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| Lawrie and Freddy - brothers from a different mother |
It’s September.
If we still lived in Canada we would be thinking of the upcoming harvest
of crisp apples, juicy plums, pears and grapes; grapes to eat but more
importantly grapes for delicious Okanagan Valley wines.
Cool nights and warm sunny days. September was always our favourite time of
year in Canada.
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| Swimming with 40 foot Whale Sharks |
Many miles to the south on our little island in
paradise we have different priorities: fresh fish, pineapple, mangoes, watermelon
and icy cold beer.
The days are still
hot and very humid, the nights warm and a little less humid. Occasional thunderstorms quickly roll across
the island, or miss us entirely, soaking Cancun instead. The ocean is calm, the winds light – perfect for
scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming with the Whale Sharks.
In Mexico the children return to school from their
summer break in late August and the day to day rhythm of the island changes. We have more traffic on our street in the
mornings as parents take sleepy children to classes that begin at seven. Ugh!
We are early risers now, but not when we were kids. Neither Lawrie nor I would have appreciated
getting up so early to sit in a hot and stuffy classroom while a frustrated
teacher tries to cram information into our sleepy brains.
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| Flirting is international! |
In the afternoon we hear the shrieks of laughter as the
pupils make their way back home. There
are many more walking home from school than to classes. The parents deliver the kids to ensure they arrive
on time, but for the most part let them find their own way home after
classes. The second shift starts at one
in the afternoon and finishes up around six in the evening. We can hear the late afternoon gaggle of gigglers
passing by; boys flirting with girls and girls flirting with boys.
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| Girls waiting for a chance to sneak into a pool |
Every September the new crop of high school students
amuses us with their covert scouting of the various swimming pools along this
street. You can almost see their thought
processes as they troupe along the beach in their school uniforms.
Anyone
at this house? Anyone watching? Maybe we can slip into the pool and no one
will notice …. Oh, darn, those cranky people are watching us!
The students preferred style of swimming is
fully-dressed - removing only shoes - jumping in and out several times while
covered in beach sand. It seems to be a
new-kid right-of-passage for the juniors, and a mother’s nightmare getting the
uniforms clean and dry by morning.
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| Flag salesman - making money wherever he can |
September on Isla is also known locally as
Sept-Hunger. In most of the world the
youngsters are back in school and there are fewer tourists. Less tourists equals less income for the people
employed in tourist-based businesses – restaurants, bars, hotels, and
tours.
Family expenses continue plus the
added expense of school supplies and uniforms for the new semesters. Money is tight, and families struggle to make
ends meet.
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| Cry of Delores - midnight on September 16th |
But the worry about money evaporates for a day or two
in mid-September with the important national celebration of Mexican Independence
Day. At midnight on September 16th,
the Cry of Delores is reenacted all
over Mexico.
It’s a stirring sight to
see a large crowd of nationals stand and shout: ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! The celebration continues with fireworks and
an all-night fiesta.
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| Lynda - kayaking on calm seas |
If you haven’t thought about visiting Mexico in
September it might be time to reconsider your plans.
It’s a great time to be in Mexico! It’s a peaceful time to be on Isla Mujeres.
Hasta Luego
Lawrie & Lynda
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