March 2014

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I could not sleep during the night, there was a strong breeze and noise which I could not fathom, so I got up and came out on the balcony. The sky was alight with thuder, dark clouds streaked with violet spread out in the sky and over the treetops I could see the sun rays trying to burst through. So it must have been dawn breaking. As I was looking at the sea, it started to rain, thunder clasping its hands at the joyful downpour. Further sleep was out of the question, so I went in and cleaned my teeth, shaved, showered

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Alex was up when I got ready so I went and bought fresh mango and orange juice, fresh tomatoes, radishes, and had a nice breakfast with fresh bread, olive oil and fruit juice. Alex just had mango juice. He is again uneasy, says that he does not want to travel, etc, etc. However he has received a SMS message from a friend who is in Cancun and will wait for him until the 16th October. And Alex is looking forward to meet her there.

In the afternoon we again went to the Muncipal market and a hearty lunch of grilled fish and prawns, calde de camarones, salad, rice and guacamole.

A very good meal indeed. And came back to the hotel to have a siesta as the day, after the rain, is very hot. It was our plan to continue our travel by bus, however, Alex says it wil take eleven hours to reach Merida, so he has gone to book seats on the plane. We go back to Mexico city and from there fly to Merida. We leave tomarrow at 15hrs, have a four hours stopover at Mexico city and reach Merida at 22hrs. Can't say if travelling by plane will take less time than the bus.

Our original plan was to continue our journey west, visiting Las Lagunas de Chacahua in the National Park, stay a day or two at Puerto Angel, lie down and take it easy at Zipolite beach, where swimming is dangerous and surfing is committing suicide. We are told that food is good there and even vegetarian food is available. And then on to San Augustinillo, where not only the surfing is good but swimming too.But our plans are now changed.

In the evening Alex wanted to go out and see who was hanging out, instead decided to stroll together with me. So as soon as it was dark and felt a little cooler but was not, we went out. The street was empty and so were the restaurants. We came to a place where loud music was being played, the drinks were 2x1free. We ordered mojitos, the waitress brought two small glasses which were just water, ice and a few mint leaves hanging on the rims. No rum. On our complaing, she took our glasses and brought them back with a little rum (there was no rum) and the liquid tasted awful. We paid 100 pesos and left the place, mojito untouched, and returned to the hotel.

09/10/2008: The night was very hot, only after 2 O'clock a cool breeze started and we could sleep a little. Alex has gone to supermarket CHE to buy fesh bread and some fruit, as it wil be along day. After four days' stay at Puerto Escondido, we are on the move again.

We are now at the airport which is modern, has a nice bar and restaurant. It is raining but hot outside and many soldiers and local police are patrolling the area. I asked a security guard if carrying a bottle of olive oil on board was permitted, he said their only concern was terrorists carrying dynamite on board.

07/10/2008:
Alex had been taking sun yesterday and his whole face, shoulders and back are scorched. I had told him to be careful about sunbathing but what can you do. He told me about a small restaurant shack, where there are rock crops and where the surfers are. In front of the shack the proprietor has hung two hammocks where I could lay down, read or write while he is gone further up where the young people are sunbathing on another stretch of the beach of white sand.

So we walked up the whole stretch of the beach to this restaurant at Playa Carizalillo, which is called Sabor a Mar (Taste of Sea) and found it a nice place indeed. In front are big rock crops and the sea is in constant rage, heavy waves breaking over the rocks with a thundering sound. The spot is ideal for surfing but not for bathing. I ventured in the water twice but the waves threatened to drag me inside. I said no thanks, came out of the water and had a cold dark beer. After that I ordered a Gin & Tonic but the owner, Señor Mundo, could not find the gin bottle. So I had a Cuba Libre and since I was feeling so relaxed, I went behind the counter and made myself one more, and only then, searching the shelf where were stacked all the bottles, did I notice the lonesome bottle of Tanquery Dry Gin, nearly empty. But I was content and at peace. Like Hemingway.

When Alex came back, his face and arms black, shoulders burnt, he could not lie down in the hammock and I had to put after sun cream on his body to protect it from further burns. He drank two large glasses of fresh Orange juice and I ordered a Gin & Tonic. Drinks cost 35 pesos each, beer 20 pesos and fruit juice 27 pesos.

We went back to the hotel and rested for some time, then took a shower and decided to again go the Municipal market and explore the place. The market was not full, but the stalls were full of different kinds of fruit & vegetables, spices, adobos and cheese. And fresh fish. We decided on one restaurant which had clean table covers, ordered cold beers and asked to see what fish they had. The owner, l stout woman, brought a tray on which were giant (king) prawns which like in Spain, are also called Camarones here and the fish was Pargo.

Camarones al ajillo or al pil-pil are delicious. In a clay or ceramic skillet, heat olive oil, put chopped garlic and after a minute add peeled prawns, and fry for five minutes. Add white wine and after a few minutes simmering the prawns are ready. sprinkle whole salt and red chili, garnish with lime/lemon juice, fresh coriander leaves and Viola! Camarones al ajillo. Great with dry white wine.

We did not want to eat fried fish so I explained how we preferred our fish and camarones. The owner called another woman, who cut the fish in slices, broke the head in two halves, took out the gills and grilled the fish on a hot plate. Alex wanted his camarones al ajillo, and since there was no white wine to add, I told the lady to pour in half cup of beer. They were delicious and succulent. He liked the prawns so much that he had three plates and said he was still hungry. We enjoyed the food so much that we promised to return the next day.

In the evening we watched the US presidential debate on CNN. What a disappointing and uninspiring sparring between two lacklustre candidates.

Alex has been feeling uneasy, too much sun and travelling with me, he misses the young crowd.

06/10/2008: I have noticed a very curious thing on my trip to Mexico, neither Mexicans nor the few tourists we have met, look at you, there is no eye contact. Mexicans are very affable and polite but they do not smile. It feels as people are living in a sci-fiction world. It reminds me of the paintings of Paul Gauguin, all his protagonists, especially women sitting or standing are sad, the reason was that in Tahiti and other south sea islanders, at the time of his stay there, were dying of syphilis, the incurable and deadly disease with which the french and other European sailors had infected the islands. Mr. Gauguin himself was suffering from this disease and he died of it. But the sadness of Mexicans was very strange.

Last evening, when we came back to the hotel, rain clouds were gathering and the wind was brisk. The sun was already setting over the trees and I could see a distant glow at the horizon. We went to bed, it was hot and mosquito's were buzzing about. I had a beer and Alex had a soft drink and about ten O'clock we went to bed. At about two O'clock at night, I suddenly heard a thunderbolt, followed by a flash of lightning. The window was open and the lightning filled the room. I could hear the strong wind moving the trees outside. Then the downpour started and a full blast of thunder. It rained the whole night and the early morning was blissfully cooler.

I went out and brought fresh fruit (12 pesos) and a orange juice in a plastic bag (10 pesos) and put them in the fridge. Then we went walking to to the super market Che, which is about a kilo meter from the hotel. Che is a modern super market, with a very large selection of products. They bake fresh bread, sell grilled chicken and spare ribs, pork, and have a good selection of wine. We bought fresh bread, tomatoes, cheese, chorizo, Spanish Olive Oil, some beer and a bottle of Californian Red Wine. It cost 130 pesos. Expensive, and after drinking it, had nothing to write about it. Back at the hotel, we had a leisurely breakfast and sat reading and writing.

It is now past 12 0'clock and Alex has just left, he has gone to the far end of the beach where there is a sandy beach. It is quite hot and I do not feel like going in the sun as it gives me a headache, also I am beginning to get a cold. So I will take it easy.

It is 3 0'clock, I must have slept, Alex is not back yet so I will go down to the beach and join him.
I was half way to the far beach when I saw him coming back. He said he was hungry, so we went in a beach restaurant which had tables and chairs outside, but there was no one eating. Almost all the restaurants are empty.

We told the waiter that we wanted to eat fish and could we please see the selection they had to offer. He brought us two fishes, one was a mackerel and other a small white fish, name of which he did not know. He recommended the white fish 'al ajillo' (garlic butter) and the mackerel 'a la Mexicana' (marinated in adobo). I called the cook and suggested that he grill the white fish and not fry in butter. However, the fish came out burnt, totally carbonated and without any taste of garlic or anything else and was uneatable. The mackerel 'a la Mexicana' was somewhat better. The bill came to 105 pesos. We paid and went back to the hotel. Time for a Mexican Siesta.