Thanksgiving weekend

This weekend was so much fun. Another delicious Thanksgiving dinner for an intimate (?) group of 44 people at the home of our friends, Dick and Gwen. Two 25# turkeys and all the fixin's. Yum! Then a few nights in Playa Del Carmen for the annual jazz festival on the white sand beach. Playa is a kick with a several mile-long walking mall lined with a variety of typical tourist fare as well as the funky shops("jellyfish" hanging lamps made out of dried gourds and sea glass)and the beautifully handwoven crafts from Chiapas. In just over 20 years, the town has grown from a one butcher shop village (we remember seeing a cow tied up in front of it on the lonely sandy road into town) to a bustling city complete with Asian Fusion and Thai fare. The powdery white sand beach that was dotted with a few palapas and tents here and there is now lined with hotels of every variety.



We found a small hotel on the walking mall just a few blocks away from Mamita's Beach where the jazz festival was in the evenings. So much fun to stroll down there a little before 7:00 and lay our blanket on the beach after molding sand supports for our backs. Our favorite group was Spyro Gira. Each of the musicians in the band were unbelievable but the drummer, Bonny B was our favorite. He did a 15-18 minute solo at the end of the set that was mesmorizing. His laughter and energy were infectious. We talked with him the next day on the beach. He was watching "his man", Al Jarreau test his sound equipment. Bonny is a sweet, soft spoken and humble man from Trinidad/Tobago. Other musicians we saw included Sacbe, Sergio Mendez (still stuck in the 70's), quitarist Pat Martino, and Herbie Hancock.



We came back to Cozumel midday yesterday and were greeted by clapping and cheering. It took us some time to realize the applause was for the Ironman competitors not us! Ironman. What an amazing example of mind over matter. Two thousand people entered the sea in the morning, swimming 2 1/2 miles (1/2 of it against a pretty stiff current), biking 112 miles around the island several times and then running a 26 mile marathon. We stood close to the finish line at 8 PM last night watching as competitors were either waved on to the finish line or motioned that one more lap was yet needed to complete their marathon. The mental and physical strength that is required to do yet 8 more miles after working so hard for over 11 or 12 (or more!) hours is mind boggling. We watched as several competitors crossed the finish with their kids in their arms or trailing behind. Other exhausted runners held their arms over their heads and reveled in the knowledge that they had done it! "You, too, are an Ironman! You've conquered the island!" blared the sound system as each crossed the finish line. What can we say? We were awestruck!

We volunteered (selling stuff) at the Red Cross booth and the winner (a Belgian) and the second place finisher (from Ukraine) had their photos taken there. We got in the pictures! Ironman groupies are born!