Beach Videos

Tooth vs. Boogie Board

Boogie Board wins!

A look in their eye

Perhaps you've met a few of these people in your lifetime. One of them was the doctor who performed Jacob's bris. He was wrinkled, grey-haired and bent over. But he had steel blue eyes that focused in on Mary and me as he explained the procedure, how we care for Jake post-procedure and why this is such an important mitzvah. He spoke as if he knew exactly why he was placed on earth and the joy he received in performing this task. It was like I was directly linked to God via this centered and purposeful man.


While in Troncones, I met another. The gardener in the beautiful property we stayed at was a man named Herardo. This man would greet us every day with the largest toothy grin you've ever seen. He was sweeping, cutting dead palm fronds off trees, watering.... always smiling. He always had a suggestion for a place for comida ("mas barato!") or would talk about how "tranquilo" it was to live in Troncones. One morning Jake and Jay wanted to open up a coconut. We asked Gabby, the maid, for a suggestion on how to get one and cut it. In no time, Herardo was there with a ladder and a machete, pointing out to us which tree bore the sweetest fruit. Up he went and down came 3 coconuts. He climbed back down and "whack!" the coconut was opened and milk sprayed all over Herardo. He had such joy in his face as he poured the milk into a jug and scooped out the fleshy meat as Jason and Mary watched on. (Can you say Pina Colada?!!!?)


The day we left, we came outside to find our van washed from the mud, salt and sand from the week. Herardo stood there proud to have served and said, "Your car was pretty dirty. I thought I'd clean it off for your trip."

In our conversations, he had the glimmer in his eye. The love for his chosen place in life. The comfort in knowing he was doing what he was supposed to do. And that through his pruning and watering and cutting and clearing, he was bringing joy to others that they would not soon forget.

(Double click images to make them bigger....)

More Driving in Mexico

We just returned from our drive down to the beach at Troncones, just north of Zihuatenejo. It's about 7-8 hours each way. Here are a few things we came to understand:

-Tollroads - there are some lovely toll roads we were able to travel. These roads are typically 2 lanes with generous shoulders that bypass many of the small towns. This makes driving a pleasure, fairly quick and uneventful throughout much of Mexico.

-Small towns - be prepared! We ran into a large traffic jam on a 2 lane highway (not toll road) outside of a small pueblo. We sat for about 25 minutes not knowing what the hold up was. We also curiously watched pickups and a few taxis pull off to the left onto a dirt road and head in the same general direction of the highway. Finally, we joined them and, bumpity-bump!, hit the dirt road. After traveling about 1 km, we got to the pueblo and took a right onto the only major crossroad. One block later we are back at the highway and SMACK DAB in the middle of the reason for the halted traffic. There was a large flea market in the pueblo with over 40 tourist buses trying to get on and off the highway into a one lane entrance between booths. Buses are backing up, pulling forward all while cars, 18 wheelers and others are trying to pass around them. No traffic cops anywhere. It was a cluster _____! And we were dead center. Luckily, through scooting here and inching there and snaking around here, we made it through in another mere 15 minutes! WHEW! And no dents!!!

-Small towns part 2 - if you are driving through a small town, and you notice families all walking down the same street you're on in the same direction, and the girls are wearing white dresses and the boys are dressed with colorful panchos and have fake mustaches drawn on their faces, and the crowds start getting bigger and bigger.... then either turn around or be prepared to join the parade or posada or local celebration of the Virgin of the Guadalupe for the next 2 hours! (We figured it out in time to turn around!)

-Animal Crossings - this is actually the bigger danger in Mexico. You come over a hill and a cow or burrow is situated right there in your lane. When you DON'T expect it is when you are driving 70mph down the toll road (yeah, the one you can go fast on) and a goat herder is shepherding his flock across the road. This prompted Mary to yell "GOAT!!!!!" at the top of her lungs. We swerved left then right, narrowly escaping the responsibility to pay for and have cabrito for dinner.
This did lead to an interesting conversation. Mary said, "What if that was the last word I said before I died? GOAT!!! How sad!" Then we started talking about last words before some fiery crash or other untimely end. "CRAP!" "LOOK OUT!" Those are obvious. But the less obvious are: "De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De, ........" when you just can't get the work out in time, "BIMBO!" (Running headlong into a truck that sold this brand of baked goods), or "ASS!" (the double entendre naming both the animal you are about to disembowel and your idiotic husband).

-Passing - this is what our friend calls a "polite game of chicken." It's still chicken, but they are polite about it. When passing someone on the toll road (remember 2 lanes), the passer puts on the left blinker and heads into the oncoming traffic lane. Most polite drivers who are "passees" move over onto the shoulder to make room. And, even more polite, the oncoming traffic moves into their shoulder to avoid the head on collision. This took some getting used to , especially when you are the oncoming traffic person.

-Banditos - there's some talk north of the border that banditos lurk at every corner putting rocks in the highway to stop you and then rob you. I am pretty sure those stories have happened to folks. However, we found nothing but friendly people along the roads of Mexico. Now, we make sure that we don't drive at night, too!

-Vistas - driving through Mexico offers some beautiful vistas along the way. Lots of unspoiled beauty....

Thanksgiving in Mexico

Many of you asked how Thanksgiving was down here in Mexico. Here's Keith's perspective:
It was a normal day.... got up at 6 and got the kids up and ready for school. On the walk to the bus stop we passed by the San Antonio Church as we always do. But that day was the Blessing of the Musicians. So in front of our neighborhood church was a 25 piece mariachi band including bass, guitars, trumpets and a guy on a really chintzy handheld buzzing speaker system. They were playing a lovely tune and sounded clear and pure (except for the buzzing singer on the speaker). All this at 7:30am.
The kids went to school and I went back to the house. I did the regular errands and email checks.
In the afternoon, we picked up the kids and then ran over to Lucha's. Lucha is one of our babysitters. She and her sister, Diana, are very sweet to the kids. (Perhaps even TOO sweet.) Lucha is about 4' 10" and hoping to be a great cook or chef one day. So a few days before, we decided we'd hire Lucha to cook up Thanksgiving dinner. We didn't know quite what to expect, other than some kind of Turkey.
I went over to get the food at her house. The food just kept coming out of her house into the van for transport. A huge smoked turkey. Deviled eggs. Spaghetti. Pasta and green bean salad. Chicken cordon bleu. More salad. Sauteed veggies. Two cheesecakes. (Pumpkin pies are a bit hard to come by here.) And more! We loaded up the van and headed home.
About a dozen other folks with kids joined us and we had a lovely meal out in our jardin. We shared good food, good wine and good times.
And just like at home, I ate a ton. And a bit later in the day, as we say at home, "I don't feel like I'm going to throw up. So it must be time to eat again!"
Happy Thanksgiving!