Christmas Under the Palapa

So here we were, my wife, two children (Olivia and James) and a seething me at Christmas 2011, and still not in our condo. We had been deserted by our realtor due to a inconvenient breakdown, the developer was nowhere to be found and the ten Pepes who were working for the CFE (electrical company) to provide us with life giving electricity had left for the holidays. We were utterly alone for the near future at least.

One of our more dear traditions in our family although the children now claim they always found it boring, was the watching of Dicken’s Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. This I was determined was going to happen no matter what. With everything finished in our new home in the sky and with the best view I had ever seen, except for no power, it was too close not to make a small miracle come about.

Luckily the missing Eddy the realtor in his more lucid days had brought over a 30 metre extension cord to test all of our utilities, hooking into the stolen power the developer used to run the power tools he needed to build the place. I still had that extension cord. The only problem was I was missing the first 5 metres which one of the Pepes had lent Eddy. That man had left for the holidays and had taken his cord with him, leaving me short for the celebration I had planned. My son and I took Eddy’s extension to our penthouse and then dropped it to the pool area near where the street power box was. James then ran down and pulled the cord as close as he could to where the power source was and plugged it in almost pulling me over the balcony. By now on the 24th of December the big stores were shut , so all we had was the local OXXO store which reminds you of a 7Eleven or Mac’s Milk store in Canada. They had extension cords but 2 prong ones not the 3 pronged compatible with my 30 metre one I had from Eddy the realtor. I bought two 4 footers as that was all they had left. I realized that when Eddy and I had tested the appliances we had pulled them out onto the balcony, but now they were in place in the kitchen and much further away. So even with the extra extensions shoved together incompatibly prong-wise, it would be a tight thing. When my son and I had finished plugging and stretching what we had, the wire become as taunt as a bow string singing in the wind. We started up the fridge and then the TV. Then we plugged in several lamps, a VCR and coffee pot and waited to see what happened. There was a lot of flickering, not only in our condo but the neighbourhood as well. Several people opened their doors and looked up at us. I waved madly while grinning in a Feliz Navidad sort of way. “Greetings from Canada” I shouted in my least aggressive way. The doors shut below us, and we opened a couple of beers.

My son thankfully said, “I get why you and Mum bought this place” after staring at our incredible view. We clinked our bottles together and smiled. He had only just returned from serving in Afghanistan and I was so grateful to have him here with us. Then the ladies joined us with 4 salads from Punta V, our favourite restaurant on the Malecon (sadly now closed). With 4 bottles of red wine and a robust dinner without the turkey, we had our celebration including the story of Scrooge and I was content.

As Michelle and I held hands later sitting on the terrace, I thought of my friends back in Canada who had thought we had collectively lost our mind when I announced that we were leaving to live in Mexico. What was it about this place that made us want to give everything up and go through what were still going through buying this condo. My wife and I listened to the constant dogs barking and the roosters crowing and even the mad woman who shouted “Mama” over and over again, and yet we loved it. It, this Puerto Vallarta had become part of us, in spite of our problems. The few words of Spanish we tried out each day were greeted with appreciative smiles and helpful corrections. The children who grinned and walked beside us, trying out their English tentatively while laughing. Maybe it was the wonderful weather always warming us in spite of it being December. It was just so different and un-Canadian. I mean where was the black ice?

Just then our new friend Don called up the 10 stories from below, “Merry Christmas Chris and Michelle” a pause and then, “Welcome to Mexico”. We were home.

Next column, April 22nd:  The beat goes on.

Copyright Christopher Dalton 2015

So here we were, my wife, two children (Olivia and James) and a seething me at Christmas 2011, and still not in our condo. We . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • protests3Mexico City Protests: There is a fine line between anti-gentrification and xenophobia The line between anti-gentrification and racism is clear if you choose to see it: genuine activism targets policy and practice, not nationality or ethnicity. I have lived in Mexico for two decades, and I have never witnessed the level of anti-American sentiment that exists today. All of it is tied to the buzzword "gentrification," a…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • puerto-vallarta-police-chase-bahia-de-banderasPuerto Vallarta police chase ends in deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas A Puerto Vallarta police chase along Highway 200 ended in a deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas, leaving two people dead. A high-speed chase that began in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and ended in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, left at least two people dead and raised new questions about police engagement and road safety in the…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • Body with signs of crocodile attack found in Ameca River, a leg was found last monthPurple Flag Warns Beachgoers after Crocodile at Los Muertos Beach Authorities raised a purple flag after a crocodile at Los Muertos Beach was spotted swimming near shore, advising visitors to avoid entering the water until safety checks ended. Local authorities recorded a crocodile swimming in the vicinity of Los Muertos Beach, one of Puerto Vallarta’s busiest tourist spots. Lifeguards spotted the reptile in shallow water…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • puerto vallarta loses three blue flag beachesPuerto Vallarta retains four Blue Flag Beaches, down from eight Puerto Vallarta will enter the 2025–2026 season with four international Blue Flag distinctions in Puerto Vallarta, even after tourism-driven environmental damage cost it half of its previous honors. The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Mexico confirmed that three resort flags will be revalidated at Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, The Westin Resort &…
Scroll to Top