Cancun Excursion
13 March 2015 | Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Susan / mostly cloudy, breezy, 82 degrees F
We drop our dinghy and head to s/v Yachtmans' Dream at 8am, pile into their dinghy, leaving ours tied to their boat, and head for the dock. The 8:30am ferry to Puerto Juarez is our goal and we just make it. They thought there was a car rental place just outside the ferry terminal but no, so we catch a mini-bus to downtown Cancun to locate one. US $40 for the day for a cute micro-sized car. Since we have to carry all purchases back with us to the ferry then dinghy it back to the boat, this micro-size will encourage us to focus on the most necessary items.
We visit several marine parts stores, purchasing some of our needed items, still searching for others before the Costco stop. By mid-day we've criss-crossed much of Cancun, getting to know the major streets and some of the minor ones. John & Lela have rented a car here before and John is an excellent navigator; he and Jerry getting us from place to place with a minimum of excitement. In between stops, Jerry calls the CIS cell phone for updates; still testing, system still not available. We even make a personal stop there a bit after 1pm before the Costco stop just in case. The CIS offices close at 2pm on Fridays so it's doubtful we'll get the TIP today but we're doing our best to be in compliance.
Our shopping is done when the car cannot fit another item. Jerry & John drop us girls and the purchases off at the UltraMar ferry terminal then gas-up and return the car. We just make the 2:30pm sailing back to Isla Mujeres. Everyone and everything just fits, and I mean just, in their dinghy; it's a moist trip back to their boat.
One of the dock men is waiting for us when we arrive back to Vida Dulce; they’ve made a mistake assigning us this slip - a close-to-facilities yet quiet side-tie - the other boat is arriving by morning. We must move. The only other space that will handle Vida Dulce due to her beam is the “T” (end) of B Dock. With some difficulty Jerry gets the port engine started; no problem with the starboard one. Both are required to maneuver out of this tight spot. Once free of the dock and nearby piers, I quickly move all lines and fenders to the other side; we’ll dock facing South. The end of the B Dock turns out to be far away from everything except theoretically the grocery store (a block closer now if using the usually locked back gate…) and in the swell of the never-ending daytime stream of party and charter fishing boats. Not a great spot.
(Cruiser) Friday Pizza Nite is at Oscars. There must be 30 of us crowded around several large tables. A great way to meet many of the other cruisers here, some of them semi-permanent residents of more than 10 years, and oohh, the stories we hear! We’ll join the party again!