My Holidays: A Leaning Building, A Raffle Won, Foreign Foods & New Years Eve

The Christmas holidays, for many, is a time to relax.  After the shopping, baking, decorating and organizing frenzy, it’s time to enjoy it all.

But for many here on Ambergris Caye, this is the real beginning of THE BUSY SEASON.  And Christmas – New Years is one of the busiest weeks of the year.  Hotel, restaurant and bar staff are working overtime…

We had a day and a half off.  A full house of guests (current capacity:  4 lodgers) arrived yesterday for Cayo Frances Farm & Fly.  But here are some snap shots I took of my Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day on Ambergris Caye – awkwardly summarized in the title.

The day before Christmas, there was buzz in town about a building…leaning.

I had JUST driven past, as I do every day, and I hadn’t noticed a thing but we made note of it…and stopped on the way back north.

El Esturo, a four building development about 3 miles north of town.  It’s been built over the last year…and it seems as though one of the buildings was not securely anchored in bedrock.

A crew to scrambling to sort out the situation.  Will they have to take the entire building down?  Can they right what has tilted?  I will certainly stay tuned.

On a more positive note, WE WON A CHRISTMAS RAFFLE!!!!!!!!!!

Raffle tickets are as much a part of the holidays in San Pedro as presents and rice & beans.  Late in the year, at hardware stores and large groceries, as you spend money, you get tickets.

Every year I throw in 10s…no 100s of tickets with no luck…UNTIL NOW!

We received a call that we won 1st PLACE at our hardware store.  A FREE 43 inch TV.

Super exciting.

Christmas eve was a flurry of errands – provisioning for the week ahead at the camp.

Fast forward to our Christmas day…

Turning that strange boxed Italian bread, Panettone (you know the stuff), into something delicious.

A full plate of imported Christmas treats from specialty shop, Wine De Vine.  Our Christmas splurge.

Now, back to work on Boxing Day.  A very British holiday and so very civilized.  Not the meaning but just taking a day off after the Christmas feasting and drinking…

Only Americans would think it’s a good idea to go back to work the day after.

Many shops were closed.

And town was relatively quiet.  Mostly tourists walking around.

A new food court is being constructed on Front Street.  I don’t know much – but here is what I found on their Facebook page.

Photos yesterday.

I hopped aboard the Coastal Xpress water taxi to get home.  Our golf cart needed a quick repair in town.  A grey afternoon for sure.

And now I’m working on my calendar for New Years’ Eve.  (I just read this article on the apostrophe…for all you grammar nerds.)

The big event is in the Central Park — music, dancing, bar hopping and fireworks…

But you have so many options leading up to it.  A beautiful dinner at Casa Picasso.  Surf and Turf at Nook Restaurant…just a few minutes stroll from the park…

A beach party down at Pirates’ South Beach.  (I don’t know where it is either!)

Let me know what you are doing.  Even though I plan to be at home – I haven’t even made it up to midnight for the last few years – I do want the SCOOP!

And if you are holding an event at your spot, let me know!  I’d love to add it to my calendar.