42. Mi Gusto Mucho

I love Isla Mujeres. It's just easy. Sure, it could be easier if my Spanish was better, but it's still pretty easy.

And hard to believe it's been over a week now. We've just been hanging out. Spent a few afternoons at Playa Norte. Great people watching as the boats shuttle day trippers over from Cancun. Also made friends with one of the waiters, so we get a little special treatment and lower prices for beer and margaritas each time we go. We spent an afternoon at the pool at Villa Vera. They have great nachos and even better margaritas. The market on the island is well stocked and has a great produce department. One night we went to dinner at an Italian place and had an amazing beef carpacio and brick oven pizza. And the shrimp tacos? Not quite as good as Tio Pablos in Barrilles, but pretty damn good. Compared to Belize, this truly is the promised land.

Yesterday, I treated myself to an hour massage and an hour and a half facial at Casa Luz Spa. The spa is just lovely - white interior with ceiling fans and flowy screens. Both treatments were great. The massage was standard. The facial, however, was very different that I'm used to in the states. No steam, no extractions and no massaging. Actually, not a lot of hands on the face now that I think about it. Creams were applied, not actually rubbed in. Lots of masks. Maybe even 6. And they were rubbed off with an abrasive wash cloth. It was sort of a tough love facial. Different, but good. And my skin feels so much better. Josephina doesn't have a website, but she's on Juarez at Allende. And worth the $50 US.

Not sure when we'll leave. We're sort of waiting for Capt Jim's crew to firm up his plans. And we're not in a rush. I mean, why would we want to leave here? Besides, rumor has it that it's sweltering in Merida this time of year...