The pigeons wake me up a little after 6 – I laugh to myself because it sure sounds like they’re gettin’ busy from the sound of those coos!! Head down to the beach to see if a sunrise will be visible – still quite cloudy, the wind’s still whipping and its goosebumply chilly!! Back to the room and snuggle against Tim to get warm… doze a little more, then up again a little after 7.

Go out on the terrace, have a cigarette and watch Isla wake up. There’s a drunk local staggering up the sidewalk – wish I’d had the video camera out here with me ‘cause it’s quite amusing. He’s got both hands over his face, bounces off a building, removes one hand. Stops, gets his balance and tries again… bounce, stagger, bounce, stagger. He stops in front of the alley of the Chicken Rotisserie place I guess to get his balance again. A man comes out of the alley, looks at him & shakes his head, hops on his scooter & leaves. I watch a little more – drunk guy gets to the corner of Abosolo and stares at the pay phone. I wonder what’s going through his mind? He starts to round the corner, then throws his hands up as if he’s having a conversation with someone (in his world, I’m sure he is!). A car comes down Guerrero and wants to turn onto Abosolo, but he’s in the way, so they honk at him. He staggers back then throws an arm their way as if to say “oh, go on!”. A couple of more steps & he’s gone. I sense he’ll be in the dog house when he finally makes it home!

A little schoolgirl in uniform, lugging her backpack is running down the street – looks like someone’s late for school! She flags an oncoming cab, hops in & off they go.

I’m antsy, I want to let Tim sleep, so I decide to grab the camera & go exploring. I head down Guerrero toward the beach… watch that face planter! Thanks again Terry! I’m accompanied by a dog that I’ve come to peg as “the king of Guerrero”. He reminds me of Chance in the movie Homeward Bound.

I’ve seen him patrolling up and down since we got here – he hangs out at the Carmelina a lot. He stops occasionally to sniff his territory & it appears someone left a fresh offering on his turf! He sniffs & looks around as if he wants to find the culprit. We continue on & see a few more dogs on the way, then he goes off to wherever it is that he goes on his morning rounds.

I’m passing an elementary school and the kids are lined up at the gate with their moms. Someone’s crying – I guess they don’t want to go to school today! Very pretty mural painted on the wall – cartoon character animals, all smiling and very colorful.

Continue on, pass Hortensia’s shop still closed at this hour. Ah! There’s the bull ring – very rustic! I stop to snap a photo, keep walking & I see a sand road leading up to Secreto & Media Luna. One thing that amazes me about Isla is how you see poverty right next to luxury. Just before Secreto on my right is a “driveway” with a small hut type house and a treehouse made from salvaged scraps. Interesting. Take a picture! Continue on, snap, snap, snap…. Just beyond Media Luna there’s a right hand turn onto another sand road hmmmm, what’s here? There’s something on my right that looks like a residence, but no, it’s a Winnebego, covered with palm fronds as if to camouflage it! Odd…. Take a picture!

I’m walking towards the water and on the next “lot” I see a somewhat rundown beach house that appears to not have been used in awhile. As I get closer I see signs & writing on the wall – KEEP OUT THIS MEANS YOU! NOT FOR RENT! Then another with the name & address of the owner. Snap!

Turn around, head back, take a right by the bull pen and I’m approaching Maria Del Mar and Seacliff Divers. Snap! Up ahead I see a beautiful stretch of beach & decide to check it out. The first of the sun lovers are arriving, so I get some quick pictures without people. Walk up a little more to Na Balam and there’s a crew already very busy preparing for a wedding. It looks so beautiful – conch shells & luminary paths to light the bride’s way; at least 30 chairs for witnessing the nuptials – a planner making some kind of “arch” from palm fronds surrounded by tiki torches. I’m sure it will be memorable. The tent & dining tables are set up; a DJ is busy assembling his equipment. Snap, snap, snap!

I’m starving by now, have no idea how long I’ve been gone, but Tim’s getting his arse up for breakfast now! As I’m making my way back to the room, a maintenance man is adding color to the mural at the school… snap!

I get back, Tim’s awake – good! Roy’s on his way – good! Roy arrives, says he just saw Karyn & Phil at Amigo’s having breakfast. Good! That’s where we’ll go – my board notes tell me it’s good, let’s try it. We get there, join our UK friends and immediately our tongues are a-waggin! I love it when you can feel a friend connection – I feel like I’ve known Karyn for years – she tells me about her planned day into Cancun to pick up her furniture and the hell they’d been through previously to buy it all – building on Isla is a challenge to say the very least! I feel for her, because one of her daughters is having difficulty with a tooth back in the UK and needs her mum for advice with the dentist – I feel her pain being so far from her baby and trying to help via cell phone!

Menus arrive & I select the Motulenos and OJ (THANK YOU CATZ, I HAVE A NEW ADDICTION!!) Tim & Roy settle for just toast. We gab some more with Karyn & Phil, and they have to head off for another day of their adventure. Hugs & kisses, see you on Thursday!! The “Mots” were the BOMB!!! Crispy tortillas at the bottom, thin layer of refried beans, two sunny side up eggs topped with cheese, julienned ham and peas. OH MY GODDELICIOUS!! I spice it up a tad with the salsa they deliver on the side. Roy can’t get over how sweet the bread and the butter are; Tim’s still sleepy and just enjoys his toast.

We decide it’s gonna be a beach day. Back to the room for suits, sunscreen, books and stuff for kids at the beach. Roy says he’ll catch up with us, has to go back to his place. We hit Sergio’s and stay all day. Victor’s our waiter – a nice man, on the quiet side, very efficient and pleasant. There’s 3 beach chairs & an umbrella available, so we snag them. Drinks? Hmmm – Pina Colada could be a breakfast drink – I’ll have one! Tim orders a cervesa. Sweet baby Jesus, the drinks arrive & the Pina Colada is HUGE!! I get creative and set our beverages on a piling of the pier & snap a photo -non-digital photos on the beach today, so excuse the slightly over exposed shots... Norte is still blowing and I don't like getting all those sand particles stuck in my digital!!

We settle into our books and enjoy the sun/clouds/sun/clouds…. At least the wind seems to be calmer today! A young lady 2 chairs down from us decides to shed her top. Tim’s happy! Roy shows up and grabs the chair next to Tim, and boys being boys, Tim gives Roy the heads up on the chi-chi’s next chair over. With that, Roy flips onto his stomach, sunglasses on, and pretends to go to sleep while he peeps. Men!! Roy tells us about his fun hangin’ with Tiffany & company from the night before – we had some fun with them via the walkie talkies from our room and laugh about it (and still are!).

Sergio stops by to say hello, we talk awhile & he moves on – what a savvy business man he is! I’m getting antsy again so head up to use the bano. As I pass the Palapa. I see a big guy that Trixie had described to me and asked me if we were related, as we share the same last name and are from the same state. I take a chance and approach him and ask if he’s Mike. YES!! Hello cousin!! We try to figure out how we’re related, as my last name is my ex-husband’s. Share a few laughs, meet the rest of the “family” and I head back to the chair.

Around 3:00 we decide to hit the swings. We order some cervesas and I get a mixto ceviche (VERRY GOOD!) which hits the spot, as I’m famished! I wanted just an octopus ceviche, but they were out. Oh, well. We strike up a conversation with Sandy and Wayne – Sandy’s a dead ringer for my girlfriend Charmaine and also strongly resembles Sharon Osborne (as does Charmaine)! We chat about how we found Isla, I tell them about the board. They didn’t know there was such a thing! Sandy writes down the web address and can’t wait to get home and check it out. She then asks me about the Animal Hospital and where it is, as they brought down supplies. I whip out my Laura map and am suddenly mobbed by six couples wanting to know how I got it! Everyone was writing down the web address for Laura’s site! So cool to share! We meet Cookie, Kathy, Jodie and Craig from IL (?) Cookie lurks the board and posts occasionally. Jorge was a sweetheart and took the map and a pen to show Sandy where the Animal Hospital was.

We share some beers and fun conversation and wait for the sunset. Not a lot of color, but still awesome. Angelica comes by with just Jacob tonight. What a sweet little boy. I buy a couple of things from her, give Jacob a crocodile hand puppet and some bubbles. He’s delighted! Angelica hugs me and says gracias amiga and encourages Jacob to do the same. I know they’re grateful.

Head back to the room, change for dinner. Head up by the Zocalo, still jumping with locals – the churros smelled amazing (thanks again, PH Terry)… I promised myself we’d come back for desert, but didn’t. Another thing on the June agenda!

The ceviche was so good at Sergio’s today that I was in the mood to compare it to Picus, so that’s where we headed. I ordered the mixto and shared with Roy – again Tim sampled and liked it. Tim ordered the Nachos and fries (he still doesn’t do seafood) and Roy & I split the garlic & butter lobster and garlic shrimp. The tails were large tonight, so we only got 1 for $20. VERY GOOD!! It was fun to share and taste different things.

Happily full, we head to the Vistalmar to register for the Barracuda Bash dinner. We finally got to meet Jamqueen, Sandia and Brian and Rosie. Treasureman was busily engaged in conversation, so we didn’t get to meet him. Hugs & laughs, we stay a few minutes (we are absolutely FREEZING from the wind that decided to pick up again!) should have worn my sweatshirt! Learning experience. Say our goodbyes & head out.

Stopped at a mini super for cervesas, hit the room – Roy heads out for another adventure, giving us updates via walkie talkie till we’re ready for bed. Take a nice warm shower – got an ouchy sunburn on my shoulders – kick back with the radio on, crack open our books and read till sleep is ready to take us.

Three more days in paradise…. Ni-nite my honey baby…. Ni-nite my love….. stay tuned to this channel for more!