Graduation 2016 UMAR Huatulco

 Time once again to say farewell and congratulations to some of the coolest and most dynamic people to have enrolled at our university.  Remember their faces because anything can happen now that we've set them loose on the world. 

I am definitely going to invest in a new camera.  At one point, the old Samsung read "Card error" and at least 6 pictures disappeared forever.  That just doesn't cut it at times like these.

 

These are all the pictures I managed to save. Obviously I didn't get everyone. If anyone out there has pictures of people who aren't in this post but should be or higher quality images they'd like to share, please leave a comment and pass them along or leave a link.  Congratulations, everyone!  You will be remembered. 

Corredor Turístico Santa Cruz-La Crucecita or Camino de Santa Cruz

This beautiful new pedestrian road leading from downtown Crucecita directly to Santa Cruz has been open to the public for several months now.  It begins here, behind the football field.   

The work has been underway for this project since before I arrived here, almost 8 years ago.  The long term plan is to have the whole corridor lined with little restaurants and tourist shops.   Plumbing and electricity seems to be ready and waiting.  For now we have this scenic shortcut to the beach with police security until closing time at 10 or 11 at night. 

It's rather impressive.  This is the Crucecita end, already with a shiny new bus stop.
Bike riding isn't allowed so hop off and walk.

There were some gripes floating around about cutting this wedge out of the mountain but the wedge was already there.  Way back on my first Mexican vacation in 2001, this cut through the mountain was the original short cut road from Santa Cruz to Crucecita.   I stayed at Costa Club which has been expanded and renovated since then and goes by the name of Hotel Castillo these days.  I remember  walking on the old road past a concrete wall with school children's art.  Some nasty tourist had spray painted his name over some of the pictures, bragging he was from  Calgary.  That's a long way to go to vandalize school children's art.  I think it's safe to say they wouldn't get away with it today.  Those police would be on them so fast.  The corridor represents a huge investment of time and labor.  

 

Ok.  Here we go on a virtual tour.

 

 The night lights are pure magic after dark. 
I'll have to see if I can get some quality night shots.

These are the lots for future shops and restaurants.

Taking a look back at the town from near the top of the hill.

Here's our first glimpse of the ocean.

I love the slides.

There are several little rest spots, complete with stools and a table.

It's a short cut but I can't tell you how fast it is.  I kept stopping to take pictures and admire the view. 

Here I am at the Santa Cruz end.

The Mighty Thor, God of Thunder: classic style costume

Having made mjolnir and some helmets courtesy of dali - lomo's instructions, it seemed almost mandatory to go ahead and make a complete costume.  I did even though  I can't sew.  Even if I knew how, it would take me forever to get the thread through a needle.  I managed all the same, with the help of a talented seamstress for the cape.

I think I look rather noble in this pic.  I feel powerful. 

The design is copied from the classic 1960s comic. The princess wig is pretty shaggy but the helmet keeps it out of my eyes.  The medallions are lids from olive jars, attached with safety pins, scrap plastic and contact cement.  The shirt used to advocate wearing a motorcycle helmet.  I turned it inside out, cut off the sleeves, painted six circles cut from a cereal box and stuck them on with spray circle.  That means I'll probably have to replace them after the first wash but, in the meantime, I'll try not to sweat too heavily.

When I wear the entire ensemble, I'll be wearing jeans, not tights.  It doesn't look like Thor himself wore tights on his legs.  It looks more like body paint really.  I've figured out I could probably make fake boots with a cardboard shin splint and some yellow emergency police tape but I may not bother.  The same for the belt he wears high across his shirt.  Do I really need one?
       

 

Yeah, maybe the belt wouldn't be a bad idea.  Thor's belly never popped out when he summoned lightning.

 

Hey, look.  It's Thor and Jane Foster!  With all this beauty and intelligence, no wonder he abandoned Asgard to live here on Midgard.

 

 

No, that's really Adriana, the highly skilled seamstress who cut this magnificent cape for me in less than 5 minutes.  Thank you so much, Adriana.  Regular readers of this blog may remember her and the cool snowgirl costumes she made for our Umarela Christmas parade last December, 2015. That's not the real Thor either.  Just me.

Recent Thor related videos.  Audio comics,