We've found the Garden of Eden at El Rancho in Mazatlan
(This post belongs to a series, "Crossing Borders"- Family Road Trip Costa Rica)
"I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life
as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive."
Joseph Campbell
Stretched out on a white lounge chair, I collect the sun's rays with a resolution to transform my white body to something more fawn, beige or caramel. I'm kept company by an olive green iguana who is also basking in the warmth of the golden ball in the sky.
Kyah loves the pool
Just a few feet away, a rectangle of aquamarine glitters in the sunshine, and jungle green palm fronds wave gently in the breeze.
Crimson red and candy pink hibiscus flowers polka-dot the emerald green verdure.
Viridescent vines languidly tiptoe the walls of tan adobe domiciles.
Giggling and splashing, delighted and carefree, mounted on lime green dragons and baby blue airplanes, my children sail across an azure sea.
Square ventanas share companionship with ruby red azaleas.
Variegated leaves of oranges, golds, fuchsia, plum, glaucous, and lime flank the perimeter of our own Garden of Eden by the sea.
Baby sleeps in her bouncer nearby . I close my eyes with a deep feeling of contentment, relishing the moment.
Switching on the iPod, I listen to Wayne Dyer How to Be a No Limit Person:
So quaint...
"How long would you sleep if you had no clocks or calendars, no specific meal times or bed times?”
He sites a study done in an underground facility, with no reference to night or day, the average person slept only 4.4 hours per 24 hour period.
Pondering the possibility of being an extreme early riser, we pursue our bunch as they beeline for the beach, only 150 feet away.
I wriggle my toes in the warm, flaxen sand of Playa Cerritos that fronts El Ranchos Villas where we're staying in Mazatlan.
My boys (including the big kid, my hubby) dig ferociously in the sand, building golden castles and gaping moats. Kyah frolics in the frothy white waves, skipping and splashing with joyful glee.
Aaliyah loves the sun
Combing the tow-colored beach, baby on my shoulder, under the dazzling sun, I search for treasures from the sea.
Iridescent oyster shells, opalescent clams, mustard augers, fulvous jujubes, pearly jingles and tawny alphabet cones, all glistering in the sunlight.
We comb, and gather and sort and delight. I envisage my own business, fabricating fabulous articles of jewelry from my oceanic treasure trove, recalling what Wayne Dyer once said,
"You can make a living doing ANYTHING. Anything at all that you can think of, you can make a living doing it.
If you're getting by where you're living right now, you can make it anywhere in the world.
Collecting seashells
There are no limits to what you can accomplish."
The hot tub to ourselves, I enjoy a good soak while baby Aaliyah floats in her yellow ring, and our children take turns leaping into daddy's arms and having 'swim' lessons.
Returning to our two bedroom bungalow, we exchange our wet swimsuits for dinner attire- something appropriate for an evening meal on the beach (read: shorts and flip flops).
Opposite the pool, facing oceanside, we climb the stairs to a thatched roof cottage on stilts with a soothing view of the Atlantic.
Sun sinks on a perfect day
Two plastic tables fill the small room composed of mostly windows. We take a seat and scour the menu, place our order, and admire the sunset.
Grateful we're the only patrons in the restaurant, I can relax a little more despite my children's noise. They've had a long, fun day, and are eager to eat and then go to bed (maybe just mommy is eager for that part).
Our meal is amazingly delicious, with fresh seafood, rice and beans, our hungry brood devours every bite.
We stroll back to our room in the balmy night air, past the sleeping iguanas, the sparkling pool and deep green gardens, appreciative for an enjoyable day in which we could spend so much time together.
One of the best benefits of travel, is the way it forces you to 'be where you are' and to focus on the moment.
Learning to 'embrace the world before our eyes' is the lesson to take to our everyday lives. It's the way to really experience living.
Isn't this what it's all about anyway, to have a feeling of being alive?
(This post belongs to a series, "Crossing Borders"- Family Road Trip Costa Rica)
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Loved reading this…I felt like I was on “vacation by proxy”! Sounds wonderful!
Thanks! Glad you liked it.