Real Time San Carlos

Hola! ¿Cómo estás?

The many ways to say “Hello. How are you?” in Spanish are all jumbled up in my head.

¿Cómo está usted?

¿Cómo estás?

¿Cómo estás hoy?

Buenas dias.

Buenos tardes.

Hola.

It seems simple enough. They are just a few basic words.

But departing from automatic speak when I greet someone ain't an easy feat. I must stop my usual response, think about what I want to say in Spanish, remember the person's name that I want to say “good day” to, think about whether its morning (dias) or afternoon (tardes), and get my Spanish phrases in mind before I speak. Then after successfully (or not) saying what I want to say, time to listen to and translate their response. Then the same thing all over again. Figure out what I want to say next. I don't have to tell you that it can be exhausting.

Beautiful decorations on homes next door to RV park.

House decoration at Tecalai next door 

John and I just finished our fourth Spanish lesson in two weeks. It's fun and frustrating. Fun because its a time to play language(s) games with the instructor, Carolina, and with the other students. Frustrating because I want to already say and understand so much more with the Mexican people I encounter each day in San Carlos.

Luckily you don't have to know the language in a foreign county to enjoy its sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. And we experience plenty of all those each day.

Almost daily since arriving in this seaside town three weeks ago, I've walked from our campsite at Totonaka RV Park to the small development next door for a stroll with my dogs, Gingee and Charlie. The lusciously painted houses with their artsy doors and windows, the clean cobblestone streets, the brightly colored bougainvillea bushes, and the attractive clubhouse and pool area have fueled much fantasizing by me and John of having our own little winter getaway place there.

We're sorting through whether we want to return in winters to come.

The small homes at Tecalai are full of charm and character.

Each day, we find one more item that we thought was not to be found here in San Carlos. Yesterday it was our first trip to the farmacia (pharmacy) where we saw they have familiar cosmetics and toiletries, and medicines for everything we might need. We also discovered the little specialty grocer (Santa Rosa Mercado) where the shelves were stocked with items that make us gringos happy – a loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread, Quaker old fashioned oats, almond milk and more. Not only that, the owner goes to Tucson, Arizona regularly and will bring back items for you if they don't already have them in the store. That's service!

John exploring the artistry at Sagitario Arts and Crafts.

I have reached the point in our stay where I am ready to settle into some creative work with my painting, writing and videography. The challenge is that it's hard for me to focus in our little RV with John and the dogs continuously coming and going. So I began a search for artist studio space, at a reasonable rate. A space close enough to walk to would be great. I'm on the hunt! We will be here for another three months give or a take a week or two, so definitely worth the effort to find. 

Buenas noches and holiday wishes to everyone as you gear up for the month of celebrations.