El Palapa Mirador

El Palapa Mirador, owned by Dona Maria for the last 16 years

My Mexican sister has decided to take most of the year off and isn't operating her restaurant this year. Since I had more time on my hands I was hanging out at Los Chivos a lot, swimming and or paddling. I still don't like swimming in the waves which makes Los Chivos the perfect spot. In hanging out there I ended up getting a new job. I am the new waitress/dishwasher/ and the "go get me this" girl at the Palapa EL Mirador  ( The look out palapa) named so because we have a beautiful view of the Island across the water with the mountains in the background. 

We have a bottom deck where you can sit at sea level or a top deck where you have the view, this is a perfect work out for me, up and down the stairs all day long, I do feel it at night when I go to bed. Every evening after cleanup I jump in the water for a quick dip, so refreshing.

My Mexican brother is there as well every day, he has been hired to rebuild her palapa, due to all the storms this has to be done every few years. He and his crew of banditos (my name for them) are there every day as well, entertaining us....or me anyway. 

If you ever get a chance to watch a Mexican construction crew at work do so, It is entertaining and so very interesting. I wish I could set up a web cam up because pictures just don't do it any justice.

  

There is a whole lot of shanigans that go on but it never even slows down the work, these guys work like no other. They have been  working there for 2 weeks and I will miss them when they are gone. They chatter away all day, they whoo whoo and sing, play jokes on each other and laugh at each other every chance they get, they have little accidents and mishaps and they get side tracked with helping others. They will stop and go to the cantina to get more beer for us, they will give people rides to the ferry, they will help chop coconuts when we get busy, they will help unload the coke truck, one customer lost her cell phone yesterday, the whole crew stopped and searched in the sand for it and then one guy raced to the ferry with his quad only to find that they had already crossed so he crossed over as well and met up with her on the other side. ...... work did get interrupted a bit that time.

  

The bottom deck at hightide

You can't beat this view from your table

If you want to be even closer the new waitress will put a table down below for you and she will run back and forth....she needs the exercise.

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Very classy bathrooms, complete with real doors

Sometimes the sunset starts out like this

When the water turns a rose color the waitress will usually take a swim

Sometimes when it's slow the waitress will hang up her dress and go for a swim

Then of course she has to lay  in a hammock to dry off for awhile

Sometimes the sunset is astounding 

And sometimes the sky is astounding 

I use the word astounding so much here in Mexico. 

The "wind down"

My favorite time to be on the beach is sunrise, my second favorite time is Sunday just before sunset. Sunday is usually the busiest day on the beach, it is our restaurants busiest day. The taxi boats that bring most of the tourist to the beach for the day stop running at sundown, so the exodus starts shortly before sundown. The  "wind down" goes like this:
Mothers gather their kids and give them a cold garden hose bath, washing off the sea sand, and scrubbing their pop stained mouths,  some get clean dry clothes to go home in, some get pajamas, some go home snuggled in a wet towel and some in a cozy house coat.
 Coolers, plastic bags, umbrellas, soccer balls and shoes get packed up and they slowly walk up the beach towards the sun, families arm in arm, kids piggy backing, some lagging behind dragging their feet, some still bouncing full of sugar, some being carried sleeping on shoulders. Some piled onto the backs of pickup trucks and some piled into cars. 
We rush to finish clean up, we bring table cloths in, bring chairs and tables in, we don't want anything washed away at high tide. We put a last fish on the fire for us to eat, fry the last 6 shrimp, and wash the last dishes, the pail of fish guts gets buried and all the garbage gets brought to the bins. Cocoa debris gets racked up. We eat standing up leaning against the bar so we can see the sun set, it's beautiful again. 
The 7 year old gets dry clothes on and needs to go in to do her homework. I get into my hammock and the cleanup guys rakes the sand. I watch the last people slowly make their way up the beach, towards the sunset. A kid passes by kicking a soccer ball, the life guards pass by on a quad, I watch a dog tear apart a left behind bag of garbage, the life guard booth seems so tall now that the beach is empty. The waiter next door walks by bringing his empties back to the cantina, 2 dogs are following him (they always do), a young couple are standing under a palapa making out, soon they start dancing to the music from the cantina, I see my sister's daughter dancing with a friend under the boogie board palapa, the wind picks up and sends a boogie board flying down the beach, she stops dancing and chases it. I snuggle deeper into my hammock, garbage starts dancing on the beach as if it can hear the music too, it's art, a reminder of the fun that was had here today, it could make a beautiful painting,  all the Styrofoam cups of  coke that were enjoyed, the paper plates of civiche that was eaten and the straws and stray tin cans, all dancing, shining in the last of the sun.
 In the morning the wind will have left ripples in the sand, like the ribs on a chocolate soft ice cream cone. By now everything is in silhouettes, the tractor pulling the fishing boats in, the dogs looking for left over bones, the lovers sitting in the sand....the left over few, the locals, that are not in a hurry to catch a boat, the music from the cantina is lovely, a table cloth blows by, I squint to keep the sand out of my eyes, I lean out of my hammock to pet a dog, I see my neighbors going for their daily evening walk, I decide it's too windy to walk, plus I am mesmerized by the "wind down", it's beautiful.  Once it's dark and the silhouettes are gone I get out of my hammock, I gather a sack of empty tin cans (my neighbor collects them) and carry my flip flops and meander on home, as I exit the beach I hear the red caution flag crack in the wind, kind of like the flag on the 9th green outside my office does on a windy day .....I am jolted back to reality,  I'm living in daily sadness now, the countdown to go back to Canada is on, 2 more weeks. The sadness will be replaced by excitement.....once I am on the plane, until then everything I do now is "a last".
I stop at a neighbor's little store, I bought a carton of wine a few days ago and plan on having a glass tonight and in case it's not good wine I should have a 7 up on hand, and I wanted a package of Ritz crackers to go with my wine (I'm classy that way), 4 neighborhood kids are in there and they have purchased tomatoes and an onion that they were sent for and now have 7 pesos left and want to buy as much candy as they can....they are pricing out the whole store, this amuses me, I wait, they don't have Ritz crackers, I end up with a bag of cheetos to go with my wine. I wait, this is how it is here.....and I like it like that.

I have another story, about my road trip to Chihuahua, but not now......I've had 2 glasses of wine, but it involves.....a pair of fleece lines leggings, a bus, a train, a car, 2 dried up crooked trees, my great grandmothers house, snow (yes snow) waffles and pudding and beans...and more.

 By the way....I can't believe how many of you can't get over my pink dress lol. If I can figure out how to take a full length picture of myself I'll do it for you....anything to keep the ratings up...since I have been slacking off the ratings are a bit down. 

Where the fat fart is

Here are some of the events that have happened since I last posted, but not necessarily in this order;

There was a meeting (reunion) of 4 friends on a balcony facing the ocean at sunup. I arrived with my own coffee because I am now a cream snob. The conversation is tangled in Spanish and English. When we end up not understanding each other we just change the subject and start over again. There was a lot of laughing and good food. I learn a new recipe and a few new words. When I get home I find the iron but can't remember what I needed to iron anymore. I eventually find the silverware as well, in a hidden drawer of the serving table. I feel settled.
Throughout the day I keep an eye on the old gentleman next door, it looks like he is breaking in a very skittish horse. He is gentle, slow and so patient, his touch and his voice seem soft. When he finally mounts the horse he has a handkerchief tied around the horse's head, the horse is completely blind, totally trusting the cowboy. It's beautiful and I am reminded of another "Cowboy" who was near and dear to me, he would have loved it here.
A week ago I gave someone some cash for some coconuts, today 2 guys in a red truck pulled up and unloaded 18 coconuts, I tried to pay them, they said they had already been paid. This is how things are done here, I like it.
One evening a lady showed up at my gate, "Are you Maria?" Yes I am. She says "Danny says you like tamales, would you like to buy some". I buy 4 beef tamales from her. They were so very good. This is how we do things here.
I've tried to do some beading, but forgot to bring a needle threader, a beading needle is so hard to thread without one, I gave up. I go to my friends house to see if she has one or at least can tell me what it is called in my new tongue. She doesn't know what I am talking about, she gives me her sewing basket full of notions to search for it, she doesn't have one. I think her sewing basket is a 100 years old though. Oh well, I can't sit still long enough to do any beading yet anyway. I should be studying Spanish.
This is what I learned today;
Hacer el pedo gordo   to make a fat fart - to make a stink, a commotion,
example: aqui esta el pedo gordo - here is where the fat fart is meaning this is where the commotion is or where the shit is happening.
Now this is Spanish I can use, there is always a commotion (a fat fart) of some kind happening here.
Today when I walked the beach in the morning I was so deep in thought I didn't hear a heard of horses behind me until they were almost on top of me, 30 plus horses ran past me spraying me with the ocean. Herding them was a young cowboy in surfing shorts, sandals and a hoodie, no shiny cowboy boots, belt buckles or hats, these are not rodeo showoffs, cowboy is a way of life here. 6 horses decide to make a break for it and head towards the plantation, cowboy is on them real quick, not his first day in the saddle. He managed to merge them all around a 90 degree corner and up a very narrow road past the RV park, they kicked up a sand storm but they all made it.
The surf must be ideal today, the boys are out, some in wet suits... that's serious surfing. They entertain me for a while and then some start heading in...to school I hope, but they noticed the gringo volleyball game in front of the RV park, they get a welcome wave, drop their towels and boards and join the gringos. The gringo all move to one side, they will play against the surfers. It's old retired beer bellied gringos against young surfers, not much of a contest. After only 2 serves I can see the gringos will get their soft butts kicked, but I am sure they knew that.
I get home and see a mouse in my garbage, I don't think fast enough and he gets away.
I try to do my homework from my bible study class but my Spanish brain is not working, I go to a friends house for help. I fall in love with her shoes, we discuss shoes, tamales, ironing and new bed sheets, I forget all about my homework, oh well, tomorrow is another day.
When I get home my neighbor is feeding his puppies for the first time, it's hilarious. They keep falling into the bowl, their faces are covered in food. He is standing by to teach them some table manners but they are not ready for that.

My evening is delightful, a starry sky, twinkling Christmas lights around my palapa, Mexican music coming from 2 houses down, the neighing of a horse, the ticking sound of the palms in the breeze, me in my hammock with my Spanish verb book on my lap, a cup of tea and a pastry from the dessert truck. Soon as the music stops (it always does) cowboy starts whistling as he is touching his horse, when the horse lifts his legs up to kick he backs up, keeps whistling, and pets the horse again. Soon the horse stands at ease as cowboy strokes his flanks, he is singing now, softly. Roosters start talking to each other, Cowboy leaves his horse tied to the big tree. I think I hear crickets.
I tried to post some pictures but for some reason that just didn't work today...that's how it is here sometimes

Sunday morning

I get ready for church, I find one wrinkle free outfit, I have new black flip flops with some rhinestones on them, my toes nails are polished, my hair looks good too, soft and shiny, it must like the water. I realize that my bible is in storage, I will go without, moments later I walk past a mirror, my hair is all frizzy, I put on a hairband, Maybe I'll cut it short again. I dodge the horse poo on the road trying to get to church with clean toes, it doesn't happen, I arrive with dusty toes, shoes and sweating, it's so hot already. Everyone is sombre, a member of the congregation died last night, I don't get all the details, there is a new pastor giving the message, someone passes me a bible, I manage to follow along.*
After church I go to leave, I am summoned back, we follow 2 funeral home vans, I am assuming we are going to the deceased home to pay our respects to the family, my black pants feel like they are on fire. I'm not sure what is expected of me, I follow my friends. We arrive at the home, some members of the congregation stand back and don't go into the house, I join them. I say a silent prayer for the family, my headband hurts my head. I see Nina, we embrace, she cries, I say " I'm sorry" my heart breaks for her, I don't know how she is related to the deceased. I wait until I see others leave and hope it's appropriate to leave, I don't know whats expected, I hope they will have some grace for me if I am not doing the right thing. My pants are still on fire, a tractor and trailer of tourist pass me, they are laughing.....at my frizzy hair I'm sure. I'll never be a lady. There is a dead cockroach lying on his back on my kitchen floor when I get back. I open the fridge to get some yogurt and the side shelve inside the door falls off and my flaxseed oil hits the floor and spills all over, nice. I'm hungry but not for yogurt, maybe I'll go buy a chicken. As I get ready to head out I hear the produce truck, I run out, he is new, I don't know him. His papaya is rotten and so is the cantaloupe, I buy some tomatoes, his last avocado, 2 bananas and some limes, I'll buy some tostadas and make guacamole for lunch tomorrow. I see my thermometer that is hanging in the shade under my palapa shows 26C. I head off to the chicken place still wearing my hot black pants. Same people at the chicken place, I order 1/2  a BBQ chicken and sit down to wait. I chat with 2 ladies from church, we watch the chickens run around under the tables and the grill, one lady asks me which one I want, we laugh. A man walks up and waits at the second counter, no ones acknowledges him, he awaits. A boy on a motor bike pulls up with 2 plastic shopping bags full of raw beef, he has a harpoon pierced through his ear lobe, a lady takes the meat from him, she walks away and he waits to get paid. Man at the other counter says to no one in particular "do you have any ceviche?" no one answers him, he waits, no sign of impatience or annoyance on his face. Harpoon boys waits. My friends food is ready, they leave. "do you have any ceviche?" again, girl at the grill looks under the counter and says "no" she hesitates a bit and yells towards the house "grandma, someone wants ceviche". Grandma is sitting on a chair, says "ok" but doesn't get up. Man leans against counter and is watching traffic go by. A little girl knocks all the plastic cups off the counter onto the ground, her mother gathers them up from under the table and shoos a curious chicken away. Harpoon boy goes next door and buys himself an ice cream, no one is in a hurry, no one is annoyed. Grandma gets up and goes into the house and comes back with a container of ceviche and serves the man at the table, he looks happy, she gives harpoon boy his money, he drives away with one hand, ice cream dripping from the other. My chicken is ready, I ask for a glass of horchata as well, she pours it into a plastic cup, they have no lids, I ask or a fork and knife, they don't have any, will a spoon do. "yes" I now have a precious spoon. I manage to not spill my horchata on the way home. At the next corner I notice a business transaction, a boy hands over money to 2 other boys carrying pails, one boy hands over a pail...of fresh fish. I like it here. A few men are setting up band equipment at the cantina, I remember it's Sunday, the only day for live music, they stop playing at 10 pm, I like it here, you can party it up and still be home in bed at 10 pm. Back at my house 23 horse are trying to get shade out of one tree, there is a lot of poop, my pants are stuck to me like glue, I may as well keep them on as I don't think I can get them off, my thermometer says it's 28C now, it;s 1:30pm, my wind chimes have not made any noise yet at all. I start looking for a hammock, I find a sewing machine. A cowboy rides up with 10 saddled wet and sweaty horses, a lady takes them into her yard and unsaddles them and sends them back out, they immediately roll around in the sand/dust and huddle under the tree. Soon I find an ironing board, no iron yet.

* The message today as I understood it; It was about the importance of reading the bible. The word of God is essential to your walk with God. If you are not applying the word of God to your life you are not walking with God. If you are not continually reading the bible you don't have the word of God written on your heart, you are walking lost in the dark, no sun, just darkness. Think of the word of God as the sunrise, it comes everyday, there has to be a sunrise in order for there to be light, but yet the sunrise is not spectacular every day, It doesn't wow you everyday, but every once in awhile it is spectacular and it can stop you in  your tracks and take your breathe away and cause you to look up in awe. That is like the word of God if you read it everyday, some days you will feel like you don't get anything out of it but if you keep reading God will choose the time and the right words and you will be moved, to do something, to change something, or to learn something, a light will go on and It will be spectacular and it will be just for you.....just like the sunrise.
This is what I got out of the message this morning, not saying this is what he said.

I have arrived on Stone Island again

I have arrived on Stone Island. My friend Danny picked me up at the airport, with his sister Nina’s truck because his isn’t working. He had to take the starter out yesterday and drop it off somewhere in Mazatlan. He asked if I minded if he did some errands in Maz before we headed to the Island.....no problema, I am so excited to be here, and I am on vacation and there is no rush. As we are driving in he asks “are you hungry?”Well, let me thinkyes! We stop at one of my favourite places on the street off of the malecon by the fisherman’s monument. It’s called “negro...something” There was a short debate between us about what my first meal should be, should it be Chilli Rellenos or Tacos? That was a tough one, in the end we ended up having Chilli Rellenos and a Toni-Col in a glass bottle. It was awesome. I was trying to taste, smell and hear all at the same time...without choking of course, the traffic, the music, the ocean, the Carne asada, the humidity.....oh the humidity, did I mention it was 30C? He tells me about all the drama that has happened in his life since spring, some good, some sad, some bad. We have a good visit.

After some running around we head to the docks, Danny does a near impossible parking manoeuvre, I’m astounded, he laughs and says “everything is possible in Mexico”, yes because only a Mexican would even dare to try.

The captain of the boat taking us across shakes my hand and welcomes me home with a big grin....oh no, that was me that had the big grin, I was the one sitting at the bow of the boat with a goofy grin on her face, sticking my head out the side like a dog does on the back of a truck, it was sooo hot and the breeze felt so good.

We arrive on the other side, the big welcoming sign has been repainted a bright purple, nice. Danny gets on his quad to hunt down the key to my house I ride on the back of a taxi/truck to the house. The landlady and Danny arrive at the same time as I, she has the key, someone has cleaned the house from end to end, I am so happy.

I do a quick inventory and notice there is no toilet paper, I make a list and change into cooler clothes and head to the store. As I walk up my street I dodge horse poo, I smile, I’m home. I walk past my old house, I’m a bit sad. I notice the local cantina is empty, but it’s still early. Chabela has built a fishnet fence; it’s fast becoming green with vines, nice. Peanuts are roasting at the peanut place; I’ll pick some up on my way back. I see we have a new little Super Corner store sponsored by Tecate, our first liquor store in disguise....maybe. I reach the store and I smell the fish market, a fresh fish fry would be so good, but not today. I’m not even sure if all my utilities work. I realize I forgot my list, I “wing it”.  At the till....no at the counter, (there is no till, people here know how to count and make change) I notice my paper bills in my pocket are a waded up soggy mess already...oh the humidity, it’s hot. I think of how much the kid at the counter has grown since I first started living here, I try to remember when that was, I think 2007, he’s a young man now. I end up with 2 bags of groceries, I’m annoyed, I hate carrying stuff, heavy stuff, I can walk forever but hate carrying stuff. I envy women with husbands; they have someone to carry their stuff. I should have bulging biceps by now. I hate carrying stuff. I pass the peanut place and decide I have too much stuff. I pass Danny hard at work in his mechanic shop, he hoots, I hoot back, if you hoot you don’t have to stop and chat. Soon after I get home I find lots of mouse turds, should have bought some mouse traps. I have water in the house but not hot, no surprise. I don’t have internet, I’m told on Monday I will be connected. I have electricity but it seems the stove is gas; I have no idea how to turn that on. I’m drinking water as fast as I can, it’s hot, my hair is damp and flat and my clothes are sticky, I am happy. I notice that in the plantation across from has been ploughed; they are getting ready to build a resort, that makes me sad. I keep looking at the time, I don’t want to miss sunset on the beach, I am not sure when the sun sets these days, I have no internet to look that up. At 4:00 I head for the beach, about a 30 second walk, I walk past my old house I am sad again. As I step onto the beach I could have cried for joy, its home, it truly is. If one can have 2 homes I have it. I can almost feel my shoulders start relaxing, maybe it’s my imagination. I see my friend Contessa from www.contessajewall.com sitting in front of her RV reading, I stop and we share a quick whats new and whats not on the Island, so good to see friends coming back. Some of us don’t see or talk to each other during the summer months. Geeks like Contessa and I keep in touch through our blogs....sorry Contessa, at least we’re not nerds. I carry on, I must greet the ocean, the beach is long, it’s beautiful, I want to just jump in, I really do, I want it all over me, I want to soak it all in, but I would drown, I can’t swim. I take my shoes off, the water is warm, I walk, I breath, I meditate on how blessed I am to be here. A man with about 6 horses passes me, he grins and waves, he knows me, I watched him go to and from work every day last year, and the year after that. I walk for about 30 minutes and turn around to go back. I pass some surfer boys; they are here almost every evening too. I come off the beach before the sun has set, oh well, tomorrow. I wish I had bought some coconuts, I am so thirsty. I’ve had a headache since I got off the plane, I drink more water. There is everything in this house you could ever need except I can’t find the silverware. I’m not ready to cook yet but I would like a spoon to eat my yogurt in the morning. There is a blender maybe I’ll make a yogurt shake. I wonder what time the produce guy comes by in the morning. The dessert truck comes and I’m excited, I buy a pastry even though I missed sunset. Last year I had tea and a pastry every night at sunset hence the 20 extra pounds in the spring. I make another grocery list and head to Miguels tienda and restaurant, its pitch black outside (or stick dark in German) my street has no lights, it doesn’t bother me, I am home. I pass the cantina again; there are 2 people in it, no Saturday night bar brawls here. I order 4 taco even though I know I should only have 2, I’m not too smart when it comes to food. As I sit and watch the lady squeeze my oranges for my litre of orange juice I realize I forgot my list again. I remember I wanted tea, she doesn’t have any. Tacos come with 3 baggies of sauce, one is salsa, one caldo one is guacamole , in my haste I mix the salsa and caldo up and pour the whole baggies of salsa on my tacos, it’s soo good, I have guac and salsa running down my elbows, it’s hot, very hot.....member not too smart with food. I eat them all. I spend the rest of the evening trying to suck the flavour out of tongue, it’s so good. I save my orange juice for breakfast, don’t want to change the taste on my tongue. My head still hurts. I spend the evening sitting outside writing this story on paper with a pencil and listening to the sounds of my neighbourhood. I am content. It’s still hot. I remember I have a thermometer in my suitcase, I hang it up, it’s 25C at 7:30 pm, it feels hotter because of the humidity. I am happy. There are many many extension cords and power bars in this house, I try to figure out what powers what, I mange to turn on some lights. At some point I realize I am filthy dirty, my feet are black, this place seems to do that to you, I have a cold shower. At 8:00 I go to bed, I saw all the chickens and rooster outside on the street on front of my house and I know the first night will be rough; I should get an early start. My head still hurts. 

I sleep soundly until midnight and then I get up and turn some lights off, I sleep until 2 and then the roosters are up, from 2 to 6 it’s a restless dance with me and the sheets, I loose track of time and get out of bed at 7 and start the coffee maker, it’s daylight out, I missed sunrise, I’m annoyed. I can’t remember when the last time was that I missed a sunrise, so annoyed. The water truck comes by, I don’t need any water.  I hear a commotion outside, a cowboy has just herded 23 (I counted) horses in from the plantation and parks them in front of my house. I wander around the house with my coffee in hand and find a hot water tank but have no idea how to make it make hot water. I have a cold shower again. I discover all my clothes are wrinkled and I can’t find an iron. I put on a pair of black capris which I know I will regret but they are not wrinkled. My headache is gone, my street is very quiet, the roosters are asleep.  I wonder if I were to hide the silverware where would I hide it. I eat my yogurt with a measuring spoon.

Sorry no photos today. 

Too be continued;