before los populachos . . .

Here is a picture of our street (on the left) and house before the hordes arrive. It is a nice, quiet cobblestone road that doesn't get too much traffic. Not a soul around, as you can see. That's a corner of our house on the left, the living room balcony silhouetted. In the middle is the palapa of the Hotel Oasis on the next block. It will start jumping by Thursday. Tomorrow is a regular work day for most Mexicans so they won't start pouring into town until tomorrow night. When we get up on Thursday morning the vacant lot to the right in this picture, beyond the wall and trees, will be filled with campers . . .and their cars! In the old days, before NAFTA and the rise of a strong middle class who ALL have at least two cars, most people came to the beach in buses, camped on the beach or stayed in local hotels, got back on the bus after a couple of days and went home. Now everyone comes in a car and has to find a place to park it. Plus there are many more who come for the day.

As for the house, on the third floor is our very own palapa and a completely open terrace. The hammock, chaise and hanging chair are up there as inducements for a lovely siesta. We install twinkle lights around the perimeter of the palapa frame and turn them on every night. The view of the house from the malecon is enchanting. But this year we held off; we're here for such a short time that it didn't seem worth the waste of two long strands of lights. Waste, you say? Yes. The lights get so corroded with salt and grit that they really last only one season. The balcony you see on the right fronts on the living room. This is the perfect spot for morning coffee and to check out all the beach action across the street. The other balcony to the left, hidden by the trees, fronts our bedroom. We get lovely cross breezes all day and night, making it wonderfully comfortable sleeping weather.

We went down to the malecon this morning so the Patient could have a look at things. This is his first foray out along the beachside. There is lots of activity as everyone prepares to deal with the crowds. The puestos are laying in their stores of coconuts for making cocolocos, a lethal combination of coconut milk, tequilla and lime juice, served in the coconut and sipped through a straw shoved through a hole in the top of the husk. We strolled up to Aberrotes Baby to get our morning bread, yet another bag of sublime chips, and to put in an order for taleras for tomorrow. Baby's store is about as big as a good-sized walk in closet, jammed with goods of every description. She presides at the front. She is a woman of, um, ample size and as a consequence is unable to move too quickly. But her eyes are everywhere and she has a voice that would shatter glass. She never has problems in her tienda.

The disco quit at 1:30 this morning and now, at 7:00 PM it has fired up, louder than ever. This is going to be my last night in this house for about two weeks.