La Playa ... The Last Days

The countdown has begun. Today is our last full day in Playa del Carmen. Though it´s cool we have beautiful blue skies and a plan to douse ourselves in the Caribbean sea one last time later this afternoon.

Friday we experienced a magnificent storm. We´d just finished checking email and updating the blog as rain cascaded from the sky. People crowded under store entries and any available shelter; small street stands closed up shop; and a bicycle taxi ferrying a woman and child pulled off the street onto the sidewalk, then into a covered alleyway, then disappeared entirely. The taxi driver and passengers were dripping wet. For over an hour rain poured down rain spouts, sidewalks, and streets, rising higher and higher.

Two young Mexican girls at the shop next door grabbed umbrellas and dashed in and out of the rain, finally settling themselves beneath a rainspout that pounded their umbrellas with nonstop water. It was wonderful to watch people pause, stop, and patiently await nature´s grand display.

NOW we know why curbs and sidewalks are so deep here in Mexico and Central America ... to keep walkers suspended above the swirling fray.

We experienced a similar storm while staying in Guanaja, Honduras. There we went inside, secured shutters and doors until rain finished, then opened up and closed down again as rain returned over and over throughout the day. That time I asked one of our water taxi´s sons what he did on that rainy day. He looked at me like I was nuts and said, "I stayed home." No further explanation needed.

After Friday´s rain, Saturday was breezy and cool with high waves. We almost didn´t go in the water. Late in the afternoon we joined four others in the heavy waves. Everyone else stayed on the safety of the beach. The water was so warm we could have bathed in it. Instead we watched each approaching wave and jumped up at just the right time to ensure that it didn´t dunk us or shove us into the sandy shore.

Tomorrow (Monday) we catch a bus for Cancun. Tuesday is fly away day. It feels sad and yet appropriate that our time here is almost over. Back to the life we abandoned for seven full weeks. Other than occasional thoughts of our friends and family, Namaste, Zeke, and the geese, I´ve plunged myself into this alternative lifestyle. It has been adventurous, stressful, tiring, inspirational, educational, and absolutely, positively fun!