The real Mexico

The last time we had to deal with hot weather I was 35 pounds heavier, wearing shorts with a 36" waist.  It struck me - as we are now just two days from departing for Mexico on our annual winter escape - that I'd better get some replacement shorts for the ones that now fall off my hips.

Being the off-season, I've been only able to find one pair that are a light colour (no black or dark blue shorts for this guy) and have a 32" waist.  The search continues today.

In the first year of going south we stayed at a condo in the heart of Playa del Carmen, about a block from the CoCo Bongo if you're familiar with the popular tourist destination.  Last year, we basked in the all-inclusive experience at Sandos Playacar, enjoying the all-you-can-eat buffets and carefully groomed beaches.



This year we travel to the Pacific coast to a small community called Melaque, just about an hour south of Puerto Vallarta.

The pool at our hotel

Heather is working/learning on this vacation, honing her yoga skills while Dylan, Ben and I hang out near our hotel which is right on the beach.  While there is no question we will eat out, we'll also take advantage of the abundant supply of crisp, fresh, locally grown produce and the kitchenette we have in our digs.

Melaque beach

I'm looking forward to spending far too many hours with "my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world," in the words of my favourite country group, the Zac Brown Band.


It has been five full months since I've had a sip of beer.  One of the key questions going into this 7-day excursion into land of cheap and plentiful cervezas is whether that unparalleled stretch of abstinence will survive.  At this point, I don't know the answer.  The heat might rob me of my resolve.

I guess the other question somewhat haunting me is that of connectivity.  Do I want to cut myself off from the world, disconnect myself from Facebook and Twitter, leave all my blogging till I get back to Canada?  I shudder at the very thought.  It is much more soothing to picture myself in the shade of a palm tree doing some writing or watching the latest news on Twitter.

One of the motivators that I used during my weight loss journey was the objective of being able to wear a real bathing suit, something sleek as compared to the gargantuan baggy type that I've been using for the past several decades.  I was thrilled to discover one such bathing suit under the tree at Christmas, and though my sons are mortified at the thought of me walking down the beach in my Speedoesque shorts, I can't wait.

Apart of sunbathing, playing in the waves, beach combing, reading and writing, I'm looking forward to continuing my painting exploits having lots of time on my hands.  I'm not sure what that means, whether I'll try more portraits, Mexican landscapes or some town scenes, but I'm looking forward to having loads of time on my hands to find out.

Comments

  1. Hi! Lets see if you learn any spanish. Muy buena entrada, parece que has pasado unas maravillosas vacaciones. Te recomiendo para la proxima visitar los hoteles en puerto vallarta en mexico. Bye!

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