Saturday, February 16, 2013 — Off To The Mountains Tororrow

And suddenly there was music

I'm leaving at 8:30 tomorrow morning for an all day bus tour to the mountains near Oaxaca. I don't really know anything about the route or what we'll see. That's a switch compared to when Skip was with us. He always had the maps out and any proposed outing was well researched before leaving. Several friends from my hotel and the hotel owner are going. She says it will be both beautiful and exciting to see. That's good enough for me. I'll try to give you a more knowledgable report after the fact.

I felt the need for a professional manicure so I stopped at a small shop on Calle Constitucion and left with fingernails in better shape and VERY purple. They match my amethyst ring to a T. But much brighter. You might or might not like them but I like the color and it's fun. So that's it. They were noticed the minute I entered Las Mariposas. Not sure whether that's good or bad. But like I say, they're fun.

I was eating lunch yesterday at our favorite new comida down the street. Suddenly a tall, lanky young man almost threw himself into the small space and Noe, the chef/owner welcomed him in a way that meant they had already met and discussed the playing of a little music. Well, it made me feel right at home. He played some Woody Guthrie, some other oldies and then moved forward and had that little room bouncing and marking time. He is from St. Louis and searching for a place to settle for a while. A group of women and a baby from an outlying village were there and they thoroughly enjoyed his sudden appearance. I returned to my room to fetch my camera and told some Canadians at Las Mariposas that there was music down the street. They dropped what they were doing and came over to see the action and immediately began calling out requests. It's always such fun to have surprises just around the corner.

I took myself to "Maro Polo" restaurant for an early dinner of mariscos tacos, a glass of white wine and a coffee flan. A totally delicious repast. I stopped at the store on the way home for double AA batteries and water to be stocked up for tomorrow's trip. Good people watching at Marco Polo, especially a little girl at the next table. Mexican families are so warm and loving with their children. I sat in the "friendly to families" room because the light is better for me to read my Kindle at 5:00 in the evening. I've just about finished the fascinating book about the brain I've been telling everyone about. "The Brain That Changes Itself" is a very exciting book about brain cell plasticity. A book like this reminds me that every second of consciousness we experience is a miracle. I've been pushing that book to two resident shrinks who of course only want to relax on their vacation with a good mystery. But today I've reached the 30% mark of a book that was recommended to me Thursday when one of my friends heard that I plan to be in Venice in June. It's called "The City of Falling Angels." An amazingly interesting nonfiction tome that reads like a good novel. I'm definitely getting more excited about seeing Venice now that I'm into this book.

OK, I'm off to bed to be ready for whatever comes our way tomorrow.You can be sure I'll share it with you when we return. Muchos abrazos.