Welcome to this blog post that captures highlights from our 2024 Winter in Uaymitun!
Our 2nd blog post will start out by highlighting a visit by our travelers from afar!
Over the past few years, since 2018, we have included posts with world cyclists, Steve and Dodie! There exploits can be explored at https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/dime/
Once again, they are touring the Yucatán and stopped by on their way to Progreso! We had a great visit before they hit the road again!
The happy travelers!DodieSteveOn the road again!
Now on to some daily happenings!
Another beautiful sunset!
It was such a nice evening we made a quick trip up the Costera to our favourite pizza place, Pizza Paradiso!
The next evening, it was “sit on the beach for sunset”! The sky was full of Frigatebirds just soaring!
A boatload of Frigatebirds…… and a gorgeous sunset, yet again!And Cappuccinos Maya to cap off the evening!
Once our luggage woes had been resolved and the weather turned nice again, I did manage a quick dip in the pool and then a mad dash to the Gulf which was much warmer that our pool!
I’m in!
Monday, January 8th, we celebrated our 52nd Wedding Anniversary at Elio al Mare in Progreso!
Our favourite Italian restaurant in Progreso…… with an unforgettable view!With the Love of my Life for another Anniversary in Paradise!Predictably, we ordered Chicken Parm and Fettuccini “Mode Mio”…… followed by a special dessert…… and Cappuccinos Maya!
It was our first anniversary down here in a very long time that we didn’t go to dinner with my sister Val and husband George. We missed them!
One of our distinct pleasures is in renewing friendships with the folks we’ve met over the years in Uaymitun! Of course, it would be great if I took more pictures when we meet up with our friends! In any case, here we go…
Ray & Pam, who were neighbours for may years, are back in their condo in Progreso for the winter. After a great time relaxing and catching up on our patio, on the spur of the moment we headed up the road to Pizza Paradiso!
Another yummy pizza adventure!
After a brief reunion with Matt & Terri outside Splash II, our “Lavandería“, we met them for Steak Night at FACES in Progreso and then went back to visit at their new beach house.
A favourite pic, but not from the other night!
Our friends from two doors down, Dave & Jeanette, are frequent 5 Crown card night partners with us! It was great to catch up and there will be many more 5 Crown nights this winter!
Not playing cards, but a great sunset pic with them strolling down the beach!
For part of this winter, Dave & Carolyn Drexel are living just a few houses down the beach from us. Dave works with our nephew Bill at Century 21 Realty in Kelowna.
During the morning of our Anniversary, we took Dave & Carolyn Drexel, up to the Natural Thangs Market near Chelem. I didn’t think to take pics, but here’s a couple from their website. We enjoyed a Breakfast Burrito to share!
The next morning… trouble was brewing in the NW! We were hit by the tail end of a massive storm system that started in Colorado and caused disturbances across all of the Eastern half of the US and Canada!
Very strong winds throughout the day, but no rain!Fortunately, we were able to still sit outside away from the winds!
Well, I think I’ll close out this Winter’s 2nd blog for now! The next one will highlight some day trips!
Welcome to this blog post that captures highlights from our 2024 Winter in Uaymitun!
Welcome back to our 2024 Winter in Uaymitun blog. However, it’s only appropriate that I take you all off tender hooks from last year’s “Cliff Hanger” post!
If you remember from last year, the 1st unknown was about a building being built near the Police checkpoint… we now know that it’s a grocery store, part of the AKI brand, called MyMarketPlace!
MyMarketPlace
The 2nd unknown was a plot of cleared land… now still a plot of cleared land but with an impressive fence and gate! However, if one were to walk to either end of the fence, you can get to the other side!
Still who knows!
The 3rd unknown was would the new PEMEX actually ever pump gas! The answer is YES! Only a year after the pumps were installed.
The PEMEX in action!
The 4th unknown was the mystery Chunkies… no one may ever know as the red sign is now faded yellow and it’s no longer by the road!
Would you care for a Chunkie? No one will every know!
And for the 5th and final unknown, we opened the door to a new phase of our lives!
About to enter our new home!
Our actual occupancy date for the new apartment was while we were still in Uaymitun! Our daughters were amazing… they worked with the movers on getting our furniture into the right rooms and totally unpacked all but the boxes of pictures and other art work! So when we arrived it was awesome!
While we had visited the model suites before and had seen a few pictures sent by the girls, we hadn’t yet actually walked into our new apartment until that day!
So here’s a few pics from our new home!
Flowers and Champagne from Kris, Andy, Madyn and Daryn!Our Living Room view!The St Clair River and the Duc D’Orleans cruise ship!Sarnia BayOur 1st Sunset!Sarnia Bay in the evening!
And now back to the regular scheduled blog…
On New Year’s Eve, we drove up to Kitchener to visit with Elaine’s Mom and then spent the night in Wellesley at Kerry and Bryan’s home. We did manage to stay up to was the Ball Drop in Times Square on TV!
On New Year’s Day, it was on to the Sandman Signature Toronto Airport for our overnight before the flight the next morning!
Our view of Pearson Airport
The next morning, it was up at 5 to catch the 6:30 shuttle to the airport.
Gone are the days when you check in with a helpful agent who thoughtfully inspects your passports, gives you your precious paper boarding passes, tags your luggage and puts them on the conveyer and wishes you a bon voyage!
Now it’s queueing up for a heartless kiosk who rejects any inappropriate button pushes, can’t read your passport the first go round, spits out luggage tags and then instructs you to go to it’s big brother luggage machine! Then it rolls your luggage into it’s maw and on into the void… more about that later!
In any case, after a shared Eggs Benny at Fionn McCool we made our way to gate area and met up with friends Dave & Jeanette Poisson and Rod & Berri Peters to await our 10:15 flight!
This way to MéridaOn our way!
Our flight left on time and actually arrived a little early. It’s always a great feeling when the wheels touch down and you look out the window at the local surroundings!
And now to continue the story of our luggage entering the maw of the soulless machinery of a major airport!
We were quickly through Immigration and waited expectantly at the luggage carousel. Well, it is Mexico… sometimes luggage waits for break time etc. However, it took a looooooong time for the first dribs and drabs of luggage to appear and it certainly wasn’t arriving in Priority order.
Many folks came and went with their luggage! Finally one of our appeared… yeah! Then more waiting and more waiting! By now a second flight, this from Miami, had arrived and then the luggage was mixed between both flights! Then, behold, our 2nd piece arrives… but now it’s all Miami luggage!
Thankfully, for a birthday present, Kerry had given me a set of 4 Apple Air Tags and I had put one in each of our bags!
So, now I’m trying to get enough cell signal for my iPhone “Find My” app to locate our luggage!
Where’s Waldo… and our luggage!
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine from the above screen capture that this was not good!
So yes, I believe the baggage handlers at Pearson pushed all the luggage in except some Priority bags which would be last on/first off and decided that’s enough luggage for this plane! I could tell from the app that our bags were likely on a luggage cart close to Gate B40 in Terminal 3.
So we arrived late Tuesday afternoon in Uaymitun, without our 2 large bags which contained most of our summer garb!
… but we’re here at our Winter home in Uaymitun!
So, the next two days were full of trying to get settled in and calling WestJet lost luggage folks. I must admit, that they were helpful and proactive in ensuring that our missing bags would, in fact, be put on the Thursday flight!
1st morning coffee on the patio!By Noon it was a picture perfect day!Meow! Meow! NoName came for a visit!
Wednesday was more settling in and doing some of the normal activities upon arrival!
Off to rake the beach!A good job done if I may say so myself!Had to dip my toes in the Gulf!Our patio!While checking the propane tank level, had to take a pic from the roof!We saw a couple of kite boarders!Our first sunset pic of the season!Kristy’s personal alarm clock arrived for a drink!
So, after 5-6 calls to WestJet lost luggage folks, many hours of checking out whether the luggage actually was going to leave on the Thursday flight and a stressful 6 hour wait for our bags to make the 1 hour trip from the airport, at 10:45 that night, our bags arrived!!!
Miguel and Elaine with our wayward bags! Hoorah!
Well, I think I’ll close out this Winter’s 1st blog for now! The next one will highlight a visit from folks from afar and our 52nd Wedding Anniversary!
