Chacala Update

The water pumping station at the main corner in town, across from Juan's tienda, has been painted white, with some signs, and a cement floor and driveway installed. I think it is a kind of town office, but I have been wrong before. It looks very nice. And a sign has been posted about the possible cost of installing a better water system has been posted. I don't know who or what is the driving force behind this, but I suspect Guillermo, of Casa Chacala hotel, the little hotel on the paved road, is involved. He is on the water board and I know he instituted the new effort at financial transparency, the monthly water expenses and income report, that everyone gets. I also heard that you can pay your water bill directly now, rather than waiting for the water lady to come around.

COCONUTS ARE FALLING ON MY BED
After the coconuts fell on my tent I asked again about someone cleaning up the two palms right over the palapa I am renting, but nothing happened again. But then a heavy, green, pointed coco fell thru the palapa and landed a foot from where Markito, the darling two year old grandson of my landlady was standing. I showed Esparanza and Marco, the dad, the split open coco and Markito's tiny and distinctive footprints a foot away, and the next minute Marco was in the tree clearing away the loose cocos. There were about two hundred. Markito and Carlos, aged eight, spent the next hour loading the cocos into a wheelbarrow and hauling them to the burn pile. Very precious. It's moments like that that I wish I had a video camera. But what woud I do with the video. Anyway, I feel much safer.

The Habitat people are gone now. Some of them worked in the area for three weeks, in El Capoma and Las Varas. Hard work and besides their travelling and living expenses the volunteers each make a sizable financial contribution to cover the cost of materials. I am really impressed by their dedication, particularly that of Dean and Dick and Joyce, but many others too.

I love the door-to-door services available at home here. Water jugs, fruit and vegetables, ice cream, bread and pasteries, coco balls , peanuts, delicious little tarts , and tamales, and orange juice, and tiny banana bread loafs are available every day, right here at home. And clothes washing. And that doesn't count the jewelry, hammock, etc vendors, who are very polite and not at all persistant.

GYPSY UPDATE: It turns out that apparently the gypsies, who visited town again that week, lived up to their reputation as thieves. I was very disappointed. It turns out when they arrived in town, they were told by the new, elected leader Juan (of Concha and Juan) that they couldn't do their movie shtick this year. They hung around the south end of the motor home parking area for a couple of days and then left. Apparently taking with them a bunch of restaurant chairs and tables, a video camera, a cooler full of beer, a water pump and some other stuff. They apparently were confronted as they left but not searched nor the police called. Apparently they were told never to return again. I personally take this as a sign of the people in Chacala's quickly developing sense of ownership andresponsibility. I think the kid's winning the $10,000 peso prize and trash truck is a sign of the times and pretty neat.

Anyway, I am just an observer and often I misunderstand or misinterpret what I am seeing, so who knows.

I was hanging around on the beach yesterday afternoon, and saw Dona Lupe and Euloia0 carrying the supplies for a mini pineapple restaurant they were setting up on the beach for the day. They work so hard with so little return. But they keep right on trying. Always thinking of new ways to make a little cash. Cooking desserts and tamales to carrying around to people on the beach, for exampe, is one idea they seem to have done okay with.

One of the people who is staying in Chacala for the winter got hit by a big wave breaking in very very close to shore. He was thrown down and broke his wrist hitting the sand. Those kind of mini-tsumani waves (they suck the water out of the beach right before the hit, and are very very quick) are very very unusual here. I have never seen one. But it pays to keep your eyes on the waves when you are in the water. Constantly. Most of the Mexican tourists who come here do not know now to swim and that's not a good situation, obviously. I have been thinking about offering swimming lessons over on the muelle beach next summer, when the water is really warm and local people swim. Some of the local young men who surf are really good swimmers, but many people aren't. I know I grew up on the beach in California, but I actually learned to swim in the pool. Much easier that way, I think.

One of my favorite sights around here is the fence posts that grow into trees.

Majahua, the local mini resort with spa and restaurant, is offering belly dance shows again the winter. They have also had a wonderful wonderful tenor or soprano sax player from Chile here for the past few weeks. He plays beautifully, and it is the most beautiful sound. Last night I loved sitting out in the jungle on the restaurant patio, surrounded by the moon and stars listening to the sax, and watching the dancing. One of those very special moments, especially the music.