January 31

January 31

It seems funny to wake up to the sound of activity in the street below flavored with the barking of perros de la calle (street dogs, strays) so early in the morning! Top that off with the fact that by afternoon the temperature will be in the upper 20C range and one thinks that this could be okay!

I was up early and I went to sit on the common balcony overlooking the waves hoping to spot the orcas again. The pelicans had discovered a school of fish close to shore and were busy feeding. Up in the sky overhead were the most graceful of fliers, frigate-birds, circling in big easy loops overhead. From rooftops came the sounds of countless mourning doves. Present were the pesky long-tailed blackbirds and the ubiquitous pigeons. Darting in and out of the palms were yellow-breasted chats, fairly large members of the warbler family. The air was clean and fresh and the day seemed promising.

I had coffee in the hotel’s dining room with 2 Winnipeggers whom I hadn't seen in ages. The coffee was mediocre at best and only lukewarm but the young lady serving it kept us enamored with her beautifully accented English. She worked us well for her tip.

Patti and her sister left early to take in the market near the pier at the Old Town's Farmers' Market to buy some artisan bread and to see the beautiful crafts and tasty foods on display for sale. I thought I would take a bus to the market and walk back on the Malecon but it was such a beautiful day that I decided to walk.

The Malecon was very busy with tourists from out of country and Mexicans who were making a holiday of their Constitution Day weekend. Monday is the official day. There were the Caucasians with their various stages of color – you could tell how long some had been here by the amount of tan they had. The Mexicans were mostly in family groups and they were loud and happy! It had been quite a long while since I had seen the Malecon this busy!

At the market were so many people that it was difficult to move around. There was much to see and do but it was in a great press of flesh. Having been at many Mexican markets before, I made my escape across the street and got on a bus and headed back to the hotel. My bus stop was right behind Lay’s Supermercado, so I went inside and found myself a nice pre-packaged dinner of Spanish rice, corn tortillas and a large portion of roasted chicken breast with a wing attached for about a buck and a half in Canadian money.

Back at the hotel I thoroughly enjoyed my meal along with an ice-cold Tecate! Then I changed into my swim trunks, grabbed my shades, Goldeyes’ baseball cap, my Kobo reader, a towel, and headed for the pool. There were some brave or fool-hardy Mexicans on the beach but the water was still too rough and the red warning flags were out. It was the pool for me. I found an empty lounger, set myself up, and then went in an enjoyed a refreshing swim. By late afternoon I had acquired some tan foundation.

Sunset found us at a beachside seafood bar and grill near the Hotel Rosita on the Malecon. Our tables were on the beach under a canopy. Here we met Patti’s sisters and their husbands for the ceremonial sunset drink and a light supper. My order was octopus tacos, a particular favorite of mine, and my sunset drink was – wait for it – a mango margarita. I hadn’t had either for many years and I must say I enjoyed them.

A little ways down the beach was a large family of concerned Mexicans who were gathered around some emergency medical personnel who were treating a young girl who had injured herself on the beach. They were there for quite awhile before they carted her off the beach.

Farther down the beach was an aerial act happening. The Voladores de Papantla (flyers of Papantla, also sometimes known as hombres pajaro, or "bird men") are indigenous performers who demonstrate an ancient cultural tradition that is closely associated with the Totonac people from the Papantla area of Veracruz

The ritual involved five men, dressed in white shirts, red pants, a sash and a cap. The men climb the 30-meter pole and settle onto a four-cornered platform. The caporal (musician) sits in the center and plays the drum and flute. The voladores each have a rope tied around their waists. When all five performers are in place, they start to rotate the platform, effectively winding the ropes around the pole.

As the rope unwinds, the fliers descend towards the ground. Traditionally the voladores make 13 laps around the pole, which multiplied by 4 fliers equals 52, the number of weeks in the calendar year.
They repeated their performance twice during the course of our meal.
Patti and her sister than went for a long walk on the Malecon while the rest of us returned to our hotels.