UMARELa Huatulco 2016. More fun and excitement than ever

Heading back home to change clothes for the big event, I came across the finished house that Damian had been working on the day before.

I didn't get 2 minutes outside of campus before coming across some busy elves working on a float at the meeting point.

Just look who I spotted on his way to the parade.

 That's Oscar inside.  He swore the costume wasn't too heavy.  I hope he still felt that way at the end of the journey.

 Elves started popping out everywhere.  It was just the day before that people told they were all too tired to even think of UMARELA.  Bang.  That all disappeared in a flash.  Suddenly people were running out of campus  to make it to the stating point on time.

 Here we are at the starting point.  Everyone is ready to go.

 I'm the blonde one at this photo op.

 That's our dragon below.

 OK.  Here we go.  Pictures were harder than ever to get as people kept rushing by in a blur.

 My buddy, Captain America, really wasn't sure if he was tallking to the real Thor or not.  More than a few of the young ones thought they were meeting the real thing that night.  Remember, at that age they still believe in Santa Claus.

Somebody shouted, "This is the best UMARELA ever!"  I wouldn't have thought that was possible but it really keeps getting better.  The bar continues to rise.  I've covered every UMARELA since I arrived except for that one year I was sick.  2015    2014   2012

I met another true believer super hero fan below.  Another asked me, with his mother translating, which super hero was my best friend.  I felt bigger than Santa Claus.

I ran into two graduates in the dark while watching the performances on stage.  Who can forget Patricia and Eliabi?

Clearly, Patricia is mightier than she looks.  Thanks for the break, Patricia.  My arm was getting a little tired.

The women of UMAR aren't just smart.  Some of them are at least as strong as Thor.   

That's it for another year.  Lest old acquaintances be forgotten, here are the links to UMARELAs past.





2015
 2014
  2012
2011
2010
2009

UMARELA 2016 is now just a few hours away.

UMARELA 2016 is now just a few hours away.  Here we are at the annual goumet staff Christmas lunch.  It's the absolute best.  We all walk away stuffed with just a few hours to get comfortable again and ready for the parade.  Nobody will have to eat again today.  For me, it's going to be UMARELA and then straight to bed.

I just made a quick run through the dining area, snapping cellphone pictures of as many people as I could.   I think just about everyone is in here even if it is just the back of their heads.  Of course, a lot of people were trying to eat and a mouth in mid-chew isn't always the best photo op.  For that reason, several  pics have been deleted.  If you were at the soiree and don't see your picture here, you're welcome.

UMAR Huatulco is ready for Christmas

UMARELA 2016 is tomorrow and UMAR Huatulco is looking good.  We love Christmas here and everybody has managed to make the campus look great.

You can't do much better than an origami Christmas tree. 

I spotted this nifty homemade tree by the photo copy office.  A little creativity using the materials at hand and voila.

Thanks to Carmen and her assistant (not pictured here) the Tourism building looks spectacular.  Here's Carmen herself and Oscar standing by the centerpiece of the decorations. If you're walking by, stop in for a look.

Finally, I caught one of Santa's elves putting the finishing touches on a little creation for the big UMARELA parade tomorrow.

We have pinatas! Umarela is on the way!

Just two more days!  UMARELA is on it's way!  It's official when the pinatas turn up at Centro de Idiomas.
I'm so excited I really don't really feel like grading exams right now.   Actually I never do but I have to get on this final chore because time is running out for being a responsible adult and christmas fun becomes the law!

It seems a shame but Rudolph below will be pummeled and smashed to bits when the annual UMAR Huatulco christmas parade winds downtown Thursday night.

The gingerbread man is quite solid.  The children are going to have to work hard to break into his candy, not to mention run really fast.

There have been the usual signs around town to remind people of the season but commercial enterprises are always extra early and I rarely take them seriously.  The Christmas tree in the center square went up last weekend.  That's a stronger indicator that the big day is imminent.  And here at UMAR, we have mimes.

There is no definite connection to Christmas and mimes that I know of but I've seen mimes singing silent christmas carols in previous years.

I asked if they would be performing for us later but they refused to talk to me.  They just started waving their arms and doing silly walks.  That's mime for you.

Looking good and eating well in Huatulco

 

I've been living in Huatulco for just a little shy of 8 years now and have only just found the absolute best place to get a hair cut.  If you're on the road or have just arrived in a new town, you know your first few haircuts are going to be hit and miss.  Even checking out the more expensive places is no guarantee that the person responsible for your next first impression is competent or even cares about their job.   The only way you'll ever know is to stick your head under the blades and hope for the best.

  

It took me over a year in the town of Crucecita to find a dependable woman that I could count on to not give me a five minute hack job or charge the special price for foreigners so I stuck with her for years but have recently moved on to Aries Hair and Nails, located downtown in a semi residential street about 3 blocks south of the town center park. 

The place is owned and operated by Mikel and Tammy Aries, a Canadian couple who discovered Huatulco while on vacation and made the decision to come and stay.  I met them both at a party one night and liked their attitude so I put them high on my bucket list and have since become a believer.    Mikel calls himself a hair designer and that is a fair description.  He showed me pictures of wild hair styles guaranteed to leave an impression but nothing I would want for myself.  I was just impressed that, if a person wanted one of these striking designs, Mikel could make it happen.  It felt wisest to leave the decision making to him and he gave me a style that was completely different from what I'm used to but, at the same time, not dangerously radical.  Compliments over it kept pouring in well after the time had come for a refresher.

 

Mikel and Tammy knew they would have to adjust their fees to the local economy before coming here.  That means clients can enjoy a top of the line hair cut at 25% or less of what they would pay back home in Canada for something of similar caliber.   Regular vacationers who have  been coming here long enough to know the best spots for everything make it a point to stop in at least once.  Depending on the length of their stay, often twice.  Word of mouth in a small town has kept Mikel and Tammy thriving.  They know the quality of their work is all the advertising they will ever need.  But that isn't going to stop me from giving them an unsolicited well-earned plug on the blog.

 

 

If you're planning on coming our way this holiday season and you're feeling somewhat shaggy and unkempt, hold off doing anything about it until you arrive.  This is not a drop in type of place.  Appointments are necessary but, in this modern age, Canada to Mexico isn't even a long distance call anymore.  So, give them a ring at 958 587 2322 (you'll probably need the Mexican code) or make an arrangement by email arieshairandnails@outlook.com.  Grab a cab or walk to 417 Colorin.  





 

 

Right beside Aries Hair and Nails, in the same building, is a new-to-me comida corrida by the name of Kahlo that is a big step above the average.  Comida corridas are little restaurants with set prices for a full meal with starter, regional beverage, main course and dessert, usually in the area of 50 pesos although the places in the centre have recently increased their prices but not by much.  They're all different.  I prefer some for the style of food, others for the portions.  This is the first I've been to that gets both quality of food and portion right.  For 50 pesos, on my first visit, I had a rather gourmet meal of a savoury vegetable soup, followed by chicken breast smothered in a white wine mushroom sauce with rice.  I have since returned a couple of times.

 

 

There is only one exterior table for early birds.  The rest of Kahlo is found to the left behind the stairs.

Wood Carving Sculptures in Downtown Crucecita, Huatulco





I came across some groovy people sized  wood carving sculptures on display in the park in downtown Crucecita recently.   The theme is the migration of people living in desperate circumstances who make the journey north in search of a better life.  That's all I can say.  I snapped a shot of a poster explaining the exhibit for the benefit of any Spanish speakers reading this.  Look for it at the end of the post.  My own Spanish isn't worth much but I got the general idea from the sculptures themselves.