Christmas in the tropics

Wandering Dream
Steve Litson
Fri 26 Dec 2014 02:10
Christmas in the tropics...

Jumping from the wall of our house into the ocean, we joined the  brightly coloured parrot fish and zebra striped football fish, after champagne, and stocking opening...
(the boys pointed out that I should really have had more customs anxiety about the fact that  Santa had packed party poppers, and spreadable beer, which may possibly have resembled Semtex,  deep inside the boys stockings, rather than angsting over the (disgusting as it transpired) mince pie flavoured popcorn.)

We were guests at Bruce's cousin, Brent and his lovely wife Jennifer's , glorious home, a boat and maxi taxi journey away  from Balmoral Bay, for Christmas dinner. Bruce has an incredibly warm and welcoming family who made us feel completely relaxed, feeding and "watering" us like royalty.

Sparkling Christmas lights and magnificent Christmas trees initially seemed incongruous with the sun beating down, but Christmas is Christmas, wherever! We sat in shorts and T shirts, outside, under shady pergolas, at long white linened tables for an unforgettable dinner, to which all the assembled parts of the family (48 people) had contributed and the army of efficient and highly organised women had assembled and laid out. Caribbean conversation and Perang Christmas beats accompanied the food, enhanced by a raucous frog chorus as darkness fell; This orchestral medley was melodiously superseded, however, by our own boy band,  positioned in the stern of Thunderboalt, on our return journey, belting out that well known Trinidadian carol "I wanna piece o' pork for me crissmaas", in well lubricated voices which resonated over the waves!

Everyone had their internet "fix" on Christmas Day, and were off, either wake boarding or recovering from a somewhat late night, on Boxing Day.