Breakfast en la Primavera...sin fotos

So Sandra called me at 9:15 to make sure I was up and to inform me she was on her way.  I was ridiculously tired, but put on a happy face (and a cute dress and makeup) and got ready to go eat with her family.  She has a daughter my age.  Cristal taught in Inglés en Primaria with Shania years ago.  She's about my age and went to breakfast with us when Ashley was here.  There's another sister, but she couldn't come.  And then Jesús is 15 and doesn't talk much.  Her husband is Jorge I think.  He doesn't chat away (Sandra plays that role well), but when he does talk, it counts.  He was funny.

So they pick me up and ask me where I want to go for breakfast.  I have no preference and no plans, so I say whatever.  She asks me if I've eaten at La Primavera, and the answer is no.  Off we go.  I remember from many conversations that La Primavera is the part of town where the narcos live.  It's for the wealthiest of the wealthy.

But I figure if I'm with them, I'm good.

We get there, and it's a huge property.  It's owned by the Coppels who are a family from Culiacán that have a national department store.  Diana actually played at the Coppel daughter's wedding.  Don't ask me why their last name is Coppel because I don't know.

Cristal works in accounting for Coppel and they have some offices in this area.  There's a lake and there are lots of houses.  We made our way to the club at the back of the property.  The houses were your average Brentwood home.  Read: nice nice nice for Culiacán.  We went in and found a table on the back porch, overlooking the infinity pool and the lake.  There were several boys riding their bikes.  A few others were fishing.  Another boy was chasing his dog whose leash had escaped his hand.

We ordered a pitcher of orange juice and coffee.  I was thinking it was taking forever and then realized they were squeezing the oranges.  Sandra pointed out the "tamal cake" which isn't a really accurate desription.  She knows how I love tamales.  I ended up ordering that with chilorio, a sweet meat.  She got it with rajas which is sometimes green beans and sometimes pepper-like things (still green).  Everyone else kept looking over the menu.  The waiter just stood there waiting patiently as everyone looked and commented, having a hard time deciding.  I was picturing a waiter in the US sighing and asking if we needed a few more minutes and then running off to another table.  Sandra also ordered a fruit plate for us to all share.

The food came and it was nothing short of diving.  I mean, I love tamales, but these seemed extra creamy and sweet and perfect.  It also came with a little tortilla cup of beans.  Also yummy.  We talked about school and my travels and family and such.  It was a great meal and good time.

After breakfast, she asked me what I had to do that day.  Did I need to get back?  The last time she took me to breakfast (with Ashley in February), we were going to Altata with Marisela and Carlos and Mabel was pressuring us to get back early early.  I told her I had no plans and we could walk around the lake.  It was an overcast day, so I had my hair down and wasn't even sweating!

We got to just past the pool when a guard asked us if we had a lot there.  We said no and she informed us that we could only walk the width of the pool and that pictures were prohibited.  Big bummer.  We walked what we could.  Sandra said that the location required a lot of privacy since the home were American-style (no fences, bars on windows or locked gates).  I was thinking it was due to the illegal activity that brought revenue to those families.  I kept my thoughts to myself.

We walked to the car and all piled in to head back to Culiacán (it was the outskirts).  Sandra told her husband to stop at the Chata store so we could get some tamales.  She wanted me to take some with me to Guanajuato so the family from my school could enjoy them.  I was picturing 5-8 tamales.  Ha!  We went in, and she ordered a packet that included 4 each of elote (corn), piña, queso, and something whose name I don't remember, but it's a corn tamal with a spinach like filling.  Then she got 5 pork ones.  It seems there was another tamal order, but maybe not.  I of course couldn't pack 21 tamales or more in my suitcase, so I left some for Alma and Mamá.  (And me for when I get back!)  Then, there was another promotion going on for packages of beans, chilorio and this barbecue type meat.  She got that for me to take back to the US.  It's all packaged and doesn't expire until 2010.  It doesn't have to be refrigerated until opened.  I don't know that it'll make the cut due to weight, but we'll see!  SHe also wanted to buy me some soups, but I had to stop the madness.  I just can't get over her kindness.  Buying me a few tamales because she knows I like them is one thing.  Buying over 20 for a family she doesn't even know and will never meet is quite another.  I love this woman.  

She asked me if I had a cooler bag to transport them and if not we could stop at Sam's.  I lied and said yes because I knew they would last until Guanajuato.

She dropped me off at home and I almost teared up.  I guess I didn't have tears left.  In the car on the way from Chata to the house, she asked me if I had enjoyed Culiacán and I responded with an emphatic yes.  I explained how I had cried just the day before while chatting with Mom thinking about going back.  Mom and I were talking about some of the little things I was doing to get ready for my life back in the States (buying makeup of all things), and that had made me realize that I was leaving soon and Alma even sooner and I was just a wreck.  Well, as I was explaining that to Sandra, up came the tears again!

I gave her the goodbye kiss and made my way to the refrigerator and then up to my room.  Shania and I had plans for lunch with Beatriz later that afternoon, but I didn't have details.  I told her I was back from breakfast and to let me know the time and place.  4:00 at the Panamá Revolución.  Done.