All last night it was very windy – woke up at 2:30 – 4:40 and finally 6:30 and each time the wind was just as strong. I can hear it now blowing the zinc roofing on the work shed across the canal where someone is building a new house – sounds like someone clattering around with machinery.

I had an interesting dream this morning AC was having a party at his and Larry’s place beside Captain Morgans Retreat  and said he would come get us in his plane and fly us there. For some reason I waited till we got to the party to get our potluck ready and was standing at the kitchen counter peeling a box of large shrimp from the Belikin distributor. AC could only give us a ride one way of course as once the party started he was being responsible and not flying the plane.

I don’t have to walk to the pool this morning as I picked up our new old bikes yesterday. After paying water bill – I walked out to the main road and passed Julia the fruit lady’s stand – Jock drove by and offered me a lift right to the repair shop which was handy. Cost for getting all 4 wheels re-spoked – tires pumped – adding a new seat to mine [$30 bzd at local hardware] and taking baby seat off was $110 bzd which I thought was decent – cheaper that 2 new ones for sure. It was a bit of a chore trying to wheel them both down the road at the same time. The nice man who fixed them offered [in Spanish] for his boy to help me but I told the kid thanks – that I just lived around the corner and I would call my guy and get him to meet me at the end of our road for help. While I was in process of rounding the corner heading towards our street Burke drove by with a cart load full of people and joked about how I could not ride 2 bikes at once. tacoboy turned up just after that and we hopped on the bikes and rode the rest of the way home.

November is a busy month for side trips to Mexico. Mark your calendars! The Third Annual Latin American Bloggers’ Conference will be held in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico from Friday Nov. 12 – Sunday Nov. 14, 2010.

If you are planning to come to Belize via Cancun at the end of November be sure and include Taste of Playa on the 21st  into your schedule. Putting a call out to all friends and family who want to meet us in Playa Del Carmen for this fantastic foodie event to let me know. You might also want to reserve your VIP passes now as there are only 120 of them and they will be selling out fast I am sure – I just wrote Michele Kinnon to sort ours out.

Tickets Available Online for Taste of Playa 2010

VIP Passes offered for international culinary event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Playa del Carmen, Mexico – July 1, 2010 – Limited release all-inclusive VIP Passes and discounted sampling tickets are now available for Taste of Playa 2010 through advance purchase online at the official Taste of Playa website. The highly anticipated culinary event will take place November 21 in Playa del Carmen.

More than 50 area restaurants, bars and specialty food retailers will participate in the daylong festival, which celebrates the cultural diversity and culinary traditions that have helped make the Riviera Maya one of the top travel destinations in the world. Last year’s premiere event was so successful that organizers anticipate attendance to more than double this year, and VIP Passes are expected to sell out quickly. The passes, which cost $35 US, give holders early entrance to the event where they can mingle with the chefs and be the first to sample the signature dishes. VIP Pass holders will also have access to the exclusive VIP lounge, a comfortable seating area reserved especially for them.

“VIP Passes were available only locally last year and sold out so fast that many of our international guests were unable to purchase them when they arrived in Playa,” said Executive Committee member Monica Hartlief, “This year, we want to make sure everyone who wants a pass has a chance to purchase it … but don’t wait too long, because there are only 120 VIP Passes for sale.”

Individual sampling tickets will be readily available up to and at the event, but those who purchase them online before October 31 will receive a discount. To purchase sampling tickets and VIP Passes, or for more information about the festival and its participants, visit tasteofplaya.com.

Taste of Playa is a community-oriented culinary event that celebrates the creativity and diverse cultural influences of chefs throughout the Riviera Maya. Taste of Playa 2010 will take place on November 21 in Playa del Carmen’s Parque Fundadores. The event is open to the public, with tickets and all-inclusive VIP Passes available for sale. Proceeds will go to a food education program initiated by the Rotary Club in Playa del Carmen that will directly benefit the children and families of the Riviera Maya.