Que Paso? January 15 2008

Happy New Year to everyone! There was a great beach party here on NYE that went through to the early hours in front of Tuna but I missed it as I was dancing to great music in Austin, Texas! When you live all year round here it is great to escape somewhere for good music and food. I laughed a lot with my wonderful friends in Texas and enjoyed the crisp winter days. Now it is back to flip flops and back to work for everybody including me - plans for the new houses I am building are taking shape and will publish them soon for purchase off the plan.
Puerto Morelos is packed with people and we have new openings: La Terraza, Al Chimichurri, Pescador, Bar Ixchel and coming soon a new restaurant on the beach. Al Chumichurro is a new place for Eduardo of Gauchos, they will be opening on Saturday, firing up the brick oven and will serve empanadas, pizzas, pasta, grills, beer, wine, coffee. They are opposite Posada Amor and next month will have tables in the garden behind ph 2089120. La Terraza, next to El Pirata, were closed for low season and have reopened with a little cafeteria downstairs opening later this week serving cakes and coffee. Upstairs, Argelia explains, they specialise in 100% natural foods with bread, cakes, pasta made on the premises and 100% pure juices. They have improved the stairs from last year, they are now spiral mmmm. Above the fishing co-op is La Casa del Pescador serving soups, salads, chicken, ceviches and fish fillets (100-130p) and I can't wait to taste their Mexican Snarks! Big hit this week was the opening of Bar Ixchel, Tom Lockerbie's beach shack, perched in the sand between Star Wars (OK, Ocean Homes) and Tuna. Featuring Ms Sara and Uve the service was great, beer cold, margaritas strong and Sunday Ray cooked his famous Jamaican ribs and chicken and sold out so next week they'll do it again after 2 pm on the beach. Home Depot has reopened in their new location next to Soriana, much bigger and more stock, signs in spanish and english, large gardening department and lighting fixtures enlarged too. And I know you are not going to believe this but as I was scrapping around in the shower heads section an attendant came up and asked is she could help me and stayed with me until I found everything! 3rd Puerto Morelos Music Festival started last Thursday to a great and happy crowd, Gnomos, Jan and Steve and the wonderful Men in Blues opened the Festival. There was even a sighting of a man in a suit! The festival is an incentive of the Casa del Cultura and has another 3 nights to go, please see diary below and we'll see you in the square at 8.30pm Thursday 24th to enjoy the local professional and amateur musicians on stage. The El Rey Polo Tournament starts this weekend you are welcome to come and watch the sport of kings. Opening speeches, Mayan Purification at around 12 on Saturday and the first game at 2pm, see below for dates of the games. There is food and drink available or you can bring a picnic, be prepared for divet stomping. Indian Mayan Posada?- well I stopped by and chatted to the builder of this fascinating structure and he says it will be a small inn when finished but may take another year to do so, made out of stone and hand carved timbers from India should be a wonderful addition to our town. Look no towers - they have finally done it, the huge powerlines running through the centre of the colonia are finally underground, anyone hear elections in the air? Kinder Cinco de Mayo in the colonia, I admit I had a huge lump in my throat when I saw the children eating in their new lunchroom yesterday, we are not quite finished yet but they are able to use it, thankyou thankyou thankyou to everyone who helped make this possible, the teachers, parents and children thank you too. We continue to have wonderful visitors who bring gifts for the schools and here you see the new principal Silvia Cardenas opening a wonderful package of goodies donated by visitors. The teachers at the the primary schools were thrilled to get their basketballs, soccer balls and basketball nets will go up this week. The kinder is asking for things for their new lunchroom plastic table cloths, chairs, tables, kitchen utensils, decorations for the walls, curtains and the primary school is looking for white board markers and cleaning and garbage things for the school. If you want more details let me know. Frank's Meet and Greet - Frank (vivapuertomorelos.com) has started a meet and greet for every Friday night at 5pm at Posada Amor with Anna: locals who have helped tourists organise their holidays will be there along with business owners, so if you are coming into town or know someone who'd like to meet us - come on down, the beer is cold, we will have charity shirts for sale and be able to help with your holiday plans too. UPDATE JANUARY 18TH due to some strange happenings at Posada Amor last night the venue for the meet and Greet has changed to Cantina Habaneros! Anna and Frank will be there tonight
Diario - feel free to email me if you want to add something to the Diary
Friday 18th 5pm Posada Amor meet and Greet
Saturday 19th 12pm Opening of El Rey Polo Tournament, Ruta de Cenotes, Centro Vallarta
Sunday 20th Jungle Market Calle 2, Zona Urbana
Sunday 20th 12pm Hat Brunch at El Rey Polo Club, chukkers start at 2pm
Tuesday 22nd Polo at 11.00am
Friday 25th Polo Semifinals start at 1pm
Friday 25th meet and greet Posada Amor 5pm
Saturday 26th Polo finals start at 1pm
Sunday 27th Jungle Market
Thursday 24th 8.30pm Puerto Morelos Music Festival