Early in the Morning in Chacala

I love walking on Playa Chacala early in the morning. Hardly ever see any other footprints, just mine, and maybe some bird and dog prints. And maybe some plastic trash. It's so beautiful. The sun starts shining way out on the water, and gradually moves closer and closer to the beach until it hits me. Sometimes, after a some rough waves, I find some seashells. Not very often though.

Chacalilla Beach, right up from Chacala, is the place for seashells. And mala aguas (jelly fish) in the warmer months. Of course, you have to boat in there, or walk in thru the jungle or around the rocky point. Even though all the beaches in Mexico are public, somehow Marina Chacala (the name of the gated-community that has taken over the beach) has managed to make it seem like it's a private beach. Although if you boat in or walk in they can't kick you out. The security people will often try to imtimidate you, but legally they can't do much.

Anyway, walking on the nice soft, sandy beach, with no one else in sight, is one of my favorites thing to do in Chacala.

This is a view of the beach looking north from Majahua. A great place for watching the sun go down. Also for drinking lemonada (homemade lemonade with sparkling water). Or whatever it is you like to drink. Or eat.

Last winter it was interesting to watch workers build a new rock-based path across the top of the beach (near the trees, etc) from the actual Majahua Resort over to their "Beach Club". It seems to consist of laying flat beach rocks in a line and then filling between the rocks with buckets of sand. Makes a nice, firm, fairly easy-to-walk-on path from one part of the beach to the other. They used the same process for making a flat, sandy area for lying in the sun. And sitting at umbrella tables. Flat rocks covering the area, then sand covering over the rocks. They used the same technique under the ramadas at Esparanza's camping area. Somehow it makes a firm floor area.

I have been getting some emails about Christmas and winter rentals. I have been warning people that rentals are filling up earlier that ever this year. Especially Christmas thru end of February. If you are looking for a two bedroom, Paul's new "Satow" Bungalows are ready to go. Pool is finished and full of water. These are two bedroom units, nicely laid out and decorated. Nice colors. You can call Paul directly to his cell. It's listed on the Rental blog. I think the rent is in the $70/80 a night range. Terry's, next door are also nice, two bedroom units. Phone number in also in the rental listing.

It is much hotter, sooner, this year than last year. My notes show it didn't reach the 90'sF until late July last year, and it's been in the 90's for a week or more already this year. Pretty warm. Not very humid though. Although I think I might be pretty acclimated to the humidity and not really notice it any more. And I generally stay inside and out of the sun during the heat of the day.

There also seem to be alot more birds. Or make I am just more aware of them. Besides the amazing little hummingbirds everywhere, I have been seeing alot (or maybe just one, many times) of black birds with really bright yellow on the wings and breast. Kind of stripey. And on the beach there is a wading bird very morning with long skinny legs and yellow feet. Bright yellow feet. She takes one runny step and then can fly very close to the water for a long ways. So graceful. Since I still don't get how airplanes fly, I guess it's unlikely I would understand how birds fly.

There have been lots of social events lately. A baptism. Two birthdays this Friday (Blanca and little Christina) . Two birthday parties last weekend. Primary graduation this week. Kinder graduation next Tuesday at 4pm, with a Mass at 3pm. Planning is still going on for the EBACH and townspeople bus trip to Oaxaca in mid-July. Hopefully the teacher strike in Oaxaca will be over by then. It's supposed to end before the Mexican presidential election on Sunday.

My favorite palm frond (not the palm in this photo), right outside the window in front of my desk, is totally open now. It took about six weeks maybe to open completely. It stands there so straight and symmetrical and beautiful. I love the way trees and plants have such an orderly pattern/design/symmetry. They seem to know just how they are supposed to grow. I hardly ever see deformed, people-pruned, symmetry destroying pruning of trees here. It the tree looks odd, it's usually from windstorms or "self-pruning". That is, branches breaking off on their own.