After a difficult day on Friday, we decided to spend Saturday exploring, and this time we chose a town we’ve been to many times and its neighbor that we’ve visited only once before – Sayulita and San Pancho (also known as San Francisco).

Sayulita is known as the Surfer/Artsy/Hippy town in the area.  At least it’s known as that by me.  Our first challenge was actually getting into the town.  The main road in and out of Sayulita is currently under construction – so we were directed to take the detour.  I think it might have been wise to make the detour actually drivable before shutting down the main road.  Azulita almost didn’t make it through……

Now that October has arrived, along with the imminent invasion of tourists, this town has come alive.  Every tiny space has been turned into a store, a gallery or a restaurant.  Some of these shops showcase legitimate artistic endeavors – paintings and sculptures and a LOT of jewelry.  The majority offer the same junk you will find in the market in Bucerias but displayed in artsy ways so you are almost tricked into paying the double or triple cost.  Normally we spend a lot of time on the beach in this town – watching dozens of surfers try to find waves.  But on this day we chose to wander up and down the streets – starting at the center plaza where we ate a fantastic breakfast on the upstairs balcony of Chocobananas.  From there we walked up and down the streets that extended from this center core, looking for unique finds and snapping pictures of the murals painted on every building.  As in every town in Mexico, safety is not the first concern and as I came around a corner I walked face first into a concrete ledge housing some nasty art project.  Exploring is slightly less enjoyable with a bleeding tongue and goose egg on the head – but what are you going to do really?

Sayulita really has the best food – definitely the best fish and shrimp tacos around.  But how about these Tacos de Cabeza?  Head tacos – and just to make sure you are clear on what you are getting they itemize the ingredients:  lips, tongues, palates, eyes, brains, gizzards, cheeks. 

After the congestion from dreadlocks, tattoos and gringos became too much, we headed to the next town of San Pancho, which is also called San Francisco – a Sayulita wanna-be with a much slower pace.

As you come into this town, one of the first signs you see is a giant traffic sign reminding you that there are new traffic laws in town – please obey them.  The main change seems to be a ‘one-way’ traffic system that makes absolutely no sense – and only about ½ the drivers were obeying.  The street into town is one-way, but to get out of town you have to go through a hilarious maze, following the one way arrows that are hidden on the sides of buildings.  When I yelled out the window at one Mexican man, asking him where we should go, he directed me just to go the wrong way down the main street back out of town.  It appears the new laws are not really going over so well with the locals.

On the way home, we stopped at a gas station for a drink and while Grant was inside the store, I stayed in the car.  A ‘helpful’ window wiper salesman approached me and began to tell me why I really needed new windshield wipers.  Now because I had already fallen victim to this scam once this month, I watched him very carefully and sure enough, he started showing me that my wipers were torn and proceeded to tear it himself.  He was probably shocked when I yelled at him to back away from the wipers – I was having none of it this time and he retreated quickly.

I think the thing I am learning here is that when you step outside what is comfortable and familiar, and embrace the unknown and unexpected, you feel everything more fully.   The pain has been deeper, but so has the pleasure.  Embracing each moment means observing everything around me in a new and interesting way.  Sometimes – like on Friday – that brings tears.  Other times – like on Saturday – it brings laughter and wonder and even the occasional bump on the noggin.  Either way, it is good to live fully, even when driving into the unknown, and we are having a blast!

I am pretty sure yesterday was the worst day I have had since we decided to make Bucerias our home.  Not because it was super hot or crazy loud or terribly far from those I love.  It was difficult because I have grown to love children whose lives are just really painful to watch some days.

I generally love Fridays because that is the day we drive some of the children home for the weekend.  Many live with grandparents, a few live with either a mom or a dad who just can’t care for them throughout the week.  I don’t think any have 2 parents.  I enjoy driving them home because I like to meet their families and see where they live when they are not tucked away safely at Manos de Amor.

Yesterday we took 4 children home – 2 brothers from San Vicente and 2 girls from Valle de Banderas.

I have been at Laurentino and Jose’s house many times – not just to give them rides home but for birthday parties and pizza dinners and badminton games in the street. They have been to my house many times too.  Their story is difficult but I have grown used to it.  Yesterday when we took them home, the road leading into what is often called Cardboardlandia – because most of the houses are made of cardboard – was undriveable because of the water filled potholes. Our little car couldn’t make it through so we stopped a block away and I walked the boys home.  There were no adults around and I was concerned about leaving 11-year-old Laurentino alone with little Jose, but I checked in with their neighbor who told me she’d watch them. She probably thought I was ridiculous as little Jose has been wandering the town alone since he was just 2.

We then headed across country to Valle de Banderas.  I was most excited because I really wanted to check in on 2 little girls who lived in that town.  These girls are only 3 and 5 and until 2 months ago had been living at Manos de Amor.  They were sweet and timid and would cling tightly to me whenever I came to visit.  Unfortunately, they are now caught in red tape and family dysfunction at its worst. The children at Manos de Amor are there voluntarily – their parents have agreed to leave them there during the week so they can attend school and be fed and cared for.  While the government does not provide any funding for this home, they do have regulations that must be followed and one of these is that any children staying at the home must have birth certificates – something that mothers must get for their children.  These 2 little girls were brought to the home by their grandmother because their mother had vanished.  She is a prostitute and an addict and cannot care for her children.  Unfortunately, she has never registered the girls with the government and does not have legal papers for them – which means they cannot stay at Manos de Amor any longer. And to make matters worse, their mom has a very difficult relationship with her own mother – the grandmother of these girls – and whenever she is angry she takes the girls back with her.  It is an impossible situation and I really wanted to see them and give them a hug.  I was naïve.

When we arrived at their tiny house, one of the kids in my car yelled towards the house.  Immediately the 3-year-old opened the door and behind her stood her 5-year-old sister.  I was stunned.  Since I had seen them just 2 or 3 months ago they had clearly lost weight.  They had no clothes on except for some tiny underwear and their hair was unkempt.  They looked at us with fear.  I asked where their mom was and they said she was sleeping.  As I started to go to them, their mom came to the door – clearly unhappy we were there she slammed the door on us.  And what was left of my heart broke.  I was so angry at myself for not bringing food with us.  So outraged that missing papers were keeping these children from living in a safe place.  And mostly just so very sad that I couldn’t scoop them up and give them hugs.  We drove to their grandmother’s house and left a bag of clothes for the girls.  I know she loves them and will do her best to care for them – but driving out of that town was the most painful thing I have done in a long time.  I know Grant felt the same and it was very quiet in our car as we drove home.

I am so grateful for the blessed life I have lived up to this point and perhaps in that moment I was picturing my own daughters when they were 3 and 5 dancing around the house in silly outfits, laughing and singing and becoming confident and amazing young women.   I admit I wonder what on earth I am doing wandering around cardboard slums holding the hand of a little boy and standing in dirty streets hoping to hug little girls who have been neglected and forgotten.  I don’t have an answer except I am confident that Grant and I are just where we are called to be and even when it hurts, it is worth it to share love with a country that is often terribly dark.   I have to believe that love makes a difference.  Especially for two sweet little girls in Valle de Banderas.

I know some of you are wondering just what the heck we do every day here in Paradise.  Well, this week our week looked a lot like yours.  I still have a job which I do from a distance, and this is a really busy time of year, so most days I worked at my computer.  The main difference is I looked at palm trees while I did it.  And when I stopped for lunch, I sat in my little garden.

View from my desk

Our garden

My reading spot

                                                    The view from my desk and our little garden spot

Grant did “Grant stuff”.  He unpacked his tools, and fixed up the garage and went to Home Depot two or three times and tried to fix weird electrical problems in Azulita.  We spent most of a day paying bills and wrestling with Mexican bureaucrats about licensing our trailer. Of course we were missing one important piece of paper – maybe next week.  We spent a couple of afternoons tickling children at Manos de Amor and drove children home on Friday afternoon.  Grant is now the favorite with the children – they all want to be thrown around and wrestled and tickled.  Natalya always hangs on the tightest when we must leave.  Most evenings we went for a walk to find a new taco stand – some of our favorites are gone, new ones have sprung up on different corners.

But today is Saturday – and we decided Saturdays are for exploring.  I would have been happy to go sit on a beach – it is certainly hot here – but Mexico is much more than beaches.  It is mountains and fields and ranches and fruit trees and today was for touching new places.  So we jumped in the little blue convertible and headed cross country to San Juan de Abajo.  It’s just a tiny, quiet town and we have driven through it many times, but today we wandered up and down the streets looking at cool old buildings and peering in gated doors and talking to old men in cowboy hats.    Every town in Mexico has its plaza, and that is where we found all the men gathered – lazing back in wicker chairs and telling stories with great bravado and accompanying laughter. They were welcoming and friendly to us, even though we looked out of place.  We took photos – the big church, the fountain, the flags – the exact same stuff we see in every town plaza.  But we also recognize that each pueblo has its own personality, its own pace, its own people.  And exploring them all is going to take us a LOT of Saturdays.