Filling Our Days
We are often asked, “What do you do all day?” It’s not really a trick question, but the answer requires some thought. Just what is it that we do? The first thing that comes to mind is that we have lost the concept of exactly what day of the week it is. If we have an appointment or an arrangement to meet someone at a specific time, it goes in the trusty calendar on the fridge door. Other than that, it is a clear slate.
In no particular order, our typical week includes at least one trip to the La Cruz fish market. This is a morning outing, and inevitably includes breakfast at the La Cruz Inn. Thus reducing the number of weekly breakfasts from seven to six. At the fish market, we also purchase fresh seafood for two dinners. Just five weekly dinners left to plan for.
A visit to the market at the arroyo provides us with great produce. Many of the vegetables still have soil on them. Fresh, for sure. We tend to rotate through seafood, pork, beef and chicken, and pasta. We shop daily for these items, because we can. This pretty well wraps up our nutritional requirements. Not a whole lot of planning and list making. It’s a very much “that looks good”, kind of thing.
Being avid readers, we visit the Gringo Book Store at least once a week.
Ruslán Gaitán, who manages the bookstore, knows where every book is.
No easy feat, as there are thousands of books to choose from.
“Señor, you have read that book,” he says. Really? True. Ruslán knows it.
We had a chuckle when one of our recent purchases from Gringo’s was a novel that was stamped with City of Ottawa Public Library. Probably not a big enough offence for jail time, but likely a whopper of an overdue book return fine!
We now turn to liquid refreshments. Quite often we find a sale…buy one at full price, get the second for fifty per cent off. That appeals to our fixed income rationale. Many folks have a favourite happy hour spot. Ours happens to be Karen’s Place, where drinks are prepared quickly, generously, and cheerfully by Adrian. It seems to be the right mix of locals, expats, winter residents, and short termers, who arrive for a week or two and spend far too much time in the sun, getting tanned/burned.
Can you say painful? Lobster-like, now that’s red.
In the summer months it is primarily locals and expats, and we rule!
What about entertainment? We catch a couple of dinner shows at Luna Lounge every season. Always a great night out, with thanks to Hugh and Simon!
Another favourite is the Gecko Band Saturday afternoons at El Chivero, or Sunday evenings at the Drunken Duck. Like most patrons, we are grandparents.
Our grandchildren would be horrified…Is that my grandma, dancing like she has lost her mind! No need for Geritol in Bucerias.
If you are a permanent resident, winters get busy with friends and family visiting. After all, who wouldn’t trade a week or two of northern weather for a couple of weeks of shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops. And so it goes. Sunrises, sunsets, lazy days without stress. Enjoying things in life that fell through the cracks as we pursued our careers, raised families and struggled.
Day to day has a brand new meaning for us. Try it, you might like it!
