Things not unusual on Isla...and food.

I was saying to a friend the other day that you cannot blindly walk down a sidewalk on Isla...unless you want to end up injured or in a hospital. Sidewalks there are nothing like those in a typical American suburb which makes a leisurely stroll somewhat more of a challenge there.

Here are a few examples of some of the hazards of the island. This hole has been "discreetly" covered up so no one will know it's there.


This one hasn't been covered up, but I think someone must have mistaken it for a built-in trash can.
Between keeping your head down looking for holes, you'd better keep your eyes up as well looking for poles, ramps, etc.

And sidewalks can just go away sometimes.

I found these parking barriers quite creative

But this one had to be the best. They patched the sidewalk on Medina and I have to give credit to the guys who came up with this barrier. Two bicycle fenders (with reflectors!) attached to a wood crate. I wouldn't have thought of that in a million years.

I've heard of double-decker buses, but had never seen a double-decker truck before. I'm wondering if this would pass a state vehicle inspection in the U.S.

A friend unexpectedly came to Isla while I was there and stayed at the Vistalmar. This was on the wall in the room. It was only about two inches high but I thought it was worth a picture. Kinda weird.

This was taken at the market by the loncherias. Kind of a fuzzy shot, but I had to include it because it's not something you see everyday...unless they have these at the market every day and then I guess you WOULD see it everyday if you bought food there all the time.

This was taken at the bar at the Posada del Mar. This kid was sound asleep. Kind of an unusual shot because for some reason, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" came to my mind.

I love these guys. They look like they're just sittin' on the sidewalk laughing at all the silly tourists. I especially like the one with the unicorn hat on the right.

I know I've posted the construction work on the condos by Jax, but this "scaffolding" went up since then and I had to get a shot. I don't know anything about construction, but I'm assuming there's a method to their madness in designing these things. (But you're not going to see me up there.)

Kind of an ironic picture with the satellite dish.

I also love some of the signs on Isla...they brought a smile to my face more than once. It would be like ME coming up with a sign in Spanish! Actually, I think they've done a better job than I would.

"Eddies on the move"...first thing that came to mind was some guy named Eddie making moves on women in the area.

I liked this one, too.

And this one.

And I can personally attest to the fact that this one is true.

A few more shots...not funny, but unusual.

This one was taken at the condo construction site across Medina from Justicia Social.

And I took this as I was leaving on the ferry. Wish I could have checked it out.

I've always liked the birdcages.

So, now on to some food pics...with reviews.

The first two were taken at Justicia Social. This was my first time there...I've heard many good things about them. The first is garlic fish. It was good, but not the best I've had.

And this was the garlic shrimp my friend had. Again, good...but not great.

This was garlic fish and shrimp cocktail at Minino's. Very good.

These were the huevos motulenos at Alexia & Geovanny's. Excellent...I always get these here.

This was sopa de lima and chicken mole enchiladas at Sancochos. The lime soup was okay, but didn't taste like the flavors had cooked together very long because the vegetables in it were crunchy. The enchiladas weren't very good at all...almost too hard to cut.

Not food, but worth a mention. We were treated to Mayan Sacrifices at Romi's bar at the Posada del Mar. One little bit of advice here...it's best not to have these on an empty stomach.

Huevos divorciados at Tacotumbras by the market. Very, very good...and you gotta love the tableclothes at all the loncharias along there.

Just a regular egg breakfast at Cafe Cito...very good. That "jam" they had for your toast was absolutely wonderful!! I can't remember what it's made with, but it had coconut in it. They need to bottle the stuff and sell it! Besides that, I love the tables at this place.

I went to M&J's three times while I was there...mostly because of the view. This was huevos Mexicana...very good. Loved their potatoes.

And these were crepes with asparagus and ham...wonderful! The sauce was really, really good. Kind of rich and filling for breakfast, but I'd recommend it any day.

Just a shot of M&J's...

With the morning view...which definitely beats my view at home.

One last llittle item about the Hotel Plaza Almendros. Since I extended my stay on Isla for five days, I had to find another hotel. I've heard about this place, but didn't know much about it. It's great. It's right on Hidalgo, but it's set back behind the lobby in a nice little courtyard with a pool. It's surprisingly quiet even though it's right downtown and the only thing I heard at night were the drums from the fire boy performance, which was no big deal...kind of made you feel like you were in a jungle somewhere!

The people who work there are VERY nice and accommodating and it's very reasonably priced at about $60 a night...with A/C, a safe, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and toaster. They also have a masseuse who comes by occasionally in the afternoons. I would definitely stay there again....and it's only two years old so everything's pretty new.

Lobby area towards the courtyard:

Looking the other way:

They have a second floor with balconies overlooking Hidalgo.

The pool/courtyard area:

All the first floor units have a little patio area with two chairs and a table. They also have WIFI so I could do a lot of my blog work outside in this little oasis. Everyone else sits outside as well, so it's very conducive to meeting people and relaxing.

To be continued...