Driving around this town has become quite an adventure lately. True, the “low season” may have begun, but I must say I haven’t noticed any reduction whatsoever in the number of folks walking around …nor in the number of buses and taxis clogging our streets. As I was returning to the south side after our weekly meeting at the Tribune’s “new” facilities -out where civilization stops and the Sierra Madre begins- the cars going northwest along the Libramiento by-pass road were backed up all the way to the next traffic light by the gas station. I can’t recall ever having seen that, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing it more and more often once all those condos are purchased and folks move in, each with a car or two.
And there are the giant cranes, construction sites, and vacant, razed, flattened lots waiting to be built upon - all over the place. There is construction noise everywhere you go. And the local papers are filled with truly unsettling articles with regard to the future of our little paradise… the wanton destruction of the hillsides, dire warnings about potentially fatal landslides once the rains begin, the alleged wrongdoings of the previous city administration, lawsuits being instituted against a number of its higher ups, etc., etc.
I blame that destruction of the local natural habitat for the uninvited visitor who came to my house a couple of nights ago. I should explain: like so many in Vallarta, my place is wide open, all around. I am used to seeing birds, iguanas, cute little field mice, frogs, geckoes and tiny snakes. As a matter of fact, when I had guests staying with us in March, they were a little taken aback to find an iguana comfortably snuggled on a jacket they had left on the dresser in the guest room… But, I must admit, as much as I respect most living creatures, tlacuaches are definitely among my least liked local wildlife.
According to the research I did after first seeing one of these creatures, many years ago, as it was walking around in my bedroom in the middle of the night, «the tlacuache (from the Náhuatl word tlacualzin) is Mexico’s only marsupial (an opossum) … one of the few animals that have remained unchanged since they first appeared on the planet approximately 60 million years ago (when mammals first began to settle the earth). Tlacuaches have somehow managed to survive human encroachment... They have been almost as successful as rats and mice in adapting to life near man since they are omnivorous animals that feed on anything, including fruits, insects, man’s garbage, small reptiles, amphibians, eggs, and normal-sized chickens. They are frequently seen in cities, inside garbage cans, on fences, in sewers, etc. They can also live in houses, cupboards, closets, under beds, etc.»
Well, this particular visitor wasn’t sitting on any fence. It was perched on my kitchen counter, very content, eating my cats’ food, while these latter were looking up at it from the floor, wondering what on earth it was. Looking at it, I thought, where were these creatures when good looks were being given out at the dawn of creation?
After taking its picture to share with you, I tried to shoo it away –and out- with a broom. Not very successfully. Finally, I remembered something from my dog training days, something about asserting one’s alpha status. So I roared at it. It bared its teeth at me, but it did scurry off the counter. On the floor, it was cornered by Alex, my old dog, so it played dead –as opossums are known to do- in the middle of my dining room. But I knew that trick, so I just swept it out. The broom finally did what it what designed to do. On one hand, I miss my Rottie. Had she been around, the tlacuache would never have made it into the house. On the other, I’m glad it wasn’t …exterminated. Before I forget: I want to sincerely thank all of you who sent me such beautiful messages of condolence on my 100-lb. «puppy»’s untimely passing.
Getting back to cars and driving, I received an email from an American friend of mine who must have me on her list of general contacts. It read as follows:
«Don’t pump gas on May 15th. In April 1997, there was a «gas out» conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May 15th, 2007, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices… This would take $2,292,000,000. (that’s almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil company’s pockets - in just one day. So please, do not go to the gas station on May 15th and let’s try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.» The boycott has been advertised all over the American networks, so I’m sure that lots of folks are aware of it, and I know that if I were American living in the States, I would definitely follow the suggestion. I wonder if enough folks will do it for it to have an effect. It could work.
Meanwhile, the Canadian networks are pressuring that country's Foreign Affairs Department to issue a warning against vacationing in "Mexico"! Because of 3 separate incidents that occurred over the last year and a half, in Cancun and Acapulco, the entire country should be castigated... Have they learned that trick from CNN? Has no one even looked at a map of Mexico to realize that those two resorts do not an entire country make? If we attributed the slight decrease in tourism over this last «high season» to the new passport regulations in effect in the U.S., well we ain't seen nothin' yet! The next day, there was a news item about a little girl who had been kidnapped in Portugal. My heart goes out to her parents, but should people stop going there for their holidays too?
I also saw a special on the decrease in the number of hummingbirds along the west coast of North America. It seems that the survival of those amazing little flyers is as important as that of bees and frogs. A decrease in their numbers augurs very badly for man, the planet’s worst predator. And all because of wanton destruction of these creatures’ habitat, with total disregard and impunity towards our environment.
The Dalai Lama bemoans what we’re doing. If you’re interested, I highly recommend you attend the “Environmental Purification” ceremony his Tibetan Monks will perform on Tuesday on the Isla Cuale. I have seen these monks’ performances the last couple of times they visited PV. Impressive to say the least!
In the weeks to come, I might be able to tell you all about my visit to Los Arbolitos, Dolcetto, Ztai, Azul 96, and Cilantro’s (a most pleasant surprise). Restaurant Week should be great! In the meantime, I’m just going to enjoy the Krispy Kreme donuts my cousin brought down for me…The days are getting hot, but the nights are still cool, perfect for sleeping. So have a wonderful time, enjoy yourselves, and keep well. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com
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