Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo- or the fifth of May - commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla.
It is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico but in the United States it has evolved into a festival of Mexican culture, heritage and pride.
We celebrate all things Mexican, from mariachi bands to sombreros and margaritas!
But in our family, May 5th (1956) is simply the day my brother Stephen Alan was born.
It is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico but in the United States it has evolved into a festival of Mexican culture, heritage and pride.
We celebrate all things Mexican, from mariachi bands to sombreros and margaritas!
But in our family, May 5th (1956) is simply the day my brother Stephen Alan was born.
In 1994, I flew down to Cancun with brothers Jan and Danny to help Stephen celebrate his 38th birthday.
I took along my friend Theresa to help even the odds!
I am sure she will never forget Jan sleeping out on our balcony (30 some floors up) to spare himself the price of a hotel room - or as he explained, to enjoy the view of the sunrise over the water. Right, Jan!
Highlights of our trip included Jet skiing into the Mexican jungles, swimming in the Caribbean sea, and excursions to the Mayan ruins of Chichen-itza
During our visit to this ancient site, Danny and Jan explored their most famous landmark, the Pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo) - the vestiges of a fascinating civilization of times past.
In photo below, that is me videotaping while the boys climbed the narrow, crumbling steps to the top for a spectacular though dangerous view.
In 2006, they prohibited any further climbing on the ruins.
Stephen and I, meanwhile, had found a little rest area to hide from the scorching sun. I think I was in the throws of a heatstroke and while pouring $10 bottles of water over my head, Stephen's small plastic chair suddenly collapsed before my eyes!
All four legs splayed out to the sides and he landed smack on the cement! I was too shocked to react, but out of nowhere came two tiny Mexican women to the rescue.
They managed to lift Stephen off the ground (he outweighed them at least 3 to one) and then fetched him another chair.... actually "a chair on top of a chair" - for extra support.
When I saw the surprised look on Stephen's face and the shocked expressions on theirs,
I laughed til I was almost sick!
We also enjoyed a cross country road trip to Xcaret- an eco archaeological park resort that featured horseback riding, swimming with dolphins and snorkeling in underground rivers.
There were pristine beaches with coral reefs and lagoons and plenty of colorful costumes, folklore and dancing... not to mention delicious Mexican cuisine.
The drive was a bit treacherous in a windy, open jeep with Danny at the wheel, but we managed to survive with just a missing tire iron. (someone stole it from under our seat and we were out $100!!)
I am sure this is one birthday that will always stand out in Stephen's memory as well.
I took along my friend Theresa to help even the odds!
I am sure she will never forget Jan sleeping out on our balcony (30 some floors up) to spare himself the price of a hotel room - or as he explained, to enjoy the view of the sunrise over the water. Right, Jan!
Highlights of our trip included Jet skiing into the Mexican jungles, swimming in the Caribbean sea, and excursions to the Mayan ruins of Chichen-itza
During our visit to this ancient site, Danny and Jan explored their most famous landmark, the Pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo) - the vestiges of a fascinating civilization of times past.
In photo below, that is me videotaping while the boys climbed the narrow, crumbling steps to the top for a spectacular though dangerous view.
In 2006, they prohibited any further climbing on the ruins.
All four legs splayed out to the sides and he landed smack on the cement! I was too shocked to react, but out of nowhere came two tiny Mexican women to the rescue.
They managed to lift Stephen off the ground (he outweighed them at least 3 to one) and then fetched him another chair.... actually "a chair on top of a chair" - for extra support.
When I saw the surprised look on Stephen's face and the shocked expressions on theirs,
I laughed til I was almost sick!
We also enjoyed a cross country road trip to Xcaret- an eco archaeological park resort that featured horseback riding, swimming with dolphins and snorkeling in underground rivers.
There were pristine beaches with coral reefs and lagoons and plenty of colorful costumes, folklore and dancing... not to mention delicious Mexican cuisine.
The drive was a bit treacherous in a windy, open jeep with Danny at the wheel, but we managed to survive with just a missing tire iron. (someone stole it from under our seat and we were out $100!!)
I am sure this is one birthday that will always stand out in Stephen's memory as well.
(Seibring, Florida)
Uncle Stephen ...
known as "Precious"
was always his Mommy's favorite
Happy Birthday, Stephen!!
LOL - LOL, altra ves! What a vacation excursion "Down Mexico Way" that was! Ay ya, ya ya!...Feliz Culpelianos hermano Stephan! Nice Blog Jude. You've got it!!! Although you, maybe out of respect, didn't mention brother Jan sleeping on our balcony :)
ReplyDeleteHow about a reunion in Cancun?! "Those were the days my friend..." What do we have if not for our memories? You are the BEST at keeping them alive! :) When you wish upon a star...great choice of music, as usual...:)
Ola! Happy Birthday to your brother Stephen! I hope he has a great day tomorrow..although it would be hard to beat that Mexican trip! Hey, you didn't notice anything about that Mayan calendar did you? I mean, the world is suppose to end on Dec.21st according to their calculations and I'm just trying to decide if I should wait until the 22nd to do my Christmas shopping this year. Not only am I a good planner..I'm also very cheap. Oh, I did think your spaghetti recipe looks very good. I'm making a dinner for Donna in a couple of weeks..maybe I should try it out on her? Hmmm..well, have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat was a fun way to relive the trip with you all!! It had to be fun with you guys...so funny about the chair!
ReplyDeleteHey, I see Danny wants a reunion...I wanna come too!! What a hoot that would be!!!
Great post Judi and ......Happy Birthday Stephan!!!!!
Hi Judi! We (Steve and our little family) just made some fun memories this weekend for his birthday. No broken chairs, but certainly some funny moments! Thanks for that blog..Stephen really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHope he had a wonderful day!
ReplyDelete=)
I remember Stephen coming home to celebrate his 50th! And we celebrated!! He missed a step on my landing, and put the doorknob through the wall!!! Good times.
ReplyDelete