Freddy Medina, "I want to rename the Christmas parade in memory of Lawrie"

2011 Elmo makes his Isla debut

This week, our good friends Freddy Medina and his beautiful wife Yadira Velazquez (Eva) stopped by our little house on Isla Mujeres.

Freddy said, "I want to rename the Christmas parade in honor of my good friend Lawrie."

I was speechless.

Freddy continued, "Without his help, this parade would never have happened, and I want everyone to remember him."

I suggested that, since Lawrie's grandsons always called him "Elmo," why didn't he call it Elmo's Christmas Caravan?

This year, Freddy has set the date to be Friday, December 21st, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The Beginning - September 2011

“Hey, cool. We’re invited to a Halloween party on October 31st, 2011, at Curtis and Ashley’s house, Villa la Bella,” Lawrie said as he read aloud an email invite.

A month later, the local postman arrived on his delivery moto at our front door with an enormous cotton sack tagged with Lawrie’s name and our address.

“What the heck is that?” I asked, oblivious to Lawrie's recent online shopping.

That was an Elmo costume shipped from the manufacturer Claudio Mascots Oficial Lima Peru; a large, furry, crimson-red costume complete with a big head and googly eyes. It was amazing. Beautifully made, and an exact replica of Elmo.

Years ago, when Lawrie’s eldest grandson was learning to talk, he thought Lawrie’s name was Elmo, and the nickname stuck. The boys were coming for a visit in December 2011. Lawrie decided he could get double-duty from the costume for the Halloween party and greeting our grandsons at the Ultramar boat.

The Elmo costume was a huge hit. In the next two years, it was used several times by Lawrie when he greeted arriving nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, sister and brother-in-law, and friends at the Ultramar ferry docks. Elmo-Lawrie was invited to Barlito’s 1st Anniversary celebration when they were still on Hidalgo Avenue.

Everyone wanted their photos taken with Elmo: kids, parents, and grandparents. Even a few of the slightly dubious characters that hang around on the street corner late in the evenings wanted a photo with Elmo.

Then, in 2013, our friend Freddy Medina asked if he could borrow the costume for a birthday fiesta for a special young boy on the island.

Freddy was so overwhelmed by the happiness of the young lad that he suggested the idea of a Christmas parade featuring Elmo and our newest character costumes, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, purchased for yet another Halloween party at Villa la Bella.

2013 Elmo-Freddy makes his parade debut

The first parade in 2013 was hilarious. There were only about eight or nine vehicles, and a dozen or so motos.

Our jefe, Freddy, was late, and the golf carts had lined up neatly, facing north. We were supposed to be facing south to head into the colonias first.

What did we know? We were all new at this parade stuff. We eventually got turned around heading south towards the densely populated neighbourhoods.

The parade bounced through the colonias on a higgledy-piggledy route that the driver of the lead vehicle had mapped out in his head.

2013 Parade route. Alexis' photo

We had absolutely no idea what we were getting into.

The excitement on the faces of the youngsters.

The grandparents and parents ran to find the kids to come see Elmo, Mickey, Minnie, SpongeBob, clowns, and the Grinch.

The noise. The confusion. The laughter.

Mickey and his driver, Chuck Watt

Lawrie and I had bought five pounds of candy, but partway through the route, we asked our drivers, Chuck and Marcy Watt, for an emergency stop at Donasusa to purchase another five pounds.

2013 was also the year that we learned not to get out of the golf carts in our costumes.

Lawrie had waded into the crowd to say hi to the kids when a group of inebriated young men thought it would be uproariously funny to lob Mickey Mouse into the air and catch him – a few times. Picture this: a full-sized man, in a full-body mouse costume, including a large head, being tossed up and down in a crowd. Only in Mexico!

Lawrie, Lynda, and Sparky

Two hours later, our tired, ragged group disbanded in Centro on Rueda Medina. Elmo’s vehicle happened to park near the assembly point for the Municipal Presidente of Isla’s Christmas cavalcade.

The Presidente suggested to Freddy that Elmo should join that parade. Freddy, who had just spent two hours dancing in the back of a pickup truck wearing a full-body fur-suit, was soaked through to his underwear with perspiration.

However, one does not say no to the Presidente. And away Freddy went, dancing and shouting Feliz Navidad for another two hours.

A new Elmo was born!

2014 parade, little Minnie Mouse

In 2014, more people joined the group, bringing the total to about twenty vehicles. Freddy arranged for the funny bus for participants who didn’t want to drive but wanted to be part of the event.

The funny bus is a two-level dilapidated vehicle, decorated with coloured lights and blasting loud music. It haunted the island streets for a few years, the operator charging a small fee to take people on an after-dark tour of the island.

2014 Funny people in the funny bus

That year, we followed a route dictated by the height of the double-decker. The low-hanging electrical wires are always a challenge in Mexico.

The typical solution is to have a person stand on the top of a truck or vehicle with a wooden broom to lift the wires out of the way.

Yep, lift live wires with a broom! Happens all the time. But when it’s a parade, there just isn’t the time to lift every low-hanging line and sneak past, while the passengers duck below the seatbacks.

It was easier to find a different route. Once again, the experience was amazing - noise, people, dogs, kids, and loud music. That year, we tossed fifteen pounds of candy to the crowds.

2015, Mrs. Claus and Santa

By 2015, and you would think we would have the routine figured out. More or less, mas o menos. The funny bus was once again available, which meant our route was similar to the previous year, heading south, staying on the main roads, and finishing in Centro near the new Muelle 7 Restaurante on Rueda Medina.

We had all of the usual character costumes in the parade, along with the addition of Batman Jimmy. Santa John Pasnau and Mrs. Claus Valerie Pasnau quietly inserted themselves in the middle of the lineup, giving the kids an additional thrill as Santa waved and said, “Ho, ho, ho.”

2015 our escorts

2015 was the first year that we had a police escort in the form of four motorcycle cops who tried their very best to keep us all together. It was like trying to herd cats, which, if you have ever been owned by a cat, you will know is an impossible task. Some of the vehicles broke down. A few drivers turned the wrong way. And still others had non-parade vehicles cut in between, causing more confusion. The laughing youngsters and their smiling parents made it all worthwhile.

2016 Participants lining up by our casa

And, then there was the 2016 parade, Saturday, December 17th, our 4th Annual Christmas Caravan.

We had trucks, cars, dozens of golf carts, two tuk-tuks, and a handful of motorcycles, but not the funny bus. It had finally died, expired.

We had Elmo, Santa, Mrs. Claus, Mickey, Minnie, and a Ninja Turtle.

There were at least four or five dogs, including our Sparky, dressed for the occasion, riding in their decorated golf carts. There were dozens of Santa hats, store-bought decorations, and handmade decorations. Music. Lights. Candy.

2016 Mrs. Claus and Santa

Without the bus, our route was more flexible. We wound south from our casa along the Salinas Chica neighbourhood, into Salinas Grande, Las Glorias, through narrow side streets along the main road, turning again into the colonias across from Oscar’s Pizza, popped out onto the main road by Chedraui grocery store, and back into Centro.

 But we weren’t finished yet. Our leader took us on a cross-hatch route along Madero, Medina, Abasolo, Guerrero, Juarez, Matamoros, and Medina again. At the end, we gathered in the square in Centro.

Wow! Just wow. Our faces hurt from smiling. Our throats were dry from laughing. The best parade yet. There were around fifty vehicles in total. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the celebration of fun and family. You are what makes this event so special.

Elmo-Freddy and Elmo-Lawrie

In 2017, Lawrie and I returned to Canada to celebrate Christmas with his large extended family. He was having serious health issues, and we sensed that this might be his last chance to celebrate a Lock family Christmas.

Rob and Julie Goth happily stepped in to become the new Mickey and Minnie for 2017 and for any future parades.

Elmo's Christmas Caravan is usually the last Saturday before Christmas Eve, but our intrepid leader Freddy Medina sets the date. If you want to join in next year just contact Freddy or me. Don’t forget to add battery-powered Christmas lights and a music system to your shopping list. Buying them here is very hit-and-miss.

Elmo is getting his annual post-parade bath

As for the Elmo costume of the 2011 Halloween party, it now resides at Freddy’s house. It’s a good home for Elmo. Thank you, Freddy, for being the good-hearted, crazy person who thought up this event. And thank you for honoring my sweetie by renaming the parade to Elmo's Christmas Caravan.

This year, Freddy has set the date to be Friday, December 21st, 2018, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The original Elmo-Lawrie Lock will be with us in spirit.

Elmo-Lawrie and Lynda - 2011

Ex-pats in Mexico – it’s the little differences

Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres

There’s a hugely popular website called expat.com that specializes in communication between people who are scattered around the world, not living in their own country. This week, the discussion topic was: ‘How do you cope with being homesick?’  That’s when we realized we aren’t actually homesick for our country, but we are occasionally still a little discombobulated by the differences.

Beautiful shoes are important, 

Most of us realize before we leave our home country that there will be some big changes to our lives, but it’s the little differences that can catch you by surprise.

·       Mexico uses the metric system.  No inches, feet, miles, ounces, pounds, or Fahrenheit. Yes, we are Canadian and our country switched over to metric in the mid-seventies to match the rest of the world, but in school, we learned the Imperial measurements. Change happens more slowly when you are older. Buying shoes in metric is still perplexing, but most everything else has sorted itself out in our brains.  We can only imagine how confusing it is to our American neighbours, the last country in the world still using Imperial measurements.

We are still too early for everything!

·      Appointment times are all-ish. If four in the afternoon is when you are meeting a friend, or expecting a service person, that is now four-ish. Your acquaintance or tradesperson could be thirty minutes, an hour, or two hours late. It’s not rude, it’s just the way it is.  The person will eventually arrive, all smiles and hugs or handshakes. Life is good; they are very happy to see you, and therefore it follows that you are very happy to see them. 

    Public events, parades, parties – everything is ish! When we first moved here, we always arrived at the suggested time, only to find the host in the shower and the hostess decorating for the party.  It’s a little less embarrassing now that we don’t arrive exactly on time.

Buy fresh.  Buy often.

·       Street closures are common, especially in the smaller communities. Why?  Usually, for a family event, such as a funeral or a birthday party. Most of the homes are too small for family gatherings, and permission is usually granted to close the street for several hours. No one gets upset; everyone just adjusts their schedule to work around the closure. 

·       Grocery shopping is a daily task for most locals, and we have changed from our Canadian habit of stockpiling once a week to shopping every other day. The produce is fresh, ripe, and doesn’t keep for any length of time. Buy fresh, and buy often is the local habit. 

Driving in Mexico is entertaining.

·     Signs for small businesses are somewhat limited.  When asking for directions to an unfamiliar store or business, it’s always best to ask for a description of the building, including colour. Many small establishments don’t have signs.  The reasoning is, if you are a resident, you know the location.

·       Driving in Mexico is entertaining, especially in the bigger cities. The local drivers are very aware of traffic around them and are pretty decent drivers. The incentive to stay out of accidents is huge. Get into a fender-bender, and everyone goes to jail until the police decide on who is responsible and who is paying.  Signs and traffic lights are treated as ‘suggestions’, not cast in stone, the exception being the raised striped crosswalks. Traverse one of those when pedestrians are using the crosswalk, and you will rapidly find yourself having a lengthy personal chat with a police officer.  Been there.  Done that.  

 

My alter-ego with a policewoman

·      And speaking of the police.  When we moved here, we were told by many Mexican friends, Do not ever interact with the police.  Don’t make eye contact or even smile at them. We did that for several years, and then decided that we weren’t happy treating other human beings this way. We’ve started to acknowledge the officers with a wave and a smile. They wave, smile back, and chat when they recognize us. 

·      As for guns, contrary to what international television news suggests, guns are very, very rare in Mexico. 

In In fact, there is only one store in all of Mexico that sells guns, and you would not believe the paperwork. 

·    

   

Immigration in Cancun, lineups out the door. 

Bureaucracy is a fine art in Mexico.  Paperwork takes an inordinately long time to process, whether it is immigration papers, building permits, or simply renewing a driver’s license.  Bureaucrats will test your patience. It’s a good time to practice the fine art of daydreaming as you loiter in the waiting room, linger in the line-up, or shuffle from paper-pusher to cashier and back again. And smile. Angry outbursts will guarantee that your documents find a new home at the bottom of the one-meter-high teetering pile of paperwork, waiting for the final stamp of approval. 

·      And the best difference we have noticed, we can actually wave and say ‘hello’ to little kids. The families are close-knit and loving. It is everyone’s job to watch out for the younger family members, but a wave and a smile are still allowed. It’s a refreshing change.

As Expats, living in a foreign country has been very beneficial to us.  We have been able to stop medications for stress and high blood pressure.  We seldom eat packaged or prepared foods.  We are happy and healthy. 

We aren’t homesick; this country is our home.

Hasta Pronto!

Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

Or 

Death in the Vineyards

Making kids, big and small, smile on Isla Mujeres Mexico!

Freddy Medina & Yadira Velazquez 

"Santa! Elmo! Mickey! Minnie! Batman!” dozens of little kids ran giggling and laughing towards the parade. 

Participants riding in the decorated vehicles tossed glow sticks, small gifts, and candies into the shrieking hoards.

This was the second year that Freddy Medina and Yadira Medina Velázquez asked us to participate in a Christmas parade wearing the Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes that were originally purchased for a Hallowe'en party at Villa la Bella. 

Marcy and Chuck - our drivers

The costumes are hot, clumsy, and exhausting to wear, but when we see the smiles on the faces of the kids, it's well worth the trouble. Behind our foam mascot-heads, Lawrie and I were grinning from ear to ear – not that anyone could see our smiles.

Our good friends Chuck and Marcy Watt again volunteered to be our drivers, plus enlisting their visiting friends John and Di Worhaug as the official candy-tossers for our golf carts. 

 Numerous other friends joined in with decorated golf carts or rode the funny bus. Too much fun!

A little Minnie Mouse!

The collection of vehicles was assembled at a wide spot in the road, next door to our house. 

Everyone was on time! Wow! 

And this year we had two motorcycle policemen assisting at intersections, keeping the parade vehicles together. 

At six in the evening, we started off with a flotilla of fifteen decorated vehicles and a collection of motorcycles.

No one had any idea where the parade route would take us. The bus driver and his navigator were responsible for deciding the route. 

It all depended on whether or not the bus could fit in a particular street, or if it would be too narrow. 

Dick, Tony, Paul and Mim

Even with these precautions, the folks riding on the top of the bus had to duck a few times to avoid low-hanging electrical wires. 

The excitement was all part of the fun as one of the bus riders would yell: Down! 

And then: Okay, clear!

Barlow, Brad, Tiff and Lior

We began by heading south, winding through the various neighbourhoods, up and down streets, around the Super X-Press, past the parks: waving, waving and waving.  Ahead of our vehicle, I could see Freddy (Elmo) dancing and waving for the entire two hours. That takes a lot of stamina!

Julie, Patty and Deb

Eventually, we turned north along Rueda Medina, passing the various restaurants and hotels, still waving and having a great time. 

Anna Karina and Lazardo

At the Soggy Peso entrance, the parade came to an abrupt stop while one of the ladies on the bus made a mad dash for the baños! Upon her smiling return, off we went again, winding our way through Centro, turning the corner at Jax Restaurant and finishing at Brisas Grill on the beach. 

Wbeymar Maldonado and his wife, Karina Avila, hosted an extended Happy Hour at Brisas Grill for the motley crew, allowing us to unwind and rehydrate.

As I gave Freddy a hug and a thank-you kiss on the cheek, I realized he was soaked with perspiration, right through Elmo's thick red fur. Have a couple of cold beers, my friend, you've earned it!

Freddy and Yadira 

Thanks again for including so many gringos in your fun. Our faces hurt from smiling!

Happy New Year to Everyone

Lynda and Lawrie

This week's photo credits: Deb Rosa Sirenas, Diana Worhaug, Kevin Petty, Marcy Watt, and the Medina family.

Tonda, Tuggi, Kay and Kevin

Mickey, Minnie, Luz Medina 

Hasta luego, Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky

Disney comes to Isla; a Christmas golf cart parade!

A group of twenty motorcycles parked along the curb with front wheels canted at a forty-five-degree angle to the left.  Several golf carts with decorations fastened to every available surface gathered on Aeropuerto Road – pointing north.  

A large decorated pickup truck, complete with a Christmas tree and a generator powering the Christmas lights, swung into place at the head of the line!  It’s a parade!

And then Freddy, el jefe, arrived to tell us we were heading south first, not north.  Oops.

With the assistance of a local policeman, SpongeBob (Jimmy Picuri) in his too-wide costume was stuffed into the back seat of his decorated golf cart, and then the parade participants were directed to turn their vehicles around and head south.  

The Christmas tree truck and Santa lead the way.  Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Elmo, SpongeBob, two Santas, elves, a red-haired wood nymph, a pretty Disney princess, a reindeer-dog, dozens of kids and the motorcycles set off in a cloud of exhaust, with horns honking. 

Surprisingly, we weren’t very late getting started – about fifteen minutes behind schedule instead of the normal one to three hours. 

Weeks before the parade date, Freddy Medina asked us if we would like to participate in the parade being organized by the dance troupe - Algeria y Pasion Carnavalesca.  He asked us to wear our Mickey and Minnie costumes.  He would wear our Elmo costume, and find two other friends to be SpongeBob and Spiderman.  We readily agreed.  

Then I started obsessing about the route, the timing, and finding more friends to join in.

Daily emails to Freddy asking: “Do we know the route yet?  Everyone is asking.”  And the response was: “Not yet, or soon, or we have a meeting tomorrow. Don’t worry.”   

In the end, I stopped fretting and just trusted that someone would know what the heck was happening.  I worried for naught. As it turns out, the honking horns and backfiring motorcycles were all the notice that people needed to find the parade.  And find us they did.  The kids and adults came streaming out of houses and side streets, laughing and calling out to the various participants.  Handfuls of wrapped candy tossed towards the crowds created giggling pandemonium. 

Those of us who were in costumes could not see very well. I had to keep asking my friend and driver, Marcy Watt, which way I should be looking and waving.  Most of the time, she couldn’t understand what I said; my words were muffled by the large padded head, sounding much like a mouse squeaking – or as we called it, mouse-speak.  But we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Marcy repeated over and over how this night would always be a favourite Isla memory for her.

The kids were everywhere, shouting: Minnie, Minnie, Minnie.  A few vehicles back, Mickey Mouse was experiencing the same reaction as we wound through small, crowded streets.  One small girl shouted Mickey’s name until he hopped out of the golf cart and walked towards her, then she turned and ran screaming into the house.  I guess the thought of a very large rodent hugging her was too much to contemplate. 

As we turned the corner onto the larger road that passes the Super X-press in the colonias, a group of thirty-something men having a pre-Christmas celebration near Zina’s Guest House, shouted Mickey’s name. Mickey decided to get out of the golf cart and meet some of his fans.  Oh, oh. Mistake. They wholeheartedly embraced Mickey Mouse, tossing him into the air.  Fortunately, they caught him before he slammed onto the concrete.  A hundred or so little kids watched in horrified suspense, wondering if their hero was going to be hurt. 

Then the route turned back towards the north end of the island, winding through the tight one-way street system in Centro.  We finished up on Medina Avenue, lined up along the street, posing with locals who wanted to be photographed with the characters.  

Eventually, the parade participants disbanded.  We were exhausted, thirsty, hot, and soaked in perspiration.  Our right arms ached from two hours of waving to the crowds. 

However, Elmo (Freddy Medina) was convinced to stay in costume and participate in the city parade, starting immediately after ours finished. Poor guy, he was in costume for four and a half hours. He likely lost ten pounds in fluids. 

Freddy, my friend, you are a rock star!  

Thank you again for a memorable experience, allowing your Disney friends to meet your Isla friends. 

Happy New Year to everyone

Lynda, Lawrie, Thomas the Cat, Sparky, and Princess Chica

Thanks to Darren, Alexis, Deb, and Marcy for letting us use your photos for the blog this week.

Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky