from 2/7/04

Yay! We went to the beach! G, me, his parents & grandfather. Madi couldn´t come because Victor Manuel was sick. (apparently with the same thing I had? I didn´t think it was catching - prolly not, just the same symptoms.) Which meant that Paola & Luifer weren´t driving & there wasn´t enough room for anyone else in the car. It´s too bad, because I really like Madi, and it owuld be nice to get to know Paola better... Anyway! We went. The drive was really pretty - mountains, a few trees with flowers along the side of the road. Some of the hottest little tollbooth workers I have ever seen - cheez really, don´t take that the wrong way, it´s just almost comical ot me - usually toll booth workers seem fat or old or tired or something - in disgruntled uniforms or at least a crunkley saftely vest. But these were 2 young pretty girls in sharp little uniforms. It was almost Disney-esque, but not quite so smiley, more official.
When we pulled off the main highway this little guy started running next to our car - apparently telling us we should come to his house, and on the long and rocky drive to the beach it seemed more and more crazy that he would have wanted to run along side us the whole way had we taken hime up on it. But when we pulled onto the beach - ALL these little guys came running up to the car, waving their rags.
Now might be a good time to take a small tangent and explain about the "napkin wavers" - my own term. The self appointed car watchers wave their little (usually red I think) rags to guide people in & out of parking places & supposedly watch your car as well in exchange for a few coins. I´m not sure how much really, but apparently they can get grouchy if don´t pay. It kind of fascinates me, I don´t know how they decide to do it, but the sort of - This is what I do, so pay me for it -that I´m interpreting anyway, seems somehow noble or on the mark. Not that these guys seem to be making much, but I guess it´s enough... They´re still alive! I guess the fruit vendors have it best, at the end of the day if they don´t sell their stuff they can eat it!

(Gilberto just told me today that probably a lot of the young people probably live with their parents, and so they have a roof and food, but whatever they make can go for extra food. That makes me feel a little better, but still....)

Anyway back to the beach. So it seemed like there was a sort of desparation from these guys that I thought was a bit much for a car parker, but the longer we stayed the more I got it - they provide a whole day of service if you want it - chairs and table, hammock, meal, beer & soda - food on nice china, real forks and knives, a bowl of water & a little soap to wash hands & washing the sand off your feet before you put them in the car. The food, plus tip & parking etc. It´s much more than a few coins they are desperate for. (2/8/04 Nana´s birthday!) The water was warm and shallow, barely e ver got up to my waist, and some places were warmer than othes. The beach was a bit dirty, but G said it was actually clean. People don´t have the same respect for not littering here. I was totally shocked after we left the bar, Magali peeled off her entrance bracelet & threw it in the parking lot! Come on, what are pockets for, if you can´t stand to drive home with it on your wrist? It´s just funny to me how utterly oblivious people are to it.