Arbitrary stuff.

The funky little shops all seemed to have either a family dog tootling around them or a baby sleeping contentedly on the concrete floor.

I'd say health and safety are not on the forefront of most peoples minds, it's more about eking out a living and making the most of what you have. Catch of the day anyone?

Meanwhile, back at spoiled bratville, the morning light streaming into my shower was almost a religious experience....

....which in Mexico is not something you say lightly.

As we wandered around town in the balmy evening (looking for our second daily feeding of chips and guacamole), we came across a huge crowd of young people spilling out of a well lit building. We four dawdling and mildly perplexed tourists made our way through the throng of what turned out to be a quiet, polite, and sincere congregation overflow!

Holy water.

There's an endearing quirkiness when money is an object, a nearly but not quite quality that (for me) these gates perfectly illustrate. Even at our flash pad, one set of taps had the hot and cold cross plumbed and many of the fixtures were wonkily plastered into the walls. I liked it, the pressure was off for things to be just so....to 'just be' was quite sufficient.

This guy reminded me of my paddling days at Hawaiian canoe club and in particular, an exercise to sort out who had the strength to pull the boat from the front 'stroke' seat. You were timed in a sprint run and just getting the canoe moving was no easy task (clearly I didn't make the cut). This banana boat instead moved easily with a borrowed kayak paddle, again people simply making do with what they have....and look at that lovely little left in the background!

Remember kids, exercise fist, then relax.

The Mexican people love their music and it comes across with pride and enjoyment. Though I confess to having my heart strings plucked, as well dressed grandpa's would walk the beaches playing songs from their childhood, for tips. Along with their double basses & mother of pearl accordions, many Mariachi were accompanied by their young children, passing on the musical tradition.

Wonderful stuff.

Color blind.

The Mexican people are not afraid of bright bold, primary colors. They go well with the warm strong sun and blue-green sea, infusing a subliminal message of pleasure into daily events.

Talking of blue-green....

Eating on these orange table cloths gave us a healthy glow even without the sun and mas cervezas.

Not a sombrero or pair of maracas in sight.

It was confusing walking into one shop and discovering the startling reality that it's actually three, as shop keepers magically appeared from behind their plates and bowls calling out 'Senorita, Senorita'!

Green peas.
I loved these chairs and have a vague memory of them being fashionable in the UK in the seventies, but now I'm fifty I can't remember shitze and could just be making that up.

The real market, where gringo's stick out like a sore thumb.

Ahhhhh, home sweet colorful home.

Zihuatanejo baby!

50, Jesus, it's just a number but I confess to having some difficulty associating it with myself. However, it is the age I'm turning this month, as is my best mate Jules. To celebrate, a trip was in order, “I need to know within 48hrs” Julie said, when she called with the option of Zihuatanejho. Before I hung up the phone I already knew I was in, in fact I'm surprised it took me 12 hours to call back as say so.

We arrived knowing the place we were staying was spectacular, but also with the reality that construction was occurring on the property below. With expectations lowered due to noise, we were nothing short of gobsmacked when we walked in (and the jackhammering isn't that bad).

I have to talk about the view a moment because it's so ridiculously amazing. The fact that there are no windows or doors expands the experience of...well the expansiveness. While doing a trivial task, like loading the dishwasher, I'll have a moment of forgetting what's in front of me and will look up and be amazed all over again.

Its spectacular nature simply morphs at nightime into a shinny vesion of it's daytime self.

Of course Mexico (like anywhere) is a place of contrast. I kid you not, this is the pathway to the local church.

Ta dah!

People work really hard to make a living here and there's a lot of inginuity at work. We said “no, gracias” to the bags, beads, braids, hammocks, drinks and snacks but “si” to the guy with the hot body! Victor offered a 3hr boat ride we couldn't refuse, $25 each to snorkle with seahorses!

As it turned out Victor was in sales and his caliente cousin Captain Ernesto, delivered the goods piloting his vessel, refreshingly minus any kind of waiver and amusingly bailing water as we swam. Along the way we saw the beautiful coastline, pelicans, huge frolicking sea turtles and as always the joy was in the journey.

I believe we'd all forgotten about the seahorses because swimming together in the beautiful cove looking at puffer fish, baby rays and a miriad of the bluest blue fish I've ever seen, life could not have gotten any better.

There are friends that buck up and friends that really buck up. Laurie and Imants Bush belong in the latter category. Sitting by our infinity pool upon our return from dinner were these two wonderful, amazing people. Like secret agents, they knew of our plans and created their own plot alongside ours, masetrfully pulling off a stealth surprise of love. Many men would have worried that they would mess with the vaginal eco-sytem (Ju's phrase not mine), Imants only added to ours!

"Una cerveza, per favor"!

Sunny delight.

This is one of this most unique human beings I've ever had the privilege of knowing. He lives life on his own terms, has the ability to find the joy in everything and delights in unpicking the societal template that most conform to.

Talking of which (and not having sprogs myself), I love to watch kids off the leash and gravitating toward their own pleasures.

Whoops-a-daisy (my reaction), but this young one didn't care, she just kept on playing digging, building and getting wet.

Of course not all of us are so carefree, this little one secured herself like a limpet to her mother and for good reason.

Snug as a bug in a rug.

Having left my brass ovaries at home, I left the surf to those who had brought theirs with them.

The unique one surveys the scenery....

...."three little birds pitch by my doorstep"

My goodness it was a beautiful day and as we've been rain soaked for about a week, the contrast helped crank up the appreciation meter.

Just in case you needed more proof.

Niceities.

Nice orange blossoming things.

Nice weed and palm tree combo.

Nice view of Lanai from Kihei.

Nice that as of January 11th 2011 plaggy bags will finally be a thing of the past.

Nice guava dump, at the dump.

Nice leg action.

Nice random cock.