Celestino

Last weekend (the first weekend in October), Papá Jaime (who always uses the formal Usted with me) asked us if we wanted to go to Celestino.  I can't remember what our plans were, but we declined.  Oh, yoga.  There was more than that, but I don't remember what our reason was.  Yoga was a minor detail in Mabel's mind.  Major, of course in mine!

Anyway, over our BBQ chicken on Saturday, Papá asked us if we wanted to go on Sunday.  We were all for it.  It's not much, just a beach town with a rehab (as in drugs) center and spa.  

As we were leaving the house, Maricela asked me if I had a sweater.  I'm of course dressed in a tshirt and shorts.  I say no and Mabel laughs.  I won't need it she says.  I agree.  Cosette is pumped at the thought and runs to get her "suéter."  She comes down the steps with a COAT.  It looked a lot like the one I had as a kid that I loved.  It was purplish with clouds on it and I think I was wearing it in the newspaper picture with Caroline York.  At any rate, I was CRACKING UP.  I'm sweating here in the living room, and Cosette is preparing for a blizzard!

I was not thinking when I chose my seat in the car.  We were headed south toward Mazatlán and I sat on the passenger side in the back.  I got most of the sunshine and being in the back got very little air.

On the way home, the coat came into play again.  Papá and Cosette had swum in the ocean and had one towel.  Cosette was changed, but Papá was in his wet trunks in the front seat sitting on top of the towel.  He asked Cosette if she wanted to come up front to sit on his lap since she was probably going to sleep the whole way home (yeah right, her mouth doesn't stop talking long enough to sleep- I'm convinced she talks all night long!).  She got so excited and got her coat out of her bag to use as a barrier from the wet.  She never ended up going to the front, but her coat made its way to my lap, adding to the heat.  The first 15 minutes of the return trip, the air didn't work!  I was DYING and no one here understands my "HOT" nature.  They know I can't deal because it's not this hot at home, but they don't realize that I can't deal at home.  And that the weirdest things make me hot.  I survived, and eventually we put the coat back in the bag.

Back to the town.  We pulled off the highway onto a bumpy dirt road and followed it to the ocean.  We parked the car and sat down in a little hut (see picture, looks like a hut, no?).  We ordered a 1.5 kilogram fish and they brought it out.  It was cut open, covered in mayonnaise, mustard and chipotle.  Sounds gross, but was delish.  It was brought out just as it was cooked.  It was on the same tray that it had been cooked on.  The whole body was there, bones, eyes, etc.  Papá goes on and on about how good for you the eyes are.  Omega 3s and all.  And proceeds to eat them.  YUCK!  I almost lost my lunch, but it had been so good, I decided it would not taste as great on the way up.  We made tacos and tostados with the meat of the fish.  It was incredible.  The next hour, Cosette and Papá swam and then we headed back.  It was about a 2 hour drive just to eat lunch and watch them swim, but it was very "tranquilo" and a great day.  My lunch and gas were paid for.  I need to think of a really good way to thank them.  I think I'll take them out to eat for Thanksgiving, because Heaven knows I won't be cooking a turkey!  I don't think they even have turkeys here.  And Mabel doesn't have an oven.  So....

But I also need to think of some amazing Christmas presents to begin the thank you process.  I know Cosette will get something High School Musical because she's obsessed, shocker.  But I'm going to need help with the others.  Put your thinkin' caps on people, I need ideas!