Christmas Eve, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

It sure has been windy here the last few days - it's blowing everything around including our sunrise palapa.

The north end of town is mostly quiet and residential, serenaded by the constant pounding of the surf on the reef a few hundred meters off-shore.  Although we've seen some license plates on cars from the United States (a very long drive), my unscientific opinion is that this is first and foremost, a vacation town for many native Mexicans who live near here, or have first or second homes here. 

This doesn't really look or feel like Christmas eve in the places where I've spent all my life. It is hot here - low 80's Fahrenheit - local folks are out enjoying the beach and the sun - and they've done that every day we've been here so far!  They exhibit a "joie de vivre," or should I say, "alegría de la vida," that makes me envious. There are gringos here both on the beach and out and about but they are very much the minority population. 

Walking the beach for Christmas -  it's better than a wrapped gift box under the tree - and that white stuff in the foreground is definitely not fallen snow.