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Actually more like a bang bang bang since they never seem to run out of firecrackers. They must spend a tidy fortune on those, we priced them out and they're not that cheap. We have it on great authority from a vendor that the Chinese ones are far superior to the homegrown variety, more expensive yes, but more BANG for your bucks.
New Year's Eve didn't feature a lavish party. We had a meal which I prepared, half a kilo of shrimps, wild and not flash frozen in Thailand like so many of the ones we get in Canada are. We drank a bottle of chilled white wine, Chilean, not bad a little fruity and not as dry as I would have liked but there isn't a whole lot of choice wine wise and the price at 72 pesos was more than reasonable.
We walked into town and spent time in the jardin which is that main square. There are still a lot of Mexican tourists but most of them have come by car, no more endless streams of buses.
While in the jardin we had some fun cataloging all the various ways in which Canadian laws are routinely broken in Mexico. I will provide a list and I'm sure I've missed some. Of course this is offered in fun, we love Mexico after all and that spirit of anarchy is what makes it so endearing and frustrating sometimes.
There are many infractions attached to driving.
1. Driving without a license (less common but it happens), insurance (quite frequent).
2. Wearing a seatbelt is law in Mexico but it is routinely disregarded and considered more optional than necessary particularly here in Melaque where we've noticed a lot of people don't even bother.
3. Drinking and driving,(common) drinking while driving (less frequent but it happens.)
4. Riding a motorcycle without a helmet, apparently it's also a law but again it's strictly up to you unless you get stop and ticketed. Some do wear a helmet but they're few and far between.
5. Driving with people in the back of your pickup is extremely common.
6. Three on a small scooter with the kid in front, quite common.
7. Making a full stop at a stop sign,it could happen but then it might not.
8. Not passing when there's a double line on the road, you still pass but you just floor it.
9. Wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle, please let's not even tackle this one, not even a remote possibility unless you watch a lot of American t.V. and want to emulate the lifestyle and have the means to do so.
Firecrackers:
Firecrackers have been completely forbidden in B.C. probably the same in the rest of Canada.
You just can't buy them anywhere even if you want to break the law. Here they're a dime a dozen. Mexicans are probably one of the biggest consumers of Chinese firecrackers in the world and they know their stuff.
They are everywhere and can go off at any time. Even when you're somewhat used to them those incredibly loud bangs can give your heart a run for its money. In fact while sitting in the jardin kids were lighting them up left and right. One took off, sailed over a wall and right into a house. Nobody irate came out so assume it was okay, that's the one good thing about building with bricks, houses don't burn down easily.
In another instance we were at the beach, that same night, watching a bunch of kids of all ages, lighting them up fearlessly when one sailed right over the crowd that was watching them. Nobody got hurt but it was still burning when it hit the crowd. Sometimes they don't detonate right away and kids poke and prod them till they do. Strangely there doesn't seem to be that many accidents involving firecrackers and if there are nobody reports them, unless they're really serious. Mostly they ignore the burns, it's all part of the fun, and just carry on.
Other random ways in which our laws are routinely broken. Buying a six pack of beer at a 7eleven type store, opening one beer and drinking it while waiting in line to pay. Come on that one's a definite winner. Setting up an improvised kitchen on the sidewalk right outside your house because you simply must cash in on those new arrivals who are thirsty and hungry. It doesn't matter how, when, where, why anybody pretty much can open a little stand and sell food and believe me they do. Chihuahuas are truly a beloved dog here and they are extremely portable which is an added bonus meaning you can take them everywhere even in restaurants (not fancy ones of course) in little pouches and that's totally fine. Of course dogs are allowed on the beach without restrictions and you never have to pick up their shit. We've only seen that done a couple of times on the malecon in Mazatlan other than that it's everybody for themselves and watch where you put your feet, much worse than in Paris any day of the week.
Drinking on the beach is not only allowed but encouraged. If you can't get to the booze the booze will come to you.
I've probably missed a lot of other infractions if I happen to note some more I'll add to this list again this is all in the spirit of fun. We're much too restricted in Canada where a state of hyper vigilance and control reigns supreme.
On another note we had heard that two passenger buses got hijacked on the quota (paying) highway out of Guadalajara. This was of interest to us since we will be driving in that direction. I made a few more inquiries and it turned out to be unsubstantiated rumors which is great news.
Bus jacking does happen but it's a pretty infrequent occurrence. Of course we're driving but it's good to know there aren't a bunch of banditos roaming the quotas.
Happy New Year, Feliz Ano Nuevo a todo.
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Saturday, January 1, 2011
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Noel Melaque Style
Noel in Melaque is an exuberant outdoor affair. It starts with huge travel buses slowly rolling into Melaque on the 24th, mostly from Guadalajara we suspect since it's the closesty big city. Today the 26th, there are probably over 50 buses we didn't really do a count so it's a rough estimate. I think we're erring on the conservative side, hard to say but the population of Melaque has definitely swelled to fairly big proportions.
The 24th started out beautifully. Carol and Max who manage the bungalows where we're staying came here two years ago. Carol bought some toys for the neighbouring kids and last year it sort of went viral with over 100 kids showing up some from the town of Villa Obregon. This year, with the help of some local women, they decided to restrict it
to the Colonia of Primaveras. A Colonia is the Mexican term for neighbourhood. All the toys were organized in terms of gender and age. Kids started lining up around 10:00 am. They were very well behaved and even though it turned out to be a fairly long wait there was no pushing, shoving or crying. I have to say that I don't think our Canadian kids would have handled it quite as well. Mexicans, in general, have learned the art of patience. Patti, who owns the bungalows with her husband Andreas, had bought some buns and she was waiting for them to arrive along with some milky concoction flavored with strawberry. Both finally arrived and the handing out of the gifts proceeded without a hitch.
The children were delighted, it was a joy to see.
I took quite a few pictures and will post them on Picasa when I update my pictures.
The rest of the day was pretty mellow. We went to the beach and noted that the big crowds had not yet arrived. In the evening some of the older kids went a bit wild with firecrackers exploding all over the place as they played war throwing them fearlessly at each other. It was quite the cacophony but as per usual nobody complained. There was, however, an unfortunate accident. One of the kids, Andreas' son, got a second degree burn on his thigh when the ones he had in his pocket ignited. That incident put a damper on the whole affair and kids retreated to their respective houses. It's a little scary to see kids as young as five handling firecrackers but it's the norm here. Little kids appear to be much more competent, certainly not as protected and coddled as ours. Today we saw a little girl of 3 having come back from the corner store clutching a roll of toilet paper and some chips which she had just purchased. Scenes like that never cease to amaze us. Of course Melaque is small and people do look out for each other. Nevertheless I don't think I'll ever see a kid of 3 shopping by himself or herself in Summerland which is only slightly bigger than Melaque.
On the 25th, the buses started rolling in earnest and there were more revelers on the beach.
We staged our own little party at Bungalow Itzal. We had turkey, chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, desert the whole enchilada in other words. It was very nice. We enjoyed it a lot, eating outside with stars shining above our heads. Later on we took a walk into town not knowing what to expect but it was business as usual. Most of the stores, restaurants were open trying to cash in on all this influx of tourists to their town.
It hasn't been easy to make a living lately for most businesses in Melaque, this arrival was definitely welcomed.
Today, boxing day, was probably the biggest day yet in terms of the crowds. The beach was packed
but the waves were still mellow and everybody was having a great time enjoying the sun, sea and sand. If they're coming from Guadalajara which is the 2nd. biggest city in Mexico they must appreciate it tremendously after possibly living under fairly cramped conditions.
Tonight I didn't cook. We went into town and had a dinner of barbeque ribs which were actually quite good. We wandered off near the Jardin which is the central square in Melaque.
It's nearly impossible to adequately describe the controlled chaos which reigns supreme in most of the town. Any house who has the space and desire can improvise itself instantly into a sidewalk taqueria. There is the pervasive sound of cleaver on wood chopping all matter of meat, organs and all, into stuffing for tacos. The Mexicans love to graze. They don't actually often sit down for a big meal but they do consume food, in smaller quantities, on a regular basis and when on holiday there's no holding back. Surprisingly one of the most popular stands was the crepe stand. Yes crepes have finally made their way to Melaque and they're extremely popular with neverending lineups of eager customers. I lined up today as well. After Bretagne where crepes reign supreme I just had to check these out. I took a crepe with Nutela and, indeed, it was very good. That little stand was making a killing having replaced churos, the sweet cinnamon sugary donut as the finger food of choice.
We slowly walked back home under a moonlit sky, a perfect end to a really good day.
Tomorrow we're off to another beach, by car, it's called Tenacotita, it should be another great day. Hope you're enjoying reading about our adventure. Don't forget to comment if you're so inclined. Merry post Christmas to all.
The 24th started out beautifully. Carol and Max who manage the bungalows where we're staying came here two years ago. Carol bought some toys for the neighbouring kids and last year it sort of went viral with over 100 kids showing up some from the town of Villa Obregon. This year, with the help of some local women, they decided to restrict it
to the Colonia of Primaveras. A Colonia is the Mexican term for neighbourhood. All the toys were organized in terms of gender and age. Kids started lining up around 10:00 am. They were very well behaved and even though it turned out to be a fairly long wait there was no pushing, shoving or crying. I have to say that I don't think our Canadian kids would have handled it quite as well. Mexicans, in general, have learned the art of patience. Patti, who owns the bungalows with her husband Andreas, had bought some buns and she was waiting for them to arrive along with some milky concoction flavored with strawberry. Both finally arrived and the handing out of the gifts proceeded without a hitch.
The children were delighted, it was a joy to see.
I took quite a few pictures and will post them on Picasa when I update my pictures.
The rest of the day was pretty mellow. We went to the beach and noted that the big crowds had not yet arrived. In the evening some of the older kids went a bit wild with firecrackers exploding all over the place as they played war throwing them fearlessly at each other. It was quite the cacophony but as per usual nobody complained. There was, however, an unfortunate accident. One of the kids, Andreas' son, got a second degree burn on his thigh when the ones he had in his pocket ignited. That incident put a damper on the whole affair and kids retreated to their respective houses. It's a little scary to see kids as young as five handling firecrackers but it's the norm here. Little kids appear to be much more competent, certainly not as protected and coddled as ours. Today we saw a little girl of 3 having come back from the corner store clutching a roll of toilet paper and some chips which she had just purchased. Scenes like that never cease to amaze us. Of course Melaque is small and people do look out for each other. Nevertheless I don't think I'll ever see a kid of 3 shopping by himself or herself in Summerland which is only slightly bigger than Melaque.
On the 25th, the buses started rolling in earnest and there were more revelers on the beach.
We staged our own little party at Bungalow Itzal. We had turkey, chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, desert the whole enchilada in other words. It was very nice. We enjoyed it a lot, eating outside with stars shining above our heads. Later on we took a walk into town not knowing what to expect but it was business as usual. Most of the stores, restaurants were open trying to cash in on all this influx of tourists to their town.
It hasn't been easy to make a living lately for most businesses in Melaque, this arrival was definitely welcomed.
Today, boxing day, was probably the biggest day yet in terms of the crowds. The beach was packed
but the waves were still mellow and everybody was having a great time enjoying the sun, sea and sand. If they're coming from Guadalajara which is the 2nd. biggest city in Mexico they must appreciate it tremendously after possibly living under fairly cramped conditions.
Tonight I didn't cook. We went into town and had a dinner of barbeque ribs which were actually quite good. We wandered off near the Jardin which is the central square in Melaque.
It's nearly impossible to adequately describe the controlled chaos which reigns supreme in most of the town. Any house who has the space and desire can improvise itself instantly into a sidewalk taqueria. There is the pervasive sound of cleaver on wood chopping all matter of meat, organs and all, into stuffing for tacos. The Mexicans love to graze. They don't actually often sit down for a big meal but they do consume food, in smaller quantities, on a regular basis and when on holiday there's no holding back. Surprisingly one of the most popular stands was the crepe stand. Yes crepes have finally made their way to Melaque and they're extremely popular with neverending lineups of eager customers. I lined up today as well. After Bretagne where crepes reign supreme I just had to check these out. I took a crepe with Nutela and, indeed, it was very good. That little stand was making a killing having replaced churos, the sweet cinnamon sugary donut as the finger food of choice.
We slowly walked back home under a moonlit sky, a perfect end to a really good day.
Tomorrow we're off to another beach, by car, it's called Tenacotita, it should be another great day. Hope you're enjoying reading about our adventure. Don't forget to comment if you're so inclined. Merry post Christmas to all.
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