As I've previously described, our days are very simple and similar, 4 or 5 hours on the beach, a meal while there, toes in the sand, a few dips in the ocean. And lots of reading, on the beach, in the hammock, on the verandah. And a few trips into town for groceries and cash. Very relaxing.
Except for one day, several days ago. We'd watched from our porch as a truck made its way down the dirt road below our house and then unloaded lots of folding chairs. Obviously some kind of event in the works. On Sunday afternoon as we came back from the beach, there were tables set up, with pink tablecloths, on what was otherwise the dirt road. And then, people arrived and sat, and meals in styrofoam dishes and were distributed by a woman in a slinky dress.
It was a birthday party. For a three year old girl. We saw her, running around in a fancy long dress. The woman handing out the meals was her mother. A band was setting up. And then a clown appeared, with a painted face and purple wild wig, and enormous shoes, of course. He turned out to be the mc, doing first activities with the kids, who'd lined up their chairs in a row at his direction. There were contests of various kinds. One involved three pairs of boys and girls who were instructed to dance together and then the boys were supposed to toss the girl into the air. It was pretty strange, a little uncomfortable but also funny.
At some point the little girl was seated in a chair with her parents beside her. She was presented with a crown, which wouldn't stay on her head, and then with some gifts and finally a bouquet of flowers presented by a boy of perhaps five or six.
We watched it all, from above on our verandah. Loring had a translation program that converted the clown's words into English which sometimes made sense and sometimes didn't.
Later, there were some activities directed by the clown with adult participation. One involved three women who consequetively pretended to chase and then beat the clown with some kind of whisk. Again, pretty weird and rather uncomfortable, for us at least.
Then, a pinata. Of course. It was in the shape of the number three. There were people above holding a rope on either end and pulling it up and down. And then a second pinata. And a third. Both kids and adults whacked at them. I couldn't see what any of the pinatas spilled out but everyone, kids and adults, went for whatever it was.
There was, finally, music. The band had been there all the while, a keyboard, guitar, singer, maybe another musician that we couldn't see because of the coconut palm between the partygoers and us.
Gradually, some people got up to dance, some couples but more women than men, dancing alone or together. They played a few songs, and some people began to say their goodbyes and head out. We thought the party was over but the band continued to play and people continued to dance. The clown came back out and danced around with a tray filled with cake, handing it out and coming back with more, several times.
At the side of this dirt road turned event venue was a partially completed house that we'd noticed from the first day, with three wall but an open front, an open suitcase filled with clothes, and what looked like a large plastic doghouse, or maybe a small kids' playhouse. It was definitely inhabited. But for this night it was part of the party. We never found out where the birthday girl and family were from, right in this village, or really assortment of houses, or how far away. And also don't know if this is typical for a three year old's birthday. It seemed pretty elaborate. And that was our entertainment for one evening. instead of the reading, rum, and gin rummy for our usual evenings' entertainment here.
Another observation: there are a number of partly constructed houses on the hillside here. But almost none have been undergoing construction while we are here. We don't know if they are houses that people are building as they have the money to do so, or places that have been started but never finished. Maybe a combination. We wonder if the new highway from Oaxaca has had the effect of people building up the area as has happened in so many places. There's a sign opposite our house that we at first thought was advertising a new development, with pictures of the beach and some buildings. But Loring used his translation app and took a photo of the sign and it turned out to be just the opposite, talking against development.
That's it for tonite. It's starting to get dark and I can't see the keyboard anymore and anytime the little bugs I can't see but sure can find and bite me are about to come out.
Hasta luego.
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