Quiet Sunny Days in Chacala

When I walked home last night I thought to myself, great, there's not a single camper, motor home, bus, or person camping anywhere in the big camping areas. There are about four camping spots down below Buddy's place where people are camping under ramadas. Including me. That's all.

Early this morning, before the sun was up, I was raking the debris that made an ugly little trail of mostly styrofoam crud along the ligh tide line. It's been pretty bad the last week, leftovers from all the trash people left on the beach and got washed out to sea before we could pick it up. Stuff always comes back. Styrofoam and plastic pop bottles are the worst of it. The used toilet paper must just dissolve out there or something.

Anyway, my landlady and I walked up the beach, her for exercise I think and me for curiosity and picking up trash. Somehow, after 10pm last night, three big buses must have arrived in the motor home parking area, and the passengers were out on the beach. Swimming before the sun was up. I think they must have arrived just before dawn. I think they are daytrippers because I didn't see piles of stuff being unloaded off the buses.

I am into Las Varas this morning, mostly to copy a horribly interesting article about the world water situation. I wanted to share it will some people in town who have been reading stuff by the author of "Plan B", whose name escapes me at the moment. He offers some ways we can help slow down the destruction of our earth. It was published in a local English-Spanish real estate magazine, so everyone that is interested in it can read it.

When I left Chacala this morning, I walked out to the paved road and a combi-taxi came along and stopped for me. The driver said they were going to El Capomo, a little town south of Las Varas and up in the mountains a ways. The van was full of gringos, young Canadians, it turned out, working for Habitat. They are staying at Aurora's and Concha's and looked tired. I am so impressed with people that spend their vacation and alot of money supporting building housing for people that really need the help.

The copy machine at the stationary store where I usually go for copies also had some gifty stuff. I have been looking for a gift for Aurora's mom, who is one of my favorite people in Chacala. She have given me lots of gifts and I have a really hard time finding something to give her back. Except for food and flowers, which don't really seem like good presents.

Anyway, There was a nice bag hanging near the copy machine. It had colors she likes so I bought it. Very cheap . $4USD and the vendor through in a nice gift bag. I hope she likes it. I was at the Friday street market this morning and spent another $4USD on these really cute little painted pottery dishes. Little minatures with flower designs. I have been admiring them for a year and today the seller made me a great offer. 40 pieces of really cute little cups, saucers and plates. God knows what I will do with them but I really like them. And I held off buying them for more than a year, so that shows some will-power anyway

I have been getting a number of requests lately for info and help for people wanting to try a long-term (defined by me as for more than two months) stay in Chacala. I usually suggest they look at my blog for rentals and then get back to me for help if needed. It's called http://chacalabudgetrentals.blogspot.com and gives some idea of what's available.

After watching people come and go in Chacala for a couple of years I have some thoughts on the kind of people that seem to be happy here (for longer stays). And those who tend not to be happy. That group includes people who are heavy users of alcohol or drugs. That is, people whose sustance abuse appears to have been a problem already in their lives. Also, people who want an active social life with other gringo's often seem to be disappointed in Chacala, I think. At this moment, my opinion is that Chacala works better for people who have lots of interests and enjoy living in an unfamiliar environment. People who come here and want to make it just like the US don't seem to enjoy themselves here.

Of course, this is just my opinion. And I have some personal preferences, which, of course, I have no way of enforcing. High of my list of undesirables are sexual predators (esp. child molesters) and people who believe that Mexican drug laws do not apply to them.

Also, I don't really enjoy camping near people who don't take care of their own trash, bodily wastes, and don't seem to take any responsibility for their own environment. I guess I am still suffering the after effects of the Week of the Trash, otherwise known in Chacala as Semana Santa.

Of course, unfortunately I am not the boss of the world, so I guess my vote on this topic doesn't count anyway.

The best news is that the pump house for the new Chacala water system is being completed out on the road to the Crucero de Chacala. And a lot of the pipe ( about 10" pipe I think) has been laid and buried. It will still be the same water system I think, with the same infrastructure ( non-pressure water pipe with water to each part of town twice a week or so). As opposed to no water for weeks at a time. Except for buying water from the big water trucks that you call for. Or buying five gallon jugs from the other kind of water trucks. Anyway, people are pretty excited, or not, I think.

Alejandro, the baker, was in town for Semana Santa, making pizzas at his bakery. Great pizza. He is still in town but not doing his bakery business for now. I don't know what his plans are, but I hope he starts baking again.