Views from the Collectivo Stop in Las Varas, near Chacala

Today Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize for Literature for 2007. 11th woman to win this prize. Short listed many times. I am happy for her, for women writers, and all women who love to read.This is Samuel, the good Collectivo driver.

He works about 11 hours a day, almost every day.

It's funny. I don't go anywhere for a week or ten days, and then I go to town two days in a row.
I had to go Las Varas this morning, to the ATM, to withdraw someone’s rental deposit. I arrived down at Juan’s tienda just as the collectivo arrived. That was excellent timing. I dropped of my sheets and towels at Lulu’s “Seco Facil Lavaendaria” (Easy Dry Laundromat). And went to the ATM. Have to go back tomorrow, to get my laundry.And to get the other half of the cash I need from the ATM. I can only withdraw 5000 pesos at a time. So if I need more, I have to go back the next day. Someone told me that is no longer true that there is a 5000 peso limit, but I forgot to check . I need to go back in the morning anyway, so it doesn’t matter. Had to wait an hour for the collectivo, but it was a jolly, laughing group of women who waiting too, so time flew. Hot hot, hot, and humid. It's supposed to be 98 today and then cool down the next few day. HA!!! And I took some photos to entertain myself.I want to get a fasting blood test for diabetes in Las Vara tomorrow morning. And a new tarp for the west side of the patio. The sun is coming across the sky lower now, and I need a longer tarp. And a new toilet bowl brush. I accidentally threw the last one out with the toilet paper waste basket. And some extra rope for my son’s hammock.

These next photos are "Views from the Collectivo Stop".I was going to get another fan, for my son’s visit. But the price had gone up from $200mx to $270mx. ($18-25US). The saleswoman was new, and didn’t know me. So that might have been the gringo price. Not that I am not a gringa. It’s just that the longer I am here, the lower the prices seem to go. Cammy, who has a tourist shop down on the beach, gives me a steep discount on my sandals. And says “You’re a Chacalena now”. It’s not true, but it feels good. This is Juan's hardware store, near the collectivo stop.

All those containers are big plastic pop bottles, with the tops cut off.

Very little goes to waste around here.I was telling Concha about the fan on the way home. She said she would call her son,Geraldo, at university in Tepic, and ask him to bring one home this weekend. That was very nice. I really appreciate it.

My goal for today is to get everything tidied up. And to pack away some decorative stuff so there will be more room for my son’s stuff. He will be here on Monday. I am really looking forward to him being here. And I hope the water is on. I am buying some blue 5 gallon jugs, just in case.A couple of people have offered him a small room for free, so that’s a good back-up plan if we need more space. And a place with water, if the water is still off. I hope we won’t need it.

I love catching up with him. He usually writes really short emails, like one or two words sometimes. So it’s nice to catch-up face-to-face. He is the most interesting person. Sometimes we have been considering the same issues at the same time, without having talked to each other about whatever it is.

Yesterday I was scrubbing a board I found on the road.I wanted to use it to make a little shelf on my computer table. Planks are hard to come by around here. And very It looked like it had a worm hole at one end, so I poured a bleach solution on it and laid in on the patio wall. Ten minutes later I looked out and maybe fifty grubs were crawling out of the plank. I guess I won’t use that one.

There are flowers everywhere. Lots of plants are blossoming. Especially the purple morning glories along the section of the beach road between the paved road and the beach camping area. Really lovely. I am going to walk down there tomorrow morning and take some photos.
At Chico’s (above) party last night he and his wife both asked me to take photos. I felt really badly that I am not good at taking night shots. At least so far. I have been reading the internet lessons, and manual, and practicing, so maybe I will get the knack sooner than later.