La Manzanilla Memo - December 29, 2012

Great to be here

I was having such a good time on December 21, I’m glad nothing apocalyptic happened. Dearest friends from Southern California, who’ve previously visited only in May when La Manzanilla could hardly be more dead or boring, finally came down for Christmas. There’s nothing like being with old friends to buff up the holiday glow of the most dedicated Bah Humbugger. They finally experienced La Manzanilla with people and traffic in the streets, restaurants and shops open, and life after dark.

There’s no better place to see and be seen in La Manzanilla this time of year than our weekly tianguis at the plaza. The tianguis, aka swap meet or flea market, on the Friday before Christmas are usually the biggest and the busiest. This year was no exception. They were jamming with last minute shoppers and bargain hunters taking advantage of everything being sold at “cheapest price, almost free.”

End of the world beisbol

Fortunately the day lasted long enough to conclude the Apocalypse game between Las Tigres, La Manzanilla Senior Kids baseball players, and a finely tuned team of Los Old Phartes.  There was standing room only at the soccer field as the high-spirited 10- to 17-year-old Tigres faced off against the still-pretty-spry-for-their-age Q-tip set.

The exuberance these La Manzanilla boys and girls bring to the game and their delight in mastering a new athletic skill set are infectious. Getting to play against old gringos, with dozens of spectators cheering them on, really amped up their excitement level and made for the best two hours on a Friday afternoon I’ve had in recent memory.

What they lacked in experience, the Tigres made up for in agility and speed. Although most only hit to mid-field, they frequently had the bases loaded, taking advantage of Los Old Phartes slower fielding capabilities. Not too many ground balls got past them, either. The old guys held their own, though.  They may have hit the ball farther, but they needed that extra time to run from one base to the next.  The final score was 12 to 11, in favor of Las Tigres.

This game against Los Old Phartes was a special fund raiser for more shirts and equipment for the kids. It was such a success on so many levels that they hope to do a rematch, as soon as all the players have recuperated.  La Manzanilla Youth Baseball games are held most Fridays at 4:30 p.m. at the Club Deportivo, two blocks south of the arroyo on Calle Maria Asuncion.

Feliz Año Nuevo

I, for one, am looking forward to the arrival of 2013 and the end of this holiday season.  Even in Mexico, it’s difficult to escape the madness anymore. For sure there will still be plenty going on in La Manzanilla: Patricia Smith’s reception at the Galeria on January 7, Cisco’s Amigos Music Night on January 21, the La Manzanilla Art Walk on January 27, weekly movies at Casa Luz, zumba, yoga and pilates, live music, bridge games, and, of course, our beautiful beach.
Here’s hoping that the New Year brings us all health, happiness and prosperity.