Cuijas - a Cute Mexican Mystery

More commonly known as besuconas (many huge kisses) for the incredibly loud kissing sound they make. Really, its remarkable that such a big sound comes out of such a little critter. I fell in love with them while we were in Barra de Navidad, Mexico. The trouble is, we don't know what they are called in English, so we have not been able to do any research. No matter really, the besuconas would regularly make me squeal with delight upon hearing and seeing them. Aren't they adorable? They are white, nearly transparent, fast and sooo shy usually only coming out during the cooler hours from dusk to dawn. Getting pictures was a feat all on its own.

During the day, they happily hide and sleep behind things hanging on the wall like pictures, or are tucked behind vines or other foliage. The people love them as they eat insects and are said to bring good luck.

If you can tell me more about my new favorite lizard/gecko/chameleon - ish friends, I will be forever grateful.

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Casa Holistica Sol - Our Bed and Breakfast in Mexico

You know that feeling you get when you go somewhere for the first time and it seems like you were meant to be there? Everything is right in the world. Everything is comfortable. That feeling is what we experienced when we ended up at Casa Holistica Sol, the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at while in Barra de Navidad.

Lucero, our hostess, was a joy. We made all of our arrangements with her online via email which worked great. She sent Jose, a man with a truck, to meet us at the Manzanillo airport and drive us the 20mins. back to Barra de Navidad for a good price. (Side note: the Manzanillo airport is closer to Barra de Navidad than it is to Manzanillo). Jose's little truck was big enough for two people in the front, while our luggage and another person rode in the back. We spent about 10mins convincing Jose that TOIL would be happy riding in the back with the luggage instead of driving the truck of a stranger to a location unknown, in a foreign country. I have to confess, TOIL did have a look of sheer panic for a moment or two. Once that was worked out, we had a nice drive to Barra with a stop on the way to get some fresh coconut juice.

Lucero greeted us with open arms, got us settled in our spacious and clean room and sent us to eat at what turned out to be our favorite restaurant, Mexico Lindo, home of the best Camarones a la diabla (shrimp of the devil), dare I say, in the world. They were so good AND SO FREAKING HOT that I made TOIL swear that for the rest of my life he had to make sure nothing that hot passed through my lips ever again unless it was Mexico Lindo Camarones a la diabla good. I sweat my way through one whole plate of them, which was a holy experience to say the least. I digress, back to Lucero and Casa Holistica Sol.

Without a doubt, if you plan to visit Barra, we highly recommend you stay with Lucero. Her prices are very reasonable. The house is clean and conveniently located on the opposite side of town from the tourist area. Each room has a private bathroom. Every morning we had a lovely Breakfast of fresh fruit with yogurt and granola, bread, coffee, and fresh squeezed juice paired with great conversation. Good for body and soul. Speaking of body and soul, one of the many perks about Lucero and Casa Holistica Sol is that Lucero is a licensed massage therapist and gives an AMAZING massage. The house is about a 5 - 7 min walk from town, 2 min walk from the canals, 3 min walk from the bus stops and a 3 min walk from the beach. There was hardly ever anyone at "our" beach. Pretty nice.

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Try as I might, I am still here in my mind.

And I'm ok with it. We are back from our 10 days of bliss in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco Mexico. While I am quite functional in my daily life, my vacation is still fresh enough for me to easily remember what it felt like to sit in the sand, watching the sunset.

Our "honeymoon" was filled with great people, adventures and a heavy dose of relaxation. We experienced plenty of local sights AND spent a lot of time doing relatively nothing. This is a change of vacation attitude for me. Until this trip, I have prescribed to the "lets take advantage of ______ and, come on lets go do _____ because who knows if we will ever make it here again" travel perspective. Things have definitely changed.

Perhaps it was the travel voucher that assisted with our new vacation attitude. Perhaps it was the location. Maybe I am getting older and a teeny tiny bit wiser. Taking a "plan less, relax more" vacation was AMAZING and our preferred way to vacation from now on. Traveling on the cheap was a joy and quite possible in Mexico.

My big take away from this vacation was the realization that I need to allow for more processing and transition time in my life. AND that I function so much better with less stress in my life. Go figure.

When, if ever, have you gone on a vacation where each day was filled with unplanned adventure and lots of relaxing? Where did you go and how did you make it work?

In the days to come, I will share more stories and photos of our trip.

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Help me, he's got a phrase book...

TOIL, that is, has a Mexican phrase book and help me, he is using it to brush up on his Spanish. We are closing in on our departure date for a little honeymoon* in Mexico. Thus we have the phrase book and TOIL pacing the house (more like following me everywhere) saying (in Spanish), "¿Excuse me, have you any thread to mend my shirt?", "¿Good morning, can you tell me, is this minced meat?", "¿Excuse me, has that bus been recently serviced?" All powerfully useful phrases, that will most definitely come in handy.

You may be thinking, "In this economy, are you kidding? A trip to Mexico? How?" Here's how. In a stroke of random raffle luck, I won a travel voucher at my company picnic last summer that will cover the cost of airfare and our bungalow accommodations. "¿Where is the main water valve?". I'd write a post about how to travel on the cheap, but with airfare and accommodations paid for, I am not sure that you would take me seriously.

"¿The table is unsteady?", "¿Is one allowed to go up the bell tower?", "¿Can the children ride an elephant?" "Oh oh, you want to learn this one Thea... "¿Could I have a jar of olives please?". No TOIL, I am good with you being the expert on olive requisitions.

Suffice it to say, we are traveling on the cheap, even with the generosity of my employer. We don't need much. Just some sun, warm ocean water, a little Spanish immersion of language and culture, and new sights and experiences to fill our senses. "¿How far is the next village?". Hold it TOIL, we are NOT survival trekking in the Rainforest!

Our Naturopath hooked us up with Montezuma's Revenge preventative measures, which include drinking a little Ume Plume Concentrate in warm/hot water at each meal. "¿Can I have a hair cut, I wear it brushed forward with a fringe?"

Actually, I do have a "how to travel on the cheap" tip; it's all about attitude. We are going to travel with a sense and expectation of adventure at every turn and see what opportunity brings our way. There is all kind of possibility in the town we are headed to...horseback riding, snorkeling, boat trips, bus trips, exploring ancient ruins, street markets, mango groves, and more. We are leaving our technological paraphernalia at home. I am having little... tiny... anticipatory... withdrawal symptoms from my iPhone. But I am a survivor. "¿I have cut my foot, do you have any bandages?" Whats with all the questions TOIL?

One thing is for sure, we will be doing a whole lot of walking, relaxing and practicing the daily ritual commonly called the Siesta swinging in the hammocks hanging in the shaded balcony of our home away from home. Sounds like a great tip and trip to me. "¿Excuse me, can I pick this mango off of your tree?"

*we plan to take "honeymoons" together for the rest of our natural lives - they are typically called "mini-moons", but this being a trip to a foreign country and all gets to don the full blown "Honeymoon" title.

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