Settling back into Celestun

Our pool and pool house at Casa Piedra

We arrived back in Celestun a couple weeks ago, on October 28, and it already feels like home.  And like any home you own, there are always things to buy and things to fix and this one is definitely no exception!  But after a few repairs to my driveway gate motor, roof patching, etc., etc., I'm almost ready to start having those afternoon siestas on a regular basis!

This is the first year that we are here in time for Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) November 1 and 2 coinciding with the Catholic All Saints Day.  We didn't actually get out and see anything though as I was still a little under the weather from my recent shoulder surgery.  But we certainly heard celebrations around town. Dia de los Muertos is a holiday for remembering and honoring those who have passed. It is a festive, joyous time of celebration.

Day of the Dead is Mexico's most important holiday, which means they invest a lot of time and money into celebrating Dia de los Muertos, more so than any other holiday.  In homes, people create altars to honor their deceased loved ones. In graveyards, families clean the graves of their loved ones, which they then decorate with flowers, photos, candles, foods and drinks. People stay up all night in the graveyards, socializing and telling funny stories about their dead ancestors. Musicians are hired to stroll through the graveyard, playing the favorite songs of the dead.

This will be the first year that we are staying the whole winter here so we haven't done much in the way of decorating before now or even buying some "basic" creature comforts....like a new large-screen TV!  A necessity of course.  We also bought a few other items to make life a little more comfortable here, new ceiling fans for our bathroom and the outdoor kitchen, Chris got a new mixer, and we did a little furniture shopping at Marbol on Buen Fin.

El Buen Fin (Literally the "The Good End" but implying "The Good Weekend") is an annual nationwide shopping event in Mexico, in existence since 2011 and taking place on the third weekend of November in Mexico, and the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

Jose and Richard holding their bananas

The Marbol furniture factory and showroom is our favourite spot for furniture and with everything 20% off we didn't miss that opportunity.  And after a long day in Merida, it was a great relief to be able to take a break half way back to Celestun at Hacienda San Jose Pachul in Kinchil to have a great meal and a visit with our friends Jose and Richard.  I shot this photo when they were giving us some of the bananas that they grow there on their own trees. They also have some smaller ones that taste like a cross between a banana and an apple; a "banapple" I guess.

We've had a little time to visit with other friends already too, Karen, Kenn and Wanda at Casa de Celeste Vida of course, as well as stopping in to see Jacque and Vincente one day and of course our Friday night expat dinners at Peter's restaurant at El Hotel Gutierrez at the foot of Calle 15 on the beach.  

Friday night expat dinner at El Hotel Gutierrez

We also have had our maids in a couple of times scrubbing down every inch of our home from top to bottom (why did we buy such a big house????????).  And our new caretaker has worked many hours already pulling and burning weeds, dead plants, tree prunings, leaves, etc., (why did we landscape such a huge yard????) and he even managed to repair my leaf blower that has been dead for a year!

We have a few other little improvements planned around here and this winter we'll be looking forward to some Canadian friends visiting as well as seeing more and more of our new Mexican and expat friends here.