Patricia Harrelson

On Saturday, we took an excursion: shopping and visiting beaches and eating out. I’d read about a little shop called Traditions in El Calendario that specialized in folk art. It was hard to keep a lid on spending in this shop as there were so many intriguing pieces.

Eating out with Cindy is always a challenge, but in Mexico it is absolutely hilarious. She boldly asks for what she wants and often gets something at least close, though not always. For lunch on Saturday, she thought she was ordering taquitos when in fact she ordered fajitas. The expression on her face when the food arrived was priceless.

After lunch, we headed out of town the “back way,” traveling bumpy dirt roads for several miles to Point Lobos, the fishing beach. Boats were pulled up all along the beach, many harboring dogs in the shade of their bows. There were thousands of pelicans and seagulls resting on the boats and in the sand. Some of the pelicans buried their heads in red boxes filled with refuse from cleaning fish. The beach was strewn with fish heads and spines and various pieces of entrails. Aquamarine waves rolled on the white sand. A peach and turquoise shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe perched on the rocks above a freshwater lagoon. Sightseeing in Mexico is always rich with contrast.

Our next stop was the surfer beach. We parked beside a slew of SUVs and walked out toward the water where we spread our towels and donned headphones to listen to our audiobooks. It was windy and cool, but we nevertheless were not to be fooled into complacence, and thus smeared on the sunscreen. Good thing, judging by the patch on my shoulder that apparently missed being slathered and so turned crimson after only an hour. We covered up with towels and watched the surfers before going to the outdoor restaurant for a snack.

Cindy wanted dessert! I kept it simple and order fries and a beer. (I’ve had 3 beers since arriving in Mexico and though I have yet to finish one, the first few slugs are coldly delicious–especially with the squeeze of lime.) Cindy spent a while talking with the wait person and a few others as she tried to figure out what desserts were available. Did I mention how her relationship to food is truly hilarious outside of the United States. She eventually order something called Milk Cake, which she did not like at all but which gave us a good laugh.

It was a great day, topped off by yet another magenta-hued sunset.

This morning, I went to Dharma talk. When Cindy met me at the gate outside La Arca, the cultural center where the talk was held, she gestured to my fellow meditators and said, “These look like your kind of people!” Yep, I fit right in at this gathering.

On the patio of the cultural center there was a tiny street fair with articles for sale by a women’s cooperative. Oops need to keep a check on the pocketbook when there are so many wonderful handicrafts to buy.

Sunday afternoon was spent at D’licia’s, where we shared a cinnamon roll and then “The Kiss” special: scrambled eggs, mango french toast, and fresh fruit. At last a dish Cindy could truly enjoy. After checking email and blogging, what’s next?

Probably a nap and then the sunset!