Happy in Paradise!!

It's morning #7 sitting on my terrace looking out at the ever-changing sky and sea, and I still haven't felt a moment of boredom....only peace and fascination at this incredible view and the culture that surrounds it!! I'm feeling very settled and comfortable here - everyday is the same but different!! 

I sleep in (of COURSE... no babies or noise to wake me), and I'm lovin' my dream-time....feels much more vivid with the waves splashing just outside my door as I sleep!! I then sit with my coffee on the terrace looking out at the gorgeous sea - watching the way the weather changes the look of this place!! I've been doing a bit of writing, but I've also been enjoying just reading, relaxing and pondering life (as I look out at the sea - it's absolutely MESMERIZING)!! Hmmmm.... I'm sensing a theme here about the water, the sunshine and being VERY relaxed and contemplative!!

I finally made it into town the other day (Saturday, I think?!?!?.... I lose track of what day it is....I didn't even realize the time had changed over the weekend here in Europe)!! ANYWAY, I made it as far as the grocery store to get more milk and a few pastry items (some sweet and some savory) which, along with the fruit and cheese, has been sustaining me! (I'm sure you've all heard of the Paleo Diet?!?!.... I call this one the "hunter-gatherer" diet!! I have no car, so I must WALK at least a mile to get my food....and since I'm basically lazy and content looking out at the sea, I don't eat as much!! HA!!... Don't worry, though, I'm not fading away from starvation!!) 

They have a farmer's market in the historical center every day (except Sunday) from 9am until noon, so I plan on going there (one of these days)! Apparently since it's not quite high season yet here on the island, it's the farmer's market for veggies, the grocery store for everything else, and if I want a meal there's currently only one restaurant open in the center of town! I think the owner here (aka "Paul Newman") will also fix dinner if I ask, but I don't really want to impose since I think I'm the only guest staying here at this time!

When I went to the grocery store on Saturday, I thought I was going to DIE because the sun was so bright and hot (it's really not THAT hot....only when walking in the sunshine carrying groceries uphill)! I have to keep reminding myself that like a mole, people from Oregon need time for their eyes to adjust before being thrown out into the bright sunshine.... I'm sure I'll adapt pretty soon!! The grocery store is about a 15-20 minute walk (each way....with the uphill portion on the return - ugh)!! If I keep going on the road that meanders along the sea, I'll eventually reach "downtown" (the historical center where all the "touristy" and historical stuff is located). 

I keep telling myself that one of these days I'll make it into the historical center, but until then I've posted a few pictures from the other side of the bay (from the road I'm walking on to get to the grocery store). It doesn't LOOK that far, but I haven't been motivated enough to go THERE because I know there will be the return walk home.....up hill!! I have a theory (actually I think it's something I read somewhere along the line).... the more we travel a certain path, the shorter it becomes in our brains. So if I keep going back and forth to the grocery store, it won't seem as far to go to the historical center and back! I can tell it's already working because yesterday's walk back from the grocery store seemed MUCH shorter and less hot (although that could be because it WAS less hot....and this time I brought my trusty red backpack with wheels to transport the groceries)!!

So for now.....I'm enjoying the "deli food" from the grocery store - these incredibly yummy sausage roll-up things made with puff pastry - one of them is enough for 2 meals (and only about $1 each!!.... although it's all a bit "heavy" so I decided to add a bit of my new favorite veggie - Arugla - and some salad)!! And of course, I have to explore ALL the culture has to offer and try the delicious sweet pastries too!! The other day I got one that was like a cinnamon roll on the inside with a puff pastry on the outside (the inside was like what you find in baklava - crushed nuts, and I'm not sure what else - but it was DIVINE)!! Of course when I went back today, they were all sold out (bummer!!), so I "settled" for a couple slices of apple streudel!! Who knew grocery shopping could be such an adventure?!?! But these are the day-to-day things that entertain and fascinate me!!

My other fascination is the TUB in the bathroom!  It looked like a normal tub in the pictures on the website (and I was quite excited about doing all my "spa things" when I arrived!!), but it's like a half-size tub (lengthwise) with a step inside (see pictures because I really can't explain)!! AND, the sides of the tub are at least 6-10" taller than the average tub, so I have to be VERY careful getting in and out of the shower - especially when there always seems to be a puddle on the floor from using the shower! I just can't figure it out....is it a shower? A soaking tub? And why the step inside the tub?!? Is it to sit on.....because it certainly isn't placed in the right place as an aid to getting in or out of the tub!!

But, this kind of thing is what I love about traveling - seeing what's "normal" in the lives of others around the world! I withheld my inner dialogue on "The Bidet" when I was in Italy - mostly because I know they are used in many places around the world and I didn't want to be "that uneducated American".....but again, some fascinating observations about the bidet!! (Just an FYI....it's a VERY convenient way to wash a baby's bottom instead of using all those wipes....but it's also just the right height for toddlers to wash their hands.... just sayin'!!)

I once thought about writing a book entitled, "The Best Bathrooms and Coffee Shops Around the World" because REALLY, isn't that what most travelers are looking for when they travel? (Okay - maybe that's just me!!) The idea came to me the first time I traveled to Guatemala and had a VERY hard time finding clean bathrooms and good coffee!! (I guess I expected that because Guatemala is where the good coffee is grown, it would be extra special and fresh!! But apparently, they ship off all the good stuff to the U.S. to make money, and serve the "worst beans" to the locals - and local travelers....mostly in the form of INSTANT coffee)!! 

And the bathrooms?!?! My favorite was in a quaint, little restaurant in Antigua - because it had HOT water to wash your hands!! The WORST was WAAAAAY up in the mountains - around 9,000 feet - in Guatemala’s Cuchumatanes mountain range in Todos Santos (not an easy town to reach and, for obvious reasons, clean public restrooms aren't a high priority)!! It was made of stone blocks with barely enough room for the toilet, and I think the local population mistook "public restroom" for public garbage dump!! I opened the door, took one look inside and high​-tailed it out of there (deciding instead to ask the people at the "store" nearby to use theirs..... which ended up being a VERY dark corner in the back of their house with a toilet and a half-wall. I closed my eyes and tried to turn off my imagination, did what I needed to do and got out of there as quickly as possible! They were so kind and generous in letting me use their private bathroom, so I bought some drinks from their store (waiting, of course, to consume them until we got closer to our hotel after the 3-hour bus ride down hairpin-turn mountain roads)!!

I had gone there to observe the yearly occurrence, Skach Koyl – loosely translated as the Race of Souls, but more commonly known as the "drunken horse races" (not because the HORSES are drunk but because the riders are)!! It's meant to mark the end of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations; and it supposedly began in the 17th Century as a rebellion against the Spanish Conquistadors who forbid the Mayans from riding horses. There aren’t any rules to the race, no official start or finish time, and the riders stop after each lap to gulp mouthfuls of their home-brewed liquor, Quetzalteca. The "race track" is a steep hill that extends from one end of the village to the other, and the men ride back and forth hundreds of times - racing each other as fast as they can and getting more and more drunk with each "lap" of the race!! This goes on for HOURS.... until there is a "last man standing" - or sitting on his horse in this case!! That experience was almost 14 years ago, yet it's embedded in my memory like it was yesterday!! I can't even BEGIN to describe how bad it was (both watching the races AND using the potty)!!

In hindsight, now that I've been exposed to the "squatty potty" (or as I call it the "stand in the thing that looks like a shower stall and put your feet where the 2-inch shoe platforms are....and aim properly") concept, it was more just REALLY dark, creepy-looking and DIRTY than weird!! I don't know why, but I find this stuff fascinating! (Do you think it means I'm not getting enough outside stimulation sitting here day after day just looking out at the sea?!?!?....possibly!!) But let me just tell you.....my mind is never happier than when I have DAYS on end to ponder, think about and research stuff! People always ask me if I get bored traveling alone, and I can honestly say - only if I stop talking to myself!!

I guess for now, it's time to find me some lunch!! And since it's after 12, I've missed the farmer's market so I'll have to wait until for another day to head into town!! In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of my stunningly beautiful seafront view..... something I don't think I'll ever tire of (and something I'll miss for sure when it comes time to go)!!

P. S. I forgot to mention that I've taken up doing laundry the old-fashioned way....washing it by hand and hanging it in the sunshine and wind to dry!! I've ALSO learned how to light the propane stove with matches (only caught my nail polish on fire a couple times!!), wash all the dishes by hand (not many big pots and pans this time....thank goodness!!), and I've learned how to cook and reheat things WITHOUT a microwave!! It's like going back to pioneer days....but with a gorgeous sea view as compensation!!