Music Festival, night 3

Tonight it was all about our local musicians and artists, and these 2 Mayan dancers performed traditional dances while the stage and bands set up.


He explained the significance of each dance and there was quite the crowd by the time they were finished.













This woman (his wife?) was the second dancer....very agile and wonderful. The costumes were beautiful too.











Our view of the main stage from the bookstore window, and the square humming with locals and tourists enjoying all the great music.











The wonderful assortment of vendors with handmade crafts, jewellry, clothing and art were on hand, and after we finished at the store we met up with Pearl, Elna, Lety, Stan, Oscar, Roy and Irma for drinks and a bite to eat at Lau's, sandwiched in between the bands in the square and the Men in Blues in the back courtyard of Lau's.

Blues singer Cyntia joins the Men...

Pearl and Elna are just dancing fools - every time we go where there is music, there they are........










This night it was Men in Blues at Lau's again, and by the end of this evening, we were ALL up dancing....!!!!











and this is why.....Cynthia Morningstar Davis (the gal who was part of our gospel choir) came as special guest with the Men in Blues, so it was a very cool night. Not sure if this will play as a video or just as a pic, but it IS a video.....!











Cynthia and Jill, who knows a dear friend of Cynthia's - what a great evening!

Music Festival 2

a second mime character, all in black, very popular with the young ones........












Silver Mayan warrior........











Ramiro Alejandro - fabulous electric violin - and we just found out he plays in the lounge of a local hotel, so will be heading there one night to see him again.











After some of the concert in the square we all went over to David Lau's to hear the Men in Blues and a special guest.....this was not the guest, but a local French Canadian, JJ, who sang a Pavarotti opera piece at the break....LOL

Music Festival

Thursday night was the first of our annual 6 night music festival here in town. This was an awesome band, followed by 4 other awesome bands....!










The square was full of vendors too - jewellry, clothing, original art, and the annual T Shirts which are a major fundraiser for this community.











Amazing paintings and photographs..........................














One of 3 painted pantomine characters......................

The Little Mexican Cooking School!

We attended a day at the Little Mexican Cooking School, here in PM. It is run by Cat Brown and Patti Murphy with a great staff of locals, all of whom benefit from a good job in this small community. The ripples are everywhere....!

We got to learn how to make fabulous salsas, 

The full lunch menu included fruit salads, chicken with poblano mole sauce, fried banana, a potato like veg that I forget the name of, and a custard pudding with fresh berries.

Assistants Denise and Daisy charred veggies on this pan, cooked tortillas, and were the sous chefs for Pablo.

This elegant table was where we finally enjoyed the fruits of our labours.....

We made 3 delicious salsas and a guacamole that knocked your sandals off....!

The Cooking School store was filled with local ingredients, spices, utensils, locally made products and even hammocks and pottery.

Cat provided info during the day on local ingredients, tequila, cultural info, shopping tips and history of the area. Chef Pablo was amazing - fun, professional and so knowledgeable. 

Here we enjoy tortillas we made ourselves, and others that the staff made, filled with cheese and topped with all those great salsas and guacamole. 

We so enjoyed the day with the staff and the other guests. Lunch was served with a marvelous sangria, more tequila, and the comradie of sharing wonderful food with great people.

fun in PM

After the market, we had lunch at Las Papas, our new favourite restaurant, and then went back to our place for margaritas by the pool.










It a lovely afternoon and evening and then we headed downtown for some supper and music.












Wonderful salads and baguettes at the Cantina Bistro were the perfect end to the evening.













Kathy Wilson and her band and guests did a great show and we so enjoyed our day with our pals from Victoria!!

Chiapas Market in the square

We gathered up Pearl and Elna and took them on a scenic drive of PM, including showing them the beach we lived on for 5 months the year we bought our little house. Then we headed to the Colonia and wandered through a great flea market of goods brought here by the wonderful weavers and sewers of Chiapas, a state south and west of Quintana Roo where we are.








The market was set up in the Colonia town square, and was a colourful fun place to walk around.
















Pearl and Miki take a break from shopping in the conversation chairs in the square.










Amazing shawls, blouses, shirts, kids clothes and fabulous embroidery are the trademark of Chiapas.













There were also shelves of hand made wooden toys and musical instruments.

Peace and more blues.....

Saturday 2 great things happened - Pearl and Elna arrived from Victoria, and it was another Peace Day in Puerto Morelos. Goyo organized a morning silent walk on the beach, and then an evening of peaceful music in the square, finishing off with Lennon's song, Imagine, sung by everyone in a big circle around the gazebo. Powerful stuff.












Pearl and Elna got all settled in at Amar Inn, and then came into town to join us at Lau's for the Men in Blues, with our usual gang and our friend Kevin, who came in from a layover in Cancun (he flies with Canjet)








This is a dreadful picture, my aplogies, but Elna and Pearl were dancing up a storm and I was trying to avoid other dancers to get a shot.












Kevin, Valorie and Ken all enjoyed the music, and danced their buns off. I know it seems sometimes that all we do is party, but really, we have many nights at home just reading or lounging by the pool.....!

more blues in town

Good news - Cooker John is back in town for another winter, and he packed the house on Friday night at David Lau's!













We gathered Les, Sharon, Valorie, Ken and Les's friend Graham for a fun evening of music and dancing.











John had a great band with him, with musicians from California, Minnesota and of course Puerto Morelos.












John Cooker has a gentle old style blues, almost Dylanesque in his style, and has a firm following when he comes every winter.