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Lady in Red
In honor of my 50th birthday, we shot a series of photos on the beach. Fun!Knowing I'd soon be returning to the hectic schedule of hotel management, I decided to spend three weeks on one of my favorite beaches, Playa Escondida, with some of my favorite people!! It was a wonderful, relaxing time. Lots of R&R -- sleeping 10 hrs a night (wish I could save up sleep credit!), playing Scrabble with Shana, reading several books a week (Jodi Picoult writes some bizarre stuff, I loved The Wild Trees and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind). I had the time and mental tranquility for working on an art project, catching up on email and blog entries (the last two entries were published within 2 wks!) I was fortunate to have the use of a friend's fabulous beach house, Casa Encantadora. Thanks Susan, for allowing me stay there!!!
I took long, meditative walks on the beach, listening to the music of the waves as I collected shells for a mosaic project. This stretch of the coast has a wide swing of low/high tide, and I downloaded the time off the computer so I could plan my walks accordingly. As the tide receded, I'd be fascinated by the rills and
Hawk on Rock
Early morning, drying his wings atop penis rock. This was my view from the terrace of Susan's house. runnels and rivulets of water creating designs and patterns in the sand. At low low tide the rocks and pools would pop and hiss and crackle with life. Crabs and tiny fish, holes in the rocks spitting and spraying - a cliffside waterfall trickle bringing down muddy trails.
The cliffs above the beach are in constant flux, dribbling pebbles and soil with a gentle hiss. One day a cow who was grazing up above fell over the edge and died on the rocks. Before the tide could carry his body out, the fishermen from the area dragged the corpse to some high, flat rocks and butchered him, sharing out the meat. At first, as I paused in my walk and I saw them working, I thought they were gutting a huge fish, but then I saw the legs (what fish has legs??) and as I continued my walk I saw splatters of blood where he had fallen and the trail of blood where they dragged him. Four men were working with knives and machetes to remove hunks of meat and people seemed to materialize from nowhere with buckets to carry off their share.
Packing Order for Bovine Guts
A cow fell off the cliff and died on the rocks. Before the tide could carry him off, the villagers butchered him, shared out the meat and left the intestines for the turkey vultures. After a few hours, all that was left were bloody splotches and puddles and a pile of ropy intestines. Then, the turkey vultures (gallinazos) arrived en masse, the second shift hanging out in the trees above awaiting their turn. There was a definite "pecking order" in who got to eat first and who had to wait for the leftovers!
One day at low tide I walked south, past the caves. It felt delicious to relax in the deep grotto shade, dangling my feet in a refreshing pool with the cool breeze rushing past. Natural air conditioning!! Another day I headed north and made it all the way to the nearest town, Tonchigue. I stopped for lunch at a beachfront palapa and then trekked into town to buy a few kitchen necessities (I prepared most of my own meals at Susan's house). My bag had grown heavy with the shells I'd collected along the way and my purchases of a cooking pot and porcelain plate put me over the top. What's more, by the time I was ready to head back, the tide had risen so I hailed a mototaxi to drive me down to
Beachcombing
Long walks at low tide, searching for shells. So wonderful to enjoy the seaside in fine detail. Playa Escondida.
Animal life abounds...the flying and buzzing insects swarm the light bulbs at night. Playing Scrabble one evening we kept having bugs join letters on the board, thrashing and pushing our words aside. Triple beetle score!! There are geckos galore, squeaking their nighttime songs. A huge hoppy toad liked to hang out at the bottom of the stairs in the evening when the light was turned on. He'd be so mesmerized by the clouds of insects that he wouldn't even move when I nudged him with my foot. After lights out, I'd marvel at the light display of a multitude of fireflies, reflected through my mosquito netting. I loved to read with my headlamp but the occasional moth would find his way into the net and flutter in my face, obstructing my view of the page! Awakening to the sweet trill of birdsong is heavenly. Vibrant reds, bright whites and yellows, iridescent blues visible in the green of the trees and bushes. Raucous yellow-green parrots kicking up a ruckus at sunset in a stand of trees just outside my window, jockeying for a place to light for the night.
Bathroom Snake
I was intent on plucking a chin hair when I glimpsed movement ... a HUGE snake tucked below the sink ledge. Cristobal released him into the brush up on the hillside. More wildlife - but not my favorite kind! One afternoon I was staring into the bathroom mirror, focused on a rebellious chin hair when I caught a movement in my peripheral vision...I leapt backwards as I realized it was the head of a snake! He was all twisted up and tucked beneath the lip of the sink vanity. Cristobal lured him out onto the rooftop, pulled him down with a broom, grabbed him behind the head and took him way out into the hills to release him. The following day as I went to open the gate on the path up from the beach I realized that what I thought was a vine hanging between the slats was actually a skinny whip snake. I swung the other side of the gate to scare him up and away so I could pass thru safely. Both of these encounters were reminders to be observant at all times! My least pleasant wildlife encounter was one that I couldn't avoid -- I was swimming at dusk when suddenly I felt an intense pain in my right knee and thigh that instantly went heavy and numb. I screamed and hobbled to shore,
Jellyfish Sting
Ouch!! A peaceful sunset swim cut short by intense pain on my right knee and thigh. It burned and stung and zinged with electric current for several days. gripping my leg. Bit by bit a whip-like burn appeared, the work of a jellyfish. Everyone advised me that the best cure was to pee on it, so I collected my urine in the shower and poured it over my leg. For the next several days I had zinging electrical shock-like pain up and down my leg. The angry red scars took more than two weeks to fade.
And then there were the domestic animals. Fastidio, the phantom cat haunted Susan's household. He's extremely shy and would scoot by - a black streak barely glimpsed from the corner of my eye. I discovered his hiding places and the rooftop hidey-holes from which he'd descend and hurry past. By the third week he'd developed more trust and finally held still long enough on the window sill for me to snap his photo...a handsome fellow. The dogs hung out on the cool cement under the terrace. I felt bittersweet pangs as I pet Suleimon, Chaco's big brother from an earlier litter. He's bigger and broader than Chaco ever grew to be, but the sweet look in his eyes was exactly that of my Chaco. The
the artist at work
After a week of planning and conceptualizing the design, I was ready to stick the baubles and shells onto the wall. Scroll down to view the finished project. daddy dog, Teoni, is a silly, playful goofball. He loved his butt scratched and if I tried to pet his head he'd scoot forward and present his hind quarters.
My last visit to the states I was able to bring back a suitcase full of baubles that I'd collected during my years in Atlanta. I sorted through the old broken bits of jewelry and glass and combined them with my beachcombing finds to create a spiral design for a wall mosaic. I wanted to leave behind a work of art to thank Susan for the use of her lovely home. Here's the poem I wrote to accompany my artwork:
Circles, cycles
‘round and ‘round
Alba y ocaso*
Twirling, whirling
Spirals swirling
Worlds of whorls
*dawn & dusk
The last time I was at Playa Escondida, over a year ago, I'd been able to meet up with Miguel - a friend I met back in the late 80's. He is now living in Canada and had come to Ecuador with a friend so they made the trek to the beach to visit with me there. A few months later
A Surprise Visit!
I hadn't seen both Miguel and Angel together since 1990. Brothers from Ecuador, M now lives in Canada and A lives in Germany. I met up with his brother, Angel, in the mountains. Angel has been living in Germany, but is thinking of moving back to Ecuador. These brothers helped to build Alandaluz and I met them when the Hosteria was first getting started. Not even knowing that I was at Playa Escondida, they stopped to spend a night .... what a fabulous surprise!! It was the first time I'd seen the brothers together since 1990!! We hugged, laughed, reminisced and vowed to keep in contact.
As my birthday approached, I finished the mosaic project and baked a carrot cake. Friends invited me for a chicken dinner, after which we went down to the beach and built a bonfire. So pleasant the hear the pop and crackle of the flames against a backdrop of breaking waves. What a wonderful way to complete a half century. I sure don't feel that old...it's only a number anyways! I think from next year onwards I'll start counting backwards...what do you think?? Thanks for reading my musings. I write this blog for my friends, but also for myself. PS - I went a bit crazy on the photos this time....click on the
Birthday Cake!
Claire's famous Carrot Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing...YUM! NEXT button to see the last few in the series.
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Jody Ostendorf
non-member comment
Happy Birthday Jill!
Sounds like you celebrated this milestone with a lot of grace and joy. All the best to you, Jody