03.02.21

I\’ve been in Mexico a month now, and when asked tonight if I missed California, I could provide nothing more than a shrug. The people and the beach, sure. But I\’m pretty damn content at the moment. I spent the first three weeks in the capital city of San Luís with my friend Bertha, mostly working during the week days. Happy to have her company (and someone to cook with again), we fell fairly quickly into a routine of eggs and avocado in the morning, afternoon walks with Loba the dog and impromptu dance sessions in the kitchen. 

The first week, some friends posted about a San Francisco DJ hosting a two-hour Cuban salsa party. We pushed all the furniture to the walls and had ourselves a dance party in the living room, tuning in with many others from around the world. I could not wipe the grin from my face. We leaned into the rhythm, losing ourselves, together then apart, dancing well-rehearsed steps and however else our bodies craved to move in that moment.

On my second weekend, we hiked to the Sierra, read, and had a picnic up high amidst the trees. On Valentine\’s Day we biked to the historic downtown area over bumpy cobblestone streets. We made our way through several plazas and gazed upwards at magnificently old and ornate Spanish architecture as we ate tortilla soup and drank fresh melon juice.

I went to a hairdresser for the first time in months, and got most of my hair bleached, cut and colored dark purple, a change I\’d been curious about for some time prior. Why not.

The third Friday morning, Bertha\’s brother Sergio drove us to their hometown of Ciudad Valles. It was cold and even started to sprinkle as we made our way across the desert, watching the scenery transition. From flat and arid plains, the land curved upwards into tall green mountains. We stopped for gorditas along the highway and nearly froze our asses off. 90\’s dance pop raged on as we rolled in between the hills, enveloped in a cold white cloud. 

We arrived at her cousin\’s place midday, and that evening shared conversation, churros and hot chocolate with another cousin. The next two days we spent on jovial road trips packed full of adventure. We went first to one of the the immediate family\’s sugarcane ranches, walked around and tasted two varieties, after a farmworker kindly removed the skin with a machete.

From there we visited Cascada el Aguacate, an incredibly tall waterfall, explored the pools below, and eventually wandered up to the fall itself. Standing on that slippery rock with arms outstretched, we were each filled with new life, our clothes quickly soaked by the water rushing through a strong wind. Laughter and joy all around. In the evening, we drank wine and hung out with some more cousins and their aunt in the front patio. We intended to play cards, but ended up chatting, reminiscing, telling jokes and stories instead. 

The next day we went to Cascadas Salto del Agua, climbed the mountain and admired the glorious, teal blue pools that ran together into the river below. It was humid and hot, and the water felt amazing. We swam across the adjoining pools, greeted a turtle on our way, and took a somewhat scary jump from the tallest and final rock.

A few minutes drive away along the same river, we arrived at El Meco. We bought passage on a canoe that brought us up close to the waterfall, several cascades crashing over moss-colored boulders. They said it was low, that\’s there\’s usually more water. It was beautiful to me. We ate an early dinner at the restaurant above the falls. On the drive back, we saw a couple of huge fires. Once harvested, if the sugarcane is manually cut, the fields are burned to remove the husk and leaves. Burning these remains is arguably cheaper than owning and paying for a tractor, gas and additional labor. But then there is the cost to the environment. The flames stood enormous as the dark smoke billowed up and outwards. 

Some evening later, we went to Marisa\’s ranch with their three dogs (Sasha, Tiki and Señor Jack the chihuahua) and let them out to run in the river that ran along the edge of the property. We walked around a bit and I learned that sugarcane takes a whole year to mature. We ate some delicious tacos at their favorite spot, and got ice cream. ¡Cuando en vacaciones! Y como dicen: panza llena, corazón contenta.

Hospitality like no other, this family. I have been very grateful for their patience with my not-so-perfect Spanish, as I take the necessary time to slow down and find ways to better express myself. I feel everyday more capable of fully living into my desire that rose initially in Spain: to open the door, communicate significant ideas and connect on a deeper level with various people around the globe.