Isla Ixtapa

We decided to check out the Isla Ixtapa before hauling out snorkeling gear. That was a very good idea, since the experience was just that -- an experience. Not one particularly to my liking, though. I imagined the "isla" as a type of nature preserve, accessible by a ferry similar the one to Mackinac Island.

Not so. Our cab to Playa Linda was greeted by a many vendors selling everything from lunch to beach umbrellas. We stumbled (so to speak) into an fenced off area overlooking a lagoon full of crocodiles. And there were plenty of them! Iguanas and geckos climbed the trees inside the compound, also full of noisy tropical birds. Later in the afternoon, the crocodiles had all congregated for an afternoon nap near a footbridge. They all seemed to have long, sharp teeth.

The "ferry" to the island was, in fact, a small boat similar to the ones we saw yesterday in Zihuatanejo. It was no easy feat to get into the boat, as I'm always afraid that my knee will give away, but fortunately all was well both outbound and inbound.

When we got to the island, we were accosted by vendors from the moment we got off the boat. One of them guided us to a covered platform where we coud watch the snorkelers and little boys playing on the rocks. We had a couple of warm beers, paying a premium for the privilege of drinking on the island. Several jewelry vendors displayed their wares. I was reminded of a gypsy encampment I saw outside Rome in the late seventies, a milieu in which I felt similarly conspicuous and uneasy. It was no place for me on this day -- or any day, for that matter.

Bob, on the other hand, enjoyed the moment for what it was, a different way to spend the day, a memory to talk about later. The warmth of midday turned to scorching heat in mid-afternoon and we headed back up the hill via cab. The Corona at my side as I type tastes very cold and refreshing.