Puerto y Coco

Puerto

Puerto was deserted. More people I feel horrible for. The people who live there told me that 2009 is a total loss. I heard the same thing here in Oxaca. My Aussie friend and I were the only people in the two restaurants where we had dinner last weekend. It's a total disaster. This flu really screwed them. The economy and the flu delivered a 1-2 punch that is going to take years to recover from. Puerto was not as hideous as I thought it would be though.
I saw five of the worst wipeouts I've ever seen at Zicatela which is the famous wave in Puerto. That wave is HEAVY. None for me, thanks. It's like Ocean Beach in San Francisco but hollow. Frightening.

Coco

Coco was my waitress at the hotel in Puerto. Another one of those incredible people that I have run across. My traveling partner was not feeling well our first day there so I went to the deserted restaurant/bar for a beer at about 5:00 because it had a great view of the guys getting macked by the wave. She sat down and we talked for the next three hours. We just talked about life, the world, the economy, environmental problems, the ocean, our families and friends, and about what a positive change for everyone our new president is. It's amazing how little respect or admiration virtually everyone in the world had for Bush. Anyway, Coco was an incredibly warm and extremely funny and insightful human being. She told me that I absolutely had to have kids or she would never forgive me. Funny. I need to go get fixed - quickly. And no, she wasn't trying to get into my pants. But it was unexpected to meet someone who's working in a restaurant in deep Mexico with such a firm grasp of news, current events, sports, food, business, politics, religion, and especially the environment. But I'm surprised by something every day. It's nice to have my brain engaged. I've almost forgotten what a cubicle looks like. I never want to see one again.

The next day I went back to the restaurant and we talked for another three hours but this was almost entirely theoretical/philosophical stuff. Smart woman. You can tell that if she would have had the opportunity to go to college she would have thrived. I again realize how lucky I am - I am lucky to have been given the opportunity at an education and lucky to have met Coco.