On
the twelfth day of Christmas, Isla
gave to me:
Twelve
Boats
a Bobbing:
Could Santa Claus fit one of these beauties in Lawrie's
stocking?
Any
Sunday afternoon at North Beach, a collection of yachts and
mega-yachts can be seen anchored just offshore while their
passengers enjoy a dip in the warm aqua-coloured seawater. These
yachts are a fairly recent phenomenon, as Isla was originally a
fishing community. Walk any beach on the west side of the island and
you will see numerous small multi-coloured panga-style boats pulled
up on the beaches waiting for the work day to begin.
Eleven Loungers Lying:
Starting
at seven in the morning, the employees of the beach restaurants and
bars begin to get organized for the day, setting out sun loungers and
umbrellas for potential customers.
Every business has its own
colours to identify its area. Waiters will deliver food and drinks
to the loungers, allowing holiday travellers to just relax and enjoy
the sun, sand and surf.
Lawrie tried to train me to do that at our
casa. It didn't work out so well for him.
Ten
Taxis Racing:
Even
though the island is only seven kilometres long and a kilometre wide,
the taxis are always in a hurry to get somewhere, whenever that
somewhere is. Taxis are reasonably priced and can usually be
flagged down from anywhere on the island. The main taxi stand is
located near the passenger ferry docks. It is still best to ask the
price before you ride, as the rates can be higher in the holiday season.
Nine
Snowmen Waiting:
These
nine little donut-snowmen lined up on a baking tray at the Chedraui
Super Store made us laugh.
Snowmen, in the Caribbean? Thank
goodness they are not real, and are only in someone's imagination.
We've done our time with snow: no
mas.
Eight
Palm Trees Swaying:
Nothing
says “the tropics” like a sugar-white beach and stately palm
trees swaying in the breeze. Beware – those picturesque, and very
hard, coconuts hanging above your head can knock you out if they
connect with your softer noggin.
Usually, around this time of year, the city workers remove the almost-ripe fruit
from the tree to prevent injuries. Still, sitting in
the shade of a coco tree is just so darn romantic, it's hard to resist
– potential head injuries be damned.
Seven
Hammocks Hanging:
Swinging
in a hammock strung between two coconut palm trees, sipping on a cold
cerveza: ah, bliss.
We recently planted two little palm trees in our
small patch of sand on the ocean side of our house.
We check their progress daily to see if they are hammock-ready.
Unfortunately, five
feet high doesn't quite qualify. We have a few more years to wait.
Six
Massage Tents Ready:
Stressed
from gift shopping or flying economy class? Why not hit the beach
for a massage?
Located on the beach, across from Jax Bar & Grill
or the Posada del Mar Hotel, are five or six massage tents where the
staff will give you a relaxing light massage, guaranteed to put you
in the holiday spirit.
 |
| Alex, Daniel, Freddy, Inez, Joao, Pepe, and Gustavo |
Five
Freezing Coooold Beers:
Merry
Christmas to our good friends Freddy, Joao Gustavo, Alex, Daniel,
Pepe, Inez and of course Sal and Mal Richards at the Soggy Peso
Bar & Grill.
They have the biggest smiles while they serve the
best freezing cold beer on the island!
Four
Trees in Centro:
The
smell, the shape, and the decorations of a real Christmas tree bring back great memories for anyone from northern climates, but I always
wonder how a Christmas tree became synonymous with Christmas in
the Caribbean.
As ex-pats, we really enjoy seeing the trees in Centro, at the passenger ferry docks, and on top of the City Hall.
It's a beautiful thing.
Three Church Bells Ringing:
Christmas time is very special to the islanders. It is the time of year when many children are baptized or confirmed into the Catholic Church. It is also the start of a six-week-long celebration that includes The Feast of our Lady Guadalupe on December 12th, Posadas Navideñas from December 16th to 29th, Noche Buena on December 24th, Christmas on December 25th, and ending in January with the Night of the Kings on January 6th. The three large Catholic Churches on Isla Mujeres are beautifully decorated and overflowing with worshippers during the holiday season.
Two
Christmas Parades:
There
are two Christmas parades: the official Municipal Santa Claus Parade and the Christmas Golf Cart Parade organized by a local carnival
dance troupe. Last year, we participated in the golf cart parade for
the first time, dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, tossing candy to the crowds of kids. This year, the
parade was scheduled for Saturday, December 20th,
but due to the high possibility of rain has been moved to Saturday, December 27th,
starting at 5:30 in the afternoon. It is so much fun to ricochet
around the island in a decorated golf cart, trying to follow the lead
vehicle when the route is being planned, just as the parade starts.
The crowds of little kids waving and yelling hello make it all
worthwhile. We'll be there again!
On
The Twelfth Day of Christmas, Isla Gave to Me - One Brightly Lit and
Noisy Party Bus:
It's
bright. It's noisy. It's fun. Every year around this time, the
party bus, or as some people call it, the disco bus, or the funny bus,
comes out of storage and begins doing nightly runs around and around,
up and down the island.
Loud
music. Bright lights. And people have fun. It's become a favourite
with Bachelor and Bachelorette party celebrations.
It drives me nuts
when I am trying to sleep, but it has become part of the annual
holiday celebrations, so we have learned to laugh and go back to
sleep muttering, “It's just the party bus.” We have plans to use
it soon, and it will be our turn to be silly.
Feliz
Navidad to all, may your Christmas be merry and bright!
Lawrie, Lynda, Thomas, and Sparky
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2 comments:
Great Article!
Merry Christmas Lynda and Lawrie.
Randy
The same to you Randy, Maureen, Colleen, and Ken! Cheers L&L
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