Mexico Easter 2003 - Part 13: Days in paradise

17 April - Playa Bonanza - days in paradise

Yes, so another day in paradise on earth at the playa. I made a long phone call home from a Tulum phone booth. We went to Playa del Carmen city and stayed there all afternoon. It was quite charming, and I noticed instantly that this would be a totally raving place to spend the nights. It was a little Las Vegas during the day - simply packed full of semi-naked people. From here, the supermarket was the next stop, where I finally managed to get lots of meat to have a beach barbeque tonight. We got back to the campsite, chopped the wood, I started the fire roaring. And when the flames settled, we had a really nice heat and I began searing some sweet chicken legs.

And then Elias came with Picasso (his lovely black dog) and I got my tequila out. We had a great time around the fire. Elias went back to bring his guitar for me to play, so everybody mellowed out for a while, sipping drinks. The moon was at full, it bathed the sands in a shimmer-show like the sands were crests of waves. The sea and sand looked like they were the same in this light.

Tosh was tired from his first day diving. He and Anna will be staying at Playa del Carmen a few days as they see no point in coming back to the expensive loo roll otherwise known as Cancun. This beach is less busy, has much more charm and feels authentic. I’m thinking of staying one night in Cancun in Tosh’s room (don’t know if he’ll come as well) at the Antillano, and getting back to Playa del Carmen and then moving on somewhere, maybe San Cristobal. Tomorrow is our last night together.

Playa del Carmen

Walking Playa's soft floor
A bathing sun dried itself
Viscous breeze gusted more and more -
Sun-dried weed dammed the sea.

Rain and sun and wind and more
Breezes and dogs whined so eerie ...
And low. Suddenly, on the croft of the thatch,
the full moon turned - a gracious macarena!

For it was in waking that I saw this folklore -
it was just, it was lust and fresh as crabs.
Wind and hammock are testament and pride
To snow of sand and water of wind.

A mother of pearl would find a home here, and
carrot juice and salsa chicken and
blue cheese and a petrified puppy learning the big blue.
I found a home here.

Amit Kothari.

Photos from this day

At the beach