don't do this at home

Happy New Year, dear readers.  It's been surprisingly quiet here in our little beach-side village.  I thought there would be discos galore last night but I'm not really sure there was even one.  The hotel terrace next door was a lively place but it was quiet nice traditional ranchero music with some singing and dancing by guests.  But there was one absolutely glorious spectacle at around 11 PM.

I went out to sit on the balcony to listen to the music and enjoy the (relatively bug-free) night, when I looked up into the sky and saw what appeared to be huge fireflies out over the sea.  It was truly breathtaking.  I recognized these as globos de luces, little paper hot air balloons.  You light the paraffin candle, hold on until it begins to rise, then let go and, if you're lucky and the wind is low, they will float up gently.  Last night was perfect; there was no breeze  so they floated up slowly and crossed the night sky at a stately pace.  I noticed more being launched from the hotel next door.  We first saw these at a party in San Carlos on one of our drives down here.  There was a christening party held out on the lawn of the hotel and when it got dark the guests sent up probably 100 of them.

You wait until the air is nice and warm, then let go and up it goes.

UP . . .

UP . . .

I wish these pictures were better but I was so startled to see them that I just grabbed the iPod and snapped away.  Believe me, it was magical.

Now, if you did this at home you'd end up in San Quentin.

OPERA NOTE:  Tomorrow's opera is Joann Strauss's Die  Fleidermaus (The Bat) from the Met with James Levine back on the podium.  It's going to be GOOD!