Author: ashworthdavidg

Isla Mujeres

We just returned from our beach break in Isla Mujeres Jan. 16-24. We had mixed weather with rain and wind, clouds and sun, and a fairly constant temperature of 27C. That suited us fine as Cancun can be unbearable hot with searing sunshine. The photo above shows both Playa Norte and Playa Centro, which are truly beautiful and excellent for swimming. Playa Norte is better as it doesn’t suffer from boat traffic and offers some shade most of the day.

I visited Isla Mujeres for a day in the early 80’s and don’t remember much, but I’m sure it has changed radically in 40 years. I would say a ruined paradise as the development attracts hoards of people, the prices are high, and the feel of the downtown core is very modern. The laid-back side of the island still exists but requires exploring to encounter. We stayed in a low-end Airbnb at the south end of el Centro, a great location with the necessary comforts.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, especially the natural beauty and excellent beaches.

Late Adopter

About two years ago Aimeé was given an XBOX 360 system. I was dead set against the idea but turned out that she had always wanted to play video games. At first I was a reluctant observer but Aimeé persuaded me to try some games, nothing interesting until she started playing Assassin’s Creed II.

Up until this late stage of life I had avoided video games because I considered them time wasters. Back in the late 70’s I played some text-based adventure games and found them addictive, so for me the best life strategy was to ignore the whole industry.

According to recent data, the gaming industry is now making more money than the music and movie industries combined.

I was very impressed with Assassin’s Creed II: the graphics, the sound, the story, the game-play; and I played happily for hours, especially while Aimeé was in Mexico this summer. In October here in Guanajuato we bought the latest generation XBOX system and the Assassin’s Creed Ezio Collection, which comprises three games.

As of early December I had finished all three games as I have lots of free time in Mexico. Choosing the next game required research. I liked everything about Assassin’s Creed except for the violence, which is pervasive in video games. I decided on The Talos Principle and will have finished that game very soon.

I need a break from gaming as I feel the weight and guilt of playing so much, but finding the next game to play is on my to-do list. Not only am I a late adopter of video games, I was unaware of the demographic trend of video gaming for seniors and its benefits for healthy aging.