Comfy and Quiet Chacala Day

Chacala as been really nice today. Sunny, clear and warm. This is a three-day holiday weekend and there are two big families camping at Esperanza's. One family is three older men with the three grandchildren of one of them. (Aged about 6 and 7). The men are trying to catch fish in front of our beach, and doing okay. The other group and a half dozen kids and a very very pregnant woman. Nice to have neighbors (that aren't too close).

Early morning I headed up to the Kinder (garten) with a backpack full of contributions from various Chacala visitors. People who visited Chacala around Christmas brought lots of stuff, which I passed onto Sarai, the president of the Parents group. She took everything over to the Kinder when it reopened after the vacation. Since then a number of people have brought colored pens, pencils, and crayons, and PAPER!!! for the Kinder, and I though this would be a good day to walk up there and deliver the goodies. But, luck was with me, and the collectivo came by just as I got to the road, and the Kinder teacher, Julietta was aboard. So I handed over the loot and when back home. Saved a walk in the hot sun.

Back at the camp E. came over and we took some cutting from my new coleuses and then we when over to her plants and she gave me two little and two big aloe plants. Very nice. We were standing around looking at her garden when a truck arrived from Compostella with alot of plants for sale. I somehow managed to resist buying anything, partly because I am focused on succulents right now, and also, they were too expensive. It was amazing. The truck came up, no horn tooting or anything and within 3 minutes there were 9 people surrounding the truck. In a neighborhood with hardly any neighbors. There is some kind of secret telegraph here that keeps everyone up to speed.

The two littlest boys here, Markito and Gilberto came over and had cookies and played with clay and toothpicks. I was cutting up a grapefruit at the table and the boys were amazed to see me cutting it in half and into sections. They are used to peeling citrus I guess. They really wanted to eat the little pieces and we gobbled them up. Cookies were forgotten.

Two motos started zooming up and down the beach mid day, and I took down their licenses and truck license numbers and took them over to Juan's. He was at Lalo's and he told me the police would come down later, and that there would be police here every weekend. Then he and Lalo started talking and I didn't really understand the conversation, but Juan seemed uncomfortable and I left.

The water truck came to E's mid-day and they were filling a new water storage tank (tinacho) and filling every water storage unit around the house. I think they are expecting alot of visitors for this weekend. Monday is Benito Juarez day, which will make a three-day weekend.

Nice afternoon in the hammock, reading a great book, and then tidying up my tent and trying to fix the zipper.