I thought that I would wash Puerto Vallarta out of my hair by coming back and roaming around alone, visiting all the places that Jim and I had discovered with such a spirit of adventure 15 years ago, but I haven’t. I have gone through moments of overpowering sadness in the last six weeks and felt for a while as if I had had enough of Mexico, but the variety of the place still attracts me. I don’t have nearly the sensation of having to take a deep breath that I used to get, but in a more subdued way I still enjoy walking the streets and beaches on my own.
With Carolyn’s help, I’ve done some successful shopping. She did the groundwork while I was in La Penita. This week she and I, sometimes accompanied by Ken, who usually hung around outside the stores and left the expedition early, have bought a few things for her and as many things for me, my family and friends as I can carry in a suitcase already stuffed with all the gear I brought in the first place, much of which I should have left at home. Next time I hope I follow the advice I read before I left. It said to pack for a trip and take the money out of the bank a week in advance and then go over it all the day before you leave, eliminating half of the clothing and taking out twice as much money.
Sunday morning I met Dick and Ellen for a farewell breakfast at Oscar’s Restaurant on the bank of the Rio Cuale. Dick and I have enjoyed many margaritas together over the 6 weeks I’ve been here. In fact, Dick is my only remaining margarita buddy in Mexico. If it weren’t for him, Mela and Caroline would have enjoyed more tequila in Ottawa this winter toasting me than I drank in Jalisco, the home of tequila. Ellen prefers less exotic drinks, but she makes excellent snacks before dinner and keeps the conversation lively with her witty comments on all and sundry, so we let her join us. We 3 have had some fine dinners together. I’ve had a lot of fine dinners. It’s probably just as well I got food poisoning. I would otherwise have needed a whole new wardrobe for Hawaii, which might not be a bad idea. I’m loath to throw out clothes, as some of my friends well know.
As Carolyn was feeling tired, Ken and I took a bus to Danbrook’s place near the airport to check it out and have a swim. It was well worth the trip. His place is great, but the main event was a walk north along the beach where we came upon a very basic shelter with a roof; a couple of hammocks and chairs; a fascinating collection of ‘tortuga’ shells, bones, skulls and memorabilia and a big tub of sand with about 20 baby tortoises scrambling around in it. A student who was a volunteer there gave us a long and entertaining explanation of what they were doing and why. I even wet my hands and held one of the little guys on my palm. After carrying my camera for 6 weeks, I had left it in Danbrook’s condo because we were going to go for a swim after our walk, but he had his and took some pictures which he will email me when he figures out how to or Cathy will when she visits him in March. The babies were to be released into the ocean around 7:00pm at which point they would begin their swim to the Marietta Islands, a very daunting task when you’re that small and haven’t had anything to eat since you left the shell. I thought of them when I got up this morning and looked out at the bay. How far had they got and how many of them would make it? My plane leaves Vallarta at 20:15 this evening. I’ll arrive in Vancouver at 12:53 and catch a plane for Kelowna on Tuesday at 8:35. I will be well fed and should make it.
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