My arrival on Stone Island on November 21

The first thing I notice is the airport in Mazatlan has received some renovations, a little updating. Nice. My Mexican brother picks me up, he has a "new" truck, now he has 2, one on each side of the docks. He says if I ever need anything from the mainland to let him know, he can get it with his truck, I imagine a stove with an oven in my little kitchen....maybe. He drives the long way to get to the dock, he asks if I am hungry, "Is the Pope Catholic?"  I say. We stop at a road side taco stand, oh my. It's a good thing we don't have tacos at home, I'd be as big as a house. Nothing like the smell of carne asada on the side of the road.

We chat all the way in, about what's new on the Island, not a lot, that's how I like it. He drops me off at the dock , he has some other business in town. The ferry fare has gone up from 6 pesos to 8, or was it like that last year already, I can't remember. Tourists pay 30 for a return.

My back yard looks amazing, green and thick,  but the bricks on the ground have green mold on them from all the rains they had. The need pressure washing, my screens have fallen out of the windows, I could silicone them in but I like being able to take them out to wash them. Everything inside my house is covered in 1/4 inch of dust, everything, and it smells moldy....yuck. I take the plastic cover off my bed and locate the bag with my sheets, they smell horrible but will have to do for today. I find my hotplate and wash a tin cup for coffee in the morning. I inspect for mice and rats,  don't find any, and no poop, just loads of gecko poop and 2 dead cockroaches.....not bad.  

 

I head to the nearest store for dish soup, bleach, toilet paper, cream, coffee, some yogurt, and laundry soap. That should do me for the morning. Not sure when sunset is, its 4 now, I should head to the beach, I am so excited to see the sunset over the ocean. I don't see many sunsets in Canada, I am so far north that for half the summer the sun doesn't set, then during the other half I am in bed before it sets, I rarely miss a sunrise but miss the sunsets. I take the long way to the beach, I am not ready to have long welcome home conversations with all my neighbors along the way.

The sight of the familiar beach is always such a "ahhhh" moment, I can almost feel my shoulders releasing. "I'm here, I'm finally here", it's beautiful. I stay late and  get some amazing shots. How any sunset shots can one have? Many.

WHen I get home from the beach I see the neighbors setting up for a party, just great. The music starts at about 6 pm, by 7 I am ready for bed, I am still jet lagged. So very very jet lagged, I hear nothing all night, not the music, not the dogs barking, not the roosters, I hear nothing until 6 am, best sleep I have had in a month. I am home.....and I have an unexpected roommate.

 This is how it goes here, plans and deals that you make keep changing. He's young, he has a motorbike and a Volkswagen (bowtcho) and a BMW. Stay tuned.