Sol es Pacifico

What a life. I am sitting on a deck overlooking the pacific ocean which is providing a nice breeze to cool off the 30+ temperature with my new favourite drink (Kahlula and milk) in my hand with computer on my lap listening to some good surfer music (Jack Johnson of course). Too bad I am actually afraid of the ocean right now (I will explain later). For those of you who I didn’t get a chance to tell, I am currently in Mazatlan, Mexico and will be for the next 5 weeks or so. In order to fulfill my numerous promises to my friend Jamie to come see her, I decided to make it a nice long visit.

In order to make a 6hour overnight layover in Vancouver (self imposed to save money), I parked myself at the hotel bar and worked on my computer for 3 hours. After two beers, my pathogenicity paper was starting to sound a little hmmm, is there a word for what you write when you are half looped. Anyways, I managed to sleep a few hours amongst other travelers who appeared to have the same travel budget. My great plans of sleeping on the plane were destroyed as I ended up sitting beside a BC left-over hippie version of my mom who felt I really had all the solutions to her parenting woes. I told her numerous times that I am only an expert on plants. Luckily I have had all the time in the world to get caught up on sleep since arriving in Mazatlan.

Since arriving Wednesday afternoon, I have been staying at Estrella del Mar where Jamie’s parent own a condo right on the beach. It is so great although, as I mentioned, the ocean scares the crap out of me. The waves are bigger than any I have ever seen and I have never seen so many beached jelly fish in my life! I have walked along the beach a few times, but whenever a wave gets past my ankles I end up running away from it. Oh yes, I also managed to burn my buttock a bright shade of fushia. I was being so careful with crazy amounts of sunscreen, but for some reason I burnt to crisp a few days ago. I swear I was only out in the sun for about ½ an hour! It has been a little soar to sit, or lay down or even to walk the past couple of days, so I have been avoiding the sun. I expect my butt to start peeling in a few days. It should look absolutely marvellous. Too bad I couldn’t drop a couple pounds off my ass with the skin.

So I will probably only be at the condo for a few more days before heading into Mazatlan. The resort is about a 40 minute drive from town and it is pretty secluded out here. Jamie and Ives found me a really cute apartment about a ½ hour walk from their apartment. It is very ‘Mexican’ with an amazing garden courtyard. I am hoping to take a week or two of Spanish school once I get a little more established.

Over the weekend, Jamie and Ives toured me through a few of the towns near by. Actually I think they just wanted to go for a drive because Matteo sleeps really well in the car. I have never seen so many mango trees and chicken barns in my life! I have also identified some other crops somewhat exclusive to Mexico (such as agave and nopal) along the drive, thanks to my International Field Trip in Agriculture class in 3rd year. Yesterday we were heading to a town about 30 minutes from the resort where Jamie’s ancestors apparently settled in before moving to MB. Does that make Matteo even more of a 'Mexican Mennonite'? Anyways, we stopped along the road on the way there as there were a bunch of fruit stands. Ives wanted to introduce us to some kind of fruit that is similar to a plum. Matteo started crying while we were looking around and soon we realized it was because he had pooped all over himself and his car seat (I never realized baby poop was so loose, I am to use to calves who start eating solids a lot quicker). So Jamie changed him in a family’s thatched roof hut where they were processing their fruit. The baby was still a little upset, so then Jamie had to nurse him there. It was so funny, we (2 Canadians, a Mexican and a baby) just landed on this family while they were spending a quiet Sunday (family day) together on the side of the road. Luckily Ives is pretty social and ended up having a cervesa with one of the men. While taking some pictures of fruit trees I managed to snap a couple pictures of Jamie nursing under the thatched roof.

I am trying to help Jamie and Ives with the new addition to their family, but unfortunately I end up talking about what happens when the cows are nursing their calves. Jamie hasn’t seemed to overly offended yet (being compared to a cow that is). The baby and I are starting to bond. He was also a little scary at first the way his head flopped around. I have never been around babies that small before. I thought he was smiling at me the other day, but apparently he was just farting. Jamie and Ives are such great parents. Jamie seems to be a natural mom and does not at all look like she had a baby only a month ago! Matteo just loves to dancing around with Ives with the music cranked.

Sorry for the rather long post, I will try to post a little more often so this dosen’t happen again. I hope everything is well with everyone back home (whatever part of the country that happens to be). I will be thinking of you while I go cool off in the pool … or not. Take care everyone!