A WEEK OF GOODBYES
This has been a week of goodbyes as more Snowbirds head north prior to an early Easter this year. Not that they want to be home for this holiday, but they have to leave their rental unit for the inland Mexicans who flock to the beaches for the biggest holiday of the Mexican year – bigger than Christmas – and who own or rent the casa, condos or villas they have been living in over the winter!
Many lunches, dinners, and/or happy hour get togethers get crammed into the last two weeks as everyone is anxious to have one last time with the many friends made in Manzanillo. My credit card is reflecting this accelerated activity, but it is expected and worth it for the fun and camaraderie I enjoy!
One of the season’s numerous highlights was Maureen’s birthday/St. Patrick’s Day celebrations she held at her well-named beach house, Casa Grande. A hamburger truck in her driveway, help-yourself drinks in tubs of ice, live entertainment by the brother/sister duo, “Paradise”, for dancing and listening pleasure, the sounds and sights of the surf hitting the beach, and mingling with many friends, rounded out the wonderful evening.
You don’t have to be a millionaire in Club Santiago to live like one. It’s a community of life-loving, friendly people who quickly become your friends. (I just wish they wore name tags, writ large enough that I don’t need glasses to read them lol)
Birthday girl, Maureen.
There is a small group of us “six monthers” who have another 3 – 4 weeks before we must leave the country. Unless you have a permanent residency status, 180 days is the maximum stay allowed by the Mexican government.
Although my social activities will be much quieter now, Club Santiago will come alive again this coming week as it fills with beautiful Mexican families and the noise of happy children squealing and splashing in our pools with Spanish voices replacing the vacated English ones.
It’s fascinating to watch the transition and to enjoy the celebration of this wondrous time of year.
Goyo remodeled an old palapa roofed, open air restaurant called Kiwi that had been vacant and dilapidated for years. It is adjacent to Eureka’s second pool meant and he resurrected it not as a restaurant but for use by his renters for happy hours, pot luck dinners and parties. (A palapa is a traditional Mexican roof built of palm leaves.)
It is a lovely addition to Eureka Villas, complete with small kitchen, bar, washrooms, tables and chairs that are easily rearranged for dancing when required.
Aquafit is held in that adjacent pool and the last class of the season on Friday was followed by a mimosa bar and hors d’oevres in Kiwi so we could all mingle and say our goodbyes to each other. What a classy ending to this year’s avid group of exercisers.
Last night I had a farewell dinner with my long-time friend, Glenys, who leaves today. She is the one who had such a bad fall four weeks ago and had a plastic surgeon waiting at Echauri Hospital to mend her face. She has healed amazingly quickly and looks great. No one would be able to guess she is the same person who looked like she had been a war victim one month ago.
With social activities much curtailed now that most friends have left, I’m anticipating filling some of my extra time in the next three weeks by painting, which has taken a back seat this winter.
This winter has been the most fun-filled, exciting one I can remember! Since becoming a nomad almost one year ago, I’ve been living a wondrous life and I’m not finished yet!
