Today was our last full day in Lo de Marcos for this trip, so we had to say goodbye to a few of our "friends". We brought six sheep with us, and acquired one here. The latest one is Pepe, in the middle at the back. Greg named him after the parakeet that lives nearby.
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| L to R - Zena, Pepe, Grumpy, with Savvy in front |
Here's a better photo of Pepe, who has difficulty standing up and tends to fall flat on his face. Greg was somewhat coerced into buying him at the pharmacy where we'd been helped when Greg forgot to bring his medications. Once the health issues were dealt with, she turned and said "please, look in my store". It was an easy sell, once Greg saw the sheep!
Grumpy had a bit of a mishap on the journey to Mexico. He travelled in Greg's backpack, and was none too clean when he arrived. Look at his neck. So, he shared a shower with me ... the sheep, I mean, not Greg ...
... was hung out to dry ... and, as you can see from the first photo, looked like new again!
OK, so back to the story of finding a good home for our sheep. Lo de Marcos has a free medical clinic for locals who cannot afford healthcare. I don't know the extent of their work, but on our visit this afternoon there were at least 20 people patiently (no pun intended) waiting in the shade for the clinic to open.
This was where we planned to take our sheep. I've learned that some clinics can make use of soft toys to soothe a child who's traumatized, so that's how I decided these sheep would go to the clinic. We also took some medical supplies, teaching supplies, clothing, and food. The lady working there smiled and assured us they would be put to good use.
Earlier today I went for a long walk, and of course had to include a visit to the beach. We've had quite a few red-flag days lately, and today was no exception. The waves were crashing in and the roar was loud.
I made a video so I can listen to it, when I'm away from the ocean and miss the sound. I do love living by the ocean.
It's such a contrast to face away from the ocean and see this view immediately behind the beach. This is so peaceful and serene, with birds enjoying the relatively still water.
Greg and I have walked by this truck many times and wondered what the writing means. I knew all but the last word ... "what is your _____?" I was guessing at prize, or price, but kept forgetting to check. Today I checked, and laughed ... "what is your hurry?"
I also noticed that although it's plated for this state, Nayarit (at bumper level), the yellow plate is from Alaska. I just imagined seeing this truck trundling along with Americans following behind. Talk about a contrast of cultures; the slow pace of Lo de Marcos, and the fast-paced life of most Americans.
I imagine many locals asking themselves this question when they interact with visitors from America and Canada. It's a slow pace of life here, where everything seems to move slowly. If you don't buy into the culture, you can easily get frustrated. A few days ago we were at a restaurant on the beach and it was unusually busy. I said to Greg that perhaps it wasn't a good choice as it may take a long time to get served, and his answer was "so what?". For a moment, I'd slipped out of "Lo de Marcos mode". I hope I can take some of the local attitude back with me as we have a lot to learn from this approach to life.
On a recent walk these flowers seemed small and somewhat insignificant, but when I went up close they were beautiful. The colour was so intense, and the shadows just enhanced them. There was a gentle breeze and they just danced a little. I just stood and watched, fascinated. I was living life "Lo de Marcos style".
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Location: Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
Weather: Constantly warm and sunny!
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