UkuAdventures in Mexico: Crocodiles, Butterflies & Paddle-Beak Birds!

Dear Blob,
1. Every outing in Mexico is an unexpected adventure, from crocodile-watching to getting my bag peed on by an Mexican basset hound, to stumbling upon a carnival.

2. The 1980's arcade games, once a usual item in the US, are not in private mansions, like in the Silver Spoons mansion, but they're all in Mexico enjoying a second life.

3. Cornrows on any and all non-black people are the International symbol of Vacation.

4. Mexicans seem to be the ultimate Salespeople/Entrepreneurs. Everyone has something to sell, from tacos to sponges to coconut balls.

Yesterday, leaving Jessica home sick, I visited La Manzanilla, the ultimate stereotype of a Sleepy Mexico Fishing'n'Vacation town. La Manzanilla is not Manzanillo and features a crocodile preserve, which riveted me for almost 2 hours. Crocodiles are the perfect example of Darwinism, crawling out of the water on their stubby webbed-feet-legs; almost land mammals, but reptileish water creatures. Their hefty-thick torsos are fascinatingly leathery and they would totally win at Statues. I also saw a pink paddle-beaked bird, butterflies and schmoozed with Pedro, the fish-taco-truck guy, who used to live in San Diego.

The La Manzanillo beach is almost perfect, except for the distressing piles of garbage everywhere. It was difficult to find a garbage-free place to sit. Apparently, the restauranteurs only clean the beach during the high season. Regardless, it was deeply pleasant, lolling in the water, people-watching wealthy Mexican families and nibbling a honey-drenched coconut ball, purchased from a Beach Vendor.

I felt smugly self-reliant, pampering myself with a Fresa popsicle until my quiet moment was interrupted by a chatty & probably-pervy gringo who asked if I wanted to "Take a Ride."

In other news, there is a tiny carnival in our barrio, Buster is a musical genius, amongst his genius-titles, and we enjoyed straws coated in tamarind and sugar from the grandmotherly Candy Stand lady - super tangy!

Love The Ukulady
ps: Mexico's dichotomies are Much More ShinyBrightBold, as is everything here, than in the US. We have shantytowns and shacks made of garbage, but it's all clustered together; if you avoid LA skid row, seeing shacks of garbage is rare. Here you come upon a poverty-shack right next to a middle-classish home, which is surprising.

pps: The Carpet has moved back inside!

ppps: We mistook a lizard-chameleon creature for a butterfly! Stick-colored, it blends in until it swells it's neck into an exotic, orange fan, which looks like a butterfly wing! Total show-off!