When I Feel a Little Lonely in Chacala...

Looking toward the beach from Concha's Techo de Mexico rentals

Sometimes I start to feel sort of lonely here in Chacala. The good thing about the house where I have been staying in each summer, is that it's sort of isolated. So I have alot more privacy than when I was camping on the beach or renting from Dona Lupe or Aurora and Beto. But the isolation has it's downside too. Mostly it's just about right for me here. Quiet, private time in the morning and visiting in the late afternoon/early evening. Although some days I have visitors all day long. Usually it's shorter visits, so it works out okay.

But today I hadn't had any visitors except the water vendor. And a neighbor's son returning something. And some kids wanting to buy a Coke from me. That last was because they saw my sign down at the end of the driveway. It's for the Coke truck, letting the driver know I want some Cokes. But usually a Coke sign about here means you are selling Coke, so the kids came up for a Coke. So I ended up giving them some Coke in plastic cups because I didn't want them to run off with the glass bottles. You have to pay a deposit on.the glass bottles.

Anyway, after lunch, siesta, and doing some drawing, I started getting ancy and decided to take Chiquita for a walk to smell dogginess all over town. And to take me for a walk to Frank and Angelica's tienda for toilet paper, bleach, drinking water, and liquid cleaning soap. And Maria asked for "pan" when she heard I was going to the tienda. "Pan" in this case meant "pan dulce", sweet rolls.

When we got to Lupe's (mom of Cundo) I remembered I had a Guadalupe medal for her from Patzcuaro.It was very sweet. A little photo of Guadalupe behind curved glass, in a silver-colored medal thing. Tiny. She really liked it. She had to put on her glasses to see it. We joked that she, her husband Butcho, and I are all old and wear glasses.

Got to the tienda and Frank and I practiced some English and made a plan to meet at the tienda on Monday for an English "class". Gracia, who lives sort of right next door to the tienda, and her step-daughter-law, Berta and Berta's 6 year old, America, and I visited for awhile and gossiped about this and that. They, along with Narcissa, are going to come by the house and pick me up at 6:30am Monday morning, So I can join them on their daily walk. I must be nuts.

On the way back I visited with Paul, who has the new Satow duplex rentals with pool. He and his wife had just come back from the party for the wedding of Mingo's son(?). Which (?)maybe took place at Mar de Jade. A couple people had mentioned it to me before, but it didn't click that it was today. I have never been much of a party person and the loud music at parties in Chacala is too much for me. I have the impression the more, the bigger, speakers you have at the party, the cooler you are. Or the richer, or something. Oh well.

At the moment, as I write this, the horribly loud music from the new hotel on the paved road is going full blast. People living in houses in the middle of town can't even hear themselves think with the music so loud. I hope they do something about that noise before gringo tourists come back to town.

And I ran into Berta and her adult niece, Balin, has they were strolling down the road to Casa Pacifica. They always make me laugh.

Just as I got to the Chacalilla gate, a big truck loaded with wooden boards and building forms came lumbering (joke) down the road and stopped next to me. It was Beto (who built this house) and some of his work crew. He is such a nice friendly guy. He has taken me to see his very nice house, and has brought it wife and grandson down to visit with me. I really enjoy him and his wife. Friendly and kind, and lots of laughing. He said he was coming by next week to check on the roof and the new addition at this house. That will be fun.

Now I am home, hoping the pan truck (regular bolitos/white bread rolls) would come by tonight, but it's almost nine, so I guess he's not coming. I though I heard him awhile ago, but it was the roasted-corn-on-a-stick truck instead.

So, I was feeling kind of lonesone or something before I went walking, and I came home satisfied, having had just the right amount of human contact. And Chiquita is passed out. Sound asleep. Good day.