New- to-me Beach

A lot of my Saturdays don't start until late and by the time I arrived at Playa Cacaluta this weekend, there wasn't a soul around, not even a boat. I didn't stay long.



Last time I went there, I didn't take the first turn and ended up going most of the way on a soft sandy arroyo and got stuck a couple of times. This is where I should have come out. This little road runs past the banana plantation and joins the arroyo at the far end.


The gate at the end of the tiny dirt road was shut when I returned but there was no trouble moving it
I wanted to check out a road I spotted last time. It looked like it might actually go somewhere. Of course it did.

Right back to the arroyo.

I didn't go too far. It was a bit late in the day for exploring the middle of nowhere but I took the scooter down the arroyo a bit further. I didn't get stuck this time but I had to stop and push to get turned around. It felt like I was as far from civilization as I could get until I saw the cooking pot.
It may have been swept there from miles away during rainy season but, when I turned off the motor, I heard people from somewhere not too far off. All would be revealed before I pulled in for the night.

I had a vague plan to go for a dip at Conejos or body surfing at La Bocana and I was heading that direction when I saw a car pull off on to a dirt road to the right. I knew there was a beach there but I had never tried it before. I drove past that exit without seeing it for almost 2 years. I like to concentrate on what's in front when I drive. This was the day. Excellent choice.

The couple in the car I'd followed told me it was Playa Arena. Very friendly people. We talked a bit and the man told me the arroyo eventually comes back to town in Sector something or other in Santa Cruz. I probably hadn't been too far from the exit when I turned around. It's a great beach, maybe even a new favorite.

The Brave Little Toaster

My apartment has such a high ceiling that I didn't smell a thing until smoke had filled the room and descended on my head from above and roaring flames were ripping out of the toaster. The toasterr came with the apartment and I knew it was trouble the minute I laid eyes on it. It didn't pop but I could plug it in and fish my bread out with a fork or knife. Not the sort of appliance you ever want to turn your back on.


The pictures could have been a lot more dramatic but I was too busy getting the inferno outside apartment before the fire caught the paint. It was still an impressive little campfire on the patio. I stared at it and thought "Hey, cool picture." but I was too slow findinng the camera in my smoked out apartment.

It was still crackling at thei point. If you threw a few dry logs on those coals, you'd have a good blaze in two to three minutes.

When everything cooled, I put it in a garbage bag. No more of that. Before I went shopping for a replacement, a friend passed me a new one.


Now this is a special toaster. Four years ago, when Graham left Miahuatlan for Korea, he left me this toaster as a parting gift and I believe it was one of only two in the entire town at the time. There weren't any available in local stores. When I left for Korea myself, I passed it on to Mike and now, years later, I've got the same machine again and it works as good as ever. Mike has already upgraded to a toaster oven. Thanks Graham and Mike. Sure, I toyed with the idea of some "raising a toast" pun but who needs it?