Day 2, Playa Coral, y Rinconada

Tonight, I do not have the time I would like to take to write as much as I experienced today, but I will share what I can, and then I need to get ready for snorkeling early in the morning. Today, I slept in which was much needed after a night of flying, and had a nice slow start, continually realizing I get to choose exactly how my day goes. So after getting ready for the day, I head off to get some essentials from a grocery store which pretty much meant bread, peanut butter, and jelly. It was a bit of a walk but I was able to walk near buildings so most of the time I was under shade. Each and every street is so interesting and unique so I am finding different ways to get from A to B each time. Watching people drive with very relaxed traffic rules, and watching people drain water from large buckets of fish, are just things many people are not used to seeing. On the way back, I run into a lady asking if I would like a watermelon or una Sandia, which I did. We ended up talking for a bit, and she was very friendly and patient with my Spanish. It was heavy in my back pack but I think it will be worth it.

When I got back, I wanted to spend some time away from the sun during the hottest hours of the day, on my laptop, completing some tasks, so later I could go play. During this time, I am in the small courtyard which is in the house I am staying, and I get an invite from one of my neighboring renters to visit a beach with him and our host who is an older Mexican lady who is extremely kind and speaks both English and Spanish very well. The beach is called Playa Coral, which I had not heard of and was told it was fairly small and private. It sounded like a good time and I was appreciating the friendliness so I decided to go with it and it was definitely the right choice.

We set out in a taxi, which was only 50 pesos which is a little under $3 USD, and arrived shortly at a beach called Playa Bacocho, and then we walked over to Playa Coral, just around the corner which was protected by rocks on both sides and had beautiful blue water. The water was just the perfect temperature. I swam for a little while, with a swim-shirt on and sunblock, enjoying myself, and then returned to the beach to just take it all in for a while. As the sun moved a little lower in the sky, I decided I would be alright without the swim shirt and I went back out to swim some more. Man it feels good to feel the water all over your skin, and it made me want to shed the rest of my clothes, but I was not feeling quite that confident. There were some topless women, and I am sure no one would have been offended, but that will be for another time. This was my first time really feeling like I am exactly where I need to be and I am looking forward to pretty much swimming any day I have the time to. While swimming in the waves, diving under as they crash hard or going up with the swells just before they crash, there were other people around and we began to strike up conversation. I end up talking to a few people for a while and start to get fairly tired maybe after almost an hour, and say my goodbyes. I regroup with my house mates, and we sit and watch the sunset fall over the horizon, all the way till the sun no longer exists. I sit around with these people, who all recognize that we live in this cyclical world that some people are very afraid of, and do not spend enough time pursuing opportunities that they enjoy These people are okay with facing fears, and acknowledging the possible risks life has, and being cautious, but still not allowing it to hold them back.

After taking lots of pictures and talking some more, we decide we should go eat and set off to find a place to be fed. As we are leaving I see the two women I was talking with in the water earlier, and I am planning on saying goodbye once again, and to wish them the best. But as we get closer to them, I recognize that they are sitting with a man who looks familiar and then my house mate recognizes him as well and he is our other house mate! So we all start talking and before you know it are invited to all go eat together at a restaurant a little ways away, and are all willing. Being in a place like this, there are so many people who just live life at such a different pace, and they are all willing to take time to spend with new people and exchange experience and connect. Throughout the walk I watch each person sort of go around talking to each different person and I get to hear a little bit about each of these people, and just how many different places they have come from and how they live and see the world. I was walking through a back road, with the sun setting and the stars starting to crawl out, with a 46 year old Canadian man, a 56 year old Mexican woman, a 35 year old German woman, another German who was maybe in his 40s as well, a 40 year old Woman from D.C., and a 45 year old Woman from the UK. Everyone was so friendly and so laid back, just opening up to other strangers and I have never experienced anything quite like it.

We arrived at a restaurant and all ordered very different foods, and sat and ate like a family, splitting the bill and spotting each other where needed when the check came, o caundo necesitamos la cuenta. Returning to my apartment, belly full from tacos de chorizo y una cerveza, I took in all of the scenery of the night, with calm streets and the stars now fully visible. There were large trees looming over some streets, blossoming beautifully, with the aromas blessing your nose. I am now back in my place, sitting out in the courtyard, feeling the perfectly humid air and listening to the occasional noise from the road, or from the playground on the other side of me, with people sometimes playing volleyball fairly late into the night. I am able to use this time to reflect on the day and I feel so thankful. Today was a good day. I plan on washing the salt from my body, and then sleeping as long as I can before I get up tomorrow to go rent snorkeling equipment.

Looks like I lost track of time, and wrote a good amount about my day. Thank you to anyone who is reading, and I would like to encourage you all to be friendly and welcoming to the people around you who you do not know, stepping out of your comfort zone and asking them how there day is going or where they are from. It is truly incredible to get to know all of these new people and see how many good people there are in the world. Salud.