Sunday in the Yucatan

The past few weeks have been just crazy! As it starts getting colder up north more and more people are dreaming of buying a beach home in sunny Mexico! Our phone has been ringing off the hook and I spend hours daily answering emails while Doug is out showing properties. I'm not complaining, this is how we make our living after all........ For those of you looking at properties here south of the border, now is the time! The inexpensive ones are being sold as fast as we can list them! Check out our website http://www.mayanliving.com and see what deals we have to offer and how many homes have been sold lately.

On another note, Doug and I hadn't had a day to ourselves in weeks. We decided that we would take Sunday, turn off the phone, ignore emails and just enjoy our time together. It is a shame to being living in such a cool place and not experiencing it. We had heard through our Mexican grapevine that they were having some kind of small boat races on the lagoon Sunday morning so that was our first stop. It was a perfect day, clear skies, light breeze, temperature around 85 with no humidity. One of the first people we saw was Jose, Eduardo's brother. He explained that the race was called a singa, which means the type of boat used. There would be different races with the winners of each participating in a grand finale. The prizes were a refrigerator, TV and stereo. Doesn't sound like much to us gringos does it? But for the locals these are luxury items and the competition was fierce.

This is Jose, sizing up the competition,

Spectators

View of the shore from the pier

The guys lining up, getting ready to start, there are no motors, just an oar placed in the middle of the back of the boat and swung madly, reminiscent of a gondola in Venice

These local fisherman are really working it!

The crowd watches and waits.....

Unfortunately our buddy Jose, didn't win, however he is a good sport, gives a "thumbs up," and continues on with the day.

The much sought after prizes,

Okay, enough of that guy stuff, I wanted to go check out the flamingos, I just love them as I may have mentioned one or twice before. A friend of mine was saying that she had just seen a lot of them on the back road from Chuburna to Komchen, so off we went. There have been sooooo many flamingos here this year, I see them everywhere, but this was the most I have seen at one time! They were everywhere in the mangroves and lagoons!

This is what the lagoons look like when you are just driving by. If you look very closely you will see flocks in the very back. One of these I'll have a really good camera and then I'll never stop taking pictures of all the cool things here in the Yucatan!

These guys were really close to the road, and we didn't seem to bother them at all!

More flocks

And more flocks, you guys know how much I love pink flamingos!

They don't even look real do they?

Okay, enough is enough, but I just think it is so cool, that I can take a 2 minute ride and see these beauties in their native habitat!

Until next time, remember that there is still an untouched place not far from home. The reason so many expats have picked Mexico is the quick access to the US and Canada. Add in friendly people, low cost of living and of course flamingos and it all equals paradise! Warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya, Chillin' in Chelem!

Revolution Day in Chelem

Celebrated throughout Mexico, November 20th marks the day in 1910 when the war to overthrow the dictator General Porfirio Diaz began. The revolution was fought due to the growing disparity between the rich landowners and the rest of the population who were mainly poor peasants and farmers. The day is celebrated with colorful parades and parties and celebrations.  Here in Chelem of course there was something going on too!   We were able to attend the morning celebrations, but had many real estate clients in town so we were back home and at work by 9:00.


It all started by the lagoon, all the local school children were dressed up in their Sunday best for Revolution Day!  Here is a picture of the beginning with Senorita Revolution leading the parade,



Next the Colorguard:


Those that aren't in the Colorguard marched too,


Here come the kindergarten children,


Look at how precious they are, all dressed up in white, hair slicked back, wonder if they looked so clean at the end of the day?







My girl Gaby, she is just the best!

I love the horses and hats!



These guys on horses are exactly what my Mom thinks is normal here.  Can't convince her that people have cars!



Finally my "adopted" grand baby, Yomara, isn't she a beauty?

Weather in Chelem

The last week has been very unusual here in Chelem. After going through months with no rain, it has rained now all week long. And I mean rained! The wind has blown and the temperatures have dropped down to the high 70's. Our normally green Gulf Coast waters have turned rough and gray. The tides have been much higher than normal and much of the coast has seen the effects of erosion. Now we have hurricane/tropical depression/tropical storm Ida heading towards the Riveria Maya coast. While we have no fears of it hitting us, it means more rain! This morning I got up and saw a ray of sunshine, I grabbed my flip flops and shades and headed to the beach. The smell of the salt was much stronger than normal, the high tide mark was higher than I have ever seen it, the beach was full of seaweed and treasures. I only had a few minutes, clients were coming over to look at houses at 9:00, but here is a quick sampling of what I found.


First the ocean, gray and muddy, looking more like the Atlantic than the Gulf

A variety of sea shells, unfortunately I don't know their names, except for this one, a conch


And this one a starfish, or in Spanish: estrella de mar

Don't know what these are, but thought they were cool looking
We used to call thes cone shells when I was a kid, may not be correct
Some kind of whelk possibly

All my treasures accumulated in about 10 minutes
The weather here may not always be perfect, it may be too hot or it may be rainy like the past week, but there is always something here to be thankful for! Good friends, good food and small treasures. Until next time, Chillin' in Chelem

Update! Today (Sunday) has been lovely, the storm clouds are gone, the sun is shining and the time is right for heading south! Now is the time to move south. Contact us at www.mayanliving.com to buy your piece of paradise now! For all of you up north where the weather isn't so nice, check out this: