Elsa

I have seen other dirt roads to the other side of the paved road, and when I first came into Las Glorias, another paved road that turned off about ½ mile before coming into Las Glorias that said Boca del Rio – mouth of the river. 

So I turn around and drive back, deciding to check out the other dirt road first, thinking if I don’t find something else, I’ll try the boca road next.

I travel carefully down the dirt roads, through another part of the small town, waving to people sitting in chairs, riding their bikes, and giving me the occasional peace symbol.

The houses and restaurants, although not packed close together, seem like they share yards, with no public access to the beach. Here on this side there are a few houses with very tall fences around them and a few well dressed people squished inside the property standing around on cement or playing stunted kick ball on the small drive.

Even here, rich people are so afraid of and unwilling to share their ‘good fortune’ with those who have less, while obviously not concerned about how they ‘happened’ to stumble upon this good fortune.

Again, I reach the end of the town without finding a good place to park but I can see the mouth of the river across the beach, and it looks less populated, so I return to the paved road and go back the way I came to the Boca paved road.

I travel down that road and suddenly it also turns to dirt and I’m in yet another populated part of the town. Or I think it's another until I start seeing the same people and businesses! Hmmmm But this time I spot a small road between two businesses that appears to lead to the beach. I pull over and park, get out and take a look.

Except for maybe one 12 feet stretch of deep sand… great exception…. it looks like I can park 30 feet from the ocean! And there are no dune buggies in sight although there are tracks.

As I’m leaving the beach, debating whether I can charge thru 12 feet of sand to harder ground, I meet Elsa and her dog walking onto the beach. In my halting Spanish, I ask her what she thinks. She thinks I should go for it so I do.

I have now met Elsa’s 6 grandchildren – 6 out of 18 – and her dog. One of her sons also walked by but didn’t say anything to us. We all sit on the beach and watch the sun go down. Her grandchildren are mostly 13 and 14, although Carla is 10 and the youngest is 2.

Tomorrow morning, Elsa will come for coffee so I better get my z’s! the sky is covered with stars, no ½ moon yet, and the lights of the town seem very far away.