Friday, July 31, 2015

El Sazon: Abimael's new restaurant in Santa Cruz, Huatulco

 
 
 

People who live in the Huatulco area will recognize the young man above.  It's a small town after all. That's Abimael, a former student from UMAR Huatulco, who has opened his first restaurant in Santa Cruz, El Sazon.  Restaurants in Santa Cruz tend to be a bit higher priced than downtown.  Customers are basically paying for that picturesque table right on the beach but for a lot of people, especially those with children, those beach restaurants are not an option, at least not every day.   El Sazon is a comida corrida restaurant, offering quality meals at reasonable prices.

For those whose Spanish is even worse than mine, I think (never trust my Spanish) "comida corrida" translates as fast food but not the McDonald's kind.  It's more like an all-inclusive set menu lunch, the sort that fine dining restaurants offer during promotional festivals but cheaper.

Here we are descending on Santa Cruz from downtown.



That's Hotel Castillo on the right, almost directly opposite La Seva.

 
Here's the new Holiday Inn on the left.  El Sazon is just up ahead.
 

There you are.  You've found it.  As a bonus, this alley offers shade all day long which is perfect for people in need of a break from the sun.


Abimael opens bright and early so if you're in a hurry to hit the sand and want to eat a full breakfast later, bring your travel mug and he'll send you off with some fresh organic coffee direct from Pluma Hidalgo.  

Friday, July 17, 2015

Graduation UMAR Huatulco 2015: Superstars

Part One
Tourism administration.

I'd heard about the graduation ceremony on Friday and I wanted to be there to say goodbye to these people, many of whom I may never see again.  I showed up at 9AM because I didn't have my facts straight.  There wasn't a soul around.  The 9:00 ceremony was for Puerto Angel.  Oh well.  It got me out the door in the morning. I forgot to bring a tie on the first trip.

Here we are.  4 PM.  People.  Yay.


 With my little camera, I knew better than to try to capture people on stage. 


The best shots were to be had outdoors.  The men were looking sharp and the ladies were completely stunning.   I kept the camera clicking steadily but still didn't manage to get everybody.  People cleared out so quickly.  Some of the people I remember on stage were never seen again.  I'm sure they're alright.  There were dinner reservations and parties to prepare for.

There he is.  The first person I ran into outside the door.  Edwin.  Way to go, buddy.



Edelma and Guillermo.


Eduardo
 


Yvette



 
Brianda


 
Dulce


 
Jessica


Here's a power trio of positive energy and high achievement.
Brianda, Jessica, and Sarah.  Wait. Isn't somebody missing?


There she is, the missing member of the girl gang, looking like a total movie star, Aracely.

 
One of those blurry shots that is still too good to discard.  Eliomar (not confident about the spelling) and Anahi in the background.






 



Hilario and two proud supporters.


Sometimes I intrude on other people's moments like a walking photo bomb.




I clipped Allelly out of the group shot because her eyes were half closed.  Fortunately Isis had the presence of mind to remind me to take two shots.  Between the two, I got all three ladies. 


Top:  Allelly             Bottom:  Brenda and Isis 


Yay.  Margerite.  Some of her friends dropped out of school along the way but she kept on going and here she is. 
 
 
Gerardo


Another intrusion


Cecilia finished the English program two years ago.




Ana Luz.  There was another shot with the teacher but he looked so goofy, I had to delete it.





This rock star lost time due to a serious motorcycle accident but he got back on his feet and still graduated on time.  Unstoppable!


I met Adolpho way back in his first year


Yadira (spelling?)

 
Very sharp looking couple.   Feliciano and Anajely



Yay.  Yasmine or is it Jasmine? 




Monica


 
Ilce doesn't get her diploma for another two years but it's a forgone conclusion for this high achiever who has already passed all levels (with high grades) in the English program.





 
These are all such great people.  I hope they'll always consider themselves part of the UMAR community.  They won't be forgotten.  
 
I regret I didn't move fast enough through the crowd to capture everybody.