September in a Caribbean Paradise

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 16^th, 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. 

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

Dia De La Independencia De Mexico

¡Viva México! ¡Viva México! ¡Viva México!  Long live Mexico!

Grito of Delores!    

At eleven at night, on September 15^th Presidente Agapito Magaña Sanchez tugged on a thick ribbon-bedecked rope, ringing a large brass bell and shouting the traditional cry of independence. The huge crowd shouted back: ¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Viva! The energy in the air send frissons of excitement through our blood, tingling our nerve endings: Wow!

Overhead fireworks in centro

And then the fireworks started – blasting from two different directions above the crowd gathered in the city square. Whistling shrieks, then a series of booms, followed by a slight pause and the atmosphere exploded into constellations of red, green, blue, and yellow, the billowing phosphorescent smoke slowly dissipating over the city.

We, along with family members Richard and Linda Grierson, had been enjoying a late night dinner just up the street from centro at Pita Amore Restaurante, before heading to the celebrations. We fully expected everything to be running behind schedule, as is the norm, but discovered that was not the case. The event was clicking along, right on schedule.

When we arrived in centro a number of dancers were on stage. The women were dressed in huipils – the beautiful lacy tunics created from fine white cloth, colourful ribbons, and intricate embroidery. 

They had fanciful flower headdresses woven into their beautiful dark hair, topped by traditional white straw hats. Their escorts were attired entirely in white as a counterpoint to their colourful female partners.

The men in another dance troupe wore a stylized cowboy outfit while the ladies were decked out in red and blue multi-layered fiesta dresses that could be swirled high in the air when dancing. 

The music, the smiles, and the colour – an amazing sight.

We missed the very beginning of program but were able to enjoy the dancers for an hour before the cry of independence: the Grito de Delores. The original Cry of Delores was shouted in the early morning hours of September 16^th 1810 by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, in the small town of Delores near Guanajuato. His proclamation marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence, demanding independence from the Spanish colonial government.

And no, Cinco de Mayo is not Independence Day in Mexico. 

That date commemorates a battle between the Mexican army and the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5^th 1862. The Cinco de Mayo is more popular in the USA – especially since the advent of beer commercials promoting the celebration!

As the fireworks ended the ten-person band began to play fun traditional music signaling the start of the all-night festivities. The four of us looked at each other and laughed: yep, it was past our bedtime. We aren't conditioned for the all-night parties. 

Walking back to our vehicle, Lawrie picked up a couple of large pieces of tough black plastic – smoking hot pieces of plastic that had fallen out of the sky during the fireworks display. 

The shower of hot debris had sent a number of people scurrying for shelter. It's normal. Fireworks displays are always an adventure in Mexico.

Love this country!   

Feliz Dia De La Independencia!

¡Viva México! ¡Viva Isla Mujeres!

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Find us on the web at:

The Adventures of Thomas the Cat: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Adventures-of-Thomas-the-Cat-Las-Aventuras-de-Tomás-el-Gato