It Was a Good Day

We’re finally into low season. Every morning we check weatherunderground.com to see if there are any storms or hurricanes on the horizon, we start planning for some of the maintenance and projects we couldn’t get to during high season, and we finally get to relax a little. Today was one of those days for relaxing.

Today started like every other Sunday, with Tony at the front desk of the hotel and Cheri sleeping in. Early Sunday morning is one of our regular shifts at the hotel front desk. Despite living in paradise, we keep a pretty regular work schedule. Sunday mornings are normally quiet as people recover from their tequila tasting of Saturday night, and this time of year, with the hotel only three-quarters full, it’s even more tranquil. Cheri came in later in the morning to do emails, and by the time Jaime showed up in the early afternoon to take over front desk duty, we were ready to take a break.

The last week has seen a lot of rain; it’s just that time of year. Thunder and lightning storms roll in off the Caribbean bringing lots of moisture. When it’s not raining, it’s still damp and humid. But today we had clear skies and milder temperatures (in the upper 80s) and it struck us as being a perfect beach day. So we headed down to Mamita’s Beach Club. Neither of us had eaten, so we stopped for a quick slice of takeaway pizza on the road to the beach and ate it as we strolled.

When we got to the water around 3:30, there was no sign that this was low season. The beach was packed. But with a little bit of searching, we found a couple of lounge chairs, threw down our stuff and jumped into the water. Since we haven’t gotten down to the beach in the mornings for quite a few weeks for our “morning meetings,” we decided this was more like a “get together for drinks after work” kinda meeting. We bobbed and splashed and floated and talked for over an hour, soaking in the warm sun and perfect waves. There were lots of others with the same idea, and everyone just seemed happy.

We would have stayed until dark except that we had somewhere to be at 6:00. So, we left around 5:30 to go home for a quick shower and then headed over to the new Ah Cacao Chocolate Cafe for their Grand Opening. Free chocolate samples and salsa dancing? We didn’t want to miss that! The invitation said they would start at 6:00 sharp, but in true Mexican fashion, we knew we had time to stop for dinner. Since nothing seemed to be happening at 6:00, we went over to Antica Osteria del Mar for a little pasta. We were sad to see that our friend Bruno was on vacation, but Tony got over his disappointment when he discovered that his replacement was a couple of really cute Italian girls. We were also pleased to find that the menu had been expanded with many new pasta dishes and new sauces. We tried a couple of new things and were happy with our choices. This is our favorite Italian restaurant in Playa.

After dinner, we looked over at Ah Cacao and saw that the festivities had finally begun. A large crowd had gathered in the patio area outside the store. A buffet table was filled with chocolate goodies to sample, including the world famous brownies. We may have sampled them once. Okay twice. Maybe even more, but who’s counting? In addition, Ah Cacao servers moved through the crowd with trays full of ice cream, brownies, chocolate pieces and our favorite drink, the Chocolate Maya.

While people gorged themselves on all the free chocolate, the entertainment began. A troupe of talented and beautiful young dancers went through a number of routines from modern dance in sexy gangster outfits to Vegas showgirl style numbers and various salsa dances. There were more costume changes than a Cher concert. One of the highlights was when a statuesque beauty in towering heels and skintight salsa dress pulled a diminutive aged grandmother from the crowd, and the two of them did a salsa duet to a Cuban number. Grandma held her own, and the crowd went crazy.

After that, we took a stroll by the hotel to say hello to a few people sipping some of Jose’s legendary mojitos at the Luna Blue Bar. Then we came home, and Cheri finished loading the last of our CDs onto the new iPod we picked up in the US. Almost 10,000 songs, including nearly 2000 Christmas songs. It will be a feliz navidad this year, for sure.

This week of course is the Fourth of July. We wish all of our friends back in the US a happy and safe Independence Day. Don’t drink and drive. Sparklers only; no cherry bombs. We will be celebrating at Bad Boys on the Beach, which is having a big barbeque and music all day long with the house band, the Nasty Bastards and a recording session with Playa’s own cowboy blues maestro, Grady.

Also on 4th of July at Bad Boys, the Peanut Pet Shelter, of which we have often blogged, will be holding a raffle to raise money. There are lots of cool prizes, including a three night stay at our own Luna Blue Hotel & Garden and a couple of bar tabs at the Luna Blue Bar.

As of right now, here are the prizes you can win, but more prizes are added all the time:

FatCat trip for two
F1 trip for two
Beer tab at the Beer Bucket for $500 peso
All you can eat rib night at Manne’s Biergarten
3 night stay in a Superior room at the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden (no expiration date)
ATV Jungle tour for two
Microlite flight
Two $250 peso bar tabs at the Luna Blue Bar
1 hour Massage at Reflex
3 month banner advertisement (value $2,500 pesos) on Playa Maya News
2 x 1 hour snorkle dives with Antonio @ Kool
$500 peso meal at Tango Taco
A 3 night stay at Fusion Hotel
2 x $500 peso bar tabs At Fusion
2 x $500 peso meals at La Tortuga’s resturant El Bistro
An original painting by our favorite artist, Barry Launius, Cabanas of Tulum
2 months of English classes at Harmon Hall (any level, i.e., basic, intermediate or advanced), Valued at around US$350
Meal at La Famiglia for $500 pesos
$200 peso gift voucher from Off The Vine
A 1 night stay in a superior room at La Tortuga, valid until 12/23/08
3 prizes of V.I.P. Smart Cards from John & Libby
A Discover dive or Two tank dive (depending on certification) with Paolo at Geofish

For more info, including a current list of prizes and how to buy tickets, check out Peanut Pet Shelter 4th of July Raffle. Or, go directly to Buy Tickets & press the “donate” button. Tickets are $5.00 each. Be sure to enter in the comments field that you’re buying tickets for the raffle, and leave a valid email address. Andy & Jen, the owners of the pet shelter, will email you your ticket numbers. You don’t need to be present to win.

Have a great week!

A Mexican Tradition

Last Saturday night Tony and a few friends went to Cancun to see one of the world’s great matadors in a special bullfighting event. As a number of people, both in person and on the internet have expressed to us an interest in the traditions and practice of bullfighting, we decided to post Tony’s review of the evening.

We know that many people are strongly opposed to bullfighting. We respect those views and ask that you skip this blog entry if you feel it will upset you. It’s not our intention to offend but simply to inform those who are curious about this tradition.

Bullfighting is part of Mexico’s heritage and culture, and in many ways says much about the country. We hope this little essay may add to your understanding of this wonderful place we call home.

Wearing his brilliant suit of lights, Joselito strode into a half filled arena in Cancun last Saturday night accompanied by cheers and the occasional female scream. The thirty-eight year old matador is as well known in his home country of Spain for his rock star looks and attitude as he is for fighting bulls, and a number of young ladies in the audience voiced their approval at his appearance. Slight of build and sporting a Euro-hip spiky hair style above the traditional matador’s “pig tail,” Joselito exuded confidence as he led his entourage of assistants, bandilleros and picadors into the ring.

Cancun is not part of the regular bullfighting circuit in Mexico, and the appearance of a world class matador is a special event. Unfortunately this event had been twice rescheduled due to illness of the matador. The lack of public announcement of the changing dates (no money for additional advertising was likely) may have accounted for the small turnout. Yet, the experienced bullfighter played to the crowd from the start, acting as if he were in the packed Plaza in Madrid instead of Cancun’s small ring. He waved, smiled, and flirted with the crowd as he accepted their applause.

Instead of the traditional corrida of three matadors fighting two bulls each, the evening belonged only to Joselito who would fight four bulls in succession. He quickly acknowledged the judges and moved into the center of the ring with two assistants as the first bull was released. The bull was good sized and aggressive. Unlike many matadors in Mexico Joselito took the major role in the initial running of the bull through the ring. When the bull chased the capes of the assistant matadors, he watched intently. When the bull came towards him he would proceed to a number of dramatic veronicas, passing the bull through the large cape he held with a flourish that had the crowd screaming ‘Ole” with each pass. He would follow this pattern throughout the evening.

After satisfying himself that he was familiar with the bull’s movements, he called for the lance carrying, horse back mounted Picador to enter the ring. The bull charged, striking the heavy padding which surrounds horse and rider. The Picador placed the tip of his lance into the heavy neck muscle of the bull, which showing his strength, refused to back away but instead lifted the horse almost throwing it and the Picador to the ground until distracted by the Matadors assistants. Generally the Picador will invite more charges with resulting strikes from the lance to weaken the bull’s neck muscles and lessen the danger to the Matador. Often a second Picador will be called in to meet the bull. However this evening after the one well placed lance, Joselito waived the Picador out. The crowd loudly showed their appreciation of his bravery. Then the Picador rode out of the ring to great whistling (boos). The Picador is always they object of derision in a bullfight as he fights from horseback covered in padding. He is the cowardly clown as opposed to the heroic matador.

Next came the placing of Bandarillas, or two foot long barbed sticks. The bandarillas must be placed in the “hump” of the bulls neck muscle and must be thrown by reaching over the horns of the charging bull before leaping and twisting out of the way! Many matadors employ specialists in this art known Bandarilleros to place the darts. However some Matadors do it themselves as Joselito did in this fight. His smaller stature was a disadvantage in reaching up and over the horns but he did it beautifully twice, each time barely escaping the oncoming animal.

Now came the final of the three parts of a bullfight (Picadors, bandarillaros, and the matador) called the tercio de muerte. Joselito took the small red cape know as the muleta and the ceremonial sword used to spread and hold the cape and faced the bull. He proceeded through a number of dramatic passes and movements to show his control of the animal. The matador stood his ground, and unlike some bullfighters I have seen, showed his expertise and bravery by refusing to shuffle his feet and change his position to adjust to the bull’s charge.

Joselito made the same commitment to the meeting between man and animal that he asked of the bull. Once placed in motion neither deviated from the path or place they chose. As a result the bull came dangerously close to the man several times and brought the crowd to its feet again and again.

After showing his mastery, Joselito took the curved killing sword and faced his opponent. The killing of the bull is extremely dangerous for the matador. He must charge directly at the bull, delivering the sword thrust between the horns and down into the neck where it will sever the aorta. In order to do this he must lower the muleta as he charges so that the bull, following the cape with its eyes, lowers its head. If this is not timed perfectly, or if the bull instead charges with the head up, the matador is running into the oncoming horns.

Joselito performed the kill perfectly with a single stroke. As the bull swayed in its death throes, Joselito waived his assistants away and stood alone close to the bull honoring it as it collapsed in death. The crowd rose to its feet.

The judges who “grade” the bullfight awarded only one trophy, an ear. They could have awarded both ears or ears and the tail (for a perfect fight) or no trophy at all. The fight deserved an award of two ears at least. However the local judges may have wished to show they were not dazzled by the celebrity of their visitor from Spain and attempted to act nonchalantly in the first fight of the evening. The ear was cut and presented to Joselito who took the traditional promenade around the ring while the bull was taken away by a team of horses.

The next fight proceeded immediately. Again Joselito passed the bull with a series of beautiful veronicas. Again he limited a single Picador to one thrust of the lance, and again he placed the Bandarillas himself. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens the bull was not the equal of the matador. The animal in this fight tired quickly and was not aggressive, Such an animal is the true test of a bullfighter’s skill. Joselito met that challenge by slowly working the bull with the muleta to allow the animal to recover some strength and to build its confidence. He worked closer and closer to the horns to provoke the bull to charge.

Sadly, some of the small crowd in Cancun did not appreciate such work and continually rained whistling boos down upon Joselito. The spectators failed to understand that the quiet moments like the ones provided by this fight can require the greatest skills and be the most dangerous for the matador. They would be shown why before the evening was finished.

After a suitable time with the cape, Joselito again dispatched the bull with the killing sword. No trophies were awarded despite the excellent effort by Joselito with a substandard bull.

The third fight proceeded as the others. The bull was large and full of fight. Strangely its horns did not point forward as those of most fighting bulls but curved upwards. This slight difference in breeding may have saved Joselito’s life.

In this fight the Picador badly placed the lance, driving it too deeply into the bull causing severe bleeding. By the time Joselito began to work the bull with the cape it became obvious the bull was badly injured. The bull moved slowly and did not charge or respond to the cape. Since the bull sees movement (not the color red as is popularly believed), Joselito stepped closer and closer to the bull to allow it to focus on the moving cape. Suddenly without warning, the injured bull charged not the cape, but the matador.

The bull lifted Joselito upon its horns and tossed him into the air, catching him and tossing him again. The slight man fell to the ground at the bull’s feet and the animal attempted to drive the horns into the figure beneath him. However the strange upward curve of the horns kept the points from hitting home. The bull then stomped the earth about Joselito trying to strike him with its hooves.

As Joselito rolled into a ball and tried to cover his head, the assistant matadors surrounded the bull and tried to get it to move away. One even bravely, perhaps stupidly grabbed the bull’s tail and pulled as if he could physically drag the 1500 pounds or more of the wild animal away from prone bullfighter. As the bull circled above him Joselito managed to roll from beneath the bull and escape.

Joselito was obviously hurt. He attempted to pick up his sword but dropped it. When he finally was able to hold it he walked to the center of the ring with a limp on his right side. He was covered in dirt and the blood of the bull from head to toe. He refused medical attention but instead proceeded to finish the fight. He attempted to kill the bull but was unable to place the sword in two tries. Each time the weight of the charging bull pulled the sword from his hand and sent it into the air. It was obvious he was having difficulty with his right hand. The crowd began to boo loudly despite the injury.

On the third attempt he was able to drive the sword into the bull’s neck but not fatally killing it. The animal collapsed but did not die. Usually in this situation a special member of the Bullring comes forward with a sharp instrument which is then used to severe the spinal chord, quickly ending the bull’s life. However Joselito himself took the new blade, and killed the animal himself. It was an act of humility before the crowd and the bull that had nearly killed him.

The final fight of the evening was a repeat of the first one. The magnificent bull was full of energy, possibly more energy than Joselito at this point. The matador was obviously injured by the previous bull. He limped and was favoring his right arm. He did not place the Bandarillos himself, and rested on a chair until it was time for him to face the last bull. However despite his exhaustion and injury he held nothing back. He and the bull danced through an incredible series of passes and movements. At one point he literally had the bull circling him so closely that their bodies were touching as the bull passed continuously around him. It was a virtuoso performance. When it came time, he killed the bull quickly and skillfully. He was awarded two ears by the judges.

By the time Joselito was carried on the shoulders of his friends around the ring for his final promenade the crowd had sadly thinned out. Those aficionados and fans who remained cheered wildly. Men tossed hats and women threw bouquets of roses. I heard an elderly white haired gentleman sitting behind me sum up Joselito’s evening quite well. “Muy Elegante,” he said softly as the matador passed beneath us and out of the ring.” Muy Elegante.”

Blueprints for Adventure

Adventure can be lived or it can be read about. In the best of times, you can do both. We have always loved reading about people who made their own path through the world. It was stories by and about such people that inspired us to set out on our own adventure and move to Caribbean Mexico.

Now we want to share some of our favorite books about travel and life in foreign lands with the readers of this blog. Whether fiction, autobiography or a mixture of both, these books are about people with a love of travel and a willingness to be immersed in the culture of whatever far flung country they might land in.

The stories share a common theme: the awareness that travel isn’t just about seeing someplace new…it is about experiencing a different way of life. We hope others will enjoy them as much as we have. Click on any picture below to go to Amazon.com to read more about the book.

	Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan by John L. Stephens (1843, but available in modern reprints). If there ever was a true life Indiana Jones, Stephens would fit the bill. A lawyer, explorer and amateur archeologist, he visited the Yucatan peninsula in the early 1800s supposedly as a travel writer but also possibly as a spy for the newly formed Republic of Texas. Stephens and his crew hacked their way through the jungle with machetes and pack mules to be among the first non-Mexicans to see the Mayan ruins. The older style of writing holds up well as Stephens’ sense of humor and humanity shine through. It is a perfect example of the lure of adventure in far away places.
	Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett (1989). Buffett, the Caribbean troubadour and barefoot CEO of an entertainment and restaurant empire, has written a number of best selling books. This one is his first and our favorite. It is a volume of semi-related short stories where the main characters all have a yearning to run away to the tropics, whether it be Key West, the Caribbean islands, New Orleans, Mexico or Mississippi. Reading these stories will make you want to quit your job and head south.
	Don’t Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk (1965). When we first told our friends about moving to Mexico to run a small hotel many responded by asking “Have you read “Don’t Stop the Carnival?” We had, and we still wanted to go. Wouk is famous for his novels The Caine Mutiny and Winds of War. However in the mid-1950s he decided to leave it all behind and run a small hotel in the Caribbean. His adventures, or rather his misadventures, formed the basis for this novel. Funny, sad and puzzling, it shows the difficulties for an American to adapt to life in the third world where the pain of living is countered with a never ending party.
	On Mexican Time by Tony Cohan (2000). Tony Cohan and his wife abandoned life in the fast lane of Los Angeles to set up housekeeping in the expat artist retreat of San Miguel de Allende, México. He relates with great humor that difficult task that each gringo experiences in adjusting to a country that seems to stand still a great part of the time. He appreciates the beauty of a culture that puts family and friendship above earning money but suffers the aggravation of a society that puts no emphasis on efficiency or responsibility. The duality of Mexico is wonderfully portrayed in this book.
	The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (2004). When his wife is given a job working on a tiny island in the South Pacific, Troost thinks he is moving to paradise. However, once there he is woefully out of his element: scornful of a way of life which dresses men in sarongs, considers an old recording of the Macarena as the best music ever and dissolves in panic when the weekly beer boat delivery is late. He is also bothered by the fact that the beautiful tropical beach near his house doubles as the public latrine. However, eventually he comes to understand the locals, then to love them and finally to join them by “going native.” This memoir is an entertaining and absorbing meeting of cultures story.
	In Search of Captain Zero by Alan Weisbacker (2002). Weisbacker has lived enough lives for several people: surf bum, big time drug smuggler, television and movie scriptwriter, creator of “Miami Vice” and best selling author. At the age of fifty he decided to go looking for his long lost surf buddy and smuggling partner, Captain Zero. In a camper with only his dog for company, Weisbacker starts south through Mexico and beyond heading for the tropical jungle where Captain Zero was last seen. Along the way he ponders the zen of surfing, the differences between tourists and travelers, life in the Third World and ultimately issues of age, friendship and the meaning of life.
	A Pirate Looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffett (1999). This nonfiction work is a combination autobiography and a journal of Jimmy’s trip around the edges of the Caribbean in a seaplane to celebrate his fiftieth birthday. Navigating through Central and South America, Jimmy heads from Florida to the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Colombia and the Amazon River. He talks about a life which led him not only to become a successful author and performer, but also took him on an endless adventure through the tropics. Jimmy’s love for life and the places it can take you is infectious and fun.
	Dirty Blonde and Half Cuban by Lisa Wixon (2005). A novel about an upper class American girl who discovers in her early twenties that her real father is a Cuban man her mother loved long ago. Determined to meet him, she travels to Cuba where she becomes entranced by the heritage she never knew she had. As she searches Havana for her father, knowing only his first name, she ends up embracing the street life of young Cubans and, like many of her new friends, becomes a prostitute for rich Europeans visiting the island. The paradox of a country proud of its revolutionary leader and despising of its own corrupt and inefficient government is an eye opener for the main character and the reader alike.
	The Fire Never Dies: One Man’s Raucous Romp Down the Road of Food, Passion and Adventure by Richard Sterling (2001). Travel can be about many things: cooking, eating, sex, adventure, love, sailing, flying, and discovery not only of new places but of ourselves. These stories by travel writer and food connoisseur Sterling touch on all of these things and more as he journeys from the tiny pueblo of Mulege in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula (one of our favorite “secret” places), to southeast Asia, Africa, India and Europe. The author dines on exotic meals and romances even more exotic women. The stories sometimes border on the fantastic, and are presented in a Hemingway-esque style of machismo, but always with tongue in cheek and an obvious enthusiasm for the next strange place or person the world might put in his path.
	Please Write for Details by John D. MacDonald (1959). The late John MacDonald was known as the creator of the Travis McGee mystery series and one of the giants of the mystery genre. However in the late 1950’s he wrote this little novel (long out of print and available only in used editions) about a summer art school in Mexico. The plot takes a back seat to the character studies of the local Mexicans, the expats who run the school and the visiting American students who react to Mexico in many different ways. The interplay of personalities and cultures make for great reading and the portrayal of the different types of people drawn to visit or live in Mexico is right on target. We even saw a lot of similarities between MacDonald’s characters and people we have met south of the border…but we’re not naming names.

That’s our list. Please let us know if you enjoy any of the books we have recommended, and feel free to send us your own suggestions for good travel reading.