Life's a Beach | Expat Life in Playa del Carmen

One of the many fun, and often confusing aspects of life in Playa del Carmen is the preponderance of small parades that just pop up at seemingly random times. I can't tell you how many times I have been in town, running errands or picking up dinner, and happened upon a small but festive celebration of one kind or another. I like parades with all the fancy costumes and music so when this happens I enjoy the serendipity of the moment but also ponder why it is I never hear about any of these event ahead of time. There are certainly enough people participating to make the parade worthy of some sort of announcement. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. But as I look around at my fellow bystanders, all equally confused, I realize I am not alone with my frustrations. As always, there is no way to readily tell WHAT the parade is for and so, while I enjoy a glass of wine and wait for my sushi, I chat up a local beat cop about what the occasion is. Apparently, this is one of several small gatherings to celebrate "mes patria", the month in which the independence of Mexico is celebrated. Luckily, I had my camera on hand because...well...you just never now what you will see in Playa el Carmen!