Isla Mujeres: Good Info from HeatandSun Sue - 11/3/05 - And A Personal Note

This from Bob in Iowa's Board, at http://www.islatravelers.com. If you're like me, an Islaholic, it's worth registering as a "member of the board" for up-to-date & eyewitness reports of the remarkable restoration & recovery of the island after Hurricane Wilma. There is still a crisis, however, for the poorest families on the island, many of whom are well out of the tourist loop and vision, and whom have lost everything they own, including their little houses often made of cardboard, tarpaper & tin. And, of course, a crisis for most spread out across the Yucatan Peninsula decimated by a run of hurricane hits this past year.

Please visit as soon and as often as you can. Take CASH! And expensive but light medicines such as diabetes kits & oscillococcinum, an extremely effective FLU medicine and preventative. It's homeopathic and good for children with no harmful side-effects. I'm taking it right now in order to avoid the very bad flu my son, and now, hubby, just caught. My son's a lot better because of it. I once brought some to Isla, along with some homeopathic cold and cough medicine during the season, and it was much appreciated. It's expensive, but worth it -- considering days or weeks off work, at $7 per one-day dose pack of 3 small vials of sugar pills. You can find it at whole food stores & sometimes in the big chain supermarkets in the "natural foods" section.

THANKS BOB IN IOWA!! Glad you're safe, Sue. Your happy aluxes were holding onto your house so it wouldn't blow away. Next time you think of it, set them out some honey. ;-)

Also, go to http://www.myislamujeres.com/communicating/open_forum.asp or simply http://www.myisla.com and click on message board for same, and to follow Isla Relief efforts going on right now. You can still donate to Isla Relief via www.artandphilanthropy.com, hurricane relief effort by Rebecca Lane & Molly Fisher who are distributing aid there now -- and hopefully, tracking down Rafael Burgos Rios & family, along with other locals for me so I might send them some aid directly -- by going to www.paypal.com and sending money to rebecca@artandphilanthropy.com as a little goes a long way in paradise, and 100% of your funds goes directly to direct relief.

More links to Isla Mujeres boards & relief efforts to follow. Please help NOW. Hold a hurricane relief fundraiser today. It's easy to hold a "Poor Dinner For A Rich Cause" and serve beans and rice, tortillas, and maybe a little fish (they are eating dried fish & canned tuna) or chicken, and charge $20+ per plate to be donated to Isla Relief and/or the Mexican Hurricane relief effort of your choice; maybe play playa music compilations and have a slideshow or put out photo albums of Isla. (I'll be inviting poets & musicians.) If you do, please feel free to print up blank notecards of my Isla Relief Foto Hay(na)ku Poems as invitations or momentos for your guests' donations. There's lots more on my Flickr site, just go to www.flickr.com and search for tag: lornadice. You can also just do an image search on my name, it should bring the site right up. Click on comments below pictures for the poems to place below the pictures on whatever photocard software you're using. Include copyright info & www.artandphilanthropy.com -- then, consider yourself a member of the Tourists in Support of Isla Mujeres Cooperative or whatevertheheck you want to call yourself, which by the way, is the very definition of "Xicanisma". And, if you're like me, you spent a lot of money last month for Hurricane Katrina & Rita Relief here in the US. That, too, is Xicanisma.

If you cancel your vacation plans to Cancun or elsewhere on the "Mexican Riviera" send the price of your tickets. If you don't intend to cancel -- COME ON DOWN TO ISLA MUJERES!! They have Cancun's sand and much more heart. After Nov. 15th is a good time for the most hearty & adventurous as well as for we old timers. Please come in December. And bring the gang & family for spring break. (Please note, Cancun airport information changes daily. There are tourists coming there now.) And, if you come, help out. Bring stuff. Send packages to yourself to distribute via US or Canadian mail by way of General Delivery. Bring cash AND send yourself some more cash via Western Union Moneygram -- so as not to deplete the ATMs for the locals. Just a few ideas. And my own personal opinion.

And, mea culpa, one and all, for breaking copyright on these news articles. But I will continue to do so as a public service, with links and acknowledgement, until I and others are less frantic with worry regarding many close friends in the hurricane ravaged area, and on Isla Mujeres, in particular. After I have made contact with my friends, and am less insane, I will continue to respect sane copyright law. Until then, here's another. Expect more. And, stay away from the flu, Dear Reader.
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Bob in Iowa
Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 494
Location: Here and There

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:12 am    Post subject: Good info from HeatandSun

The status of things on the island are changing daily, and this information is a couple of days old, but I thought that I would post this in the Public Forum so that more people could read.

This is an extract from an excellent post from a thread in the members only Message Board, in which HeatandSun had replied to Marianne in NYC's questions about the state of the island.

Quote:

1. If Ultramar ferries are running and what hours? If there is still martial law requiring everyone off the streets by 7 pm, would I be able to get to Isla if my plane lands at 4:40 pm?

Ultramar and old ferries are both running - the hours are not quite normal but still regular - not sure what time they stop in the evening though. With your arrival time I would think you will have plenty of time to get to Isla before 7 pm, and even if it's after, if you have a good reason to be on the street it won't be a problem (as explained to me by locals). The 7 pm curfew is more relaxed each day as people resume their lives and work.

2. Are the Ado and Riveria buses running?

I know the Ado bus was running from the airport yesterday - seems the last one was at 3 pm though.

3. Is entry to Isla restricted to those living there or having a business?

There are tourists there now.

4. Is there any electricity in the downtown area? How about running water for showers and toilet flushing? I don't care if it is hot or cold water.

Electricity is restored in town and I believe water is restored throughout as well.

5. SuperExpress and Mirtita open with food on the shelves? Are prices inflated because of scarcity?

Both are open, both have plenty of dry food on the shelves - you won't find fresh meat or much selection of veggies yet. Prices are the same as always.

6. Which small, inexpensive hotels downtown are open for business?

I guess this list will grow daily as the cleanup continues and service is restored. Many businesses are taking this opportunity to do some house-cleaning.

7. Safety-wise, any more petty crime than usual?

Probably not a problem in town.

8. Any fear of water-borne diseases from all the flooding?

You always have to think of this possibility when there is standing flood water, mosquitoes, and trash. In town there is not a problem with standing water and the streets are quite clean.

I SO want to go to Isla and Playa Del Carmen is the definite second choice but maybe that is wishful thinking?

You probably will need to make this call yourself, as each of us has different expectations and needs. Your dollars will be appreciated wherever you decide to go. Keep in mind my responses above are based on what I knew as of early yesterday (Monday) morning - the situation improves daily.