I get my first daily wake up call at about 5am by way of a dog barking across the street. This in turn alerts the roosters who take up the torch and the morning cacophony begins. I generally get up around 6:30 as the sky is turning pink; I make coffee and head to the roof to watch the sunrise and listen to the town come alive. It’s a glorious way to start the day. Then I am usually out the door by 8am to walk the beach or go for a bike ride. This morning Nick and I explored by bike and then we stopped for tacos. Tacos for breakfast is also a glorious thing.

We definitely arrived in the shoulder season and last week there were not a lot of gringos in town. But a planeload arrived on Sunday and it is decidedly busier in town. It’s great for the local businesses who really rely on tourism to pull them through the year. Our friends from Dawson City and Vancouver also arrived and we are busy getting caught up and making plans for sunset meet ups. Otherwise, we have settled in to doing nothing. I have read 2 books already and spend a lot of time on the beach, in the ocean and poolside.

We took Madeline to the airport on Sunday, it was hard to say goodbye and of course we worried about her flying alone for the first time. But it all went well and she chit chatted with her seat mates and had a welcoming committee pick her up in Comox at 2am. That constant angst of worrying about your kids whatever their age is the worst. We had rented a car for the day to drive her there and took the opportunity to explore a little and drove out Playa Cocos and La Manzanilla for a look around. The road to Playa Coco is washed out in places and considering the end of the road is a very fancy resort one would think it would be repaired by now. However, this is Mexico….

The towns are certainly looking better than the last time we were here. The roads are paved and generally it appears that the standard of living is improving for most people. The cars are newer and there are motorcycles everywhere. Even the dogs seem to have it better. By and large I haven’t seen the starving pathetic dog that has historically been a staple of travel in Mexico. They still run free and are everywhere but they look fed and generally all right. Oddly though, there are way more cats than I remember. They are everywhere and I wonder if a spay/neuter clinic exists for them?

My mom is loving it here and is having a great time trying out her Spanish on the locals. It is very funny to watch and listen but she confidently continues to try and it often involves charades to get her point across. She rented a bike and is out exploring a few times a day and visiting different tiendas to see what they have to offer. Though for some crazy reason she goes out in the heat of the day instead of the morning. Rookie mistake but she can’t seem to get moving very quickly in the morning. Now there is talk of her coming back in February to spend time with friends just north of PV. I think it is a great idea as who the hell wants to be in Canada in February!

The next few days will surely look like the last few. Relaxing, reading, swimming, and wandering dusty back roads broken up by an afternoon siesta. Perfect. Then we are off to PV on Saturday for mom and Gigi to fly home. Nick and I will spend a few more days before we head back as well. I still need to source a ride back to PV and book a place to stay there.

And then deal with Westjet when I get home….I’ll worry about that later.