Isla Mujeres

Or the Island of Women, considered the backpackers (budget) Cancun, has the same sandy beaches, the same clear blue water; it is a paradise with the slow pace of the Caribbean and none of the crazy corporate "Mexico" in Cancun. I am in love!

Isla Mujeres name comes from the a time when the island was sacred to the Mayan goddess of childbirth and medicine, Ix Chel. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century they named it "Isla Mujeres" meaning "Island of Women" because of the many images of goddesses located on the island.

I woke my first morning in Isla Mujeres to pouring rain and a pounding headache. After breakfast I decided to go back to sleep and nurse my headache. When I woke up, I decided, I did not want to waste a day because of rain and forced myself to walk around the island, go to the market for food and search for a dive shop. I discovered the south end of the island has a temple to the Mayan goddess, Ix Chel, but it is badly hurricane damaged and hardly worth the visit. When I arrived back at my hostel I set up my computer and used the time to finish and post updates to the hillapinnia blog and send email. The woman I was sitting next to offered to share her lunch with me and I graciously accepted the offer of free lunch (hey, i'm on a budget!).

That night I met a group of travelers at my hostel who invited me to dinner. I declined, my headache was back and I need to get plenty of sleep for my diving trip in the morning. But more on that in my next blog. The next afternoon I again ran into my new friends, this time sharing coconuts and pineapple with people passing by. They invited me to travel with them to Tulum and then encouraged me to continue my travels into Belize with an Australian girl, Monique. I hesitate at first since I prefer to travel alone and joining their trip would mean cutting my time in Isla Mujeres short. After some consideration and a trip to the beach to see the sunset. I decided to go for it and see what adventures this invitation would hold. Off to the Tulum ruins we went.

Getting Started

Day 1 - Starting my trip

Monday night I didn't get home to pack my bag until midnight. After packing and re-packing 3 times, I finally crawled into my bed to sleep around 2:30am. When the alarm went off again at 4am...i wanted to cry, i won't be sleeping in my wonderful bed for 3 months! The past 2 weeks have been extremely sleep deprived and very exhausting, FUN but EXHAUSTING! I took what will likely be my last good-hot shower and got ready to head to the airport. I arrived at the airport with my mother and I could tell she wanted to come in with me, she was very nervous.

Continental's check-in was a mess, they had no idea what they were doing and i think the automated ticket machines slow people down. I would have checked-in at home, but Continental's international flights require you show a passport to check-in. So I waited in the chaos for my boarding pass. I said goodbye to my paniced mother, I thought she was going to cry and went to security. I would love to tell you about my flight from Phoenix to Houston, but I fell asleep before the plane even took off and did not wake up until it landed in Houston, like I said I am exhausted.

The Houston airport is a mess and I had to walk a long distance from my first flight to the second one, I was very glad I had a 3 hour lay-over. I grabbed some lunch and walked to my gate, where I discovered my flight was delayed 2 hours!!! OK, now I had a 5 hour layover! Yikes! I feel asleep on the airport floor! oops. I woke in time to board my flight to Cancun.

As the plane was taking off, an 8 year old boy, Jared, sitting in the aisle seat(I had the window) was leaning over the guy in the middle seat and exclaiming how cool take-off was and looking out the window with joy. I realized he probably had never flown before, and offered to switch seats with him once the plane had leveled off. Jared, spent the next two hours glued to the window narrating what he saw the whole way, "cows, on a farm! o another farm...those cars look so small!...WOW! is that the ocean?...I think i can see waves. hey look! the beach...we just flew over a volcano!...the clouds are so cool, do you think it looks like that from the front of the plane?!" It was mildly annoying but also, an amazing reminder of how fortunate I am to fly and travel regularly and that I let my (somewhat irrational) flight anxiety get in the way of truly enjoying my adventures. Thanks to Jared for reminding me that the airplane ride is just a part of the experience.

When the plane land at the airport, the sun was setting so i decided to buy a more expensive(than the local bus) group-taxi-van-thing to the ferry port. The van took forever and made me car-sick...instead of going directly to the port, the van took many other tourists to Cancun resorts and finally after an hour(it was now dark) dropped me and a German guy off at the boat. I bought my round ferry trip ticket in Spanish! (SO PROUD), board the ferry and enjoyed a warm breezy boat ride to Isla Mujeres. Turns out the German guy was headed to the same hostel and offered to split the cost of a golf cart taxi with me. I was so tired and haggered from my day I jumped at the offer!

I arrived at my hostel, checked in and ran to the beach bar to have a beer and start my adventure!

the feeling that something is missing

As I prepared for and began my journey i found myself experiencing feelings I had never felt before a trip; I was sightly depressed that I would be away from my friends, family and social events. I know its silly as this adventure is something only a handful of people experience. Still the feeling that I would be gone for such long time hit me. I am simultaneously putting my life (at home) on hold and living my life to the fullest. I feel quixotic. In the past when I have left home for an extended period i did not have these feelings, instead I was excited for the break from my everyday life.

So what is the cause of my sadness? Am I co-dependent or less misanthropic? Do I have stronger-better relationships with people than i have in the past? Have i become comfortable with my day to day life?

I imagine it is a mix of all these things and neither a positive nor negative reaction just something to take note of...

Things I miss:
*my bed
*my cats
*friend and family
*the gym
*Friday nights
*spring weather and events in AZ

But then again, it feels wonderful to sit on the beach and be alone with my thoughts. I am conflicted and nonetheless, having the time of my life.

my thoughts on packing

Since I first announced my trip to Central America people have been asking me questions about what/how much I plan to bring with me. The majority of these people almost passed out when i told them I planned only one small backpack.

The lighter the better. The last thing you want when traveling is to be weighed down by too many things. It is costly, time consuming and expensive. Checking a bag on an airplane now costs money, so does hiring a porter to carry your luggage, not to mention tips for every cab driver who puts your bag in the trunk. Save time, save money and save your back: pack light.

In preparation for this trip i challenged myself to take less than ever before, I committed to one 26L backpack (about the size a student takes to school for the day). I spent months creating and refining a packing list that would provide me with most of my needs, although you can buy almost anything you need or want for your trip anywhere you go.

The list below is what i took with me on this trip:

Bags and Packing materials
• Backpack
• small side bag for day(fits computer)
• ziplocks of varying size
Tops
• camisoles/tanks x 4
• t-shirts x 3
• long sleeve top
• zip up hoodie
Bottoms
• black cargo shorts
• jeans (controversial among travelers but i can't live without)
• green zip on/off shorts-pant
• gym shorts
Other Clothing
• cotton sundress (also can work as a skirt)
• socks x 3
• bra x 2
• undies x 4
• sports bra
• bathing suit
• sarong(can double as a beach blanket/towel)
• waterproof rain jacket
Shoes
• hiking boots
• flip flopz
Things I Might Need
• sunglasses
• earplugs
• hair ties
• hair brush
• tweezers
• safety pins
• duct tape (good idea Kate)
• face-wash
• moisturizer
• deodorant
• conditioner
• shampoo
• hand sanitizer
• insect repellent bracelet
• sunscreen
• chapstick
• hair moose
• toothpaste/toothbrush
• laundry soap
• tide pen
• Q-tips
• bandaids
• neosporin
• condoms(the sexual health advocate in me usually ends up giving them away at hostels)
• tissues
• Razor +2 refills
• insect repellent cream
• Mascara/eye shadow/nail polish/makeup remover
• prescriptions/inhaler
• excedrin
• imodium
• dramamine
• travel towel
• carabineers

Technology/fun
• netbook/case/charger
• blackberry/charger(works as a calculator($ conversion), alarm clock)
• ipod/headphones/wall charger
• head lamp(great for dark hostels and night hikes)
• camera/2 memory cards/charger
• power strip(plug in all your electronics and be popular in your hostel dorm room)
• deck of cards
• books
o history of central america
o spanish phrases
o lonely planet central america
• journal/pen
• bottle opener(trust me, you will want one)

Travel Docs/ID/$
• drivers license
• passport
• student ID
• reservations papers
• cash
• debit Cards
• PADI Card
• coin purse

And yes, i am crazy!

Something I love, Something I am proud of:

One year ago today my doctor weighed me in at a staggering 249lbs. I covered my eyes as i got on the scale expecting a number near 220 and not wanting to see it. When the nurse said, "two hundred-and-forty-nine" I began to cry. I was shocked, I couldn't believe it, wrap my head around it, understand it. How had i gained SO MUCH weight(at least 50lbs) in only a year. As I wait for the doctor to come in the exam room, I was running every excuse I could think of for the weight gain through my mind. I knew it had to be a combination of things in my life and I knew I wanted to do something about it.

I knew thyroid disease (which due to lack of insurance-was untreated and unmedicated for 18 months) was the first offender. My 80 hour a week stressful job was on the list as well. But the cause of such a significant increase in my size was more than anything else, a lack of physical activity and poor eating habits. I would stay at my office until 9pm and then grab drive-thru before going home and passing out. Just to start another stressful, long and sedentary day all over again.

I felt unhealthy and unhappy. It wasn't just about the 249 on the scale, it was about my life. It was about working a more than full time job and going to school. It was my desire to have fun, sleep and travel. I felt like I was drowning and food(fattening food) was a comfort. I resolved to change my life. Step one, quitting my job, my supervisor and I were unable to communicate and there was no sign of improvement. I began saving money so that I could resign as soon as possible. Step two, making better choices about food: I cut out the drive-thru, I stopped getting coffee drinks with sugar and whole-milk, and i decreased my portion sizes. From March until my last day at work in May, I lost nine pounds.

May and June I attempted fad diets (no-carb, no-fat) only to freak out and binge within 5 days. But thanks to leaving my job and increasing my activity level I did manage to loose another 16lbs.

Then in late June I was visiting two friends in Portland who had both successfully lost weight with Weight Watchers. During my week long stay I observed them enjoying and not suffering with their diet. I saw them making choices and even splurging on a VooDoo doughnut. So, on a whim, I joined. Weight Watchers online is amazing! From the first day I logged in, I was hooked and within 2 weeks I was obsessed. I loved it!

Weight Watchers didn't put limitations on what I ate, it didn't have strange rules or require me to do anything but track what I ate and not eat more than my given number of points. The online module was goal oriented and asked me to track my food, water and exercise. If I did well it congratulated me, if I had a setback it encouraged me. I found an added support system in the online message boards and blogs. At first I spent hours online tracking every bite and looking up every food but as the weeks went by and I lost pound after pound it got easier. I was making really healthy choices without any effort. If I wanted to splurge I did and if I had a bad week I didn't beat myself up. For me Weight Watchers was working and working well!

As of this blog I have lost a total of 70lbs and am set to keep going. I still have setbacks and struggles. The Weight Watchers method is slow and losing only 1-2lbs a week can be frustrating. There are days it is still difficult to stay on track or feel motivated, sometimes I give in to a tempting and not so healthy craving but I never feel like giving up, instead I turn to my support system (friends, family, co-workers). I go to the gym and sometimes enjoy it. I celebrate my struggles and successes. I am proud of how far I have come and look forward to where I will go. I feel good and feel healthy!