Leap Year. The last day of February already. Time seems to pass at triple speed since I returned to Mexico. How did December and January just disappear like that?
Yesterday I walked along the beach with Maddie. Earlier, while I was washing some clothes in the kitchen sink, the 17 year old neighbour girl who loves my dog, poked her head inside the grated iron front door of a my small abode in our very Mexican neighbourhood. She didn't have any college classes so we walked down to the beach together. She seems and acts older than her years and we had a nice time chatting while watching the sunset on the Malecon. The Puerto Vallartan street vendors were prolific. We ate elote,which is corn on the cob cut off the cob and placed in a plastic cup with powdered cheese, crema (sour cream) and then a myriad of salsas, salt and lime. It is really good. Maddie ran along the beach at full tilt, enjoying being a dog after having been cooped up in the house for a time. She dug and then grabbed a tossed away giant skewer, previously laden with grilled shrimp and ran with it, both sharp ends poking out of each side of her mouth, hoping that we would chase her down. She met other dogs on the Malecon, running around and playing with them. She walked at least 6 blocks to get to the ocean where we walked for about two hours and was so tired on the way back that she sat down stubbornly and wouldn't move. I carried her a little ways.
Sandy Estela, is a voluptuous and lovely young college student, studying food prep at the big university in La Cruz, just on the border of Nayarit and Jalisco. She takes the bus twice a day for at least an hour and a half. She is young enough to be my daughter but we talked like girlfriends. She told me about about her boyfriend, her family and why she lives with her grandma, who I thought was her aunt. Sylvia can't be much older than I, but it is so hard to tell. She is full of life and friendly, inviting me to sit with her on the sidewalk outside her house, while I was taking Maddie out one evening. That's when I also met Sandy. They were so curious about what my place looked like that I asked them in to see it, even in its unorganized state. They were shocked when I told them what I was paying for it. She said she would help me find another place, much less expensive. Apparently she has a niece in real estate.
Today while reading on my bed enjoying a cup of tea, I got a call from Danielle, a young woman in her mid thirties whom I met at a presentation last week on staying positive in difficult times. Danielle is sweet, full of love, been hurt and is at a big turning point in her life. We have a lot in common. We went to the zoo today and it was so much fun. Way better than I expected from a Mexican Zoo. I recalled the pathetic zoo in the Caribean island of Isla Mujeres I visited last May, and how I wanted to set all the monkeys free. This one, as well, could have had better environments for most of the critters, but what was impressive was the sheer lack of security and easy access to get VERY close to the animals. How many people can say they touched a giraffes tongue? All the animales had all learned to beg at the chain link fence, and were very good at it. Most were gentle. Black jaguars, tigers, lions, leopards, white tigers, black bears, giraffes, wolves, camels, monkeys, and all sorts of beautiful birds. I had never seen a Toucan or a Red Macaw; and didn't even recognize a few amazingly colorful and iridescent birds. They were stunning. We watched two tortoises mating; the male even making noise. I had no idea tortoises had such ample appendages; but it would make sense seeing that he'd have to be large enough to get under that shell. I was mesmerized watching them and then felt I should look away and give them their privacy. The black jaguars also were "making out", but I think it was mostly for play. They have three litters a year, mostly only one, but sometimes two babies. To see giant cats like that within 4 feet of me was amazing. Even two male monkeys were acting more like a couple. I guess Spring is in the air. Through the fence you could touch any animal if they got close enough. And they did. I swear they tried to smile and act goofy to get more food. We had purchased bags of veggies and nuts to feed them. One Zebra was a clown for the camera, although he wouldn't' stay still very long. I finally got a good shot of him before my batteries expired. There were baby animals all over; rabbits (big surprise) little pigs, goats, tigers and jaguars. For 100 pesos, my friend Danielle got to hold a one month old baby tiger in her arms. I took pictures. They were both adorable.
We had dinner in a touristy place called Chico's Hideaway with an amazing view of the river, some waterfalls and lots of cool rock formations. It was a great day and possibly worth getting some of the insect bites.
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