And I replied as I always do: "I live here, but I am originally from Canada." We then moved on to discussing the winter weather and how this has been a record-breaking cold winter north of the US/Mexican border.
"¿Menos treinta grados centígrados?" He tosses both hands in the air in an expression of mock horror. (-30° Celsius is -22° Fahrenheit. That's damn cold!) "Por qué?" He asks. "Why? Why live there?"
"I don't know!" I respond, grinning.
My response prompted a comedy routine. Unusually expressive, his hands hardly touched the steering wheel for the entire ride as he regaled me with his thoughts on living anywhere where the temperature was less than 15°Celsius. (59° Fahrenheit). I was still laughing as I exited the taxi, and then I started thinking of our Top Ten Reasons Why We Live in Mexico. And here they are in reverse order in the style of the David Letterman Late Night Show:
A deeply religious culture, the citizens have several fiestas and celebrations throughout the year, adding colour and music to the environment.
At sunset, the sun slowly gathers in the colours, putting them back into storage for the night, tucked away safely until morning. A glass of wine, and my sweetie beside me as we watch the sunset - it's a perfect ending to another great day.
Number 6 - Beaches and boats:
Two of my favourite things to photograph are the white sandy beaches and the myriad of interesting boats moored or anchored nearby.
Many of the boats are painted delightfully cheerful combinations of yellow and blue, turquoise and white, red and yellow, or green and orange, reflecting the love of bright colours prevalent in this culture.
Number 5 - Laughter and easy acceptance: Living on Isla Mujeres is the best choice for us. It is a small community where people care about you as a person. Friends accept you for who you are, not what you were. In other words, if you were an important person in your previous life, or just an uncomplicated worker, it doesn't make any difference either way here on the island. You are simply a friend.
Number 4 - Kids can be kids: The uncomplicated lives of local kids always bring a smile to our faces. We seldom hear parents talking about scheduled activities, playdates, or lessons that consume the hours of Canadian and American children. Here, the kids play: they play by themselves, and with older siblings or grandparents. Swim in the ocean. Explore the neighbourhood. Run from house to house with friends. Giggle and laugh. We feel younger just watching their antics.
Number 3 - Colours: Reds, blues, greens, yellows, oranges and purples tossed willy-nilly as if an omnipresent painter was having a temper tantrum, scattering tins of paint with a sweep of a large hand. Houses decorated in fanciful combinations reflect the owner's personal preferences. Frequently, clothing hung on an outside line to dry in the sun will be as colourful as the outside walls of the home. Brilliantly tinted flowers tumble over walls, in an array of reds, oranges, and pinks. Fruit vendors offer up papayas, pineapples, and melons. Eye-catching and beautiful colours abound.
Number 1 - New adventures keep us young: Just ask any of our multitude of "senior citizen" friends. We are all healthy, happy, active and enjoying life.
There is no time for what one friend referred to as "the Florida organ recitals," as in my kidneys hurt, my stomach aches, my gall bladder is acting up .... and on and on. No one cares that we are getting older. We enjoy each day.
So, -30°C in many parts of Canada and the USA as opposed to +27°C in Mexico on the same day in the month of January. No wonder the taxi driver regaled me with his comical anecdotes about Canadian weather. It is beyond his comprehension why people live in colder countries.
Two of my favourite things to photograph are the white sandy beaches and the myriad of interesting boats moored or anchored nearby.
Many of the boats are painted delightfully cheerful combinations of yellow and blue, turquoise and white, red and yellow, or green and orange, reflecting the love of bright colours prevalent in this culture.
Number 5 - Laughter and easy acceptance: Living on Isla Mujeres is the best choice for us. It is a small community where people care about you as a person. Friends accept you for who you are, not what you were. In other words, if you were an important person in your previous life, or just an uncomplicated worker, it doesn't make any difference either way here on the island. You are simply a friend.
Number 4 - Kids can be kids: The uncomplicated lives of local kids always bring a smile to our faces. We seldom hear parents talking about scheduled activities, playdates, or lessons that consume the hours of Canadian and American children. Here, the kids play: they play by themselves, and with older siblings or grandparents. Swim in the ocean. Explore the neighbourhood. Run from house to house with friends. Giggle and laugh. We feel younger just watching their antics.Number 3 - Colours: Reds, blues, greens, yellows, oranges and purples tossed willy-nilly as if an omnipresent painter was having a temper tantrum, scattering tins of paint with a sweep of a large hand. Houses decorated in fanciful combinations reflect the owner's personal preferences. Frequently, clothing hung on an outside line to dry in the sun will be as colourful as the outside walls of the home. Brilliantly tinted flowers tumble over walls, in an array of reds, oranges, and pinks. Fruit vendors offer up papayas, pineapples, and melons. Eye-catching and beautiful colours abound.  |
| Early morning on January 29th, 2014, at North Beach |
Number 2 - The weather: January is the coldest month of the year with average daytime temperatures of 27°C (81°F) and nighttime temperatures of 19°C. (67°F)
January is also partway through the dry season, starting in November and ending in April. That means cool, dry weather with an average of nine hours of sunshine per day.
Number 1 - New adventures keep us young: Just ask any of our multitude of "senior citizen" friends. We are all healthy, happy, active and enjoying life. There is no time for what one friend referred to as "the Florida organ recitals," as in my kidneys hurt, my stomach aches, my gall bladder is acting up .... and on and on. No one cares that we are getting older. We enjoy each day.
So, -30°C in many parts of Canada and the USA as opposed to +27°C in Mexico on the same day in the month of January. No wonder the taxi driver regaled me with his comical anecdotes about Canadian weather. It is beyond his comprehension why people live in colder countries.
Lynda, Lawrie, Thomas, Sparky, and Princess Chica
Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.
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