It always amazes me when I realize how much things seem the same, but in reality they are totally different. On the first morning on my recent vacation with Rick back on Isla Mujeres, I sat on the beach and contemplated all the beauty around me and how it appeared to have not changed at all when at that very moment it was changing. The waves where not the same waves I enjoyed a year ago and every piece of sand and most of the seashells had been moved, removed, replaced, changed. The clouds were different, the air was different.... I was deep in thought when low and behold... God sent me something that hadn't changed. Bounding through the bushes, just like the first day of my first trip with Gina, came 2 of the 3 beach dogs from the year before.
They were still here greeting the new visitors to the Isle. The sun was the same, the simple beauty of the Mexican lifestyle was the same, and I was here again. At peace.
I enjoyed seeing this beautiful Isle again and this time sharing it with Rick. I found myself stunned that I could be somewhere, exactly where I was, almost exactly a year later, and it seemed like a totally different place because although it was still the magical stage from a year before, the characters changed, the daily activities changed, the overall chemistry of individuals held a dynamic that was totally different from the trip a year before. In my quiet time, my solo time, this trip I enjoyed the locals, the simple, beautiful, delicious food that they prepare daily as a means of income. As always, I attempted to increase my Spanish language skills, which are minimal at best, but heartfelt none-the-less and of course, I was able to make several individuals giggle at my failed attempts at saying things, which would then make me wonder what I had said. :) Needless to say, the magic of the Isle hadn't changed at all, it was just a bit like a mistress I had to steal away alone with, in order to find.
As she charms, the Isle had us all in love with her. Rick, Brent, and Berta had a fabulous time diving. Their mornings were filled with undersea adventures, and the days would grow into experiencing some of the local fare as well as sampling the Mexican Caribbean Liquid Gold and Silver.... Don Julio. It got to the point where we changed Brent's name to "Don" and Rick's name to "Julio" and we would introduce them as such. Between the tequila and the "Cuban" (yeah, right) cigars, Rick and Brent brought prosperity to the people. Berta and I got to the point where if the boys were missing we knew just where to find them. The local bar at Casa Ixchel, literally the bar "two doors down". Through the boys' tequila tastings, and their adventures, we were able to meet the owner, his family and friends, and enjoy complementary food and drinks.
A different year, a different view, a different love for all this very versatile LADY had to offer to each of us.
