“Do you think it’s safe to be walking around out here, now that it’s dark?” she quietly asked as we waited to cross the busy Blvd Benito Juarez.
“I don’t know” I answered. “There seems to be a lot of people wandering about, I’m guessing we will be okay.”
“You are a bit close to the road. Please back up. Pedestrians don’t have right of way here.”
I was standing right on the shoulder so backed up a couple of steps to wait for an opening to safely cross. Cars whizzed by in both directions. There is most certainly a speed limit on these streets but I’m not sure how strictly it’s adhered to, or any of the other road rules for that matter. As an outside observer, it looked “Mad Max” out there. Cars, trucks, dirt bikes, ATV’s, scooters, if it could get you to where you needed going, that was good enough.
Wondering if one will be safe after dark is a very legitimate question and in many parts of the world and most certainly Mexico, the answer is an unequivocal NO! Mexico’s recent violence is well documented and there are whole regions where it isn’t very wise to venture in, tourist or local. Santa Maria Huatulco however, is not one of those places. Santa Maria Huatulco is a love song. It serenades your soul, soothing you with the soft sounds of it’s waves before enveloping you in a warm tropical embrace. “Relax,” it whispers, you are among friends here.
After watching the sun set over the Pacific, we would leave our rooftop oasis, descend the two flights of stairs to the apartment for a freshening up before the evening. Once showered and changed, it was a casual 20 minute stroll along Blvd Chahue to the central area of La Crucicita. For me, the walk was always enjoyable. This was the time we could stroll along, take in these strange, new surroundings, re-visit what we had done and seen so far while looking ahead for what was to come. Of course, we also talked about food because if you like eating, and I like eating very much, this is a wonderland of riches for affordable, quality dining
Taquerias, seafood, traditional Mexican, Italian, this place has it all. Most establishments are quite small, with only a few tables so it still is best to make a reservation, easily accomplished on Facebook (all restaurants here are on Facebook). I’m happy to report that I had two “best evers” for dining while on this trip. A couple of years back, the last time we were here, we decided to take a cooking class. It sounded like fun and it was something different to do. We loved it, an amazing experience that I highly recommend. Wahaca Cooking is the name and the Chef is Alfredo. Alfredo is from these parts and also has a restaurant in downtown La Crucicita called, you guessed it, Alfredo’s. We ate there one night and while the shrimp tacos are great, the jalapeno poppers are ROCK STAR AWESOME! Thick chunks of jalapenos hollowed out and filled with cream cheese, wrapped with bacon, the jalapeno still crisp, let me tell you, grumpymarty was not grumpy for long. My second “best ever” was a dessert. After finishing off a large plate of spaghetti at Giordana’s, which by the way is just around the corner from Alfredo’s, the waiter asked if we would like dessert. He said the tiramisu was the best ever. Yeah right! I have eaten my fair share, and other peoples shares too, of tiramisu. Okay, well, yeah, one bite, oh my freaking God, this shit was unreal!!! Best ever, hands down, no contest! I don’t have words!!! Who knew? Heaven!!! Go there, eat it, die very happy!!!
Expats here generally are older (probably retired), quiet, polite and probably Canadian. I am not sure if the United States is fully aware of this place’s existence. The foreigners glide in and out amongst the locals, tolerated and maybe even accepted but never truly integrated. I think perhaps that maybe it’s best that way. The community is tight knit, familial. After dark it’s not uncommon to witness multi-generation families gather in the open areas such as the town square, the children to run about while the older folks sit on benches overseeing the little ones as they play. For the elders, it is a time to catch up with friends, share a laugh and enjoy the cool of the evening. It is their home, it is where they were probably born and in all likelihood where they will die. I felt grateful for the opportunity to be included, even if only as an observer capturing a snapshot of their reality.
For as I well know, reality for me is quite different. For me, reality is not swaying palm trees and flip flops, nor eating tacos on the beach with my toes in the sand. This idyllic place is but an interlude. It is a break in time, an opportunity for life to become theatre and you the star of the show. In this alternate universe of warm air, soft light, a cooling tropical breeze, it is easy to feel creative, to imagine. It’s also very hard to leave. We were not at all excited about leaving these cobblestoned, bougainvillea lined streets. We wanted one last swim, one more stroll through the town, a few last rays of sunshine, another memory to hold on to. Time however waits for no one and eventually we had to concede that our vacation was over and we must return home. It was -38 Celsius when we landed. FML!!!