From Sunrise to Sunset

I was on my balcony this morning at six for the sunrise. What a great start to the day.

They are building a new apartment right next to mine, and each day three young men are hard at work out there. Today one of them had his little son with him, and he was amusing himself...and me.

I've discovered that I can buy lettuce, cilantro, basil and other greens, just down my path, straight from the gardener. He pulled them right from the ground in front of me, and washed off the roots, and handed them to me. They are the most perfect produce I have ever had. Here is the garden.

The lake has risen a few feet in the last three years, and a number of properties are under water. It is mostly foreigners who build near the water. Apparently the locals know better. I met an American/British couple recently who lost their house to the rising water. They were able to salvage and resell some of the building materials, but they are now renting a place with no intention of rebuilding.


My friend Miranda bought their clay roof tiles for her new house. It was just completed and it is gorgeous. She had a housewarming party on Sunday. Here she is in front of her new home. 

Have you ever wondered where the clothes go that are donated to one of those collection boxes? Well, this is one place they end up. It is sad to see locals wearing western clothing instead of their beautiful local textiles.

 

A local recycling project which I am delighted to support is a shoe business. The uppers are made of old huipiles (the women's handwoven blouses), and the sole is made of old tires. I had a pair custom made, and they turned out beautifully. I was able to pick my own fabric and they were sized for my foot. The craftmanship is exemplary, and they are very comfortable. I only took them off to go to bed last night.

To finish off, here is a sunset from my balcony.