Just Looking

You already know we were all over the place this past summer, north south east and west, on our ten-thousand mile exploration of the USA and central Mexico. But in our first month back home on the Riviera Nayarit (as the tourist bureau refers to this tropical coast), we've wandered delightedly through more familiar neighborhoods.

We've had errands to run and shopping to do, but most of the time we're just looking.

We've taken a few jaunts into Sayulita, which is sparkling and ready for its usual tourist onslaught. What a pretty town is Sayulita! Especially when one can wander its streets without weaving through swarms of visitors and gawkers. Gives us a chance to do our own gawking.

We stood beneath the iguana tree and spotted half a dozen of the local dinosaurs basking on the sturdy branches.

The green iguana, whose scientific name is Iguana iguana, can reach a length of more than five feet and a weight of nearly twenty pounds.

After our favorite lunch of angel hair pasta and the freshest beer-battered shrimp in the world at Don Pedro's, we visited the Sayulita Zoo.

At this time of year, the hot sun chases us home early. But that's okay, as we have our own menagerie to gawk at.

Our house pets are a different species from the giant Iguana iguana, and ours are named properly with a name that sounds like the dinosaurs they are. Ctenosaura pectinata, the Mexican Spinytail Iguana, is a bit smaller than the green iguana, but they can grow to over four feet long and are among the speediest of lizards although you'd never know it from ours. They are excellent climbers and seem to think our house is their own personal cliff, scaling the walls and sleeping in crevices in the tile roofs.

Our lizards bask, too, sometimes in the garden and sometimes on the low walls around the planters on the house. 

I plant epazote for them, a strong flavored Mexican herb which they enjoy greatly and thus stay away from my organic basil, except for nibble now and then. It's the plant waving above Lizzy, which she'd come to dine upon.

At night, we have different visitors that are worth a photo or two.

We took a field trip to La Peñita, with the excuse of visiting the nursery and taking Waldo's Weed Whacker in for a repair and tune-up.

Back at home, there's more than plenty to look at.

What with double rainbows, sunsets, cloud formations and the changing light on palms, our eyes are feasting all the time.

And at end of day, there are the faces of friends at the beach, where we often gather just because.

And globos to light and watch as they rise into the sunset sky. See it, drifting past the dark cloud?

We're not the only ones looking. It's Lizzy, peeking in my bathroom window!

Back soon, and in the meantime, as the old toast goes, here's lookin' at ya!

Comments

[Rumi Lampreabe]

What a beautiful place San Pancho is! colorful, and full of life. I invite you all to check out http://www.casasanpancho.com a great option for anyone looking to visit our beautiful town.

[Dos Locos]

SALUD! hope to talk with you soon....We hope you and Craig have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[diedre haines]

Thank you! not only are you an excellent creative writer and photo journalist, you are also a historian, tour guide, humorist, and spirit lifter! Thank you again my friend and please, write on! Diedre

[Sheri Hunt]

Just read it in my tiny room in San Miguel. Thanks for all the suggestions. We have been wearing our down jackets up here but it is really beautiful!
Abrazzos!

[Allen]

I don't know Candice...I think Lizzy looks more like an Elizabeth. :) Loved the Sayulita zoo!!!

[Manny]

I love it .....Just because