Pop Goes Antigua

I`ve never been one to make a big deal about holidays. Something about having to “designate” days to show people we love and appreciate them turns me off. I prefer to practice EveryDayIsAHoliday-ism. And honestly, Christmas JUST missed *makes the smallest space between her thumb and index finger* being swept up with the tinsel in the streets without my even noticing this year. BUT last night, as the clock stuck midnight, Antigua lit up and blew out as Christmas screamed at me, “I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!” Now…Guatemalans love their firecrackers. As do the weasels, POP go the holidays, POP go the birthdays, POP go the political days, and POP go the Saint days. You name it — they celebrate it with a round of the hot stuff (sometimes even, heart-startlingly, thrown at your door or heels). You don`t need an alarm clock in Antigua. You can regularly count on 5 minutes of fireworks every morning at 5 am. And oh yes. We bitch about it. BUT not yesterday at 12am. And not today at 12pm. Nope! 10 million little red fire crackers CRACKED and POPPED at the exact, same, incredible moment. It was just like going into a hail storm with a tin garbage pail over your head! Obnoxious, rambunctious, deafening and glorious NOISE! Something about EVERYONE going a little bit crazy at the exact same time made my my soul just want to jump out of my skin and POP with the crackers. Craziness…now THAT I can celebrate. And they are STILL popping, fizzing and streaking as I type. And although it`s a flip-flopping 80 degrees in the sol here, the lack of the pretty white stuff on the floor has been replaced with the pretty red and white stuff from the deceased remains of the popped, fizzed and streaked. So Christmas is here. And I hail her. With my own firecracker or two.

*POP!*

*CRACK*

Merry Christmas Everyone. 🙂

*****

Tomorrow I`m on a bus at 5 am *Pop! Crack!* on my way to Puerto Escondido, a hopping little town on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. I know. I know. I thought I`d kicked the reckless traveler out of me for a month or two, but the approaching new year and my approaching 25th birthday got together and threw a firecracker at my heels and shouted, ala Nike, “Just Do It”.

Look for me on the beaches from the this live streaming web cam. I`ll be wearing a blue bikini with a palm tree on the front and I won`t be carrying a digital camera. 🙂