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"Life in Mexico"
Soccer or fútbol as it is known in Mexico, may be bigger than God. On any given Sunday, in any town in Mexico you will find men huddled around TV sets big and small cheering on their favourite team. This frequently makes Sunday a good day to cross the border into the country as we have found on more than one occasion the guards would rather watch the game than deal with our vehicle.
Growing up Mexicans usually become fans of their local team and are then committed to them for life, no matter where they move to. Rivalries between teams are fierce, but there is a new level of pride when it comes to the Mexico national football team. The country unites and cheers for El Tri (called this for it’s three coloured logo). During the 2014 FIFA World Cup you will find that the country stops during the games. Don’t even think about trying to get anything done when a game is on, especially when it is one of Mexico’s top rivals. So if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
The guy to cheer for: Giovani dos Santos
Despite 4 coaching changes in the last four years El Tri is now under the strict supervision of coach Miguel Herrer. He has given the guys orders that they cannot have sex for 40 days and they are not allowed to eat beef for fear of any stray hormones that may come up in drug testing (this has happened in the past). The new regime must be working as Mexico beat Cameroon last Friday 1-0 even with two controversial disallowed goals by Giovani dos Santos in the pouring rain. Next up the home team.
Here is the 2014 FIFA World Cup schedule so far for the Mexico games.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 2:00 PM (EST) • Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza • Group A
vs 
Brazil Mexico
Monday, June 23, 3:00 PM (EST) • Arena Pernambuco, Recife • Group A
vs Croatia Mexico
Watch for Rafa Marquez, the team captain of Mexico, Tuesday as he and his team take on Brazil. Let’s cheer on Mexico!
Vamos México!
Rob Birce took these pictures on one of our stoles down the beach in Puerto Morelos. These are just a few of the birds we see in our area. Being a kid from the Alberta, it is still amazing to me that I live in a place where pelicans regularly fly by. Enjoy!
This was a rare siting of what I believe to be a swallow tailed kite at the beach. He looks like he had a rough night.
Two loons taking it easy.
This guy let Rob get nice and close to take his picture.
But only after he dried himself off in the sun.
A couple of seagulls checking out the beach.
Two Frigatebird souring high. Have a great weekend!
Looks what’s in our backyard today! But you better check it out fast, this is a Hibiscus, the red ones are a favourite snack of the iguanas that hang out in our yard.
Looks like it is time to harvest our coconuts!
And this is a cutting I took from near Palenque, Chiapas. It is in the Bird of Paradise family, but I do not know the name of it. If you do, send me a comment.
Hope you can get outside and enjoy the weekend!
Don’t miss our latest newsletter!
Alma Libre Bookstore is closing for the season. It is that time of year again. Today is our last day open, so stop in and say “so long”.
We will be packing up our truck and travel trailer soon and heading north to Calgary for the summer to go back to our day jobs in TV. Keep an eye out here as we will try to post updates from the road as we drive north through some amazing areas of Mexico.
We will miss our friends and our lives here in Puerto Morelos, but we will be back before you know it. Thank you for your support through out our season. Watch for Alma Libre Bookstore to open again in mid-November when we return with tons of new stock.
Hasta Pronto!
There are now more than 55 artists living in our little village. Most are tucked away in places you would never think of looking, like the Zona Urbana. But now Nadja Billard has made it possible for you to take a private tour of these artists’ studios and homes.
We recently went on the tour and were shocked by the amazing talent of artists living in our town. We have painters, sculptors, wood workers and more. Nadja has organized a tour that lasts 2-3 hours and takes you to 4-5 locations.
In most cases the trip is worth it alone just to see the homes that these talented people have built. We were astounded at the quality of workmanship that is going on right under our noses.
Daryl Eady in her studio
We really enjoyed talking to the artists about their work and their process, plus spending time in the Zona Urbana is a bonus. Even though the Zona is so close to Puerto Morelos, the bird, animal and plant life is completely different than in town. You are bound to spot something special.
Maricela Salas Rico in her studio with Nadja Billard
Next time you are in town, be sure to contact Nadja at nadjabvd@gmail.com to book a tour. The cost is $35usd for up to 3 people or the driver can save 50% if you use your own vehicle. Many artists have their works available to purchase, some even have prints starting at very reasonable prices. Don’t miss the Art Tour of Puerto Morelos, it is truly a special experience.
Note: No tours from the end of April to the end of July
We had Easter dinner last night at our dear friends Sandra and Dan’s home. They live in an area of Puerto Morelos called the “Zona Urbana”, also referred to as “the Jungle” where people live on large 50 x 50 meter lots cut out of thick Yucatan jungle. This little guy hopped by to join us for dinner.
It’s Semana Santa here in Mexico and the thing to do is go to the beach! So we are off to the beach. We hope you and your family have a great Easter. ENJOY!
We are lucky enough to be able to look out our front door every Good Friday and see the stations of the cross as they pass by. It’s the start of Semana Santa in Mexico.
Paper Mache Bride
We were recently in San Miguel de Allende at La Parroquia where there was a wedding taking place. This wedding was done with a ton of Mexican flare. As if a Mexican wedding isn’t spectacular enough, this bride and groom added larger than life paper mache figures and a large mariachi band to the festivities.
Mariachi in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
I never get used to the crazy things that get delivered to your door in Mexico. Here are a couple of guys that are door to door chair salesmen. And they are transporting their wares on a bike. It was nice of them to stop by the bookstore.
