Happy Fourth of July
Happy Fourth of July. Don't forget to catch the fireworks on our Baja beaches tonight. Photo by Mariah Baumgartle
By Ed Kociela
Happy Independence Day!
This is our second Fourth of July celebration in Mexico and I really hope this year is better than last, which turned into quite a dud.
Our daughter was on a hiatus from college, spending some time with us a year ago. It was a bit odd to her, being in a foreign country for the Fourth of July holiday, so we tried to make her a little more comfortable by doing some grilling, then heading to the beach for the fireworks.
It was a hot and humid day, so we did a little pool time, hung out at the grill, then headed to the beach to watch the pyrotechnics.
Everything was going just fine until shortly after the sun started to set.
We could see clouds rolling in rapidly and the humidity seemed to leap when…suddenly…out of nowhere…raindrops.
It was, at first, a gentle rain, no big deal. In fact, it sort of cooled things off for a bit.
But, just as we started seeing the fireworks make their way up the beach from one of the southern resorts, the little rain turned into a downpour.
Now, La Baja has been in a drought for about five years now, so the rain was welcomed.
Except, we were at the beach and Mariah had her good camera with her.
We had taken some towels and beach chairs so, quickly, we made a little makeshift fort, draping the towels over our heads to keep the rain from spoiling the goodies we brought, not to mention Mariah’s camera.
The resorts didn’t let a little thing like rain dampen the fiesta, even though the fireworks mostly went off with a “poof” rather than a “bang.” But, they were fireworks nonetheless.
Every day feels like the Fourth of July in Baja. Photo by Mariah Baumgartle
As it became time for the resort we were near to let theirs go, we decided a little song would be appropriate, right?
So, we left it to Mariah.
A few seconds went by. A few more seconds went by. Then, finally we hear: “Feliz Navidad…Feliz Navidad…Feliz Navidad, prospero ano y felicidad.”
“Uh, honey?” Cara and I both said.
“Well, it’s the only song I know in Spanish,” she replied.
It must have been a weird sight for some of the nearby locals to see three gringos sitting, huddled under a makeshift tent, singing a Mexican Christmas song in a pouring rain, but, hey, who cares, right?
There is still plenty of time to go get some burgers, hotdogs, or whatever else you’d like to throw on the grill to celebrate the holiday Norte Americano style.
Just be sure to hustle on down to the beach before sunset to take in the fireworks. They are, actually, very cool.
And, if you happen to see a couple of folks sharing a blanket and singing “Feliz Navidad,” pay no attention. It’s just us, revisiting one of the most fun times we had in Mexico with our daughter.
Happy Fourth of July!
Ed Kociela is a writer for Los Cabos Magazine. You can reach him by email at edkociela.mx@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EdKociela.