March 2, — A relaxing day

March 2 — A relaxing last day —

We've had a relaxing last day in Yelapa. Rather fitting since we walked to the village waterfall for breakfast yesterday and then walked all aroundtown lookingfor several things we thought we needed. After that we took the south side trail back to Christina's along the river. We had done the same walk Wednesday as i think I have mentioned. Only this time she was open for customers. We each chose a drink and took them to the edge of the water where the tables were neatly arranged…… Our instructions were to choose our desired food from the menu, have Kathy go back to the kitchen and declare our choices, then return to me and the river. After that, we were to listen for a loud bell that would tell us the food was ready for Kathy to return to and deliver to our table. After some time, we thought we heard the bell. lNot so, but Kath stayed up there and helped bring it down a while later. We each ordered a plate featuring a mole with soy nuggets, small green salad and cup of black bean soup. We shared an order of curried lentils with rice. All was spicy and delicious. As I write this, I am hopelessly reminded of the T.C. Boyle book I rescued from the Lagunitas trading library. It's called The Road to Wellville." Not to say that good food isn't always a pleasure, but the listing I just provided makes me chuckle when I think of the book and its hilarious spoof on righteous eating in the early years of obsessive health concerns in the early twentieth century as only Boyle could present it.

This was the second day we'd walked over five miles so I was more than ready for a good swim when we returned. I'm so happy we did the return trip, though. I saw things along the river trail that I had missed the day before and also found the walking easier the second time around. Every bend in the trail brought us to a new photo event. A rooster, the adorable calf, the wonderfully spotted black and white dog, the baby chicks really free ranging, the idealic pools between giant boulders, the unexpected gardens. One thrilling surprise after another.

we've loved our #5 palapa at Lagunitas. It has such a good feel to it and we've both slept well in this round space. It's the same room Holly and Roger had when they were with us several years ago. I get the same vibes from it that I did when I was teaching a fiber program for Paolo Seleri at Arcosanti in Arizona many years ago. That program was a joint effort by two major art and craft centers and was called "Haystack at Arcosanti." I slept in a round room with round windows for half my time there and the other half I spent sleeping on the roof over the library. From there I could hear the coyotes across the dry river as the pups woke early and played around the caves in the side banks. From this roof top I could see a lightning storm hundreds of miles away. Funny I should be experiencing some of the same feelings here in this tropical paradise as I did in that wondrous, dry desert. You never know when something like the roundness of things can set you off into a deep moment of recollections.

Sofia Sutherland introduced us to Angelinas Gardens, just two stops down the beach. Absolutely delicious fish tacos with an incredible mango chutney salsa on top. Yumm. Sofia came over this morning and Kathy and I had a fun visit with her. We've enjoyed everything about Mexico on this trip — the people, the scenery, the swimming, the food. What more can you ask for?

Kathy just brought drinks for us to have in our palapa before walking over to the dining area for our last dinner. Ir's sheer pleasure to be in a place where the people are so simpatico and life seems so reasonable. Thank you Mexico and all who've made our stay so pleasurable.