Wow! It's been a long time since I've written in my blog! I apologize to my readers. Funny, after I wrote about relatively safe food and water, and that I hadn't been sick, well, I got really sick! I do believe, however, that it was an intestinal virus. It didn't resemble food poisoning really, so I guess I'll stick to my original opinion.
June 1st was the national holiday, Dia de la Marina. It is the Mexican holiday where the whole nation commemorates the navy, the bounty of the sea, and all those who were lost defending liberty, or bringing food from the sea to the masses. In other words, fishermen and sailors. What an amazing cultural experience! In the morning I hopped on a small boat on the beach with friends, and many others were in other small boats, and we paraded out to sea in armada fashion. Other small boats carried school children of all ages; brightly-colored hand-made wreaths, freshly-showered and groomed children sporting their very clean and tidy school uniforms, all precious indeed!
Once out to sea we circled the boats, I would guess maybe thirty-five pangas, and tied off together. Two of the boats were the masters-of-ceremony: one contained the speakers who would tell the story of the sailors, and the other contained the high school children who would bear the flags and recite speeches of heroes... A moment of silence, no motors, only the water lapping at the hulls of the shallow boats... a speech, the Mexican National Anthem on loud-speaker, and finally we tossed our array of flowers and wreaths onto the surface of the sea... It was very moving.
The event made me think of how every country, not just the USA, has pride and vision, and Mexico is very proud, and like Americans, they mostly cherish their freedom. This is Mexico. It is not completely frought with drug wars and violence. Those issues are regional, just as organized crime and violence and gang wars exist regionally within the US. Mexico is a big country. I happen to sleep in the open, as do all of the other residents here in Yelapa. I am not threatened, nor afraid. My biggest fear is getting out of bed with bare feet and stepping in toad poop, or worse yet on a scorpion, God forbid!
I am alone here, but the jungle entertains me. Everyday I find something new, something unique, or something really gross! We have an animal here they call, tejone. It's a reddish-colored animal similar to a racoon only longer and bigger. One night one was sniffing me through the mosquito netting. Kinda freaked me out because I thought of Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf! Fortunately the thing is mostly a vegetarian. Almost every morning I find a messy mango in the sala where a tejone has chowed down and smeared mango goobers all over the tile. If it sits too long it's very sticky and hard to get off, and fruit flies charge in. I have become accustomed to hosing off my living area in the mornings.
This morning I found something gross: the cats, or something, had puked up a mouse. It was in pieces, and was all wet and icky... Yes, I hosed it out of my living area, the sala. I fed the cats in the bodega, a large storage room off the kitchen (cocina), and low and behold another common mess: toad poop and pee... Ay Dios mio! Every morning there are things like these; little annoyances that make life interesting. But realize these are the only things I have to worry about. Nature, it abounds here in all it's glory, it is relevant, alive, and fascinating. Being here is better than watching Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet, or living vicariously through the travel channel, both which I love. Did you know that toads pee about as much as my dachshund back home?
Oh, I must say something about the crabs. The land crabs abound here. They came out of their holes during the first big rain and they were everywhere! Most are about the size, or diameter of a baseball, some smaller. You usually hear them before you see them: "Tick-tick-tick-tick". They were in my book case, under my chair, on the walkways, on the pathways, and in the leaves. The jungle has so much plant debris that the crabs can eat... once again, the food chain, or food web, is alive and well.
The sea is beautiful this morning. It stopped raining about a half hour ago. I can see the Marietas Islands very clearly in the distance... it is going to be a great day!
June 1st was the national holiday, Dia de la Marina. It is the Mexican holiday where the whole nation commemorates the navy, the bounty of the sea, and all those who were lost defending liberty, or bringing food from the sea to the masses. In other words, fishermen and sailors. What an amazing cultural experience! In the morning I hopped on a small boat on the beach with friends, and many others were in other small boats, and we paraded out to sea in armada fashion. Other small boats carried school children of all ages; brightly-colored hand-made wreaths, freshly-showered and groomed children sporting their very clean and tidy school uniforms, all precious indeed!
Once out to sea we circled the boats, I would guess maybe thirty-five pangas, and tied off together. Two of the boats were the masters-of-ceremony: one contained the speakers who would tell the story of the sailors, and the other contained the high school children who would bear the flags and recite speeches of heroes... A moment of silence, no motors, only the water lapping at the hulls of the shallow boats... a speech, the Mexican National Anthem on loud-speaker, and finally we tossed our array of flowers and wreaths onto the surface of the sea... It was very moving.
The event made me think of how every country, not just the USA, has pride and vision, and Mexico is very proud, and like Americans, they mostly cherish their freedom. This is Mexico. It is not completely frought with drug wars and violence. Those issues are regional, just as organized crime and violence and gang wars exist regionally within the US. Mexico is a big country. I happen to sleep in the open, as do all of the other residents here in Yelapa. I am not threatened, nor afraid. My biggest fear is getting out of bed with bare feet and stepping in toad poop, or worse yet on a scorpion, God forbid!
I am alone here, but the jungle entertains me. Everyday I find something new, something unique, or something really gross! We have an animal here they call, tejone. It's a reddish-colored animal similar to a racoon only longer and bigger. One night one was sniffing me through the mosquito netting. Kinda freaked me out because I thought of Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf! Fortunately the thing is mostly a vegetarian. Almost every morning I find a messy mango in the sala where a tejone has chowed down and smeared mango goobers all over the tile. If it sits too long it's very sticky and hard to get off, and fruit flies charge in. I have become accustomed to hosing off my living area in the mornings.
This morning I found something gross: the cats, or something, had puked up a mouse. It was in pieces, and was all wet and icky... Yes, I hosed it out of my living area, the sala. I fed the cats in the bodega, a large storage room off the kitchen (cocina), and low and behold another common mess: toad poop and pee... Ay Dios mio! Every morning there are things like these; little annoyances that make life interesting. But realize these are the only things I have to worry about. Nature, it abounds here in all it's glory, it is relevant, alive, and fascinating. Being here is better than watching Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet, or living vicariously through the travel channel, both which I love. Did you know that toads pee about as much as my dachshund back home?
Oh, I must say something about the crabs. The land crabs abound here. They came out of their holes during the first big rain and they were everywhere! Most are about the size, or diameter of a baseball, some smaller. You usually hear them before you see them: "Tick-tick-tick-tick". They were in my book case, under my chair, on the walkways, on the pathways, and in the leaves. The jungle has so much plant debris that the crabs can eat... once again, the food chain, or food web, is alive and well.
The sea is beautiful this morning. It stopped raining about a half hour ago. I can see the Marietas Islands very clearly in the distance... it is going to be a great day!
Wow! A lot to do in the morning! Lol While you sleep they are thinking of ways to keep you busy. You are a great writer. I would read your book. Good thing I am not there, you would have had to slap me to stop screaming from all the lil creatures!! Martha
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