Adios, México!

The countdown has begun. From the number of weeks, to the number of days, and soon to the number of hours before I leave México for my home in Aurora, CO.

Ernesto and I have a ritual in the final days before saying goodbye. We list our best memories of our time together. We had a lot of fun in the past eight weeks. Here are my five best moments, in order.

1. Drinking coffee and chai on the balcony every morning with the sun on my face. 

I was cold for two months before coming to Mazatlán. So cold, I thought I would never get warm. And then I landed in México. Every morning, as I sat on the patio of our beautiful apartment wearing only shorts and a tee-shirt, I was grateful to be where the sun is warm, the sky is blue, and birds sit on the telephone wires, singing Buenos Dias to anyone lucky enough to live here even for a short time.

2. Discovering a new favorite restaurant.

We had a few disappointing meals in highly-rated restaurants before we stumbled upon La Parilla Express, a lovely restaurant in a remodeled old home on a side street near our apartment. We got lost the first time we tried to find it. We walked about a mile out of our way in the dark, stopping to ask for directions from people who had no idea where it was but were happy to give us directions anyway. I’m glad we didn’t give up. The meal was so extraordinary, we went back for Valentine’s Day and returned again this week to say goodbye. 

3. Laughing every time I discovered a new monigote on display for Carnival.

Neto and I skipped most of the Carnival events this year. A combination of poor planning and lack of interest on our parts. But I never got tired of looking at the monigotes, the twenty-five foot tall statues along the main street in front of the ocean. This year there are 16 statues representing the Spanish speaking countries of Central and South America.They are a quirky reminder of the fun-loving spirit of the Mexican people.

4. Seeing a couple get engaged on the beach.

People get engaged all the time on Mexican beaches but this ceremony was truly over the top. We happened to be eating dinner in a nearby restaurant when we noticed huge letters, spelling out “Marry Me”  lighting up the sky in front of us. As the Mexican couple, dressed all in white, approached the beach, someone presented the young woman with a bouquet of five dozen long-stemmed red roses. Under spotlights, in full view of family and friends, the young man got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend to marry him. Of course, she said yes. Then a long kiss as they were surrounded by ten Mariachis in formal dress, playing quiet songs for dancing. AND THEN FIREWORKS!. A full ten minutes of fireworks on the beach.

Neither of these two young lovers were glamorous, or even gorgeous in the way I’ve come to expect Mexican faces to be. No, they were in their mid-thirties, a little plain, a little pudgy, but obviously in love. 

5. Meeting our dear friends, Eunice and Gordon, for dinner.

Eunice and Gordon, from Saskatchewan, stayed with me many times when I lived in Mazatlán. Often they were the only thing that kept me sane. Eunice loves Mexico more than anyone I know. She missed being here last year because she was sick. Terribly sick. So sick, I was afraid I would never see her again.

Seeing Eunice and Gordon walk toward me, as I sat waiting in the Papas Locas restaurant, brought tears to my eyes. It was the highlight of this trip for me. Adios, my dear friends. Vaya con Dios! Until we meet again.

¡Viva México!