Monday, March 19, 2012

Palapas at Dawn

My Spanish dictionary has no entry for Palapas.  These are wood posts with umbrella-like supports, covered with palm leaves-- the permanently placed umbrellas on the beach in front of our hotel.  At dawn they are deserted,  but in the afternoon all the guests sit there reading while vendedores walk up and down the beach trying persistently to sell them jewelry and Hawaiian print dresses and sugary snacks.  I would prefer to take an umbrella in front of this mess and sit closer to the water, but alas, no umbrellas.  A security guy confronts me for my room number.  I am sitting on the sand.  I guess no one sits on the sand, so I look out of place.  This is not the only way in which I look out of place.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

LAS PALMAS

P ineapple, papaya, playa
A loe, apple banana, agave
L ime,
M ango,
S and, surf

Palms are such an iconic image of the tropics.  They almost make Puerto Vallarta seem less like Mexico, more like a bit of the Caribbean.  Seeing the sun set the sky aglow over the palms gives me a warm glow.  For my happy place, give me palms.