Punta Sur

One day we got golf carts with some friends and went out around the island. Had 3 newbies with us so we did some of the obligatory stops for them. Some shots from Punta Sur.

Saw this little guy on the pathway --it was very small--watched it scurry off into the underbrush. Not the the huge iguanas at Garrafon de Castilla! Another view of Punta Sur. Haven't made it down there for sunrise yet. Hope to see some photos from there this year.

Seahorses at the Turtle Farm

In all the years we have been going to Isla, we had never been to the Turtle Farm until this trip! Really enjoyed it & I have some video that I will post later. I was fascinated by the seahorses--so tiny! Turned the flash off on my camera & took a few photos. Probably should have done them on a macro setting!

Food, glorious food

We ate at a variety of places, but our favorite is still Seso Loco. We went there on several different days--Seso said starting last week he will be open 7 days a week. This is Aztec soup--I like having the soup & a salad, you also get puffy bread ( almost like a pita) with it. This is one of Alan's favorites--Yucateca chicken. I try & duplicate it at home, but it's never quite the same! It's chicken breast coated with achiote and wrapped in foil ( also has peppers & onions in the packet), then baked . Served with rice & salad.

We bought groceries and ate most lunches in & some breakfasts.

The 2 other reastaurants that really stand out are Victor's Cuban restaurant on Hidalgo--Alan had the Cuban sandwich--said it was great. I had pan fried chicken--amazing. The chicken skin was very crispy, but not oily at all. Served with a nice salad & 2 sides of your choice. A friend had black bean soup & a great looking salad.

And then Olivia's--it was wonderful! More expensive than most places, but for a special night out we really enjoyed it. We had Moroccan tapas to start--small dishes of a few things---

- babaganush, tabule, Moroccan carrot salad and matbuha. Served with pita bread. Then I had excellent lamb chops--I love them, but Alan can't stand the smell of them cooking, so I only have when eating out! Delicious. Alan had Mafrum - potatoes stuffed with ground beef cooked slowly in Moroccan red sauce and served over couscous. The restaurant is great!

I walked everday, so I only gained a few pounds!

A sea of green....

The T-shirt color this year for the Barracuda Bash was green. If you were walking by the Vistalmar on the mornings of fishing, you would have seen many people in these shirts! The first morning there were group photos taken--of all the captains & mates( plus Rosie)

And of all the fisher people--there were at least 8 women who fished--I think the most they've had. A few years ago a woman won--she was from the Netherlands. ( Pia was her name)

Carl--love those glasses!

It was great to see Carl again & to meet Debbie. We ran into them on Hidalgo our 1st night and after running a few errands,met up with them at Miguels. Before the start of the 1st day of fishing for the Barracuda Bash--Debbie was fishing with Sandia and Rambo!

At the Bash party, after the 2nd day of fishing. Talking to Maggie Washa. Carl & Debbie had brought 500 glow sticks and glow glasses for the kids and made many very happy this night! We had a ball making necklaces and bracelets for the children( and many adults) that were there --all the capts and mates are invited to come & bring their families. A great time was had by all!

1st morning sunrise

As i walked onto the malecon I saw the sun rising thru this buiklding--it's next door to the old Perla de caribe.

Along the malecon--I was there almost every morning! And the sunrise was different each day.

Early morning

I was up most every morning around 6 am and out walking shortly after that. These were taken 1/20--the 1st morning we were on Isla. On the malecon--I don't remember seeing these gazebos last year? Along the malecon. My routine was to go shelling & walk along the malecon, then do a walk around town, look for Fidel for the paper and walk a little more.

I took this shot of the sunrise through the shell of La Isla condos. Such a sad site--can only hope it will wash away in the next hurricane!