A Nice Chacala Day

Today was a very nice day. After breakfast and fooling around picking up trash and finding seashells on the beach, I walked into town to do some errands. First was checking up on Blanca. Last night she was running a fever and had pain in her right side, and I was worrying that she had appendicitus, but when I came by she was up and around at Dona Lupe´s restaurant, with no fever. Her Dad, Euloia, asked if I wanted him to bring me another 24 bottle container of cokes. Ít´s too heavy for either of us to carry, so he brings them over in a wheelbarrow. I buy cokes from Dona Lupe now because the Coke truck doesn´t go down the beach road toward Mar de Jade. Too rough I think, or no stores probably.

Then I got plastic bags and toilet paper from the little store at Koko Bongo´s, and discovered Koko Bongo´s restaurant now has BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS , open everyday, all hours, and on the weekend. Same price as bibliotecha computers used to be. I don´t know if it´s true, but someone told me that the bibiliotecha fee a are donations now. But the bibliotecha isn´t open on the weekends, and is open erractically on weekdays, so I am very pleased.

Went up to Aurora s to check on the plants she is babysitting for me. Probably permanately.

Got I ride back to Chico´s restaurant, and hung out there for awhile, visiting and playing dominoes.

Went home and finished tidying up. Something seemed odd about my camp, and finally I realized all my dirty laundry had been washed and hung up around my place. I had given Esparanza, my landlady a towel and my 8 white teeshirts to wash when I left, but she had come over and found my other dirty shirts and shorts (which I was going to wash myself) and washed them. At first I kind of panicked because I thought she wanted me to pay for the washing (at 50 cents an item) , and I didn´t feel like I could afford it. But when I went over to see her she had a big smile on her face and said it was a gift. It made me very happy. Really happy. What a nice thing for her to do.

After tidying up all my stuff in the big tent, I drew all afternoon, with little Carlos and Markito for company. Every once in a while I could see a shell dropped by the receding tide,and would run down to get the shell. The boys helped me. They thought I was nuts I think, and they are afraid of the water. When it occured to me thatI had never seen any of these kids down on the beach, except for the surfing boys. I hoped that I wasn´t encouraging them to be on the beach in contradiction to the families rules about safety. But Esparanza said the little kids don´t go in the water until it´s warm, in Julio. and I have noticed that very few Chacala residents swim, except in very warm weather.

Anyway, right before sunset Esperanza came over and sat in the hammock and the boys were still drawing and we had a nice visit. Little Jasime came toddling over and played with the little pottery turtles I like and it was very nice and peaceful. I am the only camper in their camping area right now, and it´s quiet. Went swimming right at sunset and took a shower. The shower water is warmed by the sun and was perfect.

Walked into town again to get milk and bought bread rolls from the bread truck that comes around every night. At Juan´s tienda, another Juan, the painter guy who lives in Ana´s house up the hill, was playing the guitar, and teaching the two Koko bongo boys how to play. He was singing "Guantanamera", my mom s favorite song, and he was singing it beautifully. Made me sad and happy. I think she would have liked this life I am having here. I sat there holding Jesus, Juan and Mime s six month old son and listening to the music, sitting in a plastic chair in the street.

Walked down to Chico´s and helped close up and then watched part of the novela, soap opera, they like, and visited. Then I walked home along the beach, had a bowl of Cheerios and bananas and milk and read for awhile in my cozy tent and went to sleep. A very nice day.