Bye Linda and thanks for spending 2 weeks with us on the west coast of Mexico.  People say it is very dangerous here.  It seems more dangerous in downtown Cambridge lately.  I heard they arrested a teenager in Galt for singing on Main St.

a typical Mexican dog

 Look Back and Let Go

Yoga on Chairs

 Monsoon coming

camel cloud

Today was Linda's last day in paradise.  Her plane didn't leave until 8:30 p.m., so she had most of the day to do some yoga, last minute shopping, and relax on the palapa, and watch for whales.  In order to get her to the airport, which is only 30 minutes down the semi busy coastal highway, we had a few options.  We could pay $20 US for a cab or take the local city bus for $2.00.  We chose the bus.  We walked up the street to the corner and got on the bus.  It was that easy.  There is always something interesting to watch out the window or even in the bus itself.  Vendors get on the bus to sell everything imaginable.  One lady had a bucket filled with corn chips.  She put some in a plastic bag and then sprayed a peculiar yellow mist substance into the bag and handed it to the man next to me.  He gave her a few coins.  Another man got on the bus with a bag filled with some type of candy bar.  He walked up and down the aisle giving everyone 3 or 4, whether you asked for the candy or not, but only to the Mexicans, not the gringos.  He then returned to collect the money.  If you didn't want a candy bars, you could just give them back to him.  Another young girl, who looked to be about 13, got on the bus with her "boom box", turned on the music as loud as she could, and began to sing.  Not only did the "boom box" stop working shortly after she turned it on, but the girl couldn't sing.  She continued on for about 10 minutes, feeling completely confident that she was the next "American Idol", and then she went up the aisle and collected money.  People actually paid her.  She seemed to ignore the gringos like me.  She got off the bus and immediately got on another.

Life here seems relaxed and without rules.  Two adults and two young children on one motorcycle with no helmets at one time is normal.  Trucks carrying cargo and 5 or 6 people riding in the open back is normal.  Boiling pork fat in very large pots on the street corner is normal.  Most of the people are smiling, polite, clean, and very neatly dressed.  Cars, trucks, and motorbikes are blasting out some sort of noise, advertising their products, from early morning to late at night.  They could be selling fresh strawberries, fresh fish, a bed, or maybe your favourite cheesy bun.  One night around 10 p.m. while walking up a dark street, a man came along on a bicycle with a fiery oven attached to it.  He was selling roasted sweet potatoes, and they were very cheap and delicious!

The weather has been a little different this year.  Last year, it was sunny and very warm for 60 days straight.  This year, it has rained 4 days, still warm, and the cloud formations are spectacular.  This weather makes for great sunrises and sunsets.

We have 2 weeks left and the weather is suppose to get even hotter - in the 30's every day.  There is talk of a monsoon on Monday.  We will see.