The Carey Adventures

I woke up this morning, Wednesday the 24th, to realize I really was sunburnt.  You know how it never seems that bad the first day you’re burnt but then you look in the mirror the day after and the red is soooooo much redder?  That was me.  It wasn’t hurting too bad and was blatantly confined to the areas I unwisely missed putting on lotion, like my entire back.  Don’t ask my how I missed that one.  My only excuse is “I don’t see it that often”.

Sabrina and I got a fairly early start to the day and headed down to the Mercado Tourista (Tourist Market…..but you can’t even buy tourists there).  Sabrina wanted to get another doll and as she had some funds left, it seemed like a good day for it.  It sure was cooler than the first time we went.  It’s also really cool to see Sabrina becoming more comfortable talking to the market owners, telling them “No gracias” when she doesn’t want something and, well, just being a great girl.  The only problem; the one stall we wanted to buy from was closed!  Arghhh!

Undaunted, we zig-zagged through the rest of the stalls searching for a replacement doll.  The vendors all get their wares from the same places, so things repeat here and there, including the dolls.  While on our search I started getting caught up in getting stuff for people and the list kept growing.  It was really a lot of fun and Sabrina understands the concept of haggling, including the part where we sometimes need to walk away if the price isn’t right.  She also is great at just looking at things and not obsessing about buying it all……most of the time.

The Mercado lines one side of a narrow street with cars parked on both sides.  It’s about two city blocks long and has just enough room between the front stall and the street to let a couple people pass by.  For a tall guy like me, the low hanging dresses, blankets and aprons get to be annoying.  It feels cramped.  Perpendicular to the street there are narrow rows of stalls about 20 feet deep.  These are lined on both sides with more stalls with each merchant taking up maybe seven feet of real estate, some less, some more.  The colors are enticing with lots of bright solids and intricate designs from modern artists and some Aztec artwork.  Jewelers abound and their stalls are more open and easier to navigate, with a plethora of silver necklaces, bracelets and other bright shiny things.  Most stalls have a fan and the owners sit nearby, either on the ground or on crates.  The owners that have stalls facing the street usually sit on the street side to give you access to the brickabrack lining the shelves.  Passing some stalls brings either conversations between owners, laughter or a soccer game on TV.  Most owners are not that pushy and I enjoy this fact.  They wait until your interested and then don’t hound you when you leave, unlike some markets I’ve been to.  It’s a lot more enjoyable that way and much more family friendly with healthy looking children running about. I took a moment to record part of our walk along the mercado. Sounds Of The Mercado

Back at the condo it’s time for the pool.  I had Sabrina test out the water proof case for my camera that I planned to take diving the next day.  Luckily, still no leaks!  Although I now had a LOT of pictures of Dan’s belly, Amy’s feet and odd angles of the side of the pool.  Thus is the joy of digital cameras and kids, they can play all they like.  If you really want to see a picture of Dan’s belly, I’m going to need $20 first.

Dragging Sabrina out of the pool we adventured to the beach with hopes of taking a water taxi from the end of La Ropa beach to Las Gatas.  Las Gatas is located closer to the mouth of the Zihuatanejo Bay and is slightly protected by a shallow break water teaming with fish.  The tide made the walk a bit precarious in spots as we had to scurry (or flail) around a bulkhead when the waves were out.  I timed it wrong and now have a cut on the top of my left foot as a rock pulled free by the undertow smashed on top of it.  It’s the price you pay to walk the beach sometimes.  The kicker is we had to pass right back through this pinch point as the taximan told us most everything on Las Gatas closed up around 4:30.

With our dreams dashed we resorted to sitting on the beach, eating a fine meal and listening to mariachi players who walk the beach looking for suckers like us who want some music.  It’s a bit campy, but we’re on vacation. Here’s a sample of the music. Once again, most of the beach restaurants are mostly empty so service is good.  Once beach vendor in particular caught the kids’ eyes with small carved trinkets shaped like turtles, toucans and whales.  Sabrina scored a few and the guy threw in a bonus so she was tickled pink.   I took some time to ask Sabrina some questions about the trip in a completely informal interview.  For my efforts, I got an eye-roll but alas, here’s the interview. After we had sat for a bit I decided to go for a run as I have a half marathon to run the day after we get back.  It wasn’t good timing on my part, but alas, there you have it.   So while Sabrina waited for her banana split to come, I headed back to the condo and then off on a short run.  Pictured here is the beach (La Ropa) that I ran, a nice place to get in not enough miles before Saturday.

The night ended at some point.

Tomorrow: Scuba Diving and The Tides Resort