Memories from Mexico

As I mentioned last week, I recently got to go on a trip of a lifetime--three generations of women soaking it up under the Mexican sun.  As I have both a sentimental heart and a burning spirit for travel this trip was an overwhelmingly perfect combination.

Day One:  Poolside in the evening light.

Spending a solid week with my mom and my grandma was really cool.  I see them both, sure, but we do live hours apart and we don't get to spend daaaaaaays with each other--eating every meal together, telling stories, and winding down each evening with several games of cards.  So, that was really wonderful for me.  (And for them, too, I gather.)

Day 2:  Cuppa on the balcony

Mexico was absolutely spectacular, too.  Even more so than I expected.  I loved the people, the language, the landscape, the weather....  The mountains were a completely unexpected delight!  I enjoyed the drive from the airport with them as the backdrop to the rugged, scrubby desert foreground.  I got to see more of my beloved saguaros.  I even saw some in bloom with surprisingly delicate little white flowers.   I so love the desert.  Then, just like that, we were on the coast and everything was lush greenery, vibrant flowers, white sand, and water, water, water.  It was a remarkable contrast.  Equally remarkable was the difference between the posh, resort-lined coast and the rubbish and clothes line strewn communities of tiny, plywood homes just inland.

Day 3: Incredible guac and good times on the beach.

Our accommodations overlooked the marina and I enjoyed starting every day out on the balcony with the birds.  I would see two new-to-me species on this trip--Majestic Frigatebird and Hooded Oriole--as well as several rarely-seen-by-me birds, including the schnazzy cousin to the flicker the Gila Woodpecker, the striking Cactus Wren (who, it turns out, likes palm trees), and the sleek and captivating Great Egret.  I saw so many California Sea Lions.  They were playful and sleek and wonderful.

Day 4:  Cool fish, including the colorful Cortez Rainbow Wrasse.

I went swimming--in the ocean or the pool--at least once every day.  We took two boat cruises, one at sunset.  We walked for miles and miles along the boardwalks and through shops selling brilliantly colored blankets, ceramics, jewelry, and other made-in-Mexico crafts.

Day 5:  El Arco, the very tip of the Baja penninsula, at sunset on the dinner cruise.

Snorkeling was mind-blowing.  I was truly dazzled.  Just floored.  Having only snorkeled around a small, muddy reservoir in eastern Montana prior to this I had no idea what reef fish were like, I guess, and I was not prepared for their numbers.  At times there was a veritable carpet of fish under me.    I went four days out of the seven--one professional tour out in the big rocks and the rest along our "local" beach.  I promptly sunburned the back of my legs rather dreadfully on my first go.  I've only really scratched the surface on trying to ID these beauties, but I have a short list already:  King Angelfish, Reef Cornetfish, Guineafowl Puffer, Moorish Idol, Bullseye Puffer, Panamic Sergeant Major, Blue-and-Gold Snapper, Cortez Rainbow Wrasse, Cortez Damselfish, Graybar Grunt.  I really, really, really wished Matt was along for the snorkeling.  He'd love it and it would have been swell to share in that exciting nature experience together.  We'll have to make it happen some day....after we get him a prescription snorkeling mask so he can actually see the fish.

Day 6:  Two California Sea Lions and a Brown Pelican in the marina

Gosh, the salty ocean water tastes terrible!  It always surprises me, being an almost exclusively freshwater swimmer for my whole life and all.  I had an up-close-and-personal revelation about our precious and limited sources of fresh water as a result.  It is just boggling that most of the water in the world is salty like that....

Day 7:  Breakfast with a view.

It was a unique blessing to me, this trip.  I'm glad that everything fell into place allowing it to go off--and so smoothly.  I even had a better handle on Spanish than I realized!  The food was very yummy, the laughter, regional beers, and margaritas were plentiful, and the weather was divine.  So many new and interesting experiences for me and to share them with my mom and grandma made it all the sweeter.  Memories to last a lifetime, that's for sure.