since he repairs boat motors in his front room. When Fernando the normal “night watchman” at Maria Leticia has a rare night off “rock man” takes over. He gets somewhat spiffed up and proudly sits on the bench in front of Maria Leticia. The girl sitting in the one photo with him is Daniela the maid at Maria Leticia and probably one of the hardest working maids on the island. She never seems to have a day off no matter when or how long I stay there. I tip her generously as I know from the owner about how she supports most of her family on her wages and tips.

Islaholic Trixie said...

Great job Deb. I know about the "getting on with life" thing. That is why I keep my blog posts short and sweet. Not enough hours in the day to upload too many photos. Loved your before and after shots as well.