Daiquiri Dick's beach restaurant was the venue; Los Bambinos the entertainment, on a makeshift stage on the beach; there would be fireworks and champagne to bring in the New Year; and throughout it all, it rained. They had set up gazebos and umbrellas, but the water still has to go somewhere, and it came down the sides of the parasols in torrents. The waiters were drenched, some people had to move tables to get under shelter, buckets were placed in strategic places but filled up in seconds, but the band played on. The party hats came out, the tuneless hooters accompanied the band, and Alexis ordered me two shots of anejo tequila to get my dancing legs working.
Then the rain stopped, we walked out on the the beach, watched the firework displays being held at every hotel from one end of the bay to the other, and dodged the rockets being let off a few meters from us on the sand. And we danced. The tequila made me think I was doing a passable salsa/mambo style, but compared to the locals I doubt I was doing anything of the sort.
Our waiter desperately sought us out in the melee, presenting us with a bill that in the UK would have looked laughably small for the food and entertainment we'd had. Poor guy probably thought we had done a runner.
Then we started the walk home, but turning the corner we were faced with a main street completely filled with people, with massive speakers at each end, video screens hung across between the buildings, and the whole crowd dancing like mad Mexican things. So I also danced like a mad Mexican thing. Thank goodness no one has any video. I didn't recognise any of the songs, but Alexis shouted and waved her arms with everyone else at the appropriate times, so she was in her element.
Finally, we really started walking home, and then of course it started raining again. By the time we got home we were both completely soaked, but it had been a very, very memorable night.
No comments:
Post a Comment