La Playa

This weekend marked our first adventure to the real coast. Any area within a few hours of the actual coastline where the climate is hot, humid, and jungle-like is considered la costa. We had been anticipating this trip for weeks. Many of us are big fans of the beach and this weekend turned out to be just the relaxation that we needed.

We left Friday afternoon with our trusted driver, Oscar. We sat more comfortably this time then on our previous trip because we were not packed in by suitcases. In a four-row mini school bus, we loaded our bags and snacks. During our four hour drive, the clouds socked in the surrounding vistas and most of us slept. I was thankful to have packed my inflatable travel pillow - definitely a clutch decision for the trip. We all awoke as we felt the suffocation of the humidity closing in. We had closed all the windows with the rain in the clouds and later needed some air. We arrived at the "dock" warm but ready. We took a wooden lancha (wood boat - think tavel channel) to our hotel. We passed mangroves, pelicans, and saw the waves breaking around the island. We arrived at our hotel after a twenty minute ride. The hotel was located on essentially a giant sand bar. There were no paved roads, only sand.

We dropped our bags and headed straight for the ocean. Some people went swimming immediately, especially with the heat. The water was warm and the waves were gorgeous. There was not a single other person on the beach. I watched Sherry have her first ocean swim - all smiles. It seems so strange to me that people have never swam in the ocean but I guess that's what happens when you grow up in the middle of the States (Michigan). After our swim, we came back for dinner. We could choose between fried shrimp, garlic shrimp, fried fish, grilled fish, ceviche, or seafood stew. All the fish was caught that day and cooked by the family who ran the hotel on their fire. The fish and shrimp came whole and you had to do some work to enjoy the food. I enjoyed the garlic shrimp but it took me so long to eat it. I need Courtney Lamar with her crawfish skills. I tried to use the technique she taught me but it didn't quite transfer. A few kids sampled the fish eyes from their fish too. After dinner, the drinking continued and everyone sat around the table and chatted for a while.

Saturday was entirely a sun day. We went for a swim in the ocean and walk along the beach before breakfast (eggs, beans, tortillas, sweet coffee). We spent all day going to and from the beach, swimming in the pool, taking drinks from the frige (the only cold drinks we had all weekend), and reading. The heat and humidity were so high you had no choice but to be wet. Because of this, most of my sunscreen washed away in the waves or was sweated off. We were all a bit pink to say the least by the end of the day. For lunch, we ate a giant "fruit salad" of 2 oranges (which are actually green), 2 bananas, 1 apple, watermelon, pineapple, and white melon that tasted like canteloupe. We did not have any casualties but Harim lost her glasses in the waves. Unfortunately, she is nearly blind without them and was convinced she could swim with her glasses on. She does not have a second pair here but luckily, Jefe is nearly as blind as she is and could share his glasses for the weekend. Saturday afternoon we took a boat tour of the nearby waterway. We were told there would be lots of wildlife and some explanations but there was neither animals nor guidance. We sat, chatted, watched the mangroves pass, and spotted three heron like birds. The evening continued in the same manner as Friday night - fresh seafood (I tried the ceviche instead - no peeling required) and merry making.

Saturday night Kate (our coordinator) surprised us with a beach bonfire. The kids who lived at the hotel built us a bonfire out of palm fronds. Kate brought marshmellows, Hersheys, and graham crackers. The 12-year-old Mateo chiseled sticks out of palm trees with his machete. It was my closest reminder of Big Lake and was delicious. The kids showed us how to chase and catch clear crabs in the darkness. Essentially, when you spot movement, you charge with a stick. You can use a flash light to illuminate the crab. After you spear it, you tear off the pincher. Our chicos wanted to probar (sample) the crab after grilling out over the fire. We later saw a whole family of 10 show up on their ATV on the beach and scramble around looking for crabs. We had some serious bonding time during the bonfire watching, chatting, and enjoying each others company.

On Sunday, we went back to the beach for a final swim and ate breakfast. We took the same lancha back to Oscar, who was waiting for us. When we returned to Xela, we got dropped off at a restaurant owned by Kate's Guatemalan boyfriend. We ate vegetarian sandwiches (tofu or tempe) with homemade oregano and garlic or seed whole wheat bread. The vegetables were grilled and it came with mozzarella cheese (a hard find here). We rounded out the meal with fruit and a strawberry-blackberry lemonade. Very delicious for its absence of meat!

I returned home, showered, and reconnected with life here. We are considering a future beach trip on a free weekend. I am very much looking forward to another ocean swim :)