Our adventure began as soon as we stepped foot on Mexican soil! We were warmly greeted by Will’s grandmother, Clare, also known as Clarita to most of her friends south of the border, and her sweet spirited little dog, Preciosa at the airport.
We went straight to a restaurant on the beach in a little town on the way home for a leisurely lunch. Small waves crashed against the shore as small fishing boats slowly made their way around the bay. We were serenaded with Spanish songs while we waited for our food and took in the scenes of life of a beachside Mexican village. We enjoyed extremely fresh shrimp ceviche, guacamole, salsa, tacos, and huachinango veracruzano (red snapper Veracruz style).
With our tummies full, we continued our journey to Gran’s house through the twisty, bumpy roads. Upon our arrival we were greeted by the view that we remembered so well from our two previous visits. Gran’s house sits about halfway up the mountain that overlooks the village and bay. The sunsets are spectacular as the sun disappears into the Pacific and even for thirty minutes later, as the afterglow sets the sky on fire!
We began our Spanish classes the morning after our arrival. We met Julie, the school’s director, and Isa, our spanish instructor at La Catalina Natural Language School. I was a little skeptical about how much we were actually going to learn in just a few short weeks, but the first day proved to be a huge success giving me a much brighter outlook. We discovered that Will and I are both on the same level, beginners, but we each have our own strengths that complement each other. With class each morning from nine to noon, we are left with the afternoons to enjoy the traditions and simplicity of Mexican culture, as well as hang out with the many gringos that migrate to the village for the winter.
Besides eating amazing food, drinking tropical cocktails, and studying spanish everyday, Gran has made sure we have had plenty of extracurricular activities to fill our free time. We have been busy playing rummy cube on the beach, attending art openings, hosting dinner parties, watching the local regatta, shopping at the friday market, watching whales and dolphins playing in the bay, and attending “night under the stars,” which was a fundraising event to support La Catalina Natural Language School. We couldn’t have been immersed in more culture than what was present at “night under the stars.” We enjoyed a plate of local cuisine which included tamales, refried beans, mexican rice, chicken, guacamole, and jicama or pineapple juice to drink. The entertainment included flamenco dancers from Blu Bay Resort, local children playing musical instruments, local teenagers participating in interpretive dance, as well as a silent auction.
We are continually doing something. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to fit everything into our schedule, but we will try!
CrossRoads 