My Isla Digs…and going to Puerto Morelos…

It’s my last night on the island, so I’ll share where I stayed while I was here.  Maria Leticia is a little group of rooms and apartments in the downtown area of Isla.  It’s owned by a local gentleman and there’s no website and you can’t make reservations through any travel service.  It’s a favorite of many travelers because of its reasonable price and close proximity to the beach, restaurants and shopping.  You can either call ahead to make reservations, or take a chance by just going and seeing if he has anything available.  He speaks very little English, by the way.  My room was $35.00 per night and here’s what you get for it.  It was very comfortable, the bed was just the right hardness, and the A/C was cold (although you have to turn it off when you leave the room).  So, for 14 nights, my bill was $490.00.  That wouldn’t have even covered two nights at the Villa Rolandi!

On Friday, I decided to take a little trip to Puerto Morelos.  I’ve been there before and just wanted to see if it had changed at all.  It’s a sleepy little fishing town about a half hour south of Cancun and there’s not a whole lot to do there.  If you just totally want to veg and not do anything, it’s a great place to come.  It’s not nearly as busy as Isla and doesn’t have the day-trippers that Isla gets from Cancun.  Traveling around Mexico is extremely easy and inexpensive…as well as comfortable.

First of all, I had to take the ferry back to Cancun.  Everyone hates to take the ferry to Cancun because that usually means it’s the end of your trip to paradise.  But it’s not so bad when you know you’re coming back.  Here it comes!

I usually ride on top, but it really does a number on your hair, so opted for the inside this time.  This isn’t a ride on a little fishing boat by any means.

Here we are at Puerto Juarez in Cancun.  I like this lighthouse.

I’ve been here quite a few times, but I’ve never looked up when I’ve walked through it because I’ve been busy buying ferry tickets or looking for my shuttle.  I’m glad I did this time.  Pretty cool, huh?

Now I have to catch a cab to the Cancun bus station.  You kind of take your life in your hands with Mexican taxi drivers.  I’ve learned just to sit back and watch the scenery.  Sorry about the out-of-focus shot, but my camera wanted to focus on the driver’s cross hanging on the rear-view mirror instead of the street.  Hmmm…maybe there was a reason for that.

This seat cover was on the passenger seat in front of me.  I was really tempted to ask the taxi driver about it, but I held myself back.  Who knows what can of worms that could have opened.

Here’s the Cancun bus station.  It can be kind of confusing the first time, but you just ask for help and eventually figure things out.

The cost for my trip to Puerto Morelos was twenty-two pesos.  That’s like $1.70 in US dollars.  Could the United States learn a little from Mexico on mass transportation??  I think so.

Here’s what you get for 22 pesos.  These buses are streamlined and all of them look very new.  The air conditioning is usually super cold but that’s better than the alternative.

I think “X-Men” was the featured movie for the ride.

Here’s some of the scenery on the way to Puerto Morelos.

They have these darn speed bumps all over Mexico.  The buses slow down to almost a stop going over them.

The vegetation is very thick and dense all over the Yucatan.  I can’t imagine cutting through all this stuff.

Here’s the bus stop in Puerto Morelos…a gas station.  That’s my bus with the big ADO on it.

Another taxi ride into Puerto Morelos.  No pictures of that…it’s only a two-minute ride.

I decided to stay over one night here so that I wouldn’t feel rushed.  I’ve stayed at the Posada el Moro before and really like it.  It’s colorful, comfortable, and close to the downtown area as well as the beach.

I love the lush vegetation and the pool area.

Well, that’s enough for one post tonight.  I’ll have to write more about Puerto Morelos when I get home.  More to come!