Tomorrow...
...we head home after 6 happy weeks of blissful warmth and sunshine. i'll keep the memories nestled in a corner of my heart to be pulled out and savoured on those inevitable days of grey skies and chill winds that late winter and early spring brings to my rain soaked...but beautiful-none-the-less...island.
memories of...
...fishermen pulling in their nets on the beach. while two men swam out
with the net in their hands, four more hold both ends on the beach. together, and with the help of any gringo's who happen to be passing by, they slowly...foot by foot...pull the net into shore. it's a huge effort and the yield for effort, seems meager.
...sitting under the palm trees and watching the sun retreat behind the hills at the end of every perfect day...but carefully watching out for the "offerings" of frigate birds, grackles and pelicans passing overhead! (i was the "lucky" recipient of one of these offerings!)
...this small seedling, pushing bravely through the crack where floor and wall meet. it always cheered me to look at this stubborn and sturdy little plant as i sipped my coffee at George's cafe. the push of nature to grow and thrive, even in the most inhospitable or unlikely places, brings hope to my heart for this struggling world.
...day after day...everyday in fact...watching a young mother with her two small sons, pushing this cart up and down the length of the beach. i often wondered about her life...where she went home to at the end of the day...and pondered the differences in our lives. i watched her children follow her, playing their way up and down the beach...and came to the conclusion that their lives would be the envy of most north american children. they may not have the computers and electronic games, the malls or a home with several TV's but they played...all day, everyday...in the sand and the sea. when they got tired they hopped up on the bike and lay in the shade of the beach toys, resting while she pushed. when mom got tired, she stopped the cart and sat down on the sand while the boys played around her. it would be simplistic for me to say that her life is better than the consumerist lifestyle that western cultures are caught up in but those boys always looked happy...happy and contented.
...a beautiful and ornate iron bench on the side of the road...a hot and very dusty road, roughly cobbled with rocks. the ever present dichotomy...beauty and elegance amid poverty and debris.
...sitting on a white coral sand beach with family after communing with humpback whales, up close and personal. with only 25 feet between us and the whales, we sat with the motor turned off listening to their otherworldly and magical language as they spoke to each other (and perhaps to us?) in the most complex language in the animal kingdom. i was simply in awe.
while i pack my suitcase tonight, i'm remembering all the pieces of this place and all the memories that i've tucked away in the corner of my heart labeled "Mexico". they'll sit there for years to come, to be shaken out on rainy days like a Mexican blanket laid out for a fiesta, providing an extravagant feast for my senses.
What a beautiful ending to your vacation, Kate. A lovely photographic tribute as well. Welcome home, O
Posted by: OliviaWhat | February 28, 2008 at 11:00 PM
Thank you so much for the "mini" vacation summed up by your fantastic photos and your eloquent words. They are a tribute to the country and verbalize your feelings for Mexico and the people you encountered. (What a great start to your Mexico Art Journal.)
Posted by: Victoria (mizamigo) | February 29, 2008 at 06:13 AM
What a wonderful vacation you've had. I love Mexico, even though I've only been once.
Posted by: deirdre | February 29, 2008 at 08:46 AM
Kate,
Your photos are so amazing, full of beauty of the people and the country. I am breathing this all in, thank you so much for this little vacation that you have allowed all of us!!!
x...x
steph
Safe travels
Posted by: stephanie | February 29, 2008 at 08:58 AM
I too want to say thanks, for the bright colours on the dreary days of winter. I could breathe the salty summer air through your pictures and words.
Hope the daffs are blooming when you get home!
Posted by: kate | February 29, 2008 at 09:16 PM
I think I have enjoyed this holiday almost as much as you :) Loved all these images.
Posted by: Helen | February 29, 2008 at 09:20 PM
Welcome home - I love that feeling of seeing my home with "new" eyes after a trip away.
Posted by: cate | March 01, 2008 at 12:05 AM